We are members of a gun range and have been for years. Even though we could shoot on our property , we find that out of respect for our neighbors it is still better to go to the range. The boys have been shooting since probably 5, started out with the air rifle/bb guns, and after a few years progressed and even saved up for their own .22 rifles. Every boy should have his own .22 rifle. We started out with the foundation of shooting being safety, and have tried to get that ingrained into them at a young age. The four laws of firearm safety cannot be practiced enough:

1) Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.

2) Dont aim your weapon at anything you do not intend to destroy.

3) Know your target and what is beyond it.

4) Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.

Over the years we have all grown in our comfort and abilities, and recently the boys and I went to the range for some shooting. They both enjoy shooting the larger .223 rounds now, and have both become quite proficient both in their accuracy, but also in their maturity and safety with regards to firearms.

Here is Nicholas shooting the Ruger Mini-14. This is the first rifle I purchased back in 1992. It is not the most accurate rifle, but it is a lot of fun to shoot. If you are doing your part (trigger control, breathing, sight alignment/picture) the best this gun will shoot at 100 yards is about a 6″ group. I think Nicholas and I both really like shooting it because it is similar to the military M14, or earlier M1 Garand, only a smaller caliber.

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Next up was Joshua shooting the AR15. Oh no, Joshua is shooting an “assualt rifle”! This is actually Karen’s rifle (a whole other story behind that) and is very accurate out to a couple hundred yards or more. It shoots the same 223/5.56 round as the Mini-14 and is the militaries current weapon of choice. But some might argue that it doesn’t have the same fun factor as other rifles, that it is generic and boring. But, if you had to pick only one rifle for everything, this would be a very good choice.

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And here are couple pictures of their targets. Nicholas was shooting open iron sights at a target 50 yards away. Joshua had a magnified scope on the AR15 and was shooting at 100 yards.

Nicholas’ target                                                      Joshuas’ target

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Both should be very pleased not only with their results, but also that they both can comfortably and safely handle these firearms.

Good job boys, you make your Dad proud!

Michael