Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
When the kid with cobalt blue hair pulled the little NEF 20 gauge single from the Fender guitar case, I was a bit surprised at what happened next.
A few of us has been waiting for the trap to be restocked. My TB was in the rack, along with the usual collection of SBTs, autos and other shotguns more commonly used at a trap range than that NEF.
Two older shooters with straight patches on their vests saw the NEF, looked at each other, picked up their shotguns and left the range. Obviously, they didn't want to shoot with the kid. He and his GF were maybe 20, with a few too many earrings for my stodgy old self, but they weren't acting crazy or stupid.
I noted the kid kept the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and his GF was belting on a pouch/bag setup similar to mine. She took the NEF as we went to the line.I asked her if she had done this before. She smiled a little shyly and said she had shot, but not very much. She followed the safety rules and seemed to know where to stand and what to do. Even with that light shotgun, she tilted back like rookies do to counter the weight.
It was a 3 shooter squad, her, me and an older guy with that construction worker look of casual competence with mechanical things. He shot a BT99 fairtomiddlin'. After a shot or two, both of us started tutoring the girl. Her stance and swing improved, and she started hitting straightaways, tho the angles continued to elude her patterns.
She had a big smile as she handed the 20 gauge to her BF, and the other shooter, the BF and I went back for another round. He did poorly at first, until I told him to shut his left eye. Yup, another mixed dominance shooter. Then he hit most of them and had a grin like a possum eating roadkill as he cased that little 20. They thanked both of us and left.Before the left, though, I gave them this website, so they may be reading this.
As another group of shooters headed for the line, I sat down next to the BT99 guy and said I sure liked to teach rookies. He replied, after a moment's reflection,something like this....
"Those guys that left rather than shoot with the kids have their heads up their _____. The kids were safe, those guys just didn't want to shoot with rookies or those outside their own group. And those kids are the future of trapshooting, and shooting in general".
I agreed, and said that if every shotgunner taught ONE rookie a year to shoot,the future of gun ownership is a lot more secure than it is.
And after, I reflected on the fact that lots of us otherwise good folks have our own little biases and snobberies.
Some SC types thnk trapshooters are just grumpy ol' men too rigid to try something new.
Some trapshooters think SC types are showing off their incomes.
The Practical types think the clay shooters are effete psuedo-intellectuals, and the clay shooters oft regard the black BDU types as Rambo wannabees and Klan members.
And there's hunters who think the clay shooters are too queasy of stomach to shed bird blood.
Heck,there may even be some 870 owners out there that think that Mossie owners are inbred cheapskates who never wash below their collar line.
And it's more than time for this to stop.
The enemy is not some kids with an NEF trying to have safe fun at the range, it's Michael Moore.
The enemy is not some SC in a golf cart with a Perazzi, it's Sarah Brady.
The enemy is not some guy blasting steel plates in an amazingly short time period, it's Josh Sugerman.
The enemy's the fool with too many Buds in him blasting road signs with a shotgun.
The enemy's the hunter with too many ducks, the loudmouth bragging about jacking deer, the fool doing 90 MPH past cars with his bumper sticker saying "This vehicle insured by Smith and Wesson".
And the enemy's the guys who left the line because they didn't want to shoot with a beginner.
Pogo's immortal words do apply....
"We have met the enemy, and he is us".....
A few of us has been waiting for the trap to be restocked. My TB was in the rack, along with the usual collection of SBTs, autos and other shotguns more commonly used at a trap range than that NEF.
Two older shooters with straight patches on their vests saw the NEF, looked at each other, picked up their shotguns and left the range. Obviously, they didn't want to shoot with the kid. He and his GF were maybe 20, with a few too many earrings for my stodgy old self, but they weren't acting crazy or stupid.
I noted the kid kept the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and his GF was belting on a pouch/bag setup similar to mine. She took the NEF as we went to the line.I asked her if she had done this before. She smiled a little shyly and said she had shot, but not very much. She followed the safety rules and seemed to know where to stand and what to do. Even with that light shotgun, she tilted back like rookies do to counter the weight.
It was a 3 shooter squad, her, me and an older guy with that construction worker look of casual competence with mechanical things. He shot a BT99 fairtomiddlin'. After a shot or two, both of us started tutoring the girl. Her stance and swing improved, and she started hitting straightaways, tho the angles continued to elude her patterns.
She had a big smile as she handed the 20 gauge to her BF, and the other shooter, the BF and I went back for another round. He did poorly at first, until I told him to shut his left eye. Yup, another mixed dominance shooter. Then he hit most of them and had a grin like a possum eating roadkill as he cased that little 20. They thanked both of us and left.Before the left, though, I gave them this website, so they may be reading this.
As another group of shooters headed for the line, I sat down next to the BT99 guy and said I sure liked to teach rookies. He replied, after a moment's reflection,something like this....
"Those guys that left rather than shoot with the kids have their heads up their _____. The kids were safe, those guys just didn't want to shoot with rookies or those outside their own group. And those kids are the future of trapshooting, and shooting in general".
I agreed, and said that if every shotgunner taught ONE rookie a year to shoot,the future of gun ownership is a lot more secure than it is.
And after, I reflected on the fact that lots of us otherwise good folks have our own little biases and snobberies.
Some SC types thnk trapshooters are just grumpy ol' men too rigid to try something new.
Some trapshooters think SC types are showing off their incomes.
The Practical types think the clay shooters are effete psuedo-intellectuals, and the clay shooters oft regard the black BDU types as Rambo wannabees and Klan members.
And there's hunters who think the clay shooters are too queasy of stomach to shed bird blood.
Heck,there may even be some 870 owners out there that think that Mossie owners are inbred cheapskates who never wash below their collar line.
And it's more than time for this to stop.
The enemy is not some kids with an NEF trying to have safe fun at the range, it's Michael Moore.
The enemy is not some SC in a golf cart with a Perazzi, it's Sarah Brady.
The enemy is not some guy blasting steel plates in an amazingly short time period, it's Josh Sugerman.
The enemy's the fool with too many Buds in him blasting road signs with a shotgun.
The enemy's the hunter with too many ducks, the loudmouth bragging about jacking deer, the fool doing 90 MPH past cars with his bumper sticker saying "This vehicle insured by Smith and Wesson".
And the enemy's the guys who left the line because they didn't want to shoot with a beginner.
Pogo's immortal words do apply....
"We have met the enemy, and he is us".....
"
