Sons with Guns - Next generation of Shooters

[psychicrhino]

So, my oldest boy turned 9 yesterday and his little brother is 18 months younger. They are best buddys/worst enemies. They jump on the trampoline until somebody gets hurt (visualize Crouching Tiger type wire fighting) and they tear up the blacktop on our dead end road to the fishing pond. They are getting to where they often disappear for a few hours at a time to go swimming in the pond or fishing or exploring in the woods. I have had them shooting 22 lr pistol/ rifle for the last couple of years. Made the mistake of letting my oldest try the AR and 20 ga too young and it made him a bit shy to shooting anything even the 22 lr since then. My youngest wants to shoot it all. Just very different kiddos. Anyway, I realized time was slipping by and decided it was as good a time as any to get them their first BB guns to turn them loose with. I remember all too well the hundreds of soda bottles I shot with mine at their age as well as the BB I managed to get under the skin on the palm of my sister's hand and the whoopin' I got for shooting out the window on the wash house. So, I looked a good bit and decided upon a Daisy Buck, it is a single pump capable of an advertised 350 fps and 300+ capacity ammo. I waited until they got off the bus and under threats of death and worse I gave them the rifles, the bottle of BBs, lined them up some cans... and turned them loose.
http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p721/psychicrhino/Mobile%20Uploads/20140410_164507_zps836f5e35.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/psychicrhino/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140410_164507_zps836f5e35.jpg.html)

In just a few minutes I couldn't help myself smiling as I heard a steady (ting, ting) of shiny balls spanning the 20' distance from muzzle to can.

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p721/psychicrhino/Mobile%20Uploads/20140410_164747_zpsfac2ccf0.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/psychicrhino/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140410_164747_zpsfac2ccf0.jpg.html)

They could barely make themselves go a couple of shots before they had to go run and inspect and give me "the damage report".

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p721/psychicrhino/Mobile%20Uploads/20140410_165858_zpse7539990.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/psychicrhino/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140410_165858_zpse7539990.jpg.html)

Anyway, this afternoon they got along pretty good until I left to go inside for a minute. Then it seems one wanted to check the targets while the other wanted to keep shooting. This lead to strife. This was what I call a "teachable moment". They both have an interest in shooting and my oldest has helped me quite a bit in sorting wheel weights and smelting. I plan to start reloading soon and bought an extra single stage press so one can help me with depriming/ sizing cast boolits while I load. Thanks to everyone for all of your help, advice and posts in the past year I have been on the board. I think a lot about what hunting and shooting will be like for my boys and hopefully someday grandkids. I have a local high school kid that helps me with my house building on the weekends and gave him his first shooting lessons last year after work, set him up a stand on my place and he took his first deer - a nice 8 point. Been teaching him some about what I have learned about smelting/casting as I sometimes have the pot going while he is here working on the weekends. I will undoubtedly teach him about reloading as I start myself. Anyway, I guess my point was that I think this is a great place at Castboolits. Because even though I don't have a mentor here where I live for casting or reloading I have learned so much from everybody here - and I am trying to introduce some others to shooting/casting. So maybe posting here is a bit like a butterfly effect. Sorry for the ramble,

PsychicRhino

[starmac]

Now you done it, next comes 22's then 30/30's. lol
I actually started shooting 22's before I even had a bb gun, but my first (and only gun given to me by my parents was a shotgun. I did pretty much the same with my son. He would shoot the 22, but his first of his own was a shotgun. He never let recoil turn him off any. One deer hunting trip when he was ten, and not yet carrying a gun he wanted to shoot my 300 savage, or my buddies 303 british. lol we finally let him shoot the 303, when we broke camp to head home. lol

[Hogtamer]

nothing more important to "ramble" about! enjoy every minute. thank God for the time I spent with my sons, and now, grandson. all three killed their first deer at age 10 with a 20 ga and #3 buck.102080

[schutzen]

Your fun is just about to begin! Get them involved in 4-H Shooting Sports. Texas has a very good program and all of you will have lifetimes of good family memories.
My sons are 30 & 33, we still talk of the fun we had in 4-H Shooting Sports. Plus we are all active shooters to this day and are introducing the grandchildren to shooting.