Toymaker
08-22-2016, 04:21 PM
Had a local muzzle loading competition and I was running the range, shooting the match and doing the scoring. Lots of work, but fun.
After the match I had the RO duty for the afternoon. That gave me the chance to shoot a little before cleaning up. At one point a man came in with his daughter, about 11, and set up on the bench next to me. First rifle out was a small sized AR platform .22 in camo-pink. The little girl loaded her magazine, set up the rifle in the bench, and did a righteous job on a 25 yard target. With open sights no less. I was impressed.
Next rifle out was Dad's full sized AR platform in .308 and a scope. The little girl loaded up a couple of magazines and I thought "Isn't that nice. She's loading up for her father." Nope. She popped that mag in, settled down on the bench and eliminated the 10 ring on a target at 50 yards. I was enchanted.
So I ask the father "Do you think she'd like to shoot a muzzle loader?" He's been working her up in recoil gradually and wasn't sure about a 40 caliber. I assured him that recoil was more of a shove than a kick and it was certainly less than the .308 she'd just shot. I offered to let him shoot it first to gauge the recoil for himself.
At the loading bench I went through the process explaining everything and why it was done. The little girl watched carefully and listened to everything. I put the rifle in the rest and looked at the father to be seated. The little girl sat down, looked at her father and said "Me!" He said ok. So I explained the double set triggers, sighting, and let her drop the hammer a couple of times to get the feel for it. Then I put a cap on and told her she was live. There was a clay bird stuck on the target frame at 25 yards which she sighted on very carefully. She pulled the set trigger and laid her finger up high above the trigger guard. She snuggled into the stock, sighted and gently moved her finger down to the trigger. BOOM!! "WOW!!!!" and her eyes were big as saucers. The clay bird was no more. The hole in the backer told me it was a near perfect center shot. Dad was grinning. I was grinning. The little girl looked up and said "That was daddy's, now do I get mine?"
After the match I had the RO duty for the afternoon. That gave me the chance to shoot a little before cleaning up. At one point a man came in with his daughter, about 11, and set up on the bench next to me. First rifle out was a small sized AR platform .22 in camo-pink. The little girl loaded her magazine, set up the rifle in the bench, and did a righteous job on a 25 yard target. With open sights no less. I was impressed.
Next rifle out was Dad's full sized AR platform in .308 and a scope. The little girl loaded up a couple of magazines and I thought "Isn't that nice. She's loading up for her father." Nope. She popped that mag in, settled down on the bench and eliminated the 10 ring on a target at 50 yards. I was enchanted.
So I ask the father "Do you think she'd like to shoot a muzzle loader?" He's been working her up in recoil gradually and wasn't sure about a 40 caliber. I assured him that recoil was more of a shove than a kick and it was certainly less than the .308 she'd just shot. I offered to let him shoot it first to gauge the recoil for himself.
At the loading bench I went through the process explaining everything and why it was done. The little girl watched carefully and listened to everything. I put the rifle in the rest and looked at the father to be seated. The little girl sat down, looked at her father and said "Me!" He said ok. So I explained the double set triggers, sighting, and let her drop the hammer a couple of times to get the feel for it. Then I put a cap on and told her she was live. There was a clay bird stuck on the target frame at 25 yards which she sighted on very carefully. She pulled the set trigger and laid her finger up high above the trigger guard. She snuggled into the stock, sighted and gently moved her finger down to the trigger. BOOM!! "WOW!!!!" and her eyes were big as saucers. The clay bird was no more. The hole in the backer told me it was a near perfect center shot. Dad was grinning. I was grinning. The little girl looked up and said "That was daddy's, now do I get mine?"