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Offline dpe.ahoy

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4 new shooters
« on: April 19, 2009, 12:54:26 PM »
Just back from the local range, took most of the family out and 4 that had never shot before.  Kind had me a nervous wreck for a while, but made it fine.  We have 4 girls from the Philipines and 1 from Thiland staying with us for 2 months and 2 of them wanted to go shoot, along with a 50 something lady that is friends with my wife and my 4 year old son 8).  Put all of them on a 22 LR Handi first and theyall had a great time, until my son crawled the stock to much and got the hammer on his cheek.  I was behind him and holding the rifle and couldn't see it till to late.  Little guy got right back on it and shot some more after that and still likes it! ;D   I also took a 357 and my 45-70 Handi's with me and put 40 rounds through the 45-70 and several burned up 150 rounds of 357.  The little Sportster had a couple hundred thru it as well, went through 3- 550 round boxes of 22 and 100 rounds of hot 45 colt to boot.  Dead tired but a great day, just to windy to try any groups.  357 and 45-70 were busting sandstone rocks at 130 yd with no problem, better than my 23 year old was doing with his 7mm-08, he had the scope cranked up to 9 power, told him to turn it down and he wouldn't notice the wobbles so much and he started hitting better.   DP
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Handi's:22Shot, 22LR, 2-22Mag, 22Hornet, 5-223, 2-357Max, 44 mag, 2-45LC, 7-30 Waters, 7mm-08, 280, 25-06, 30-30, 30-30AI, 444Marlin, 45-70, AND 2-38-55s, 158 Topper 22 Hornet/20ga. combo;  Levers-Marlins:Two 357's, 44 mag, 4-30-30s, RC-Glenfields 36G-30A & XLR, 3-35 Rem, M-375, 2-444P's, 444SS, 308 MX, 338Marlin MXLR, 38-55 CB, 45-70 GS, XS7 22-250 and 7mm08;  BLR's:7mm08, 358Win;  Rossi: 3-357mag, 44mag, 2-454 Casull; Winchesters: 7-30 Waters, 45Colt Trapper; Bolt actions, too many;  22's, way too many.  Who says it's an addiction?

Offline Skunk

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2009, 01:09:15 PM »
Good going dpe.ahoy. The little guy is now going to be a hunting, shooting, lifer for sure. And if the non-shooters ever had any liberal minded doubts about guns, you may have been the man that changed their minds and converted them over to the proper way of thinking about our great sport. Thank you for taking the time with them.
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Offline canon6

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2009, 01:10:18 PM »
Way to go man, they are kind of days that are remembered.  Glad you got to "outshoot" the 23 year old.It is good when us old farts win, once in a while. take care pard     Doug
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Offline troy5775

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2009, 01:54:38 PM »
About 2 years ago my then 6 year old son  was shooting his sisters 223 handi with me assisting behind him. I didn't notice as he laid his cheek on the stock that he was looking through the scope with his left eye instead of his right and put it too close to the scope. poor guy popped himself right in the eye with the recoil. Had me crying right along with him. I have to watch him to this day, if he shoots right handed he uses his left eye and uses his right eye to shoot left handed. But he can hit!! He now shoots 44 specials in his 44 mag handi with open sights.

Also, we always use ear muffs when we go target shooting.
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Offline cbourbeau32

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2009, 03:30:44 PM »
Good story. I can't wait until my son (almost 3 years old) can go shooting with me. Charlie
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Offline mechanic

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2009, 04:58:30 PM »
Quote from: cbourbeau32 on April 19, 2009, 03:30:44 PM
Good story. I can't wait until my son (almost 3 years old) can go shooting with me. Charlie

Whacha' waiting on Charlie?  Cut that stock down and get the boy shooting!  Then again, I was four when I got christened with a 12 guage.

