(LESSON 1) (LESSON 2)
(LESSON 3) (LESSON 4)
(LESSON 5) (LESSON 6)
The following lessons were originally taken almost straight from the first seven lessons (GUN SAFETY AND MARKSMANSHIP) of the Daisy SHOOTING EDUCATION 10-lesson curriculum. However, since then I've noticed that they parallet some of the material in "The Hunter's Guide", a publication of the National Rifle Association, and since the NRA has been involved in firearm education and safety for over 125 years, I suspect the NRA is the original source of most of which follows. But whatever the source(s), the material seems to be doing a good job of teaching our youngsters how to shoot safely.
We originally taught the lessons in a four-week format, presenting two lessons in two+ hours on each of the first three evenings and the seventh "lesson" (better titled PARENTS NIGHT) on the fourth evening. However, our average shooter was probably under 12, and that format was really "pushing" them to learn faster than we liked, so we tried a five-week format for a semester or two and have now pretty-well settled on a six-week format. Each time, however, the lessons were revamped and Daisy (now called AVANTI) also improved and reprinted their lesson book. Thus, over the many years the Manhattan Rifle Club has been teaching the BB-gun classes for the Manhattan- area JayCees and 4-H Club, the original lessons have morphed into what you find here.
Please note that, every time I teach a lesson, I review all past lessons and preview all future lessons to be sure that everything is as good as I can make it. If/When I see that a change needs to be made, I make it in my HOME copy of this file, but THIS copy is only updated about once each semester.
[NOTE: material in square brackets [such as this] are to remind ME of some action I want to take at that point.]
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION (10 minutes)
====================================
My name is Myron Calhoun, and I'll be your classroom instructor for the next few
weeks. Several other people are also here to help us cover the material and run
the range.
Shooting and the shooting sports are some of the most-popular recreation activities in America.
Shooting is a lifetime sport. You can learn to shoot at a very young age and continue to enjoy shooting until you are OLD, like me, or VERY OLD, like my assistant here!
You do not have to be big, strong, fast, or even athletic to shoot and to learn to be a good shooter. You can even have many physical handicaps and still be a good shooter!
Girls enjoy shooting as much as boys and can shoot just as well and often even better.
Shooting is a safe sport that can be fun for everyone.
In the next few weeks, we will help you to become a good, SAFE shooter.
DURING THIS PROGRAM YOU WILL LEARN:
BASIC BB GUNOLOGY (20 minutes)
==============================
We will NOT shoot tonight, but you will NEXT week!
Tonight we're going to concentrate on BB guns so you can start shooting next week, but next week we'll also talk about RIFLES, then SHOTGUNS in week three, PISTOLS in week four, and BLACKPOWDER guns in week five.
ALL guns basically have the same parts, and you will need to know these parts by name. Here [INTRODUCE WHITE GUN AND DEMO] are the BUTTPLATE, BUTT, STOCK, REAR SWIVEL, GRIP, TRIGGER, TRIGGER GUARD, BOLT, BOLT HANDLE, SAFETY, FORE-END, FRONT SWIVEL, SLING, BARREL, MUZZLE, FRONT SIGHT, and REAR SIGHT.
Our BB guns are [WRITE ON BOARD] PNEUMATIC guns; PNEUMATIC guns use AIR PRESSURE to shoot a round BB or a shaped bullet usually called a PELLET. Many of these guns use a pump to pressurize air in a chamber where it is stored until the gun is shot. When the compressed air is released by the trigger, it forces the BB or pellet out of the barrel. Pneumatic guns can shoot BB's and pellets at different speeds, depending upon how many times the gun is pumped and how high the pressure is in the gun's gas chamber.
Instead of storing the energy in a high-pressure gas, SPRING-PNEUMATIC guns store their energy in a compressed SPRING. [DEMO MY OLD BB GUN] When the spring is released by the trigger, it first compresses air and the compressed air then pushes the BB or pellet out of the barrel.
A CO2 gun uses carbon dioxide, a liquidfied gas stored in a tiny metal cylinder. [DISPLAY A CO2 CARTRIDGE] When the bottle is placed in a CO2 gun, the seal on top of the bottle is punctured and some of the liquid turns into a high-pressure gas. When the trigger is pulled, a small amount of gas rushes from the bottle into the gun and pushes the BB or pellet out of the gun barrel.
This is the ammunition of air guns, CO2 guns, and pneumatic guns.
[PASS SAMPLES AROUND CLASS]
This Daisy 499B is the gun we will be using. [CHART 5 SHOWS A 499!] It is a SPRING-AIR BB gun which is low-enough in power that we can safely shoot it indoors, but it still has enough power to be dangerous and we must handle it with care and respect. The most dangerous part of this gun -- ANY gun -- is the end of the barrel called the muzzle. [POINT TO THE MUZZLE] Remember this rule:
**********************************
ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE OF YOUR GUN
POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION!
