Scott Evans
Staff Alumnus
I began my shooting practices when I was 9 years old. I was promised a BB gun by my father for Christmas that year. Unfortunately just a few weeks before Christmas that year one of the kids in my area put out his own eye with his BB gun. My mother, not being from a shooting background, was distraught and adamantly opposed the purchase of my BB gun by my father. I was sure that Dad would not break under the pressure but was hart broken that Christmas morning where under the tree no BB gun could be found. Dad tried to explain how the time was not right but it did little to ease my disappointment. One of the gifts I did receive was a subscription to Boy’s Life or Outdoor life or something like that magazine. While reading it that night before I went to bed I spotted an add for a “Wrist Rocket” . $3.50 + .50 S/H … I wrote a note grabbed the $2.00 I received in my Christmas card from Grandpa Evans (all the grand kids always received a card at Christmas from grandpa Evans with $2.00 in it; $1.00 for Christmases and $1.00 for your birthday … whenever that is … He had 6 children of his own and a lot of grand kids, not much money and a fading memory.) To his $2.00 I added coins from my Batman bank until I had the entire $4.00. I snuk an envelop and a stamp from my mothers desk and sent off the whole janglely thing the next day. It is a wonder it ever made it. After that I waited every day for the mailman. I knew that if my mother intercepted that package I would never get my Wrist Rocket. The day before school started up again, after the holidays, it came. I quickly went off into the woods to test out my first weapon. It took a while to get the hang of it but I was truly amazed at the incredible power of such a simple device. Across the street from my house were RR tracks that went through a patch of woods and approximately 2 miles down they also past the school that I attended. I would pack my WR and carry it concealed while at school and walk the tracks and hunt in the woods every day on the way home. If you are familiar with a WR you may be wondering how a 9 year old boy caries such a thing concealed. Well I carried it around my waist under my shirt (something I can no longer do). I would place the WR on my left side, the “Y” across my belly, stretch the bands around my waist and behind my back and hook the leather pouch to the arm brace portion of the handle with a bent paper clip. I did this nearly every day for 3 years. It was quite comfortable and I was never discovered. My mother eventually found the Sling Shot but to my surprise she gave it little concern not realizing that it was far more powerful then the BB gun she was so worried about. To make a long story short the shills I acquired while stalking and hunting, the respect for the damaged even a simple weapon can inflect, and that control between body and instrument in delivering a projectile on target have served me well over the years. Everything from that experience has translated perfectly into the handling of firearms. I still have that sling shot and still use it from time to time.
Justin