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Offline petemi

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2009, 09:07:43 PM »
Quote from: mechanic on April 19, 2009, 04:58:30 PM
Quote from: cbourbeau32 on April 19, 2009, 03:30:44 PM
Good story. I can't wait until my son (almost 3 years old) can go shooting with me. Charlie

Whacha' waiting on Charlie?  Cut that stock down and get the boy shooting!  Then again, I was four when I got christened with a 12 guage.



OUCH :'( :'( :'(
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Keep both eyes open and make the first shot good.
The growing Handi/Sportster/Pardner/Topper Family:  .22 WMR, .22-250. 223, Two Superlight 7mm-08s and one .243, .30-30,  .308, 32-20, 18 inch .356/.358 Win., Two 16.5 inch .357 Max., 18 inch 38-55 BC Carbine, 16.5 inch .445 Super Mag., .45LC, 16.5 and 22 inch .45-70s, .50 Huntsman SS, .410, 20 ga., 12 ga., 20 ga. Pardner Pump, Versa-Pack .410 - .22
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Offline petemi

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2009, 09:10:40 PM »
dpe, I think it's a great thing having those foreign kids staying with a wonderful American family.........and taking them shooting. ;)

Pete
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Keep both eyes open and make the first shot good.
The growing Handi/Sportster/Pardner/Topper Family:  .22 WMR, .22-250. 223, Two Superlight 7mm-08s and one .243, .30-30,  .308, 32-20, 18 inch .356/.358 Win., Two 16.5 inch .357 Max., 18 inch 38-55 BC Carbine, 16.5 inch .445 Super Mag., .45LC, 16.5 and 22 inch .45-70s, .50 Huntsman SS, .410, 20 ga., 12 ga., 20 ga. Pardner Pump, Versa-Pack .410 - .22
[size=7.4 pt]PLEASE DONATE TO THE GBO SERVER FUND  We're closer to the goal but not there yet, we can still use more donations, thanks

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,191112.msg1098959491.html#msg1098959491

Offline tallyho

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2009, 02:22:29 AM »
Quote from: troy5775 on April 19, 2009, 01:54:38 PM
About 2 years ago my then 6 year old son  was shooting his sisters 223 handi with me assisting behind him. I didn't notice as he laid his cheek on the stock that he was looking through the scope with his left eye instead of his right and put it too close to the scope. poor guy popped himself right in the eye with the recoil. Had me crying right along with him. I have to watch him to this day, if he shoots right handed he uses his left eye and uses his right eye to shoot left handed. But he can hit!! He now shoots 44 specials in his 44 mag handi with open sights.

Also, we always use ear muffs when we go target shooting.

Troy, please forgive me for offering unsolicited advice, but I have had experience with youngsters shooting left master eye when they are right handed, and vice versa. Not my own kids, but I used to teach beginners at a shooting club. There were a some who had the left/right thing going on, and were brought to the classes because they were about to give up shooting completely because of it. Their dads brought them to the club hoping the kids might benefit from some outside the family instruction.

It sounds like you are fortunate and your son won't likely stop shooting, but I think it is still worth the effort to coach him into matching his shooting side  to his same side eye if at all possible. It is totally your business, but I'd be concerned that as he grows up he'll develop and strengthen his compensating habits and at some point it will be something he wants to change and it will be very difficult. (Consider that he may want to go into the military or law-enforcement, and he will have to be trained vigorously out of any "bad" habits they decide he has.)

In any case it is relatively easy to train at this age, and it's not even too hard for adults - I've coached middle aged folk (women mostly) who were mismatched as to master eye and handedness, and it is 'way easier to teach someone to shoot left-handed if they have a master left eye and are right handed, than it is to break the habit that kind of person developed without coaching) and though he may resist at first, it will be something he'll likely get used to very quickly. In fact I have a friend now who picked up (right handed) one of my air rifles the other day and sighted it with her left eye. When I pointed it out she was quite surprised, she had been shooting that way for years, and hadn't noticed. When I suggested she try a couple of shots shooting left-handed she was reluctant but willing. After doing about 5 very reasonable shots she said she had never really realized all those years of shooting what exactly it was that didn't feel right, but something didn't. And even thought she had always shot reasonably well she decided right then to start shooting left-handed simply because it just "felt right".

