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Tafkam Hokie
Joined: 10/07/1999
Posts: 40,227
Likes: 21,984
Tafkam Hokie
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I was at a range once and there was a dad there teaching his kid

how to shoot a pistol. Kid was probably about 12 as well, if I had to guess. I saw them go through all the basics of safe gun handling, and it was obvious the kid was tentative and a bit scared. When it was finally his turn to actually fire the gun, he pointed it at the target and sssssllllloooooooooooooowwwwwlllyy pulled the trigger. Probably took over ten seconds of squeezing the trigger before it fired. Kid was cringing and leaning away from the gun the whole time he was squeezing the trigger. But then it fired. And the bullet hit the target (granted, the target was probably 8 feet away). And the kid got a smile on his face as big as Christmas morning and proceeded to empty the next 9 rounds in the magazine within probably 3 seconds. John Wick would have been proud. Sometimes just firing a gun in a controlled and safe setting is all it takes to get over the fear. But not every time.
Posted: 04/01/2024 at 02:55 PM ET
(In response to this post by WestyHokie)

Thread Replies (36)

Full Thread →
Tricky child raising moment from the weekend re. firearms.
Tafkam Hokie • 04/01/24 02:34 PM ET
…this is my rifle. there are many like it, but this one is mine**
chumley • 04/01/24 06:43 PM ET
This rifle's name is Charlene.**
Spud • 04/01/24 09:05 PM ET
NRA for kids. The Eddie Eagle program is top notch...
Major Kong • 04/01/24 06:20 PM ET
Get them involved in 4h. We have a 4h group that shoots .22 at our range.
section11hokie • 04/01/24 05:15 PM ET
Some good advice below. Here's how I'd approach it:
MP4VT2004 • 04/01/24 04:44 PM ET
I think you and your fiancee have covered the basics expertly. Don't
PhotoHokieNC • 04/01/24 04:16 PM ET
Start by explaining why firearms are important to you and your fiance.
HokieHigh • 04/01/24 03:37 PM ET
I'm not sure I could coherently explain it to a 12yo
Tafkam Hokie • 04/01/24 04:09 PM ET
I think you might be surprised.
MP4VT2004 • 04/01/24 06:50 PM ET
I would save some of the more theoretical parts of that but that seems like
HokieHigh • 04/01/24 04:19 PM ET
The older kid was in a fender-bender about a month ago
Tafkam Hokie • 04/01/24 04:37 PM ET
Got my first over/under .22/20 gauge shotgun at age 13, but I grew up in a
Nortazhokie • 04/01/24 03:03 PM ET
Pretty much the same...I grew up in a house full of guns. Dad was an...
Major Kong • 04/01/24 06:15 PM ET
I would love to have a .22/410 over/under. So cool!
WVHokie84 • 04/01/24 07:07 PM ET
I just bought my first bolt action .22 a year or two ago
EDGEMAN • 04/01/24 03:15 PM ET
You'll shoot your rifling out, kid!**
MP4VT2004 • 04/01/24 11:07 PM ET
Never had one of those...just Crossman BB rifles.
EDGEMAN • 04/02/24 06:57 AM ET
To go off on a slight tangent...
EDGEMAN • 04/01/24 02:53 PM ET
To go off on a slight tangent about cars... WTF is up with cars nowadays?
Hurley09 • 04/01/24 03:42 PM ET
I wish I could give you a million likes for this post.**
MP4VT2004 • 04/02/24 08:51 AM ET
Not to mention how much that added to car cost**
83Hokie • 04/01/24 05:12 PM ET
If I could be king for a day, would require every car stereo to have a...
EDGEMAN • 04/01/24 04:53 PM ET
Mine are on the steering wheel**
TomTurkey • 04/01/24 07:43 PM ET
At 12? Hmmm, that one could be tough.
Chris ColemanAdmin • 04/01/24 02:51 PM ET
Take her shooting a few times and gun safety classes. She'll end up
Hokebury • 04/01/24 03:56 PM ET
not meant to be in response to you chris.**
Hokebury • 04/01/24 03:57 PM ET
While I didn't necessarily grow up around guns
Tafkam Hokie • 04/01/24 03:03 PM ET
I wouldn't call it brainwashing, guns are used in a lot of crimes, but…
WestyHokie • 04/01/24 02:39 PM ET
i would def call it that
MrBayAreaHokie • 04/01/24 02:56 PM ET
That’s a very apples to nuclear fission comparison
WestyHokie • 04/01/24 09:22 PM ET
You missed the entire point of my post, but maybe the bourbon is flowing **
MrBayAreaHokie • 04/01/24 11:29 PM ET
I was at a range once and there was a dad there teaching his kid ◄
Tafkam Hokie • 04/01/24 02:55 PM ET
Shooting a gun for the first time is a bit scary.
WVHokie84 • 04/01/24 07:17 PM ET
Even if it's a .22, recommend the kid wear double hearing protection.
EDGEMAN • 04/01/24 02:38 PM ET
Private school? ;-)
vthokieq • 04/01/24 02:38 PM ET
I had my son in private school up until 5th grade and I got a call one day
Tafkam Hokie • 04/01/24 03:26 PM ET