Shotgun shooting is a great outdoors pursuit all year, with multiple opportunities to slay some clays.
There are always trap and skeet and five stand and sporting clays options at local gun ranges and gun clubs, and if you want to journey out into the Back 40 and hand-throw some meandering targets, you certainly can do that to your shoulder’s delight.
Whatever shotgun experience you decide to pick, the name of the game is practice. Actually practice, practice … and even more practice … if you’re hoping to hone your skills and especially if you’re hoping those round, orange “birds” make you a better shot when the real things start darting, dipping and diving in a September dove field. I can say one definitive thing from firsthand experience: if you put in meager training ahead of any dove season, plan on putting in a substantial investment in shells.
While shotgun shooting is primarily geared toward an adult audience, don’t overlook youth hunters and youth shooters when focusing on the impact of how the sport can help impart plenty of life lessons, especially the importance of firearm safety, while helping to ensure traditions that we enjoy continue well into the future.
It also can be beneficial to your wallet if you have little guys and gals you’re expecting to send to college one day. I’ve known numerous high schoolers who received big scholarships — even including full rides to major universities — based on their shooting prowess. If you’re looking to possibly help your kids make it through college without a lot of debt, consider putting a single-shot 20-gauge in their hands when you think they’re ready to handle it safely and then work up from there!
There are a number of things you can do to improve the odds that a youngster will take to shotgun shooting. The No. 1 tactic is to make it fun. The absolute worst things you can do are making the experience scary or painful, or simply expecting too much too soon.
The initial introduction to the pursuit should focus on the firearm itself, showing a youngster every feature, what it does and why it’s important, especially the parts that pose danger. And don’t try to dumb things down. Be straightforward and speak like you know what you’re talking about, but don’t make it long-winded. Most kids catch on really quick, even really young ones. My daughters are 5 and 3, and though they’ve been deer hunting with me and sat in the blind together, they’ve never heard the boom of a rifle. However, they have seen the deer Daddy shot and we’ve talked about life, death, meat for the freezer and a number of other facets involving hunting. They take most of it to heart, too.
Once you’ve got a youngster who’s ready to finally shoulder a shotgun, make sure to impart how to properly hold it and have them practice drawing a bead on something without anything chambered. This can be done in your backyard, in the pasture or anywhere else without outside intrusion. Also, make sure the shotgun their hoisting is proper for their size. Don’t, and I repeat, DON’T give a 70-pound kid a 12-gauge the first rattle out of the box and expect them to not flinch after the first shot. You’re setting yourself up for failure and you’re setting that kid up to never want to touch a firearm of any kind again. And that would be a darn shame.
My first shotgun was a single-shot 20-gauge, which at 9 or 10 years old is plenty of gun to start putting to paper, which is the next step in this process. Don’t drag a kid to a shooting range, put them on the firing line between skeet houses and think anything good will come of it. Take them out to the pasture or to a gun range and have them shoot light loads at a stationary target. You can even take a target with the outline of a turkey head if you’re hoping they might take to chasing gobblers one day! After you get their safety gear — both eyes and ears — put one shell in and let them take a decent rest. Let them know to fire only when they feel comfortable, and no matter what, stay positive throughout the whole process.
The same goes for their first try at busting a clay pigeon. Only put up one at a time — trap is great for this — and allow them to learn and grow with every dusted bird and every missed one, too. The final advice I can offer is don’t be one of THOSE parents, the kind we all know from somewhere who get caught up in perfection in everything their kid does. If you take that route, you’re only setting up everyone involved for disappointment.
Shotgun shooting is supposed to be fun and it’s up to us as outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen to be good stewards of the future generation of wingshooters and clay pigeon busters.
Texas hunting accident deaths center on improper handling of firearms
Resources for teaching youngsters to shoot
There’s no better way to ensure your child grows up with a safe and secure knowledge of correct firearm usage than well-organized youth and college shooting programs. These programs are designed to be age-appropriate and help parents take the “fear and mystery” out of children’s natural curiosity and replace it with understanding and respect. These values ensure that our next generation of shooters grow up with the love and enthusiasm needed to carry the sport well into the future.
Here are some notable groups with that mission in mind:
AIM: AIM (Academics, Integrity, Marksmanship) is the official youth program of the Amateur Trapshooting Association. The program allows elementary through college-age shooters the chance to compete in registered competition on a level playing field either as a team or as an individual.
NATIONAL 4-H SHOOTING SPORTS: The focus of all 4-H programs is the development of youths as individuals and as responsible and productive citizens. The National 4-H Shooting Sports stands out as an example. Youths learn marksmanship, the safe and responsible use of firearms, the principles of hunting and archery and much more.
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS PROGRAM (NSSP): NSSP is the Shooting Sports program for the National Royal Ranger program, a Christian church ministry for boys ages 5 to 18. NSSP exists to support the mission and purpose of Royal Rangers while promoting a safe and rewarding shooting sports experience for all. Royal Rangers is the second-largest scouting group in the United States with approximately 125,000 members and internationally.
SCHOLASTIC CLAY TARGET PROGRAM: The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) provides youths in grades 12 and under an opportunity to compete as a team for state and national championships in trap, skeet and sporting clays. The ultimate goal is to instill in young participants a commitment to safe firearm handling, teamwork and leadership. SCTP was developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and is managed nationally by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation.
USA YOUTH EDUCATION IN SHOOTING SPORTS: USA Youth Education in Shooting Sports (USAYESS) exists to develop, grow, and support state foundations and associations that use hands-on events, competitive shooting sports, and wildlife habitat and conservation programs to introduce and educate young people and their families about safe firearm handling, competitive shooting, and outdoor conservation activities.