**********************************
Most guns have something called a "safety" which is supposed to keep the gun from firing when the safety is "on". However, a safety is just another piece of metal, and it CAN break or malfunction, so having the "safety" "on" does NOT GUARANTEE that the gun will not shoot! NEVER depend on a safety! What's the main rule?
**********************************
ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE OF YOUR GUN
POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION!
**********************************
Our Daisy BB guns DO have a safety: "Forward" is "Fire" (note the two "F's"!), and "Backward" is for "Safe" or "***MAY*** be Safe"!
This is how you shoot our Daisy BB guns:
If we do everything EXCEPT put in a BB, it is called "DRY FIRING". Dry-firing is OK for some guns and NOT OK for others; you should always check your gun's manual before dry-firing it. It **IS** OK to dry-fire our Daisy air rifles.
I'm going to pass this UNloaded BB gun through the entire class so each student can cock and fire it, and everyone else should watch to ensure that the barrel is ALWAYS pointed in a safe direction!
[NRA CHART] While many people use the word BULLET to describe rifle ammunition,
the correct word is CARTRIDGE, and cartridges come in different sizes. The
larger the cartridge, the more powerful it is.
[DISPLAY AND COMPARE .22 AND .50 CALIBERS]
QUESTION: Why might you want to use a smaller or a bigger cartridge?
A cartridge consists of a CASE [CHART 3] which holds a PRIMER, POWDER, and a BULLET. Some cartridges are loaded with tiny pellets instead of a single bullet, thus turning a rifle into a very small shotgun; these cartridges are often called "rat shot" because they are sometimes used to shoot rats in barns.
Rifle bullets can travel LONG distances. For example, the bullet in a .22- caliber cartridge can travel more than a mile, and the bullet in a .30-06 cartridge can travel more than THREE miles! It is VERY IMPORTANT for you to know what is beyond your target. A bullet can travel and hit a house, a car, a building, or a human, more than a mile away and you may not know anything about it! [RELATE LOCAL ACCIDENT]
*********************************
ALWAYS BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND
WHAT IS BEHIND THAT TARGET!
*********************************
FIRING SEQUENCE
---------------
When you squeeze the trigger of a SPRING-AIR gun, the following things happen:
TEN RULES OF SAFE GUN HANDLING (25 minutes)
===========================================
You have a list of ten basic rules for safe gun handling. Let's look at that
list, starting at the very top, for this first rule is the MOST-IMPORTANT rule:
Even before you check to see if the gun is loaded, POINT THAT MUZZLE IN A SAFE DIRECTION! And WHILE you are checking, always KEEP the muzzle of your gun pointed in a safe direction! QUESTION: what are safe directions in THIS room?
A smart gun handler ALWAYS checks to see if a gun is loaded! Do NOT take anyone's word; always check for yourself. "I'm sorry; I didn't know the gun was loaded" is NO excuse for an accident.
When you are finished hunting or shooting and want to get in a car or go into your house or camp, UNLOAD your gun. If possible, put your gun in a gun case. Store it in a gun cabinet. Never carry a gun into a public place because many non-shooters are actually AFRAID of guns. When storing your gun, make sure your ammunition is safely locked-up in a strong box or cabinet.
Make sure your barrel and action are free of mud, snow, dirt, and sticks while in use.
Be sure your gun is in good working condition. If something breaks on your gun, do not try to fix it yourself, but take it to a gunsmith.
After each use of your gun, clean it and oil it, using just a very little amount of oil.
Check all new guns for excess grease, and clean a NEW gun before using it for the first time.
This should just be common sense. But we've all seen so many movies where the good guys and the bad guys point guns at each other that it's easy to forget this rule, especially when you are just "playing" with a gun, like "STICK 'EM UP! But DON'T do it, even when playing!
If you are hunting, you MUST know what the game animals look like, and you must be able to identify LEGAL game animals. For example, if you are hunting deer during "anterless deer season", a buck with antlers may be a deer, but he is NOT a LEGAL deer!
You must be absolutely certain of your target before you pull the trigger.
[TELL MY UNCLES' STORY]
Another part of this same rule is BE SURE OF YOUR BACKSTOP (what is BEHIND your target).
A backstop is something used to stop a bullet, pellet, or BB. Hills, trees, piles of sand, or man-made bullet traps can stop bullets. A hill or earthern berm with NO rocks is probably the best backstop. Why would shooting into a large pile of rocks be unsafe? [WAIT FOR AN ANSWER]
This rule is more to protect OTHER people than it is for you, because you already know
but you must think about OTHERS who might find and pick up your gun when you are not around. Do you have a younger brother or sister? Do you ever have visitors in your home? This rule helps protect them.
Why not? [WAIT FOR SEVERAL ANSWERS] This rule is probably the most-neglected rule in safe gun handling. More people break this rule than all the other rules put together. They feel it is too much trouble to unload their gun every time they come to a fence or ditch. You may have seen people break this rule, but YOU should NEVER break this rule!
Do you think bullets, pellets, and BB's bounce? [WAIT FOR ANSWERS] Yes, they do! [DEMO] Bullets can also bounce off of rocks and other hard surfaces; this is called a RICOCHET.
