Kids Shooting BP

[nessy357]

I was talking to another gunnut and his young daughter in Victoria today, and we discussed how difficult it is to find rifles for the youngsters to get started in shooting.
I mentioned that I shoot in Washington, where every club that belongs to the Washington muzzlelaoders assoc. will raffle off (free) a kids rifle at each of their Rendezvous's.
So here's a bunch of pics that I have taken at a couple of their Rondys.

The youngster shooting, won her rifle at a previous Rondy.

This little guy just won that rifle.

This rifle was made by grandad for this 4 yr old, better close up the rifle to follow.

the rifle that the grandad built

My grandson

the certificate given out to the youngsters

Hey Mum , look what I won

Prize out ceremony at Rimrock , Eatonville Wa.

32 cal CVA, which I discovered was too loud for the kids to shoot

My grandaughter holding a 45 cal with a 12" LOP and a 20" barrel.

Cheers nessy.

 

[drm3m]

Great photos nessy357!

I am sure that you and the young ones will treasure these memories in years to come.

David

I was somewhat older than the little guys shown above,when my Dad and I used to shoot the guns pictured below.

I have not been able to find pics of those days.....buried away in old slides I suspect.
I will eventually find them.
Great memories.

Wheeler & Son.

 

[H Wally]

Haha - great pictures! A friend and I were discussing this exact thing a few days ago - most young people don't know anyone who shoots and it's a big daunting task to get into the firearms community for someone who isn't already in it. I wonder if there's a way to reach out to younger people (age 10 to 15 and 15-25) to get them back into the shooting sports.

 

[Win 38-55]

Excellent!!!

 

[Southlander]

Nice to see!

Thanks for sharing Nessy

 

[Pete04]

Well done.
Looks good for the future.
I hope it is.

 

[The Baron]

That is awesome stuff.

 

[drslav]

indeed really cool. BP is great for kids. smoke sparks bang tons of action and fun. Great way to spend time...
on another note..love that pistol in photo above

 

[tacfoley]

Here in UK we have twelve guest days a year in our gun club, where members can bring friends and relatives, often as young as nine or ten, to try out shooting. Obviously the young'uns use suitable-sized guns. Most of us have a couple of rifles that can be fired by a nine-year-old youngster. It might be the start of a life-long hobby for them.

Get them young - I was six when my dad started me. I'm ashamed to admit it, but my very first target was a garbage-can lid propped up in the shingle of our local beach. I hit it with every shot from my dad's Colt .45 M1911, albeit with him holding my hands inside of his.

Never stopped since.

tac

PS - that was sixty years ago...how time flies when you're having fun, eh?
tac

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Yup I used my first muzzleloader when I was well under ten, started shooting .22 rimfires and .410s around six. Built my first muzzleloader from a Lyman kit at 11 or 12. I bring my six year old daughter out shooting with me all the time, get her into the habits of safety as well as another excuse to get some fresh air.

Blackpowder shooting is, I my experience, particularly addictive to kids maybe because of the nostalgia? Just my own observations.

 

[tacfoley]

I'm putting my money of the 'KA-boom', smoke and sheer commotion of shooting a BP firearm of any kind.

Watching a twelve-year old girl last month shooting my Ruger Old Army was a real hoot. An hour later she was still talking about it on her iPhone to her pals who weren't there and showing them the movie.

tac

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Ha ha yup I'll second that.

Another big plus, especially for younger kids, could be the hands-on part of BP shooting - more engaging to handle the charges and bullets, than simply dropping a cartridge in a chamber. Even without a rendevous, it's more of an "event".

 

[david doyle]

Yep the 'event' factor is huge with the youngsters. Around here shooting RF/CF guns is amost a 'chore' to the kids and not as much fun as frog catching or willow bush tag but start stuffing PRB and they are arguing about whose turn it is.

Of course kids being kids what pleases Dad or Grandma gets picked up on pretty quick.