Shooting with "The Boy"

As I helped break the barrel open on a brand new Stoger single shot 20ga. youth model shotgun, I couldn't help but think that this would be the last time I have my *shooting buddy* at the range with me. Mainly because my shooting buddy was my 55 pound, 7 year old son, Gavin. Now the words "youth gun" and 20ga. are synonomis with children, but recoil knows no size and does not discriminate. Now let me clear something up before you judge me to bad for giving my 7 year old a 20ga. shotgun. At this point he has been shooting longer than most soldiers serving 4 year terms in the military. I bought him a bb gun when he turned 4, and after a year of teaching the basics such as sight alignment, muzzle control, and all the gun safety I could cram into his head(when he could hit the target, and he wasn't going to shoot me in the rear)he graduated to a Davey Crikett .22cal single shot bolt action rifle. Now he nearly perfected the use of this rifle through constant training, and about 10,000 rounds of ammunition, Half a dozen squirrels, a racoon, and some crows. At about $8.00 a 550 round box, training a youngster the how to enjoy the fine art of shooting is pretty cheap. SIDENOTE: If you want to keep it cheap, dont put a collapsable stock on your AR-15. Thus began his love for the "Evil Black Rifle". MY ar may now be HIS favorite gun. Thus began my venture into reloading, but that is for another article. Training my son how to shoot has been one of the most rewarding challenges I have ever faced. When you take a young child who dosn't know which end of the gun the bullet comes out of, and watch as he transformes into a jr marksman well beyond his years, well lets just say there's a certain level of pride.The feeling I get when we are at the range, and hear, "thats the kid I was telling you about", is incredible. Now anyone who spends any amount of time at a range knows that ten guys shooting all at once sorta sounds like the invasion of Normandy, but imagine it all going silent exept for one little "crack....crack....crack". Of course I think somethings wrong so look up from my scope to see ten grown men standing behind "The Boy" As he's popping off clay pigion after clay pigion at about 120 yards with a cheap little 22 with iron sights. I just stared on with pride.(now if "The Boy" reads this, his head will probably get a little bigger, but I can deal with that when he's old enough to compete in matches.) Theres nothing better to take some swelling out of an ego than to see that there are others that can do what you can do. But untill then, I'll just have to deal with it. So, the next step was deer hunting. Here in the socialist Republic of Maryland, one cannot use a rifle for hunting, we are limited to a shotgun during our firearms season. And thats where the Stoger comes in. We bought it from a local gun dealer and went straight to the range. Now trying to explain the concept of pain by recoil was falling on deaf ears, so with the click of the hammer and a prayer, He was taking his first shot. Now two thing happened when he applied 7.5 pounds of pressure to his right index finger, 1, I thanked God that I had the forsight to place my hand on his back, and 2, we had to replace the target of the man shooting next to us. He looked up at me and said "wow, it didn't hurt". I didn't call him a liar, but I could read his eyes. The pain had no place in his desire to master his next challenge. About 10 or so shots later, he was keeping all shots in the vitals at 50 yards and I was able to remove my hand from his back. 10 more and I saved him the embarassment of giving in to the pain. He has now improved his groups to about 1 M.O.B.(minute of bowling pin) at 50 yards. The more he grows in knowledge and ability, the more amazed I get.
What is the reason for all this talk of my son? Other than a free opportunity to brag, its a small example of what millions of dads in america are missing. We (Dads) have an opportunity to be filled with joy while doing something we love. As a father, I have a 7 year old boy who idolizes me, now if you dont know what that feels like, it is incredible. By taking a simple pleasure of my life, and sharing it with my son, I have created a bond between two souls that will never be broken. If you enjoy shooting like I do, and you have children old enough(use your discrecion), and are shooting alone, and "buddies" don't count, then you are missing one of lifes great blessings. Some will say "my child is not mature enough yet", well maturity starts with you. There is nothing specialy programed by God into "The Boy", he has been trained to 1, obey(without obedience, a firearm doesn't belong in their hands).2, Respect, (without respect, your asking for a disaster). These things can be obtained by anyone who wants them. But you have to sacrifice yourself, put your childs needs before your own, consistantly train them in life, not shooting, but life. The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 22:6 that if we train up a child in the way he should go, then when he is old he will not turn from it.
Deu 11:18 Therefore shall you lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul; and you shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for symbols between your eyes.
Deu 11:19 You shall teach them your children, talking of them, when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deu 11:20 You shall write them on the door-posts of your house, and on your gates;
This means that you,DAD have anongoing responsibility to teach and train your children, not only when convenient, because most of the time it won't be. But, the blessing is worth the challenge. You just have to decide, are you up to the challenge, your "Boy" is.

(*Shooting buddy; not to be confused with "Fishing buddy", Which has unfortunatly been redefined by Brokeback mountain.)

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