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MBTcustom
06-08-2015, 05:50 PM
141687
This was the highlight of the day at the range Sunday.
This young fellow was fascinated by the XCB rifles and terrified of them at the same time. He thought they must be the loudest and most powerful rifles he had ever seen.
I looked this kid up three benches down with his dad, and asked if he would like to shoot Felix.
At first he was scared, but I asked him didn't he want his dad to take a picture of him shooting that big gun so he could show all his friends?
I told him I would show him how to load the ammo, then I would shoot it the first time and he could decide.
He was all over that.
I loaded up five XCB with 10 grains of unique. ;-)


I got behind the rifle, tucked in, and got her zeroed on the target. I turned around and looked this kid right in the eye (he was a good safe distance away with both hands cupped over his ear muffs) and pulled the trigger with my left finger and let the rifle free recoil. It only moved 2" LOL!
Kid got a big smile on his face and decided to give it a try!
When he was done shooting the other four rounds, I took one of them and made him a dummy round to keep as a memento.
That made my day, made his day, and made his dad's day, and was he last thing I did before packing up and coming home.
Good times.

obssd1958
06-08-2015, 06:05 PM
Great job, Tim!
Not many things make a man feel much better about himself, and his world!

Don

MrWolf
06-08-2015, 06:25 PM
Great job Tim! Something that kid will always remember; a kind act and a positive association with shooting.

williamwaco
06-08-2015, 06:26 PM
Good for you! That young man will never forget that!

Hannibal
06-08-2015, 06:34 PM
Well done, Sir! Well done.

MBTcustom
06-08-2015, 07:02 PM
at one point while going through the loding process, the young fellow looked at the rifles in the rack and asked me if I had made these rifles? I told him I sure had.
He said "Wow, I could never do that."
I stopped what I was doing and I told him "Yes you CAN!"
I asked him how old he was, and he told me he was 12 years old. I told him that when I was his age, I didn't know any more about building guns than he did, but I made my first one when I was 14, and I've been doing it ever since. I told him he can do anything if he works hard at it!
I hope I was able to inspire him in some way to do whatever he wants to do. This kid was very timid, but he was attentive, and he was unwaveringly focused on what I was teaching him. A kid like that can do anything no matter how humble his beginnings are.

Thumbcocker
06-08-2015, 07:06 PM
You done real good.

Edward
06-08-2015, 07:55 PM
Well done!!!!

Menner
06-08-2015, 07:59 PM
nicely done Time well spent

butch2570
06-08-2015, 08:00 PM
Tim you have a honest to goodness God given , caring heart . I hope you and yours the very best in this life , as you deserve it. I knew a few men like you, as I can remember them from when I was a boy . But today your kind is a rare and precious find....

pjames32
06-08-2015, 08:13 PM
Well done Tim. We MUST pay it forward to get the youth involved!
PJ

osteodoc08
06-08-2015, 08:33 PM
Great job Tim. That kid will remember that forever (as will you). Great stewardship towards our shooting sports (and reloading/casting).

kens
06-08-2015, 08:36 PM
what is XCB rifles?

smoked turkey
06-08-2015, 08:42 PM
I am thankful to have mentors like you Tim right here on this board. Thank you for sharing this with us and especially sharing part of your day with the young man. I am sure you were a highlight in his life and I am also sure it was a highlight for you as well. Now if we would go and do likewise.

osteodoc08
06-08-2015, 09:26 PM
what is XCB rifles?

X-treme Cast Boolit

its an experiment taken on by several members here to have a highly accurate high velocity (for cast) boolit and cartridge. Pushing the envelope per se.

Do a search. Very interesting reading. Tim (Goodsteel) is one of the key players.

Boolit molds are available from NOE.

GhostHawk
06-08-2015, 09:29 PM
Attaboy on you Goodsteel!

Need more like you around in my opinion.

