[Grizzly 45]

We must be losing our touch!!!

[Spunk84]

It's all down hill now we will be out on anti rallies next lol

[German pointer]

Originally Posted by Spunk84

It's all down hill now we will be out on anti rallies next lol

On your own on that one

[German pointer]

Had the young girl out the other day (7 years old) for her first day shooting rabbits and she loved it She can't wait to go again but the nicest thing about it she said was when we BBQ them

[BadGirl]

Husband came in recently with some pigeon decoys he had bought, little fella (4) was looking at these with great interest, then he says 'Hey Dad, when are we eating them?'

Both of ours have been at clayshoots, they watch their dad and me butchering and cleaning meat (and fish) and equate the animals that he shoots with what they are eating They are well used to seeing the guns around the house etc, i'd rather them know, and have respect for the firearms instead of being curious and wanting to see what they do...

They haven't been out shooting with him yet, but thats purely because they are 2 of the loudest children ever to grace the face of this earth and have no understanding of being quiet! It will happen though.

[shooter88]

I think its a great idea getting kids involved in guns from a early age so they automatically know how to use and respect properly as my father done with me again I was old enough to own a gun I was familiar with proper practice as I hope my kids will..anti gun ppl always shoving opinions at shooters do they know the inhumane way the animals and produce are kept before it arrives nicely wrapped on a shelf nothing like the real meat we eat from hunting

[tac foley]

Originally Posted by beeroclock

I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in shooting guns (apart from a stag party where we went to a Prague shooting range I have never shot weapons) and though I am shocked at the notion of bringing kids along to a hunt etc, I read with interest the comments here. I know nothing of this activity and wouldn't want a loaded weapon within a mile or me let alone my son and I'm sure its "safe" etc I do not for a minute understand the notion of children and lethal weapons

But like I said I know nothing of this activity so I read with interest as an outsider

It's good that you can see and read about shooting activities on an open forum like this one - where none of us actually have anything to hide or be ashamed of in our pursuit of our legal sport.

Of course, you are as entitled to hold your opinion, just as we are, and I have to tell you that shooting sports are actually the safest participation sport of anything carried out indoors or outdoors, simply because of the training and self-awareness that, of necessity, forms a major part of it. Of course, we are not shooting 'weapons' here - 'weapons' are, by definition, used to carry out war-like activities. Soldiers have weapons. We sportsmen have firearms and we shoot our firearms under the full permission of the many restrictive laws that we all have to obey in order to shoot them at all. Of all citizens, we are the least likely to commit any form of crime - how else are we to be trusted with firearms if we do?

Unlike many other sports where people regularly die or are horrifically maimed or crippled for life - horse-riding comes to mind, as does racing around on motor-cycles - both sports or hobbies with a horrific record of harming the participants - I can't actually recall the last time a shooting sportsman or woman was actually injured by a gun in Ireland. Please feel free to check me out here.

As for teaching youngsters to shoot at an early age, think of it this way. Every youngster here is being taught a sport that requires -

1. A complete awareness of all aspects of safe handling.

2. Concentration and application of the skills required to actually carry it out.

3. Respect for other human beings and the wildlife that becomes the target.

4. And a healthy respect for other people's property and a sense of responsiblity that comes with the handling of what can, in untrained and uncaring hands, be a dangerous device.

In the fullness of time, there can be no doubt that that youngster will become a better citizen for all that I have noted above.

Like many of us here, I started shooting young - with me at it was at age six, and now, at 66, I'm looking back on a lifetime of enjoyment that has always accompanied my shooting sports. I've met some wonderful people who have been a privilege to know, and many of them all over the world are close friends that I know I can trust and have relied upon over the years.

Unlike sitting crouched up in a corner in front of a TV screen with thumbs flashing over a zombie game on a Nintendo, these youngsters are getting to know a world in which they will become responsible adults, with a full appreciation of makes life worth bothering about.

My $0.02.

tac

[shooter88]

Originally Posted by tac foley

It's good that you can see and read about shooting activities on an open forum like this one - where none of us actually have anything to hide or be ashamed of in our pursuit of our legal sport.

Of course, you are as entitled to hold your opinion, just as we are, and I have to tell you that shooting sports are actually the safest participation sport of anything carried out indoors or outdoors, simply because of the training and self-awareness that, of necessity, forms a major part of it. Of course, we are not shooting 'weapons' here - 'weapons' are, by definition, used to carry out war-like activities. Soldiers have weapons. We sportsmen have firearms and we shoot our firearms under the full permission of the many restrictive laws that we all have to obey in order to shoot them at all. Of all citizens, we are the least likely to commit any form of crime - how else are we to be trusted with firearms if we do?

Unlike many other sports where people regularly die or are horrifically maimed or crippled for life - horse-riding comes to mind, as does racing around on motor-cycles - both sports or hobbies with a horrific record of harming the participants - I can't actually recall the last time a shooting sportsman or woman was actually injured by a gun in Ireland. Please feel free to check me out here.