Do bullets skip off of water? [WAIT FOR AN ANSWER] Rocks skip off of water, so bullets can, too. Never shoot across water.
Remember, most of the time you will be shooting or hunting on someone else's land. Treat their property as if it were your own:
These are just basic rules for safe gun handling and gunmanship; they'll help you have good manners in the field and on the range. Learn these rules and know what they mean. You will be tested on them later in the course.
DOMINANT EYE (10 minutes)
=========================
Each person has a DOMINANT eye. The dominant eye looks directly at objects,
while the non-dominant eye mostly helps measure distances. The MOST-IMPORTANT
aspect of shooting is to shoot from the same shoulder as your dominant eye. If
you have a RIGHT-dominant eye, you should shoot from your RIGHT shoulder. If
you have a LEFT-dominant eye, you should shoot from your LEFT shoulder EVEN IF
YOU ARE RIGHT HANDED! What we want to do now is find out which of your eyes is
the dominant eye. EVERYONE do this:
FIRST METHOD: Look at me with ONE eye (that is probably your dominant eye!)
SECOND METHOD:
Experts say you'll be a more-successful shooter if you shoot with the rifle on the SAME side as your dominant eye. Remember which is your dominant eye, and we'll help you shoot from the correct side.
SHOULDERING A GUN PROPERLY (10 minutes)
=======================================
It is VERY important to learn how to SHOULDER a gun correctly. First, you have
to know where the gun fits in your shoulder. All you RIGHT-side shooters, STAND
UP! BEND your right arm at the elbow, touch the center of your chest with your
right hand, and raise your elbow so it is about level with your shoulder. This
is called a CHICKEN WING. Keep your right arm in the chicken-wing position and
use your LEFT hand to find the POCKET in your shoulder. The pocket is located
between the shoulder muscle and the collar bone. PRESS HARD on this pocket and
remember where it is. OK, you may sit down. [REPEAT WITH LEFT-SIDE SHOOTERS]
[ASK AN ASSISTANT TO FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS STEP BY STEP]
ZONES OF FIRE (10 minutes)
==========================
When you are hunting with someone else or in a group of people, you must know
where EVERYONE all the time! This is very important whether you are hunting
small game, such as rabbits, quail, pheasants, etc., or large game, such as
deer. When you are hunting in a large field, you should walk abreast, with
everyone in a spaced-out, SIDE-BY-SIDE row; if anyone slows down or lags behind,
everyone else should stop until the slow person catches up. When hunting in a
side-by-side row like this, each person has his or her own private shooting
zone. Do not shoot at game in someone else's shooting zone.
[SHOOTING ZONES CHART]
The rule is "Never let your gun barrel point towards someone else!"
Here are some more common-sense rules:
RANGE OPERATION (20 minutes)
============================
[HAVE A SHOOTING MAT, A BB GUN, AND A PAIR OF SAFETY GLASSES ON A STRONG
TABLE]
Because loading a BB gun in the prone position is difficult, tonight we will shoot in TWO-person teams, where you will take turns shooting and helping.
The RANGE MASTER, the person in charge of the range, says something like TAKE YOUR POSITIONS.
Assistant, the target is over there [POINT TO LEFT]. If you'll take a BENT-LEG prone position ON THE TABLE, I'll point out some important details:
The Range Master says:
The other team member, the HELPER, KNEELs on the GUN-side of the shooter with one foot flat on the floor; this position gives good leverage for cocking the gun. The helper LOADS and COCKS the gun and HANDS it back to the shooter for the next shot:
After the shooter aims and fires, the shooter hands the gun back to the helper and the helper reloads the gun for the next shot.
When all shots have been fired, GROUND the gun; that is, place it on the mat with the muzzle over the firing line and DON'T TOUCH IT again. When all guns are grounded, the Range Master will say THE RANGE IS CLEAR.
When the Range Master says CHANGE TARGETS, the SHOOTER gets up, gets a CLEAN target, exchanges it for the old target, and returns to the firing line to be the HELPER, while the HELPER moves to the SHOOTING position the SHOOTING position WITHOUT touching the gun!
Everyone NOT on the firing line should watch all of the activity, and if ANYONE sees a DANGEROUS SITUATION at ANY time, yell CEASE FIRE, and ALL shooters must IMMEDIATELY ground their guns. IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT try to finish your shot, even if you are already holding your breath!
That's all the new stuff for tonight; are there any questions? [COLLECT STUFF PASSING AROUND] Remember, we'll meet right here again next Tuesday night. We'll REVIEW a little, learn about RIFLEs, how to FIRE a gun, how a RANGE operates, and then SHOOT! Now, let's go visit the range so you'll know where it is and can see what's happening and how it works.
LESSON 2: Welcome back, most of you....!
