[XD9]

This last Saturday I had the chance to go shooting with George and Steve. After a fun trip to the new Cabella's, we headed out to Doug's to shoot at their range. You can read George's take on the range itself at MadOgre.com. I also agree with him on the range but it is really one of the only choices for SLC. It's a sad situation right now.

I took my 10 year old son Landen with me for the afternoon. We got to the range and I loaded up my .22 Ruger for him to get started with. He did great. I started out by reviewing the 4 rules which we have talked about nearly everytime we are together and he was ready to go.

He stepped up to the counter and got the grip right. It took a little bit of adjusting but he got the hang of it real quick. I should note that this isn't the first time out with me but really the first time I have stepped back and let him sight up and shoot the target without my assistance.

First shot out of .22 was high and to the right. After re-sighting he hit the circles and half-way through the clip, he started to hit black, hitting a bullseye on about shot 8. This got him really excited and I couldn't help but smile.

After he set down the 22 and letting me clear it, George handed him his CZ-01. His eyes went a little wide but he stepped up and got his grip right and sent a round down-range. I was so proud!! He had some trouble with the heavier trigger pull but he put all the rounds down range and hit paper with most of them.

Then he wanted to shoot my XD9 SC. After his stellar performance with the CZ I was happy to load up the XD9. I showed him the safety features of the gun and how the grip safety worked etc. and he was ready to go. For his hands, the SC was a great fit and he took to it immediately. He got set up in his stance and fired away. He was very accurate and had a blast with it. It turned out to be his gun of choice on the range.

After proving himself with the XD9, I asked Steve for his USP .45 (Full Size) I loaded a clip and watched as he handled it like he had shot a .45 for years. No fear that I could detect and he took charge and got his stance right. Arms straight, hands correct, knees bent and leaning into it, he sent his first .45 round downrange. Direct hit! He couldn't believe the size of hole it made in the paper. What a thrill for him! He shot the clip out and asked for more.

We spent the rest of the range time cycling through the guns and he got to experience each one over and over.

Finally we left and spent the rest of the evening talking about guns, eating good food, and watching a movie.

He will never forget the day and I will never forget the joy on his face as we spent quality time being Americans!

 

[Wayne]

Sounds like he (and you) had a great time, good for you taking your son out and giving him a day to remember.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of me and my dad shooting the air rifle and .22's.

Wayne

 

[Bruces45]

After proving himself with the XD9, I asked Steve for his USP .45 (Full Size) I loaded a clip and watched as he handled it like he had shot a .45 for years. No fear that I could detect and he took charge and got his stance right.

The first time I let my wife shoot my 1911 .45 I only put 1 in it(and that turned out to be a good thing). She took aim, let off the thumbsaftey and boom, the gun was laying on the ground and she was headed for the truck, the recoil startled the hell out of her and she dropped my pistol and said she never wanted to shoot that cannon again. She does good with the 22 autoloader though. Taking loved one shooting is one of the best "bonding" expierances there is. My father usto always take me, now I have no children yet so i take my wife, she never usto like guns till she met me and started shooting them. Shoot well and shoot often.

 

[P95Carry]

Xd - your commentary is typical of the shere joy we can experience as parents - and the pride too as we see a youngster do well. :smile: Thx for the descriptive write-up.

I recall my own kid's first sessions and how over time, even tho not as often as i would have liked, they got better and better.

Sadly, there was little shared shooting with my Dad when he was alive - we lived a long ways apart. I did tho share his enthusiasm for the shooting he did do at his local range - just .22 bullseye but he enjoyed it until Parkinsons made him too unsteady. He did tho on a few occasions when my folks were visiting, come out with me rough shooting - just a shotgun each and a long walk around the fields and woods - not much shooting but great shared time.

I'll wager there are not many folks who shared some shooting time with a parent - who do not look back with great fondness, for special moments shared.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello, sir. Excellent post and excellent time shared with father and son, always a good thing. I think if more of that took place, there would be fewer problems.
Thanks for sharing these experiences.

Best.

 

[Euclidean]

Lots of fuzzy memories around a Marlin and a pair of Rossis come to mind.

That's awesome. I can't believe there are people out there who would seek to take memories like that away from us.

 

[Shotgun Willie]

I eagerly await the day when I can take my daugther(4yrs) and my son(18mth) out shooting. I get excited when I hear good stories of father/child outings. I hope my these two will take to it like I did. My daughter already shows great interest in going and shooting my 870. She will have to wait a while longer for that one. :tongue:

I remember going to scout camp for a week and spending all my money and time on the range well after the qualifactions for the merit badge were met. Though I was supposed to be earning other badges during my stay at camp, the excitement of hitting paper was awesome. By the end of the week I was one of the few in the camp to be in the Dime Club(10 consecutive shots with .22LR the size of a dime). This is one of many great memories shooting. But what was even better was showing my Dad the target and his excitement for me. Though I had some rough years in the past with my Dad, I have never had a bad day on the range or out in the fields. We still enjoy shooting together this day. Labor Day was the first time he let me fire his Colt CC. He has only taken it to range once since I was born and it felt neat to be able to hold and fire the only one of his guns that was untouchable growing up. Though he would have let me fire sooner, he could never afford the rounds and has been in the safe for a long time. The one time he took it the range I had just finished healing from a broken hand and my Dad felt it unwise for me to shoot. It felt like an honor to be able to fire it after all these years.

Well after spell checking my post, I see that I have rambled on. It did not feel like it while I was typing. Sorry to have spent so long on my memories.

I am glad to hear that XD9 and P95 both have had good experiences recently. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Sorry again for the lengthy(and perhaps boring ) post.

 

[rocky]

Cool. I take my 8 yr. old daughter out shooting too. she has really taken to shooting my 10/22. we are starting slow and teaching the basics so she gets it right. A few years and she can shoot competitively if she wants to. Some of my best memories are shooting with my friends and dad either out hunting or competition.

 

[P95Carry]

Kurt - fear not - your post was not too long - rather it was another interesting perspective :smile:

 

[AirForceShooter]

there is nothing quite as good as being on the range with your kid. My kids and I had some wonderful conversations and I learned about what they were thinking and what they had done. Seems they loosen up at the range because it's a place of trust.
Of course sometimes you learn stuff you don't want to know. Like my college daughter telling me she learned to do a keg stand. Didn't need that. But the point is she wouldn't tell me that in the house.
Don't ever stop going to the range with your kids. It's a sacred place.

AFS