MBTcustom
06-08-2015, 09:31 PM
The way I see it is, if it had not been for very talented men who took the time to help me when I was nothing, I would'nt be who I am today. Not by a long shot.
I remember what it was like. I didn't have a clue why the older men were helping me. All I knew was that my curiosity was satisfied and I was gratful. Now I'm older and I would like to thank those men who contributed to my education, but they are for the most part, dead.
The best any of us can do to show them that the time they spent on us was not wasted, and the best any of us can do to thank those who have passed on, and the best any of us can do to prove that the knowledge given to us was not squandered, is to freely give it away to some youngster who has a thirsty mind.
I hope his dad calls me. I sure wouldn't mind spending a few more minutes with that young fellow. If that doesn't happen, I hope I'm not the last person who takes time to teach him something and broaden his horizons. That kid was like a sponge once he got over his nervousness, and yes, it was indeed an honor to teach him something and let him shoot my rifle.

BNE
06-08-2015, 09:38 PM
I enjoy teaching others how to shootmore than actually shooting. I love to take folks from Europe out when they come to visit the plant. Most have never held a gun, much less shot one. I have NEVER had one not get that stupid grin when they pull the trigger.

Good Job Tim.

Circuit Rider
06-08-2015, 09:51 PM
Tim, May HE bless you immensely! CR

captain-03
06-08-2015, 11:12 PM
Well done, Sir! Well done.

^^ This ^^

country gent
06-08-2015, 11:24 PM
Its great seeing that smile spread accross a youngsters face. I have done the same things several times at our club. Last one was a father and son. I had my AR-10 out on the bench shooting little groups at 200 yds. The Dad came down and was asking questions about the rifle. Its a custom build with krieger barrel in 22-250 flat topped reciever. The son was wide eyed looking at it. I slid back and asked if hed like to look it over. Slide the OBI in and let him look it over. Then asked his dad if he wanted to fire a couple rounds. Dad got on my stool I worked him threw loading and firing including a few rounds dry fired to get used to trigger. Dad was ammazed. Then came the sons turn showed him what to do and how. Walked him thru it several times ( rifle is set up with a special clip for single loading). Handed the boy a round he loaded and closed the bolt. I talked him thru 5 shots. I dont think the grin game off his face for the rest of the week. His Dad and him went down to check targets. I sent my pocket knife with them sop dad gould cut his group out for the refridgerator. New shooters and young people can be really rewarding to work with.

MBTcustom
06-08-2015, 11:31 PM
Its great seeing that smile spread accross a youngsters face. I have done the same things several times at our club. Last one was a father and son. I had my AR-10 out on the bench shooting little groups at 200 yds. The Dad came down and was asking questions about the rifle. Its a custom build with krieger barrel in 22-250 flat topped reciever. The son was wide eyed looking at it. I slid back and asked if hed like to look it over. Slide the OBI in and let him look it over. Then asked his dad if he wanted to fire a couple rounds. Dad got on my stool I worked him threw loading and firing including a few rounds dry fired to get used to trigger. Dad was ammazed. Then came the sons turn showed him what to do and how. Walked him thru it several times ( rifle is set up with a special clip for single loading). Handed the boy a round he loaded and closed the bolt. I talked him thru 5 shots. I dont think the grin game off his face for the rest of the week. His Dad and him went down to check targets. I sent my pocket knife with them sop dad gould cut his group out for the refridgerator. New shooters and young people can be really rewarding to work with.

Ha!!! Good times!!!

country gent
06-08-2015, 11:39 PM
For quite a few years at the local club and State association I helped coach the juniors in High Power rifle. Its a ball to watch these kids improve and learn. Not only shooting but range etiquitte and interacting with other shooters. Its unique when they start out and thru the first few classifications. You coach as to positions and mindsett then all at once it "clicks" and scores take a jump. they have a huge smile and cant get over it. Then as you go along determination kicks in and they get into a steady mode of improvement. Young shooters are a blast to work with. Ive worked with Boys and girls both its just an enjoyable satisfying way to spend a day. The spring beginners match was alot of work but also very rewarding working with the new shooters.

tdoyka
06-09-2015, 12:23 AM
way to go!!!

