New shooter, first target...

[MrBorland]

I took my early teen daughter to the range this weekend. It's the first time she's ever shot a firearm.

After a safety lesson, I told her about sight picture and trigger press. She shot a few rounds from her grandpop's iron-sighted bolt action .22LR he bought when he was a young'un. But it was cold & wet out, so before she got too cold, I let her try a MkIII .22LR pistol at 7 yards.

We went over safety again, then I showed her how load and clear the pistol, then once again, sight picture and trigger press (and taking your time). She's a good student and did just what I instructed. The target below is the very first rounds she's ever shot. A new shooter generally peppers the paper, so I was a bit stunned at the nice grouping.

The second target was similar, except for 2 dropped shots, but I was extra impressed because she actually called them. When I expressed surprise she was able to call them, she seemed surprised I was surprised and just said she was watching the front sight like I told her to do. Good student, indeed!

 

[WheelGunMan]

Nice shooting! New shooter's seem to do well with good instructions. They have no preconceived ideas about shooting in general.

 

[Derek Zeanah]

It looks like she's got a gift there that you might want to encourage.

Great job!

 

[.45Coltguy]

MrBorland; I'd say you and daughter did well. Good for her dad. And you.

 

[Pat Riot]

The kid’s a natural! Great Job!


You know, that Mk III is no longer yours, right?

 

[MrBorland]

Thanks for the kind words, folks.

I had her shoot 5-round groups, 2 groups on a target. Here's her 2nd target (rounds 11-15). I asked about the dropped shot, and she said it was her 2nd shot, and knew it was way low because she saw the front sight dip.

New shooter's seem to do well with good instructions. They have no preconceived ideas about shooting in general.

Yes, that's been my experience. Some years ago, I took my father (in his early 80s) to the range for his first time. Same lesson, same result. That time, though, there were other shooters on the line, and dad asked me, in all sincerity, why, since they were experienced shooters, their targets looked much worse.

 

[JTHunter]

Nice going Dad. Let's hope she keeps up with it and her skill improves.

 

[wcwhitey]

Well Done! Quality time indeed.

 

[Ru4real]

For shooting, daughters seem to listen. Sons, not so much, LOL.

 

[Riomouse911]

Well done! My 14 year old daughter will be joining me at the range soon.

My 17 year old son has been shooting with me at the range since he was 15.



Shooting a sporterized K98k 7.92x57 at a plate up on a hill. He liked this one.



Keep it up!

Stay safe.

 

[jstert]

wouldn’t we enjoy a better society if all kids had such a good dad and proper firearms training?

 

[.38 Special]

Wonderful!

This is a perfect example of the basics: sights and trigger. It really is that simple, but we complicate it with all of our nonsense - and ego, of course.

 

[EMC45]

Well done dad! I've seen grown-up "pros" who don't shoot that well.

 

[bannockburn]

MrBorland

Great job starting your daughter out right!

It seems like a lot of kids (my own as well as others), seem to have a natural affinity for being very good shooters; especially on their first time to the range!

 

[jar]

Thank you.

 

[doubleh]

Here is an attaboy to you, Mr. Borland.

I have had the good fortune to teach a few kids to shoot over the years staring with my son and daughter. I learned pretty quickly not to underestimate the learning abilities of a kid when it's a subject they are interested in. Also don' expect the girls to be of lesser ability either. My daughter embarrassed a few of her brother's friends and did it while being right handed and left eye dominant. I have a near 15 year old great grand daughter that I stared shooting several years ago and every adult in the family has to pay close attention to stay any where with her now. We even have the three year old shooting, with help of course, but I have passed that on to her uncle. Time to pass the torch. I taught him when he was a little kid so now it's his turn.

 

[DMW1116]

The last couple years my daughter and I have done a Halloween Zombie Shoot. She does pretty well and gets complimented by other shooters, especially ones that are old enough to be my dad. She’s rough on a zombie with a single action revolver (Blackhawk and Heritage Rough Rider).

 

[DMW1116]

I’ve been shooting consistently for about 5 years and still can’t call my shots. Good job.

 

[1KPerDay]

Nice shooting, kid!

 

[American Finn]

@MrBorland That's a great group for someone's first time shooting a handgun.

wouldn’t we enjoy a better society if all kids had such a good dad and proper firearms training?

Your spot on with that comment. That's why I take my 9 year old (soon to be 10) out to the range as much as possible. He shoots a Ruger Wrangler and has become quite proficient with it.

 

[jstert]

@MrBorland That's a great group for someone's first time shooting a handgun.



Your spot on with that comment. That's why I take my 9 year old (soon to be 10) out to the range as much as possible. He shoots a Ruger Wrangler and has become quite proficient with it.

thank you. his future children will cherish this same humble ruger wrangler.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Good job Dad and good shootin Daughter!

My girls are old hands now, with many thousands of rounds downrange, but teaching them were some of the best times of my life.

I took one of the young fellas at work for his 2nd ever shoot last weekend- and the first was only a few rounds. After a couple warmup flyers, he was on target with everything he picked up, even getting a single-shot Zombie headshot at 25yds with a handgun.
I was very impressed- I guess some folks just have a natural affinity for it.

 

[buck460XVR]

I have always been impressed with how well my kids and grandkids shot their first few times out. Sometimes better than me. I contribute it to being shown the correct way to shoot, before they developed bad habits, as opposed to the way I learned by picking up a gun and going to the dump to shoot rats with no direction from an experienced shooter at all. Wasn't till I was old enough to shoot by myself and buy my own ammo, that I was even able to shoot more than 1-3 rounds at a time. I remember while hunting deer with a sister one year how she had a bruise on her cheek from shooting at a deer. Had her put the gun up to see how she might have done it and realized she was trying to shoot right handed using her left eye, and had to crush the stock with her cheek to be able to line up the sights. Something my dad, or her husband, never noticed after several years of her hunting.

 

[Tallball]

Good job, daughter and dad!

It's always nice to take them to lunch afterwards, too.

 

[MrBorland]

I contribute it to being shown the correct way to shoot, before they developed bad habits

+1.

Shooting well is pretty easy, and only requires:
A. Proper sight picture and trigger release, one shot at a time.
B. Leaving everything else out of the process.

With good instruction, new shooters (especially young folks and/or those who didn't grow up around guns) often do pretty well because they often do A and B pretty well. Most everyone else (whether they know it or not) struggles with one or the other, and often both