Again, no offense intended by this, just that I was so glad to be able to help those kids and ladies a few years back when they were shooting awkwardly, and I figure we need all the young shooters, hunters and tinkers we can get, and I'll do as much as I can to help them enjoy this sport.

Cheers
Kerry
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Offline troy5775

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2009, 03:59:33 AM »
The reason I had him shoot left handed was to see if he was left eye dominate but it didn't work. I am trying to get him to close or cover his opposite eye while shooting with mixed results. He seems to shoot just as well left handed as right. I am glad he likes to shoot.
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Offline wreckhog

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2009, 04:18:28 AM »
Don't take this the wrong way but shouldn't these kids be wearing eye protection to minimize some of these boo boos? When I take out my 7 yo nephew, ear and eye protection go on first. His dad, an Army major, is the worst offender as they apparently don't wear eye protection when qualifying (practically the only time he shoots a gun).
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Offline petemi

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2009, 02:01:45 PM »
My wife, Patty, is left eye dominant and ambidexterous.  She seems to shoot right or left handed equally well, and she's a death knell with a handgun and both eyes open.  I once bought her a .50 cal L.H. Hawken, and she shot my R.H. the same.  Her favorite rifle, a Rem. 700 .270 mountain rifle is right handed.  I really don't understand it, but I wouldn't want to tick her off!  The lady shoots!

Pete
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Keep both eyes open and make the first shot good.
The growing Handi/Sportster/Pardner/Topper Family:  .22 WMR, .22-250. 223, Two Superlight 7mm-08s and one .243, .30-30,  .308, 32-20, 18 inch .356/.358 Win., Two 16.5 inch .357 Max., 18 inch 38-55 BC Carbine, 16.5 inch .445 Super Mag., .45LC, 16.5 and 22 inch .45-70s, .50 Huntsman SS, .410, 20 ga., 12 ga., 20 ga. Pardner Pump, Versa-Pack .410 - .22
[size=7.4 pt]PLEASE DONATE TO THE GBO SERVER FUND  We're closer to the goal but not there yet, we can still use more donations, thanks

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,191112.msg1098959491.html#msg1098959491

Offline Default

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Re: 4 new shooters
« Reply #12 on: April 21, 2009, 04:00:15 AM »
Just a comment on the left eye right hand thing ,

 When i was 3 i put the back end of a pair of tweezers in the cornea of my right eye , causing perminent damage ( considered legally blind , but alot like an out of focus camera)

 So as a kid with a dad that had a $200k firearm collection , shooting was part of the growing up process.. I'm a natural righty , so it happened that i would shoulder right side and try and lean over left eye ... wasnt till i got back into guns after turning 18 and bought my first hunting rifle ( 8mm mauser) that i made the leap to left handed shooting.... It isnt as bad as one might think .. But would have just been more ajusted if the lessons i had to teach myself at 18-19 years of age had been worked with earlier... Think the parent folk just let me do my thing due to not knowing what else to do ( laughing)

 So the point is , if he is shooting and having fun , Great cant ask for more ... But it never hurts to lean um in the right direction .. But if he is gonna be a gunnie all his life ? He'll figure out what works for him  ;)

 As for the out of country shooters... I have had exchange students from Sweden and Norway that had a blast shooting for their first time , A good friend had a few buddies  ( College exchange students) from India that i took shooting for their first time as well .... It is rather funny to see the look on a grown persons face shooting for the first time and you know that that is the same face we all made at 5-7-10 or whenever it was that we first got introduced to shooting.... Makes me definately feel like i have done my good act for the year  ;D
 
  I still have a few good friends from Denmark that cant wait to come visit me in the states if for no other reason then to get a chance to go to the range with my arsenal ... That will be a fun day!

 Keep up the good work DPE,

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