. . . he loves it! He's 14, and hasn't really been into hunting when I've taken him before. To be honest, he's a little timid when it comes to my Mossberg 12 ga., compared to me when I was his age. I had the same model shotgun then, and loved it.

But today, I took him with me to the pit in Lapeer, with my Bushy and a full battle pack. He was leery at first of shooting the AR, I could tell he wanted to, but was being timid again, about the sound I think (gotta toughen that boy up, I tell you). I put 5 in a mag for him, and after his first shot, he was grinning ear to ear! By the end of the day, he was busting clay targets that I propped up in the dirt from 20 to 75 yards.

His words to me: "This is AWESOME!" Then on the drive home, he asked why people are so stupid to think what we just spent the day doing was evil. "Dad, if they take your guns away, criminals can still get them. Haven't they ever heard of the 'black market'?"

Whew. Looks like one generation past mine will still carry the spark.

On an off topic, I also brought 5 boxes of Wolf. That is the worst crap I have ever shot. . . at least a dozen short strokes, and a couple of stovepipes. But for plinking, $2.20 a box is OK I guess. I sure wouldn't rely on it for SHTF. I have a 30 rounder filled with Remington PSP for that.

Edited to fix improper term for magazine [:I]

Good job!  My hat's off to you for keeping the flame burning.  You have taken your place in the long, time-honored tradition of dads introducing sons to the wonderful world of shooting.  I'm sure you are proud of him and his level-headed view of the situation. [^]

Life is good.

"Magazine"

AK2KX- You have done very well. You should be very proud of your son!!!

THE SPANK HAS SPOKEN!...and very correctly I might add...lol! As for the range day good job. Educate the boy at every turn. God knows the schools and media will be shoving anti gun crap down his throat at every opportunity. As for me I have to smile my soon to be 6 year old nephew was overheard recently in a conversation with a 4 year old playmate. "All people with guns are bad", he was told by his friend. His response was classic."NOT MY UNCLE! He has lots of guns and hes a good guy". I still have to smile everytime I think of it. I cant wait to get him shooting and I think Im going to buy him a BB gun soon to shoot under supervision. Kids are our only hope! Take care and shoot straight!
[sniper]

I have to say that some of my best memories of spending time with my dad as a kid involved firearms. Whether it was rabbit or squirrel hunting, plinking with the .22, or burning rounds with his mini 14, it alway's seemed to be the best time we spent together.

AK2KX it sounds like some quality time spent. Maybe get him a NRA or GOA membership. Maybe get involved in some junior shooting club. I'm happy your son enjoyed the AR. Then again I have never met anyone that has not liked shooting the AR after the first time, whether it be male or female.

NO SLACK!

This is GREAT!!!  I took my children with me when they were young.  Nothing like firsthand experience.  Now the next step is to let him bring a friend along.  If the parents are concerned, why bring them too.  No telling how many new friends/converts you will make.

RIGHT ON!!!!!!!!!!!  )Man, when's te last time you heard that expression?)
 Anothr convert to the truth..  Why'd you wait til he was 14?  My son got his first rifle at age 4.......[beer]

All I can say is OUTSTANDING! You will not ever regret the time you spend with your son now. My father wasn't a shooter, but as I got into shooting, we had a great time going out in the yard with a single shot .22 bolt gun.

See if there is a local 4-H Shooting Education program and if not, get one started. The local extension agents can help. That's where I started and now I'm watching kids that I taught teaching another generation.

You should have started you son earlier I started shooting when I was 4 years old.

May dad started me out when I was 4. I had a .22 by the time I was 6. Was shooting skeet with a 20 ga by 10 and a 12 ga by 12. Then one day we were out shooting and he offered me to shoot this nice looking centerfire bolt action. Of course, wanting to impress with my accuracy, I shot it prone. Got a real nice view through the scope and squeezed.... BAM!  Next thing I remember is my dad saying "are you allright?" to which I responded "Yeah, but that wan't funny!"  He was laughing his ass off after he was sure I was OK. It was a 7mm Rem Mag and the scope had given me a real nice black eye. And my shoulder hurt, but I didn't admit it. The bullet hit its target though, and he fealt bad so a few days later he bought me my own 12 Ga. - an 870 Wingmaster. It's one of my most prized possesions. I was the only 12 year old kid I knew that had his own cannon. None of my friends wanted to shoot it though. They were wussies!

I wish I hadn't waited that long, plus I made the HUGE mistake of selling my guns in the past [>(] I will never do that again. I just finished putting together my AR this winter, and it's the first rifle I've had since high school (over 20 years ago). I'll probably be getting him a Marlin .22 in the next few weeks, and maybe a 20 ga. for next hunting season.

My cousin has a 8 year old who got his first rifle at 4 as well. He now has 3 or 4 guns of his own, including a .410.

AK2KX: I started my son shooting when he was 14 also. By the time he was 15 he had his own Remington 270 which by the time he was 16 he had me sell it for an AR15 Bushwacker. He still has the Bushwacker, but also has an SA M14.Took him on his first club chuck hunt two weeks aga and he got 4 chucks. He shot, I spotted. H came in tied for second place. My wife hates us both. Time to move on. You are doing the right thing.

AK2KX - That's great that he likes it.  I started taking my daughter when she turned 4 (she's 5-1/2 now).  She shoots my 1911 with a 22 conversion on it, and recently started shooting a bolt action 22.  I figure in about a year or two, she might be able to fit my AR (maybe install a CAR stock to keep it short).  My daughter also does not like the loud noises from other shooters, so I try to take a dayoff during the week and take her to the range.  Won't be able to do this much longer as she starts kindergarten this Sept.

right on![:)]

Excellent to hear.  The first firearm I ever fired was on my 8th grade JROTC Rifle Team.  Marlin/Ruger .22 "Trainers" (don't remember the make, just remember the tiny bullet and the "pthhh" sound it made when you pulled in the trigger).  First firearm I ever owned was 4 months ago, an AR15.  It's quite possibly the best weapon (gunpowder-driven that is) I've ever held in my hand.

I'm 21 now, and looking back in retrospect, I wish I did more shooting on the rifle team and in my youth.  It's a great activity, teaches responsibility (boy does it) and discipline, and you can rest assured that your son/daughter you take out to the range on occasion, won't be the little boy/girl who goes to school with a gun and goes putting bullets in teachers like these punks that are running around today.  

What you teach and show them now will be with them for the rest of their life; I didn't do it as a child, and I'm living the college life now.  But every opportunity I get to meet up with my Dad, we make sure we hit the firing range.  In fact, I'm at his house now for the break before summer semester starts, and we're going out tomorrow to the rifle range [:)]

Don't feel bad for starting your son out at a "late" age - it's all really relative, and dependant on the person, rather than the age.  I never shot as a kid, but I'm no less cognizant or familiar with them now.  Just make sure you keep doing it; it's a good hobby, and a great way to spend quality time with the little un's.  I plan on doing it when I have children...a LOOONG LOOOOOOOOOONG time from now!!

Jewbroni~

OUTSTANDING!  [:D]  [8d]