REVIEW (5 minutes)
==================
MISCELLANEOUS NEW STUFF (5 minutes)
===================================
A long time ago, gun barrels were made by welding twisted wires together or by
folding thin sheets of iron over and over, hammering the folds flat, and then
shaping the final piece of metal into a round cylinder. The result is called
TWIST steel or DAMASCUS steel [CHART 1]; it's very pretty, for it has lots of
wavy lines in it. Even today, very nice-looking hunting knives are made out of
Damascus steel. However, do NOT use a gun with a Twist or Damascus barrel, as
this kind of steel is NOT strong enough for modern ammunition and so it is NOT
safe to shoot!
If you become lost in the woods, a signal for help AFTER DARK is to fire three shots as fast as you can. If someone hears you, they will answer by firing three shots. When your signal is answered, fire three more shots and STAY WHERE YOU ARE! Wait ten minutes and fire three more. Above all, do not panic! (Why "after dark"? Which direction should you fire?)
FIRING SEQUENCE (3 minutes)
===========================
Last week we saw that when you squeeze the trigger of a SPRING-AIR gun:
Well, when you squeeze the trigger of a FIREarm [NRA CHART]:
FIRING A SHOT (15 minutes)
==========================
You've already learned how to shoulder a gun, but there are FOUR MORE VERY
IMPORTANT things to remember in firing a shot:
Correct breathing is VERY important. [DEMO WHITE GUN WITH LASER DOT ON WALL]
The way you do it is: take a larger-than-normal breath, then let about HALF of
that breath out, HOLD the remaining half, sight, and squeeze the trigger while
holding your breath. The reason you don't breathe while shooting is that the
movement of your chest causes your body to move, when your body moves, your gun
moves, and when your gun moves, it's not pointing at the target any more!
[HAVE STUDENTS PRACTICE TAKING A LARGER-THAN-USUAL BREATH, EXHALING HALF,
AND HOLDING THE REMAINING HALF FOR A FEW SECONDS]
The second thing to learn is how to SIGHT the gun. People who can't hit their targets are very UNsafe shooters, and we want you to be a SAFE shooter, so you must be able to hit your target! And to hit your target every time, you must learn correct sighting.
Different guns have different kinds of sights; our BB guns have APERTURE sights
("aperture" is a fancy word for HOLE, and most people call them PEEP sights)
like the sights on the second row of this chart. But just look UP HERE AT ME.
[HOLD UP ORANGE DEMO PEEP SIGHTS]
Looking through the rear peep sight, you line up the front sight so it is perfectly centered, and then you move the barrel until your dominant eye can see the bullseye through BOTH holes at the same time. When you can see the bullseye through BOTH holes and the front sight is centered in the rear one, squeeze the trigger and shoot the bullseye.
TRIGGER CONTROL is also very important. The trigger should be SQUEEZED -- NOT JERKED -- very slowly using your pointing finger. Some people touch the trigger with the JOINT, others touch the trigger with the PAD at the end of the finger - - experts say that using the PAD is better. A proper SQUEEZE is a STEADY/EVEN pull on the trigger, straight back toward the stock. If you jerk, or pull too quickly, the gun barrel will move toward the hand that's pulling the trigger and your shot will hit to one side of the bullseye. Experts say you should squeeze the trigger so slowly that you are SURPRISED when the bullet fires! Of course, you can't be TOO slow, because you can only hold your half-breath a few seconds.
Bullets are fast, but it does take a LITTLE while for the bullet to leave the muzzle after the trigger sets the shot in motion. Even though the time is very short (about one THOUSANDTH of a second with these guns), any gun movement during this time will affect where the shot hits the target. So you MUST WAIT just a little time before moving; this waiting time is called FOLLOW THROUGH.
Are there any questions about anything?
The goal for tonight's shooting is to shoot the SAME WAY THREE TIMES. Do NOT worry about WHERE your BB hits the paper, but try to BREATHE the same way, SIGHT the same way, and SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER the same way ALL THREE times. If you do everything the SAME WAY for all three shots, then your shots should hit the paper somewhere close together. That doesn't mean they'll hit the bullseye, but they'll make a small GROUP. In practice shooting, it is MUCH more important to shoot SMALL GROUPS than it is to hit the bullseye -- next week I'll show you how we can adjust the sights to move small groups over to the bullseye where they belong! [DEMO DOTS]
RIFLE GUNOLOGY (20 minutes)
===========================
[HOLD UP PIECE OF RIFLE BARREL] Rifle barrels are NOT just round tubes; they
have grooves, called RIFLING, cut into the inside of the barrel. [CHART 2]
Rifling makes bullets spin as they pass through the barrel.
[COMPARE TO PASSING A FOOTBALL; PASS DEMO BARREL AROUND THE ROOM]
Rifles usually shoot JUST ONE pellet, called a BULLET, at a time. Rifles come in many MANY sizes, called CALIBERS, and bullets are sized to match. Calibers run from itty-bitty to LARGE! [DISPLAY .22- AND .50-CALIBER CARTRIDGES] CALIBER is just a MEASURE, with a RULER, of the DIAMETER of a bullet or the bore of a barrel.
