BHPshooter
Member
Yesterday a family (Mom, Dad, 4 children) came in the shop looking for .22s.
The mother, who I would guess to be in her late twenties/early thirties was essentially the leader, and she was there for probably an hour trying to decide which ones she wanted.
Apparently, as her Mother's Day present, she wanted to get 3 .22 rifles so that the whole family would have something to shoot when they went out, in addition to their handguns (which I gathered were .22 and .40), a 9mm carbine, and their AR-15.
I usually won't bust in with unsolicited commentary unless prompted, so I just let them browse while I hunted down some special orders. However, I try to always keep an ear open so that I'll know when I'm needed.
That's when it happened.
Their second-youngest, a boy that couldn't have been over 4, was watching Mommy pick up and shoulder the guns for fit.
"Mommy, did you know that all guns are always loaded?"
"That's right, honey. What's the second rule?"
I stood there with my mouth agape as this knee-high youngster repeated Cooper's 4 Rules, only slightly distorting Rule #4 (Be sure of your target and what is beyond it).
I praised the folks. I had to. Even though I have been shooting from a very young age, I never had the rules told to me except at the range, which wasn't enough for me to recite them. I can't tell you the feeling that I felt... It defies my vocabulary. Suffice it to say that the feeling was almost spiritual.
At this point, the mom asked for my help comparing the different .22s. I then became impressed with how much this woman liked guns -- "I have a total gun fetish. We love shooting." -- and how casual she made it seem... like everybody does. Like it was just the same as liking motorcycles or movies or cuisine.
They were probably there for almost 2 hours when all was said and done, and the children were remarkably behaved, especially for their ages (1-7, I'm guessing).
When the family left, they ended up taking with them a Marlin Model 60, a Ruger 10/22, and a Marlin bolt action (Model 925, IIRC). But before they left, the same little tike repeated the Eddie Eagle rules for his dad verbatim.
It seems pretty easy to get discouraged when your hobby, your job, and your entire raison d'etre is a thing that is constantly under cultural and political attack. Today I got to see one of those rare glimpses of hope, suggesting that maybe the future could be a little brighter than we sometimes fear.
It also impressed upon me the importance of getting others into the sport; specifically women and children. If children are the future of shooting, Women are the immediate future of shooting.
Share the joy! Who have you spoken to today, whom it hasn't even dawned on you to invite shooting?
Wes
The mother, who I would guess to be in her late twenties/early thirties was essentially the leader, and she was there for probably an hour trying to decide which ones she wanted.
Apparently, as her Mother's Day present, she wanted to get 3 .22 rifles so that the whole family would have something to shoot when they went out, in addition to their handguns (which I gathered were .22 and .40), a 9mm carbine, and their AR-15.
I usually won't bust in with unsolicited commentary unless prompted, so I just let them browse while I hunted down some special orders. However, I try to always keep an ear open so that I'll know when I'm needed.
That's when it happened.
Their second-youngest, a boy that couldn't have been over 4, was watching Mommy pick up and shoulder the guns for fit.
"Mommy, did you know that all guns are always loaded?"
"That's right, honey. What's the second rule?"
I stood there with my mouth agape as this knee-high youngster repeated Cooper's 4 Rules, only slightly distorting Rule #4 (Be sure of your target and what is beyond it).
I praised the folks. I had to. Even though I have been shooting from a very young age, I never had the rules told to me except at the range, which wasn't enough for me to recite them. I can't tell you the feeling that I felt... It defies my vocabulary. Suffice it to say that the feeling was almost spiritual.
At this point, the mom asked for my help comparing the different .22s. I then became impressed with how much this woman liked guns -- "I have a total gun fetish. We love shooting." -- and how casual she made it seem... like everybody does. Like it was just the same as liking motorcycles or movies or cuisine.
They were probably there for almost 2 hours when all was said and done, and the children were remarkably behaved, especially for their ages (1-7, I'm guessing).
When the family left, they ended up taking with them a Marlin Model 60, a Ruger 10/22, and a Marlin bolt action (Model 925, IIRC). But before they left, the same little tike repeated the Eddie Eagle rules for his dad verbatim.
It seems pretty easy to get discouraged when your hobby, your job, and your entire raison d'etre is a thing that is constantly under cultural and political attack. Today I got to see one of those rare glimpses of hope, suggesting that maybe the future could be a little brighter than we sometimes fear.
It also impressed upon me the importance of getting others into the sport; specifically women and children. If children are the future of shooting, Women are the immediate future of shooting.
Share the joy! Who have you spoken to today, whom it hasn't even dawned on you to invite shooting?
Wes
