I’ve been helping out coaching the group of kids who shoot air guns with my youngest son. It’s and American Legion shooting team, and it’s only open to kids who are 18 years old or younger, so they don’t let me shoot, too. It’s a great program to get kids interested in shooting, and making sure they handle guns safely. As a bonus, they get really, really good at shooting if they make it all the way through the program.
My youngest son started shooting with the team a few years ago. He moved through all the levels at a decent pace, and now he’s shooting for the highest level possible. He only needs a couple more scores to earn his Distinguished Expert award, as long as he stays focused.
But all that helping kids shoot well has got me wanting to do some shooting on my own. I’d like to get better with my handguns, and it wouldn’t hurt me to practice more with my rifles, too. If I can just get to the shooting range early, though, I could do some shooting before I have to set up the range for the kids to shoot.
I wouldn’t need much time. Just a half an hour or so each week would be enough to scratch the shooting itch. I could show up at the range a little early, toss a few rounds downrange, and then pack up and get ready to coach. The best thing about the Laramie County shooting complex is that there’s an indoor range, so I could even shoot when it’s nasty outside, and I’d be warm and dry inside.
I think I’m going to start trying to get out of work early on Tuesday nights so I can do that. Like I said, I wouldn’t need a lot of time – just enough to get a few minutes of recoil therapy each week would be enough. At least for now.