The caliber of rifle and bullet you use depends somewhat on the type of shooting you want to do. BB and PELLET guns are usually .17 caliber and are mostly used for target shooting, .22 caliber is ideal for target shooting and for shooting small animals like rabbits and squirrels, .30 caliber is probably the most-used deer-hunting gun in Kansas, and most blackpowder rifles shoot .50-caliber or larger bullets.
Rifles come in two basic actions: HINGE or SLIDE. Rifles with hinge action are
usually SINGLE-SHOTS, and rifles with sliding actions can be BOLT ACTION, LEVER
ACTION, PUMP ACTION, FALLING BLOCK/MARTINI, and AUTO-LOADING or SEMI-AUTOMATIC.
[CHARTS; DEMO ONE OF EACH]
There is also a combination rifle/shotgun, usually with .22 and .410 calibers, and usually built with the rifle barrel on top of the shotgun barrel; this is called an OVER-AND-UNDER.
Before we review range operations, remember that our next class will be right
here again next Tuesday night. We'll do some more review, learn about SHOTGUNs,
talk about tonight's shooting, and do LOTS MORE SHOOTING.
[COLLECT STUFF PASSING AROUND]
Last week I sent you to the range so you would know where it is and could see how it worked, but no one was using it, so let me tell you what SHOULD happen tonight.
If someone asks you to help set-up or tear-down, please help them. And, of
course, you should help keep the place neat, you should put stuff back where you
found it, and so on. Also a WARNING: although your BBs are steel, our range IS
used to shoot LEAD bullets, lead is a POISON, and lead bullets leave lead DUST
everywhere. So keep your hands away from your face, and when you get home,
WASH YOUR HANDS!
RANGE OPERATION (10 minutes) [HOME-MADE CHART]
==============================================
ETIQUETTE: NO chatter/talking until you hear THE RANGE IS CLEAR!
When time is up or all guns have been grounded:
And finally, the VERY IMPORTANT:
LIVE FIRING (20 minutes)
========================
Out you go, the range should be ready and the Range Master will take over when
you get there. On your way, choose a partner just for tonight; you can be on a
different team next week.
LESSON 3: Welcome back, most of you....!
QUICK REVIEW: (5 minutes)
==========================
Tonight is SHOTGUN night. Shotguns are the MOST-POPULAR sporting gun used
today. More shotguns than rifles are used in hunting. Shotguns are also used
for shooting at clay targets [DEMO] in the sports of TRAP, SKEET, and SPORTING
CLAYS. But before we start looking at shotguns, let's review a little.
On a shotgun, the parts mostly have the same names, but the BUTTPLATE is usually softer and is called a RECOIL PAD, there may be MORE THAN ONE barrel (and more than one muzzle!), there is NO rear sight (I'll tell you why later), the front SIGHT is now a front BEAD, and there may be a VENTILATED RIB along the top of the barrel to help keep the barrel cool.
SHOTGUN-OLOGY (20 minutes)
==========================
[LET AN ASSISTANT DISPLAY A SHOTGUN] This is a shotgun. The MAJOR DIFFERENCE
between rifles and shotguns is IN the barrel. Shotgun barrels do NOT have
rifling; they are SMOOTHBORES [CHART 2]. They are called shotguns because,
instead of shooting a single bullet, they shoot small round pellets called SHOT.
[PASS SAMPLES OF LEAD SHOT AROUND CLASS] Shotguns are usually used where you are
CLOSER than about 100 yards from a MOVING target. (How far is 100 yards?)
Close-up, a shotgun can do a LOT of damage; it is VERY dangerous! Do you
remember what the most dangerous part of the gun -- ANY gun -- is called? (The
muzzle)
And what is the MOST-IMPORTANT gun-related RULE?
**********************************
ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE OF YOUR GUN
POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION!
**********************************
[IF TIM WEISBENDER IS PRESENT....]
Shotguns come in two basic ACTIONS: HINGE or SLIDE. Shotguns with HINGE actions are the SINGLE-SHOT and DOUBLE BARREL. Shotguns with SLIDING actions are the BOLT, PUMP, and AUTO-LOADERS. [CHART 2 AND NRA CHART]
[ASK ASSISTANTS TO DEMO SHOTGUNS]
Last week, what word did we use to describe the SIZE of a rifle? Caliber; caliber is MEASURED. Different shotguns also use different sizes of ammunition, and each size is called a GAUGE. Popular shotgun gauges are 10, 12, 16, 20, 28, and .410, although, strictly speaking, the .410 is really a caliber and not a gauge. [PASS SHOTGUN SHELL SAMPLES AROUND CLASS] Gauge is determined by finding a lead ball that JUST fits through a barrel [DEMO WITH TUBE AND BALLS]. Weigh it, and calculate how many lead balls it would take to make a pound. That's all there is to "gauge".
If someone wanted to choke you, would they squeeze you around your waist or around your neck? If you tried to spit while someone was choking you, would you spit differently?
