Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
I was leaning on the fence at Range 11 when I heard a man telling the trap guy his daughter was shooting for the first time. The trap guy turned towards me and smiled, but his eyes implored me to help out.
You know what happened next. Or maybe not....
Elizabeth is a pretty teen who had never shot a shotgun before. Her entire gun experience consisted of shooting "Some kind of gun" at camp once.
So, the live version of Shotgun 101 got going again. Eye dominance check, stance, swing, etc.
When I asked why she wanted to learn to shoot a shotgun,she responded, "Because it's fun". IMO, that's the best answer possible.
It took a few tries for Elizabeth to get her first bird, but they came often after that. She hit over half though no one was counting.
By any reasonable standard, that's a very good start. Mike, Elizabeth's dad, was quite happy and so was she.
She was an perfect example of someone coming into shotgunning without preconceived notions. The older I get, the more that seems crucial in developing a new shotgunner.
She listened. She followed instructions. She gave it all her attention. Couldn't ask for a better student.
Her next round didn't go so well. We talked about it afterwards, discussing what had changed. Head placement seems to be the culprit. She promised to work on her mount at home and keep on practicing.
As she and her father left the area, I mused on something I noted. I get as much of a kick helping others learn as when I shoot.
How about that?.....
You know what happened next. Or maybe not....
Elizabeth is a pretty teen who had never shot a shotgun before. Her entire gun experience consisted of shooting "Some kind of gun" at camp once.
So, the live version of Shotgun 101 got going again. Eye dominance check, stance, swing, etc.
When I asked why she wanted to learn to shoot a shotgun,she responded, "Because it's fun". IMO, that's the best answer possible.
It took a few tries for Elizabeth to get her first bird, but they came often after that. She hit over half though no one was counting.
By any reasonable standard, that's a very good start. Mike, Elizabeth's dad, was quite happy and so was she.
She was an perfect example of someone coming into shotgunning without preconceived notions. The older I get, the more that seems crucial in developing a new shotgunner.
She listened. She followed instructions. She gave it all her attention. Couldn't ask for a better student.
Her next round didn't go so well. We talked about it afterwards, discussing what had changed. Head placement seems to be the culprit. She promised to work on her mount at home and keep on practicing.
As she and her father left the area, I mused on something I noted. I get as much of a kick helping others learn as when I shoot.
How about that?.....