Is it wrong to enjoy beating your kids?

[Low Budget Shooter]

Dear Handgunners,

Before he passed on, my dad gave me his old 5-screw K22 Masterpiece. Those of you who have shot one know how easy it is to shoot accurately with one of those. I wanted my wife and kids to love it, but of course they say "It's too heavy" and things like that. So they shoot a Ruger 22/45, which is a nice gun, and they enjoy it. But every time we shoot it out, Daddy with the old Masterpiece wins. I must confess that I enjoy this tremendously. So, is it wrong to enjoy beating your kids? :)

Thanks,

LBS

[btroj]

I did just that today. I shot as well one handed, both left and right, at 20 yards as my daughter did with 2 hands at 10 yards. This was with my Gp100 and 38s.

I do take time to coach her and had her do some one hand shooting today. I figure she is 20 and it is time to learn to expand her shooting horizons.

I don't be view it as beating her, I see it as me not letting her win. If she beats me then fine but I won't intentionally do poorly.

[Low Budget Shooter]

That's a very good point. The day that I shoot my best and the kids beat me I'll be glad.

[Fire_Medic]

I don't think so but I am biased….. :drinks:

My oldest is 5 and she has trouble dealing with not winning, and we are trying to teach her not to be a sore loser OR a sore winner. When we let her win at something she gloats til the sun comes down, but when she loses she cries (5yr old Daughter). So sometimes, much to my wife's dismay, I DON'T let her win, to teach her some humility. I'm probably younger than a lot of folks around here, but I don't buy into this whole new **** with society, about everyone is a winner, if everyone was a winner there would be no competitions. Mr. O and his lets take from the productive and give to the people who don't do squat, I don't believe in that and I think society is rapidly going down hill because of this.

If when I was in school when I got an A my teacher would have dropped my grade to a "C" to give one of the kids who didn't study and got an "F" a "C" at my expense, I would have whipped both of their behinds.

So no, win, and teach them they have to work at winning, it doesn't come free. George Carlin once went on in one of his stand up specials, about this very topic and I couldn't agree with him more. You raise your kid to think we are all winners and then when he grows up and gets into the real world and he gets fired because he's not up to par he doesn't know how to deal with it, and has no clue what he's doing wrong. I agree 100%, we don't need to make winning everything, but when when you make them all winners you're making winning everything, and it does more harm than good.

Rant over- FM

[Low Budget Shooter]

Fire_Medic, do you have any strong feelings on this subject? :)

[prsman23]

I beat them every day and don't mind saying that I enjoy it.
Wait. Are we talking about shooting???
:-P

[Fire_Medic]

Fire_Medic, do you have any strong feelings on this subject? :)

Nope not at all :grin:

[Jupiter7]

I like the fact the my oldest(11) thinks his old man is a pretty good shot. Gives him something to aspire to. I'll never let him win, he'll have to do it on his own. Im a self taught shooter, so I may not be the best teacher. Safety is my first concern and what i stress most with him.

[RED333]

If ya "let" them win, they never try harder.
Some times I win, sometimes my kids win.

[Petrol & Powder]

What, you're not going to tell me I'm great?

(Note sarcasm font)

http://www.weeklystorybook.com/.a/6a0105369e6edf970b0168e73489a5970c-800wi

[DrCaveman]

Well i'll be damned if i dont see my old man smirk when he is the one to get that last red fleck of bullseye disappear after we've both emptied about 3 cylinders each to get it. And this is with MY guns, MY handloads, with MY cast boolits that i have practiced with a whole bunch!

And he rarely shoots these days...mostly when i visit with a new gun or new load that i am proud of.

From the other side of the coin, i can say i am still very impressed with his shooting, and i cant beat him yet. All those years of pal'ing up with cops and shooting with them at the cop range must have soldified his good technique.

Maybe in a few years... I just passed the mark of being half his age, so now we're almost peers... I'm coming for ya, old man!

[C. Latch]

Oh, *that* kind of beating. Nevermind.

[akajun]

It wont last, I began beating my dad at shooting contests at about age 12 when I started shooting 3 position smallbore. However those early shooting sesions with my father where he smoked me is what drove me to want to shoot better. I cant wait for my kids to start smoking me at the local matches shooting highpower, smallbore, prone, whatever.