When shot leaves the muzzle, it is in a bunch the size of the bore, but it spreads about an INCH for each YARD of travel. A shotgun CHOKE (a narrowing of the bore at the MUZZLE end) controls how fast and how wide the shot SPREADS after it leaves the muzzle. Most shotguns have a FIXED choke and can't be changed, but some have a CHANGEABLE choke and some have an ADJUSTABLE choke. Different choke sizes have names [CHART 2]: OPEN or CYLINDER, SKEET, IMPROVED CYLINDER, MODIFIED, IMPROVED MODIFIED, and FULL, but I have NOT memorized them! The kind of shooting you want to do -- close up or far away -- determines the type of choke you should use.
What's the difference between throwing ONE rock at a tin can versus throwing a HANDFUL of rocks? When you throw ONE rock, you must aim VERY carefully, but when you throw a HANDFUL of rocks, you don't really have to aim at all. Because a shotgun shoots hundreds of pellets, or shot, at a time, sights are not necessary; instead of aiming, you kinda POINT a shotgun. That is why a shotgun doesn't have SIGHTS, and the front BEAD is there just to help you find the muzzle.
NEVER shoot a gun if the barrel is clogged! Something in a barrel may cause the
barrel to burst and will probably HURT you and ruin your whole day!
[DISPLAY ERNIE PECK DEMO]
Ammunition used in a shotgun is usually called a SHELL, and inside each shell
are [CHART 3]: a PRIMER, POWDER, a WAD, and PELLETS, with a CRIMP at the end to
keep everything in. Shotgun pellets come in different sizes, and each size is
numbered (backwards!): the LARGEST is "00", called "double ought", and the
SMALLEST is number 12.
[CHART 2; START SHOT SAMPLES PASSING AROUND CLASS]
Shot sizes are different because shotguns are used to shoot so many different things. In some states, shotguns can be used to hunt deer. They are also used to break clay targets. You need large pellets (such as "double ought") when hunting, but you can use smaller pellets (such as #8) to break clay targets. Besides, you can get a LOT of small pellets inside one shell, which gives you a much better chance of hitting a moving target, and [DEMO] it just takes one little hit to break a clay pigeon!
Shotgun shells also have different power. MAGNUM shells are very powerful and will shoot pellets farther than will "regular" shot shells.
Shotguns can also fire a single bullet called a SLUG, used mainly for deer
hunting. [CHART 1 AND DEMO, BUT DON'T PASS IT AROUND!] A slug is a large piece
of lead, either in the shape of a round ball or a conical bullet, placed in a
shotgun shell instead of pellets.
[PASS BLACKPOWDER SLUGS IN PLASTIC SACKS]
[DISPLAY 12-, 20-, AND .410 GAUGE SHELLS] You should NEVER carry two different- size shotgun shells in your pocket while shooting or hunting. Carry ONLY the shell gauge that fits the gun you are shooting. Even though it would drop in, it is VERY dangerous to put a .410 shell in a 20-gauge gun or a 20-gauge shell in a 12-gauge gun, because, as you can see by their different sizes, a smaller shell could get stuck in the barrel [CHART 2] and then you might place a correct-size shell in the gun and fire it with the barrel clogged by the smaller shell. [DEMO ERNIE PECK'S CUT-AWAY BARREL]
Remember that our next class will be right here again TWO Tuesdays from now. We'll do some more review, learn about PISTOLs and do LOTS MORE SHOOTING. Now let's go to the range.
LESSON 4: REVIEW (10 minutes)
==============================
Let's review some more of the things you've heard during these last few nights;
things that you really should remember. Last week we concentrated on shotguns,
so tonight let's review rifles and rules:
TEN RULES FOR PROPER GUN HANDLING
---------------------------------
PISTOL GUNOLOGY (10 minutes)
============================
GROUPS & TARGETS SHOT LAST WEEK (10 minutes)
============================================
Last week you fired three shots at a target. If you did everything correctly,
your three shots should have made holes fairly close together. How many of you
had all three shots PRETTY CLOSE together? How many of you had holes all over
the paper?
If your holes were "all over the target", you may need to review how to get a correct SIGHT PICTURE (this is a phrase you should remember!) Sight picture is what you should see when you aim a gun.
[TURN TO SIGHTING CHART & HAVE DEMOS READY] Different guns have different kinds of sights, so let's look at the three most common: What does this look like? (lollipop stick?) If the front sight is a lollipop stick, then the rear sight must be a lollipop-stick finder. To use this kind of sight properly, look through the stick-finder (the rear sight) to find the lollipop stick (the front sight). Once we find the lollipop stick, move the barrel until the round candy (the bullseye) is sitting on the TOP of the stick where lollipop candy belongs.
When the TOP of the front post sight is in the MIDDLE of the peep rear sight and the TOP of the front sight is on the BOTTOM of the bullseye, squeeze the trigger and shoot the bullseye.
The second row of the chart shows a gun with an APERTURE front sight; "aperture" means HOLE. This is the sight that our BB guns have. Looking through the rear peep sight, you line up the front sight so it is perfectly centered, and then you move the barrel until you can see the bullseye through BOTH holes at the same time. When you can see the bullseye through BOTH holes and the front sight is centered in the rear one, squeeze the trigger and shoot the bullseye.
