Introducing New Shooters to Our Sport

[Ian M]

I have had the opportunity to introduce some fellows to long range shooting this spring (and hopefully hunting this coming season). All three guys have "got the bug", they have acquired some good rifles and are in the process of getting all the neat stuff to support the habit. They are a bit awestruck by the costs of good toys but each individual is determined to get good gear - scopes, mounts, spotters, shooting mats, data books, cleaning gear, guncases, Mil-dot Masters, wind meters, Harris's and more reloading components than they ever thought they would be burning up.

Just thought that I would mention how saticefying this can be. These days this is worthwhile, the more shooters of any kind the better.

We take a lot for granted here - there are a lot of guys who have forgotten more than many of us will ever learn about long range shooting. Going back to the basics with someone who is keen, but who has never experienced long range accuracy is a lot of fun. If they get the bug all the better.

 

[Brent]

Ian, I know what you mean. My Dad!!

The guy would sit at the hundred yard range while I shot by myself at the three hundred yard range, that was our idea of going shooting together until two years ago.

He zeros his at two hundred and uses the Springfield Armory scope that has calibrated crosshairs to 1000yds for his 308win now!! We set togther and have a whole lot more fun now. It was a slow process but some are just "old school die hards".

He's still coming along with the "moa clickin thing". He just sayes his scope is close enough to kill a moose at the range he'll be shootin at one. I'll have to buy him a Nightforce to change his outlook a little. I got him a RCBS powder pro scale setup and he finally trickles his loads now.

The older guy (76) that lives up where I hunt is finally seeing my shooting skills develope and realizes that the range they're being killed at is not that difficult of shot after all.

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Ian

Your right.
Seeing a new person learn the sport correctly is satisfying to me.

This "old Timer" gets more out of teaching or showing a newbie shooter what and how we do what we do and of course explaining the workings of said equipment.

As a matter of fact, I would rather be the spotter, call the shots, and call the amount of clicks to put on at extreme range instead of pulling the trigger.

In this game, pulling the trigger is the easy part. Anyone can put a dot or cross hair on an elk and pull the trigger. It's knowing what it takes to get that bullet into the elk that is the important part.

Knowing the click valuations at various ranges and having the best equipment available is top priority.

Being from the old school, I feel a person should do the click thing as a starter and work up to the mills from there (if they want) but, whatever "trips a persons trigger" is what they should do.

It's a great sport and the newbie should learn it correctly to be successful.

That takes a person willing to show and teach.

Later
Darryl Cassel

 

[Dave King]

I have had to opportunity to bring new folks along too and it really is a joy to see the improvement and "glow of understanding".

The offshoot of this is as Ian mentioned: They are a bit awestruck by the costs of good toys... ...scopes, mounts, spotters, shooting mats, data books, cleaning gear, guncases, Mil-dot Masters, wind meters, Harris's and more reloading components than they ever thought they would be burning up.

I generally catch hell from the financial manager of the household once the newbie individual is "hooked". The comment is usually something like "It sure is expensive knowing/being you! (referring to me)" At which I generally respond "Well, imagine how expensive it is being me ALL THE TIME!"

Being a practitioner of this portion of the hunting sport is expensive and rewarding.

 

[bull]

My better half is already beginning to question the new toys. But I just tell her Dave said I NEED them.

 

[Ian M]

Bull,
One way to beat that situation is to simply overwhelm your better-half with so much stuff coming in that she can't keep track... This relies on keeping her completely uninformed about how much the stuff costs (as in "Only a few bullets dear.", as you unpack ten boxes of 168's. Also make sure that you have lots of storage space - more than you need - so that the cupboards, gun racks, shelves etc. never look too filled up. Don't talk too much about the goodies - I know a lady who figured out that "green boxes of bullets were expensive, red or yellow ones were not expensive". Had to sneak in the Sierras for a while...
Keep blaming Dave, he has broad shoulders...

 

[Boyd Heaton]

I always blame Darryl.

.But I'm kinda lucky.My wife told me if you're gonna buy get the best.....

 

[littletoes]

Found answers in Ultra-Long Range-Darryl started it!
Oh yea, wife's gonna kill me!
Wife asked me today-"Honey, what else are you going to need?"
[ 06-20-2002: Message edited by: littletoes ]

[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: littletoes ]

[ 06-23-2002: Message edited by: littletoes ]

 

[schapman43]

The key is getting your wife to shoot. Actually, I'm not so sure that was a great idea. She goes through the ammo like it was water.

We went from "guns arent going to be in the house" when she was my fiance (I told her then we cant get married) to her buying guns more expensive than mine and thinking that its funny.

[ 07-28-2002: Message edited by: schapman43 ]

 

[eb]

One of the guys who reads this forum and responds every now and then got me started.Before Imeet him I thought 300 yds was long range the first day we shoot together I thought he was going to run the truck out of gas to get to where we were going to shot from (1150yards).I was afraid to glass bed and reload, Itried to reload about 10 years ago but got cases stuck, no one told me about case lube. This gentelman beded my 2506, measured the chamber and loaded some ballistic tips close to the lands, my 3 inch 100 yard group became a 1.75 inch 250 yard group.Needless to say I was hooked !He found me a good deal on a big 300 and some days when ever thing is just right I can hit his steel disk at 1000 yards. How do you thank someone like that? I havent figured out a way, if you guys know clue me in . When we go shooting and I have a bad day I feel like ive let him down.Thanks to sky king, and to all you guysthat will help some one else get started.

 

[Tim Behle]

I just wish it was a little less expensive. The wife opened the credit card bill yesterday. I've been grounded from Midway and Sinclairs for a month.

 

[texas]

Ebb, the best way to thank him is to get someone else into LRH.

That will show him that he did a good job of teaching you and that you learned something in the process.

 

[rjf3]

Tim,
Sinclairs takes money orders.

Do not buy them at local post office if wife goes there.

Russ

BTW: Quite lucky here my better half is a good sport, about it all. But, no sense pushing it too far....LOL

 

[eb]

my wife has 3 bows worth 700 dollars each and will only shot the 150 dollar a dozen arrows, so I dont get to many gripes but she doesnt understand why a luepold long range scope or a night force cost over a grand, Come to think of it I dont either.