Took a non-shooter to a range

[SuperMag]

You are doing Tha Lord's Work. Thanks for being an ambassador for responsible firearms enthusiasts everywhere.

Cheers and merry Christmas!

 

[shekshishekki]

Good job! I love taking new shooters out and giving them a tour of rifles, handguns, and shotguns. Whether they like/scared of/dislike guns, they've all walked away with a big grin on their faces

 

[newq]

My son asks from time to time to take a friend shooting. For me this is a difficult proposition. I see these as the 2 biggest hurdles.
- keeping the kids from getting silly or too excited or from getting bored when not on the line
- Making sure the parents are comfortable and that they are aware that its not a wild uncontrolled or unsafe atmosphere
On the first trip out I usually invite father and son and take care to invite both on a day that they are off from work. This gives the parents the opportunity to go with their children and make certain they are comfortable with the environment and the instruction and supervision. Usually after an hour or so, the parents settle down and become comfortable. I can usually share a lane with my son however, when there are 2 kids, it means no range time for me, only supervision which is fine. I pay for the ammo and the range, so it is as easy as can be and there is no expense to them. I usually bring some snacks and a couple bucks for drinks. Its a good time. I take care to give the used target to the kids as mementos of the day. Its a steep hurdle as some parents are very apprehensive especially if they have never been. For some its a quick turn. Others it takes a bit longer but NONE have ever left without a smile.

This is a great sport and worth fighting for to me. If I don't help others get interested and vested in keeping our rights they will surely disappear.

 

[roger8918]

Great Job OP... nothing like seeing a young person break their first target. I like to make a big deal about the event. There was a time I had clay target pins that I would hand out to my first time shooters.