The rear sights on the first two rows are called PEEP sights, but the bottom row shows an OPEN rear sight. [HOLD UP DEMO OPEN REAR SIGHT] In this case, you line-up the TOP of the post front sight with the TOP of the open rear sight, then move the barrel until the bullseye is on TOP of the post. When you see another lollipop, you squeeze the trigger and shoot the bullseye.
Now, those of you who had all of your shots pretty-much together, pay attention. Your shots are what we call a GROUP. If you HAVE a group, but the group is NOT in the center of the bullseye, we can fix that! Let me give you an example.
Before you came here tonight, suppose I shot my WHITE GUN [HOLD GUN POINTED AT THE BLACKBOARD] at that target over there on the blackboard and my bullet holes made that group on the right side of the bullseye. Now take a real close look at my gun [HOLD GUN SO THEY CAN SEE THE TOO-FAR-TO-THE-RIGHT-SIDE REAR SIGHT] and tell me WHY my shots were all on that side.
You are right! My sights are not adjusted correctly.
Let's draw a picture showing WHY my GROUP is on the RIGHT side of the bullseye when my REAR sight is on the RIGHT side. [DEMO]
Now where do you think my GROUP will be when my REAR sight is too far on the RIGHT side?
So my group is on the RIGHT when my rear sight is too far to the RIGHT, and my group is on the LEFT when my rear sight is too far to the LEFT?
So what do you think will happen if my rear sight is TOO HIGH? TOO LOW?
Now that you have that figured out, here's how you move the group to the bullseye: you do NOT change your sight picture, but you DO MOVE your REAR sight! To move the rear sight, you loosen the screw which holds the sight to the gun and move the sight. [ASK FOR HELP!]
What DIRECTION should you move the rear sight?
IN THE SAME DIRECTION THE HOLES SHOULD MOVE!
Why don't we move the FRONT sight? (It's too far away, it's at the very- dangerous end of the muzzle,....)
RANGE FIRING (25 minutes)
=========================
Do you remember the Range Commands?
RANGE ETIQUETTE: NO chatter/talking until you hear THE RANGE IS CLEAR!
You have one minute for dry firing only, starting now.
You have ten minutes to shoot X shots from the Y position starting now.
When all guns have been grounded:
And finally, the VERY IMPORTANT
I want you to form teams again and each person will fire FIVE shots from the BENT-LEG prone position. Again, your goal is to shoot GROUPS of holes on your target by doing the SAME thing the SAME way for EVERY shot. After you have all shot, come back here where it is quieter so we can look at your targets. So put on your safety glasses and let's go!
ERRORS IN SIGHTING (10 minutes)
===============================
What does it mean if you have MOST of your shots in a group but a FEW shots are
'way out somewhere else? [ERRORS IN SIGHT PICTURE CHART]
1 2 O 3 4
FOR A HIT IN EACH NUMBERED POSITION:
In all of these cases, maybe you let the FRONT end of the gun "drift" just a little way from where it should have been pointing, or maybe you didn't have the bullseye centered in the front aperture? Now that you have some more ideas of how to shoot, out you go again!
RANGE FIRING (25 minutes)
LESSON 5: REVIEW (10 minutes)
==============================
Let's review some more of the things you've heard during these last few nights;
things that you really should remember. Last week we reviewed rifles and rules,
so tonight let's review shotguns and some other things:
SHOTGUNS
SIGHT PICTURE
PARTS OF A GUN: BUTTPLATE, BUTT, STOCK, REAR SWIVEL, GRIP, TRIGGER, TRIGGER
GUARD, BOLT, BOLT HANDLE, SAFETY, FORE-END, FRONT SWIVEL, BARREL, MUZZLE, FRONT
SIGHT, and REAR SIGHT.
BLACKPOWDER GUNOLOGY (5 minutes)
================================
Show Nancy's BP rifle & parts
MISCELLANEOUS NEW STUFF (10 minutes)
====================================
SMOKELESS powder BURNS; it does NOT explode!
BLACKpowder DOES explode! [DEMO OUTSIDE ONLY!]
There are several ways to carry a gun in the field [CHART]:
Are there any questions on ANYTHING we've talked about during the last four nights?
WRITTEN TEST (15 minutes)
=========================
[READ FROM THE TEST ITSELF]
Check your papers to make sure you have answered all of the questions. Do I need to repeat any questions?
Put your papers and pencils in this box [PASS A GROCERY "FLAT" AROUND]. Your scores will be given to you at our next class meeting.
PREPARE FOR PARENTS' NIGHT (10 minutes)
=======================================
Next week is PARENTS' NIGHT. We ought to demonstrate to your parents what you
have learned. To do this, I'd like to have some volunteers to do these things:
And then we'll hold a shooting match so you can show them how well you shoot!
RANGE FIRING (40 minutes)
=========================
Describe the 10-bull target, the wooden BB holder, and shooting strategy.
