Kids Day at the Range at Bullet Hole, Inc. – A “New” NSSF First Shots Program

Kids Day at the Range at Bullet Hole, Inc. – A “New” NSSF First Shots Program

Kids Day at the Range at Bullet Hole, Inc. – A “New” NSSF First Shots Program

AmmoLand Gun News

Manasquan, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Sunday night, twenty eager children and their parents headed to Belleville, NJ to participate in a National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) First Shots day at the range.

The children ages 5 to 11 began the night with a program on gun safety which included a coloring book and video presentation featuring Eddie Eagle and the rules of firearms safety.

The children then held the rifle and handgun trainers and learned the basic shooting fundamentals. Most of the children had never fired or held a gun before, and they all did fantastically well in handling the firearms in their dry fire demonstrations.

The excited group then went into the range in shifts, where several instructors were waiting to help them take their first shots on Ruger .22 handguns and Cricket rifles. Each child had the chance to become comfortable with the rifle and the handgun as the instructors stood by assisting them to help make their First Shots memorable ones. Some of the children needed more support and encouragement than others, but the rewards were immediate as their faces lit up when they pulled the trigger and searched the target for where the round hit.

FirstShots.org

As an instructor at the event, it was a pleasure for me to see the wide smiles of the smaller children who learned which is their “trigger finger” and called out excitedly “again” each time they sent a round down range.

The older children were a bit more competitive especially among siblings. In order to be sure their targets were wall hanging worthy, they listened carefully to instructions on how to hold the different guns and follow through after they pulled the trigger. One hesitant boy did quite well with lots of encouragement and commented to me that “once you start and get the hang of it – you don’t want to stop!”

Many parents said they would happily hang up the colorful targets their children took home, having been lit up green by the rounds making their mark. The Bullet Hole, Inc. co-sponsored the event with Gun for Hire and stayed open well past their usual closing time to be sure every child had the opportunity to leave satisfied and happy with their first range experience.

Judging by the smiles and words of appreciation from the parents, the evening was an indisputable success!

The NSSF sponsors free First Shots programs in cooperation with qualified ranges around the country to introduce individuals to shooting and firearms safety. The biggest challenge is getting started and First Shots has made it possible for thousands of new shooters to begin their journey.

Visit: www.nssf.org/FirstShots/RangeOwners/

About Shari Spivack;
I am a wife, mother and firearms instructor who has my own passion for shooting, teaching and continuing to educate myself with all types of firearms in a safe and responsible manner. It is always my pleasure to talk to other women gun owners – please feel free to email me at Shari@shootstraightnj.com.