[Petrol & Powder]

It wont last, I began beating my dad at shooting contests at about age 12 when I started shooting 3 position smallbore. However those early shooting sesions with my father where he smoked me is what drove me to want to shoot better. I cant wait for my kids to start smoking me at the local matches shooting highpower, smallbore, prone, whatever.

There is no finer compliment for an instructor than to see his students surpass him.

[alg3205]

My oldest son and I often visit the range to shot either pistol or rifle. He just finished a 4 1/2 year enlistment in the Army, and still loves to shot. He is getting better, each trip to the range is a teachable moment. I am still able to beat at the line, however he is a good student and it won't be long when he starts beating me. I am looking forward to that, kind of like passing the baton forward, you want to see your kids do well.

[bhn22]

Answer yes or no.

Have you stopped beating your children?

[btroj]

I will stop beating my kid when she stops losing to me.

[aspangler]

I decided not to compete with my daughter. She has been shooting her own 22 rifle since she was 9. (she's 34 now) I took her out to teach her to shoot handguns a few months back and she beat me. First time with a handgun in her hand and she scored ten 10's with 7 x's on the FIRST mag in 9mm. I quit. I sho' does hope she don't get mad at the old man!:Fire:

[country gent]

Any good teacher aspires to have his students do better than him a source of pride in itself. I can still beat my children (most of the time 21-26 age range). When my wife started high power with me I coached her and also had one of the oldtimers coach her. She got the same ammo, equipment, and gear I used. Her rifle was built to be a high masters rifle. It was lighter to accomadate her needs though.Her AR has 2 uppers fit to it one service rifle one flat top match rifle. She was gaining on me fast before she was killed. The state association was watching her for the team and new shooter for the rattle battle team. My kids showed some intrest but as time went on other thigs caught thier intrest. But they are all very good safe shooters still.

[Petrol & Powder]

[QUOTE She was gaining on me fast before she was killed. [/QUOTE]

I am very sorry.

[Bzcraig]

Yes, it's ok to enjoy beating them as long as you don't leave marks! :wink:

[rhead]

I cannot remember how it felt. I can still beat some of the younger grandchildren.

[ole 5 hole group]

Enjoy it while you can because someday you won't. I truly enjoyed beating my ole man over 40 years ago in pistol matches, as it took me 15 years of shooting to do it!! My grandkids are coming on and this may be the year I get thumped by one of them but I won't go easy. And yes, if I think they deserve a couple good swats on the **** - they will get that too.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I do not have kids, I have a Cat. His name is "Feeps."

When playing with Feeps you must let him get the mouse once in a while or he loses interest and sits down and pouts.

Also if you make it too easy he loses interest too.

I think kids would be pretty much the same way.

Randy

[Low Budget Shooter]

Very interesting reading what everyone has to say.

[jethunter]

I try not to compete with the kids in a serious sense. They all like competing and I've let them experience winning and losing. They're getting good enough that I'm suspicious that sometimes my kids are letting me win. :) But i can still mostly outshoot them.

[MtGun44]

Interesting. My M17 6" a post K22, "K22" is nowhere near as accurate as
any one of my Ruger std autos, by a long shot. M17 will do about 2.5"
with ammo it likes at 25 yds and I have several Rugers, including my first
ever pistol (6" Std Ruger) that will shoot under 1" at 25 yds with good
ammo.

I sure wish mine would shoot that well, but it just won't.

Bill

[375supermag]

Hi...

My 20-year old son and I shoot together a lot.

I can out shoot him at the range on targets for group size just about anytime I want with a rifle or handgun.
He is better at shooting clay birds with a shotgun...I attribute that to his younger eyes.
On pheasants, he misses some...I rarely do.

His eyesight allows him to make shots with an iron-sighted .22rifle on squirrels that I find just short of amazing.
He also has an annoying habit of shooting empty shot gun shells off the 25-yard handgun target frame with a single shot with just about any big-bore revolver I own.

He still can't shoot out to 200yds with a revolver as well as I can, but that day is fast approaching.