LESSON 6: PARENTS' NIGHT
=========================
WELCOME (15 minutes)
--------------------
WELCOME, parents and friends, to the THIRTEENTH [? 2 NOVEMBER, 2004] Parents'
Night of our BB-gun shooting program! In the last few weeks, your shooters have
studied hard, they have learned the basics of safe gun handling and shooting,
and tonight they want to demonstrate to you some of the things they have
learned. After their presentations, we will hold a shooting match as a final
demonstration.
For many years, the National Rifle Association's "Eddie Eagle" program has been used nationwide to teach the rudiments of gun SAFETY to very YOUNG children. But this program stresses only four points:
Several years ago, a Manhattan Middle School Counselor and I made a formal proposal to start a SHOOTING-SPORTS CLUB which would stress SAFETY, EDUCATION, and RECREATION.
After we made our presentation, the Principal said "If you teach any of my students to shoot, then one of 'em might shoot ME!", and thus our proposal died and our schools do NOT now have shooting clubs. That's one reason I am so glad that the JayCee's and 4-H have sponsored this course, for this area has needed shooting opportunities for its young people for years!
However, considering the bad "press" guns have received recently, what with shootings in first one school and then another, there are many in our community who would ask "Why offer shooting programs for young people in the first place?" I'd like to take a few minutes and answer that question.
Today, the shooting sports are an important recreational activity in America. Nearly 80 MILLION people own guns, and over HALF of all U.S. households contain at least one firearm. Tens of THOUSANDS of competitors participate in matches from neighborhood-level tournaments to the Olympic Games. In fact, shooting is the THIRD most-popular Olympic sport when ranked by the number of participating nations, exceeded ONLY by track-and-field and boxing events! More than TWENTY MILLION hunting licenses are issued annually in the United States, generating vast sums for the conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat. In Montana, for example, ONE out of every TEN adult women hunts big game!
SHOOTING IS A SKILL SPORT. Every sport tests different athletic powers. Sports such as running, swimming, and cross-country skiing test SPEED and ENDURANCE. Weight lifting and shotputting test STRENGTH. Other sports, such as figure skating, diving, gymnastics, and shooting, test COORDINATION and SKILL.
Skills learned in shooting are valuable in other aspects of life:
Shooting tests how well one can control his or her body in using a gun to hit a target. It is hard to imagine being able to control oneself so well as to almost-always hit a very small target a long way away, but, in shooting, that is just what many participants have learned to do.
SHOOTING IS A PARTICIPATION SPORT. No one has to sit on the sidelines and watch; everyone can take part. This active involvement is important because sports are more fun when you can participate PERSONALLY instead of just watching others. Persons with many PHYSICAL HANDICAPS can also take part in shooting, often right alongside other shooters in regular matches. (Wheelchairs...)
SHOOTING IS A SAFE SPORT. Injuries are so RARE in target shooting that accident records are not even kept. Shooting is safe because it has a strict code of safety that all shooters follow. Like water-safety training, the firearm-safety training associated with a shooting activity is of LASTING value, even if the young people don't develop an ongoing interest in shooting sports.
SHOOTING IS A LIFETIME SPORT. Persons of all ages participate successfully in shooting. Children as young as five or six can learn to shoot using light- weight BB guns, and an 80-year-old competitor has fired a perfect score in .22 rifle prone competition.
SHOOTING IS AN EXCITING SPORT. There is a special THRILL in being able to hit a target a really long way off. It is FUN to see shooters' abilities improve. The CHALLENGE of preparing to compete against other shooters from throughout the nation (and even the world, if the shooter chooses to pursue that goal) makes every practice session an exciting event.
These are just some of the reasons Manhattan should have shooting programs for young people! As I said before, WELCOME to this Parent's Night, and I hope to see those of you with younger children at future Parent's Nights.
DEMONSTRATIONS (20 minutes)
---------------------------
Now, let's get on with the demonstrations. Last week I warned our students that
I would ask for volunteers to demonstrate several things, so who wants to
volunteeer to:
Thank you all! Let's give them all a good hand!
Last week, the shooters (and a few parents!) took a written exam.
[DISCUSS THE RESULTS]
We have certificates to present to each shooter for completing this program, but I haven't filled them out yet. However, during the shooting match and with your and your parents' help, I'll get them finished and will give them and your scored tests to you.
CLOSING
-------
It certainly has been a pleasure for us to have had the opportunity to work with
your youngsters in helping them to learn a lifetime sport and to be safe gun
handlers, and we thank you all for attending. This ends our formal presentation
for tonight, but now we want to hold a shooting match so you can see how well
your shooters shoot! After they've all shot a round and had their targets
scored, you are free to leave, or, if there is time left, you may stay for
another round of shooting.
Shooters, when you get to the range, see if you can help set-up by getting your guns, safty glasses, and other stuff out of the storage room.
SHOOTING MATCH (20 minutes)
---------------------------
[Then, when all guns have been grounded]
[DO THE ABOVE AS LONG AS TIME & INTEREST PERMIT]