As for teaching youngsters to shoot at an early age, think of it this way. Every youngster here is being taught a sport that requires -

1. A complete awareness of all aspects of safe handling.

2. Concentration and application of the skills required to actually carry it out.

3. Respect for other human beings and the wildlife that becomes the target.

4. And a healthy respect for other people's property and a sense of responsiblity that comes with the handling of what can, in untrained and uncaring hands, be a dangerous device.

In the fullness of time, there can be no doubt that that youngster will become a better citizen for all that I have noted above.

Like many of us here, I started shooting young - with me at it was at age six, and now, at 66, I'm looking back on a lifetime of enjoyment that has always accompanied my shooting sports. I've met some wonderful people who have been a privilege to know, and many of them all over the world are close friends that I know I can trust and have relied upon over the years.

Unlike sitting crouched up in a corner in front of a TV screen with thumbs flashing over a zombie game on a Nintendo, these youngsters are getting to know a world in which they will become responsible adults, with a full appreciation of makes life worth bothering about.

My $0.02.

tac

Here here

[Feisar]

Originally Posted by slingshot88

my young fella is the same. mad about shooting he is nearly 5 now ,so wont belong untill he is headin out with me although herself is not to keen on it be sure to keep us informed on how he gets on and enjoy your day out

She may not be keen on it but it's great bonding. Some of my earliest memories are of traipsing around after Dad out rough shooting pheasants with my pair of blue wellies. I invariably end up in a drain and he'd heel out my wellies and give me his socks.

[slingshot88]

Originally Posted by Feisar

She may not be keen on it but it's great bonding. Some of my earliest memories are of traipsing around after Dad out rough shooting pheasants with my pair of blue wellies. I invariably end up in a drain and he'd heel out my wellies and give me his socks.

im workin on it the whole time had herself out lamping and at a few targets a couple of times so she is starting to see its not so bad and as tac said there is far more dangerous sports out there so im expecting to get the go ahead any day now

[Feisar]

Originally Posted by shooter88

I think its a great idea getting kids involved in guns from a early age so they automatically know how to use and respect properly as my father done with me again I was old enough to own a gun I was familiar with proper practice as I hope my kids will..anti gun ppl always shoving opinions at shooters do they know the inhumane way the animals and produce are kept before it arrives nicely wrapped on a shelf nothing like the real meat we eat from hunting

At work one of the lads I know and knows I do a bit of shooting asked me would I be after the deer. I said I would and would be bringing the .308 out, checking zero and firing a shot out of it when out with the .22LR at various ranges to get confident. Not firing for groups but hitting a mark with the first shot. Another lad piped up about cruelty etc. I asked did he eat meat. He said he did. I told him to Google slaughter houses, chicken farms, foie gras and get back to me on the cruelty.

[tac foley]

Originally Posted by Feisar

Another lad piped up about cruelty etc. I asked did he eat meat. He said he did. I told him to Google slaughter houses, chicken farms, foie gras and get back to me on the cruelty.

After ten minutes in the average abbatoir, watching panicking sheep or cattle being herded into the stunning pens [according to one operator they have to be 'alive a bit to bleed out properly' - most people would become violent veggies.

With us, it's a single clean shot and instant off-switch with no suffering or stress to the animal concerned.

My one and only large beast took the shot and went straight down on his knees and never even twitched.

tac

[German pointer]

I was out today with a 7 year old girl, an almost 6 year old girl and a just gone 4 year old boy. We got lucky and got one rabbit. The moral of the story is when you are bringing out small kids bring them one at a time. They will have no one to fight with and so be quite.

[meathstevie]

Originally Posted by BadGirl

Husband came in recently with some pigeon decoys he had bought, little fella (4) was looking at these with great interest, then he says 'Hey Dad, when are we eating them?'

Both of ours have been at clayshoots, they watch their dad and me butchering and cleaning meat (and fish) and equate the animals that he shoots with what they are eating They are well used to seeing the guns around the house etc, i'd rather them know, and have respect for the firearms instead of being curious and wanting to see what they do...

They haven't been out shooting with him yet, but thats purely because they are 2 of the loudest children ever to grace the face of this earth and have no understanding of being quiet! It will happen though.

Don't talk to me, only a few weeks ago the youngest lad ( 7 and mad as pish ) managed to fall flat on his face in a drain full of water next to a field full of ripe wheat while I was trying to shoot a few pigeons...suffise to say that trying was what I was it. Poor lad never worked it out that the "nanny McPhee cane" he found in the drain was rotten as can be. He found out when it broke and he went flat on his face...couldn't do nothing strip off his clothes, wrap him up in my fleece, carry him to the pick up and go back for the decoys... .Ach well a bit of craic for all...the brother and sister still call him "granny McSplash".

[German pointer]

I ment to put these up a while back. Some photos of my seven year old after a walk with the shotgun.