It doesn't bother me that he is one day going to be a better shot than I...that was the plan all along. We have sent quite a few tens of thousands rounds downrange so that he could achieve the level of proficiency that he has.

Fortunately, I have a 4-year-old grandson who will need some range time in a few more years.
Then we will begin the cycle all over again.

[Petrol & Powder]

Interesting. My M17 6" a post K22, "K22" is nowhere near as accurate as
any one of my Ruger std autos, by a long shot. M17 will do about 2.5"
with ammo it likes at 25 yds and I have several Rugers, including my first
ever pistol (6" Std Ruger) that will shoot under 1" at 25 yds with good
ammo.



Bill

The Ruger Standard pistols & Mark II's are some of the most Under-rated handguns of all time. They consistently perform better than most people can shoot! They are incredibly durable, reliable and of course, accurate. The design is a mechanical engineering work of art. The frame is constructed of two pressed halves joined in the middle, the barrel and round receiver are both strong and simple. You can make a more expensive .22 pistol but you would be hard pressed to make one that performed as well for less money. Bill Ruger got that one right.

[MtGun44]

+1 on P & P's post. I have owned multiples, starting in 1967 and that first one
taught me to shoot. I worked up to 100 yds shooting pop cans with it. Could usually
roll 3 of 5 at 100 sitting, resting the back of my wrist on my Mom's clothesline pole.

Bill

[Leadmelter]

I took my son to the club to shoot up some zombie targets. He has shoot with me several times before. We started shooting and after about 10 minutes, he tells me MY( Read FREE) is no good and he can't hit the target that is 25 feet away.
I trade places with him and load up three mags for my Colt 45. I unleash all three mags on the target in under a minute. The face of the zombie is one big hole.
Practice, is all I said.
Leadmelter
MI

[oger]

When you get old enough that you can't see the front sight on anything with a barrel longer than 3in they will get even.

[dangerranger]

I have 6 boys aged 40 to 24. I'm getting good at being beaten! It stung a little when I was handed my hat by a 12 year old girl but I've gotten used to that too! But when it comes to shots on live game I can still hold my own! DR

[Rangefinder]

It took my son almost 7 years before he finally beat me on the Chess board. It was a memorable event. He still can't out shoot me, but that will come soon enough. Me and his grandpa are a pretty tough act to follow in that department. ;)

[Norbrat]

It took my son almost 7 years before he finally beat me on the Chess board. It was a memorable event. He still can't out shoot me, but that will come soon enough. Me and his grandpa are a pretty tough act to follow in that department. ;)

My stepson at mid-teens would beat his mum at chess, mainly because she didn't concentrate on the game enough. He only played me twice and then gave up because I beat him both times. Teenagers have fragile egos!

I think you need to keep the goal achievable, else many kids will lose interest. "Throwing" the occasional shot will also let them see that even you aren't infallible! :-)

[Wolfer]

When I was young my first 22 pistol was an RG single action with 4-5/8 barrel. This thing reeked of ***. however I shot 500 rds a week thru it and after a year or so got to thinking I was pretty good. My FIL at the time talked about pistol shooting some but didn't own a pistol. To hear him tell it he wouldent own anything but a S&W K22. One day he comes home with one and over the next few years I learned I couldn't shoot a pistol at all.
After I broke the top strap on the old RG the single six I replaced it with helped a lot.
We rabbit hunted with beagles constantly and our pistols. Not once did I ever outshoot him. If I killed one, he killed two. If I killed two, he killed three. There may have been a couple times we broke even.
This constantly trying to beat him helped my shooting tremendously. Woody

[RogerDat]

For me it is a mixed bag, one step son shot competitive at the state level I can only (maybe, sometimes) do better than him at more rapid shooting. Braced and measured shooting I'm the one getting spanked. The other boy can shoot almost equally with either hand he spanks me at rapid multiple target easily. But I'm competitive with him at slow shooting. Daughter is decent but has trouble with her glasses when shooting long guns and lives where she only gets to practice a couple of times a year. Over the course of the days shooting she gets back her feel and does pretty well.

Big thing is there is no winner/loser happening, any shot or target grouping that is good or good results for the individual is worthy of praise. It's just something we can do together and enjoy doing.