MaryB
06-09-2015, 12:30 AM
*Applause* helping new shooters is fun. Had a kid watching me at the pistol range, his dad was shooting this monster 50 at a target back on the berm(it is banned from the steel plates). I asked the dad if I could show his son how to shoot a little bit and his dad said that pistols are to powerful. I told him the pistol I was using barely has any recoil(my HiPoint C9, slide soaks up most of the recoil) and that he would be fine so dad said sure let him try. I set him up single round after going over the gun basics and told him where the safety was. He was very good, kept it pointed downrange(when loaded) or at the floor(when empty) the entire time. After a few single shots I loaded up a 10 round magazine and told him to try the steel plates. He missed the first 3 shots then found the sweet spot and ran 5 in a row. I pulled the reset rope, he finished the mag with 2 more hits.

His dad was amazed and said he has never paid that much attention before. I let the dad try the C9 and he came away amazed that such a cheap pistol was so accurate, and at the really low recoil. Next time I saw him at the range he had bought one to keep teaching his son to shoot.

Bzcraig
06-09-2015, 12:43 AM
Apart from ALL the wonderful things you did, the most important thing you did was see an opportunity and ACT on it. I must confess too often I don't and instead of making a positive impact in somebody's life as you did, it becomes a missed opportunity.

Fishman
06-09-2015, 08:10 AM
Good work Tim! In those situations, I'm not sure who has the most fun, having been on both sides in the past. I remember with great fondness the many "old guys", who took some time to share their hobby with me.

Hogtamer
06-09-2015, 08:20 AM
There is a passage in Hebrews that recounts people of great faith, and though they never saw "the promise" their faith was counted to them as righteousness. Then the observation that they stand as a "great cloud of witnesses, and though they be dead they still speak."​ The men that helped you are still speaking through you.

nagantguy
06-09-2015, 08:36 AM
As always sir you are a class act and an example to us all; its the small acts of kindness that make the world a little better for both parties involved!!

smokeywolf
06-09-2015, 08:54 AM
What I wish...

I wish this kind of good deed, nurturing and mentoring youngsters into America's tradition of firearms, shooting and hunting, was so frequent, so prevalent that it didn't even rate a thread or post.

Great job, Tim, country gent and Mary.

richhodg66
06-09-2015, 09:01 AM
I joined a new range in 2004 after getting back from Iraq that time and my boys were about 8 and 9 or so. We spent a lot of time with them learning to shoot, but it always seemed like I was about the only one who ever showed up with kids to shoot, at least on any kind of regular basis. One of the things I really liked about that range right away was how friendly and mentoring the (mostly older guys) RSOs were to them. Both of them basically grew up going to that range and learned a lot about guns, shooting and life from those guys. I work with high schoolers now and there are a lot of kids out there who don't get mentored and nurtured enough through childhood, God bless those who go out of their way to do so.

dragonrider
06-09-2015, 09:43 AM
Well done tim

Echo
06-09-2015, 11:18 AM
That's a BIG Way To Go, Tim. The pleasure one gets by lighting someone up, seeing their light go on over their head, and being on the receiving end of their appreciation, is one of the best Pleasures we might find on this earth.

Wayne Smith
06-09-2015, 12:02 PM
Good on you Tim! Now go spend almost as much time with his Dad as you do with him. You will not only convert the child, you will get the Dad involved who will perpetuate it.

