Introducing Junior Shooter

[Noahspawpaw0801]

Need some thoughts/suggestions in introducing a junior shooter to IHMSA. My grandson, Noah is 12. He will be shooting at New Braunfels, Texas where there are other junior shooters and excellent coaches. Ole paw paw has several guns for Noah to choose from. Plan is to start with small bore. Thoughts and suggestions appreciated.

[Hosspower]

This is good to read and should be a good topic.

I'm 35 and just started shooting smallbore UAS in the flop position. 2 matches so far. Different scope each match. 1st match I shot 33 and second match was a 34. Thats still bottom of the pack but for me a it was a good confidence booster. I said OK, these targets can be hit and I had fun. 95% of my entries have been standing since I started. For a junior shooting smallbore UAS in the flop position should be a great way to learn with a much better chance of hitting targets which will keep the confidence up. Just my thoughts.

[Noahspawpaw0801]

Thanks Hosspower. What gun, scope and ammo are you using? Your scores sound good to me. Good shooting! Do you adjust your scope from target to target?

[Hosspower]

I am using a 10" T/C. It is a match barrel so kind of a pain pulling spent cases as some are tight. This barrel likes CCI standard velocity ammo. My 1st match I had a bushnell 4-12 power scope on it. 1/4" clicks at 100. I pulled it off for my field pistol (PAS) gun after realizing I needed more magnification there. I had a bushnell 6-18 power scope on an encore 300 win mag barrel I haven't touched in years so I threw it on the 10" 22 T/C. I do adjust from target to target and hold the cross hairs on the center of the animal. I have tried just holding different areas from target to target but my mind forces the cross hairs to the center. From the 1st match I knew my zero was good for chickens and pigs. Up 16 clicks for turkeys and up 16 more for Rams. As it turned out the 6-18 bushnell was 1/8" at 100 so for it 28 clicks up for turkeys and 32 more for rams. I must have been hitting the turkeys a little high with the old scope. A lot of counting but it was a scope I already had and didn't want to throw any more money at it. You will read why later. The next step for this gun is forend options. I am just using a regular pachmyer. A beefy wooden forend would help but I'm not looking too hard for one.

My brother found a good deal on a factory 10" bull 22 barrel with a standard chamber so I bought it and ordered a taco rail. I will give this a go for smallbore standing.