swilliams Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 On 3/8/2019 at 5:26 PM, mrkstvns said: We do a Shooting Sports weekend too. Our NRA-certified instructor covers safety rules within about 30 minutes and does another 15 minutes while out on the range showing the boys how to operate the specific bolt-action .22 rifle provided by the council at camp. The boys are then closely supervised by NRA-certified RSOs with the instructor acting as coach. The boys get MUCH more time out on the range than they spend in lecture. 2 3-hour sessions. Wow. Just Wow. I'm not even a kid and I'm bored just contemplating it... I was thinking the session described wouldn't only be about safety, but also going over the rifle/shotgun and learning about function as well, and maybe a little bit about ammunition, sights, etc. For a lot of these scouts, this will be the first time they'll have ever laid a hand on a gun. Many may not even know how the firearm functions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBob Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 On 3/8/2019 at 5:26 PM, mrkstvns said: 2 3-hour sessions. Wow. Just Wow. I'm not even a kid and I'm bored just contemplating it... Is it a safe assumption on my part to guess that you've never taken NRA Instructor training? That can re-define 'boring' for you if you get a poor instructor. Ever handle a .50 BMG round? Know how heavy one round is? Want to carry 50 of them on a day hike? We pass inert cartridges of many calibers down the line. I've never seen a boy fall asleep when one of his peers chambers an 870. (Dummy practice rounds). How stupid are movie heroes who walk up to a confrontation with an empty chambered shotgun, anyway? And to the Hollywood intellects who cycle the action a second time a few moments later without having fired a round? Hey, are you going to leave that shotgun shell just lying on the ground? Aren't you going to need all your bullets for the next scene? That's litter. Pick it up! Give 6 or 8 boys practice/toy weapons and have them move about the room without sweeping anyone while the rest of the crowd keeps an eye on their muzzles. Musical chairs will never be the same. The purpose of firearms safety training is not to punish, but to prepare. Dazed bored boys are not getting the import of the training, so we make extraordinary efforts to keep them engaged and entertained. As for adult hot air? I promise you that I will never have to explain to the mother of a wounded scout that her son, Billy, was accidentally shot because Little Johnny did an inadequate job with EDGE while teaching Billy gun safety. Retraining Little Johnny and offering to refund her son's dues doesn't seem to be enough. Firearms are like nothing else we do in Scouting. One needs to recognize a higher responsibility; that there are even adults that should not be allowed to participate in gun safety training. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltface Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 55 minutes ago, JoeBob said: Give 6 or 8 boys practice/toy weapons and have them move about the room without sweeping anyone while the rest of the crowd keeps an eye on their muzzles. Musical chairs will never be the same. I like this idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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