Thumbcocker
02-19-2016, 09:42 PM
Some posts in thread of mine in a different section of the site have gotten me thinking. Me thinking can be a dangerous thing but what the heck.
For as long as I can remember I have heard us shooters talking about exposing kids to shooting early and starting the love of powder burning then. There is certainly nothing wrong with that but I have come to wonder if we are not missing out on another group who never had the chance to get that early start. My job allows me to come into contact with interns and others who are part of the generation called millennials. They can be an interesting bunch. Having a few around gets you instant free tech support and they can decipher social media. They have views on a lot of things that are a lot different than mine and probably a lot of you here.
Sooner or later my shooting and hunting comes up in conversation. Since there are antlers, tin Marlin signs, and boolits in my office it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out what I like to do in my spare time. Sometimes it is in the form of what did you do this weekend types of conversations. Usually I say I did some target shooting t the range. I offer to take them along sometime if they would like to go. When I get a taker I have noticed some things that make the experience more positive.
Mrs. Thumbcocker and I go as a couple. We let the newby follow us to the range in their own vehicle. Couples seem more approachable than grumpy old farts on their own.
Other things that work of us are:
Limit the number of guns on hand. Don't overwhelm the newby with makes and models and calibers. Keep the instruction simple and direct. We might be fascinated by how John Moses Browning seeing some cattails being pushed around by muzzle blast got the germ of the idea for successful gas operated firearms. The kids less so.
Use a normal conversational voice. Nobody likes being yelled at. Explain safety and basics in a calm way. Some dry firing is then used to let them get a feel for things. Start up close with a big target. Nothing breeds enthusiasm like success. 5 yards at a 10" paper plate with a 3" bull is great. I do not like to use targets that remotely look like the outline of a person. We are having fun not training for a firefight. Let the cool factor work it's magic. There is something very neat about taking an action that causes a reaction at a distance. You are causing a hole to appear in a thing a distance away without touching it. That is just plain cool.
Avoid politics. Many folks who have been to college these days want to change the world for the better and have views on how to do that. Heck didn't we all. Don't go looking for hot buttons to push.
Consider if you even want to do any shooting of your own. The last thing I want to do is have the newb think I brought him or her to the range just to show them up and inflate my ego.
Restrooms. Big deal when you are dealing with ladies.
I like to bring sodas and maybe some munchies along.
Keep the pace slow. This is fun not a death march.
Other things that have been helpful in my dealings:
Share some venison. A bag of deer jerky on the break room table might get an inquisitive nibble and start a conversation about how you eat your deer. A lot of these folks relate to natural foods and hormone free meat. When I am asked if I eat the deer hunt I say " right down to the hooves" a lot of college kids with left of center views are pretty accepting of eating killed critters.
When have you won?
Obviously in a perfect world our newby will become a strict constructionist of the second amendment and rush out to buy a new firearm and a 4x4 pickup truck with the stereo blasting "A Country Boy Can survive" . We probably wont get that. The kids have a butt load of student loans to pay off, live on social media, and often have classes to worry about.
Maybe you will get a shooting buddy who drives to the range in a hybrid with a save the whales bumper sticker on it and wearing sandals. I am ok with that.
Maybe all you get is someone saying to friends in their age group " I tried shooting a handgun once and it was fun." or I know some hunters and they eat the meat from the deer they kill. It tastes really good.
I have actually had a vegetarian lady with left of center politics ask how my deer hunting went.
I would call that a victory.
My random thoughts .
For as long as I can remember I have heard us shooters talking about exposing kids to shooting early and starting the love of powder burning then. There is certainly nothing wrong with that but I have come to wonder if we are not missing out on another group who never had the chance to get that early start. My job allows me to come into contact with interns and others who are part of the generation called millennials. They can be an interesting bunch. Having a few around gets you instant free tech support and they can decipher social media. They have views on a lot of things that are a lot different than mine and probably a lot of you here.
Sooner or later my shooting and hunting comes up in conversation. Since there are antlers, tin Marlin signs, and boolits in my office it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out what I like to do in my spare time. Sometimes it is in the form of what did you do this weekend types of conversations. Usually I say I did some target shooting t the range. I offer to take them along sometime if they would like to go. When I get a taker I have noticed some things that make the experience more positive.
Mrs. Thumbcocker and I go as a couple. We let the newby follow us to the range in their own vehicle. Couples seem more approachable than grumpy old farts on their own.
Other things that work of us are:
Limit the number of guns on hand. Don't overwhelm the newby with makes and models and calibers. Keep the instruction simple and direct. We might be fascinated by how John Moses Browning seeing some cattails being pushed around by muzzle blast got the germ of the idea for successful gas operated firearms. The kids less so.
Use a normal conversational voice. Nobody likes being yelled at. Explain safety and basics in a calm way. Some dry firing is then used to let them get a feel for things. Start up close with a big target. Nothing breeds enthusiasm like success. 5 yards at a 10" paper plate with a 3" bull is great. I do not like to use targets that remotely look like the outline of a person. We are having fun not training for a firefight. Let the cool factor work it's magic. There is something very neat about taking an action that causes a reaction at a distance. You are causing a hole to appear in a thing a distance away without touching it. That is just plain cool.
Avoid politics. Many folks who have been to college these days want to change the world for the better and have views on how to do that. Heck didn't we all. Don't go looking for hot buttons to push.
Consider if you even want to do any shooting of your own. The last thing I want to do is have the newb think I brought him or her to the range just to show them up and inflate my ego.
Restrooms. Big deal when you are dealing with ladies.
I like to bring sodas and maybe some munchies along.
Keep the pace slow. This is fun not a death march.
Other things that have been helpful in my dealings:
Share some venison. A bag of deer jerky on the break room table might get an inquisitive nibble and start a conversation about how you eat your deer. A lot of these folks relate to natural foods and hormone free meat. When I am asked if I eat the deer hunt I say " right down to the hooves" a lot of college kids with left of center views are pretty accepting of eating killed critters.
When have you won?
Obviously in a perfect world our newby will become a strict constructionist of the second amendment and rush out to buy a new firearm and a 4x4 pickup truck with the stereo blasting "A Country Boy Can survive" . We probably wont get that. The kids have a butt load of student loans to pay off, live on social media, and often have classes to worry about.
Maybe you will get a shooting buddy who drives to the range in a hybrid with a save the whales bumper sticker on it and wearing sandals. I am ok with that.
Maybe all you get is someone saying to friends in their age group " I tried shooting a handgun once and it was fun." or I know some hunters and they eat the meat from the deer they kill. It tastes really good.
I have actually had a vegetarian lady with left of center politics ask how my deer hunting went.
I would call that a victory.
My random thoughts .