country gent
06-09-2015, 01:35 PM
One thing we found coaching and teaching is unique in my opinion. Dads coaching their own children or wives dont always work out as good as a friend or other person. We seen this several diffrent occasions. Not sure why but its been shown several times. I coached a good friends grand daughter She was making very slow progress and struggling I started with her and she started making much better progress. When my oldest daughter started everything I told her suggested was questioned. I turned her over to the same friend ( one mentioned above) to coach and she started progressing much faster and consistently. Sometimes Fathers or husbands arnt the best coaches for family members. I thinnk part of this is the junior dosnt have to "prove" something to the coach. WOrking with new shooters can and is a joy depending on the person. The one I reme,ber most is daughter basket ball coach she made it a point to run practices late on fridays so daughter would be late to junior small bore at the club. I talked to her and her reply was shooting isnt a real sport. I invited her down to watch and possible try her hand at it. Had a friend set up to coach her thru the stages. She watched awhile and decided to give it a try. I went up and got a win 52 d from the safe one I knew was zeroed and accurate a shooting coat and mat. Buddy started her prone and then to sitting kneeling and offhand. She had a ball and still didnt think it was a real sport. Her highest score was around 65-70 on the 12 bull target. She as my buddy what him or I would shoot for score. He had me on the line with the same rifle Off hand and I managed a 97 on the same target. SHe then decided it was a true sport. Her and her hisband picked up a couple anschutz rifles and shoot smallbore to this day.

TXGunNut
06-09-2015, 10:54 PM
Sure brightens up a range trip to share, especially with a youngster. Sometimes it's hard to talk them into shooting a BP boomer but sometimes I get it done. I won't let a newbie shoot one that thumps hard but the BP stuff looks worse than it really is. I need to work on my sales pitch, lol.

Doc Highwall
06-10-2015, 11:19 AM
Good work Tim! When I am at the range I see this all the time where people think they cannot do what I am doing and I say "When I was born I could not talk, or walk, and crapped in my pants..... now look at me I can do two of them". They get the point that everybody had to start somewhere even the experts in their field.

I have a lot of 22Lr. guns that match my highpower guns and I always have 22's that are only good for plinking that I let people shoot and if I have both at the range I let people shoot them. I once had a father and his two boys at the range and I let them all shoot my Remington 40X in 7.62 NATO that was loaded with cast bullets and the youngest boy shot the smallest group followed by his brother and the father coming in last. The smiles on their faces made my day, and I also let them take the targets.

Tim, I forget about doing things like this at the range, Thanks for reminding me by jarring my memories.

Artful
06-10-2015, 01:18 PM
Good Job my fellow Booliteers - it's really great when new people get bit by the shooter bug.
I went out Monday with a man who's owned guns for years and never really shot them much. He took out his back up gun (H&R 22LR) only 3 of the rounds fired - he couldn't name the last time he purchased 22LR ammo. Explained they do go bad especially if exposed to solvents or penetrative oils - let him fire off some of my cast reloads in 38 spl and he got his first taste of an AR-15 - I have a feeling we will be going out again.
Oh, and he's 72 1/2 years old - finally I was the youngster of a group of shooters!

shdwlkr
06-10-2015, 02:22 PM
To all who have had the chance to show positive use of firearms and to awake new shooters to our sport. I work with my two youngest when they want to go and don't push it. They have their own firearms that dad has purchased for them and when I am gone it is up to them what to do with them.
Funny thing that many have said how older shooters got them started. My dad was a hunter until he married mom she was a afraid of them so dad gave his away with the understanding if they had a son he would be allowed to learn to shoot. Well some friends got me hooked, a cousin in particular as he lived on a farm and they were tools. by the time I went into the military I had a lot of rifles as in NYS you had to be 21 and have a permit to have pistols of any kind.
The really funny thing is I have for the greater part of my life always had a firearm, never thought of doing anything stupid with them as to me they are still tools to protect, have fun and learn more about. In 1970 my pickup truck had two in the back window all the time and never thought of locking the truck when I got out of it to go somewhere, windows were down if it was hot out and still never locked the truck or the firearms. Today I wouldn't to that on a bet or dare, how things have changed in good old USA.

hoosierlogger
06-10-2015, 06:11 PM
Great story! I have had a similar experience at the range, but with my .44 mag. I let the kid shoot the handi rifle first then the scoped Ruger SRH. Dad looked jealous that he didn't get to shoot it. The kid was drilling steel at 100 yards with a .22 and looked bored. Lol