I need a reality check, please, from some of you parents out there.
I'm an Orthodox Christian priestmonk. I've never been married or had any kids that I know of.
But we have an 11 year old boy who comes to the monastery when his parents are able to bring him here for services, and he likes to go out with me on chipmunk patrol after lunch. I've fixed up our old Benjamin Sheridan 397PA pump up jobber, which is a good size air rifle for him, and I have the thought of trying to actually work with him and teach him how to shoot. I don't know how realistic this is, but I have the hopes or expectation that maybe he might be able to effectively engage chipmunks with me next year when they come back out in force again.
I have the thought of starting him out on paper targets to see what kind of groups and consistency he is capable of. But I have no idea what to expect.
I have a lot of experience working with teenage juvenile delinquents. I have a LOT of experience with them. But I have, really, no experience whatsoever with children under 14. None at all, really. And certainly not with ANY well adjusted and behaved kids like him.
I had BB guns at around 8 or 9, and a pellet gun at around 11, I think. But I never shot at paper targets when I was a boy. I only shot at plastic army men, models, tin cans, sticks, etc.
So if any of you parents could enlighten me about what to expect from this boy, I'd really appreciate it.
And am I even being realistic in thinking that he might be able to engage chipmunks next year at 11, going on 12? Personally, I think you really need to be able to hit within 1/4" at whatever range the chipper is or you have no business shooting at it. I think he should be able to engage rabbits at that age. I certainly did. But they're a whole lot bigger than a chipmunk.
So, please give me a reality check here, if you will. I haven't said anything to him about this idea of mine yet, so if you think I should leave that alone altogether, feel free to tell me that, too.
I just feel sorry for the boy because although we always have a gaggle of kids here every Sunday and Feast Day, he's the oldest of the kids, and he looks just bored to death here waiting for his parents to take him home. And after a little over 22 years here, I'm bored to death here, too. So at least I can relate to him about that! And he does seem to really enjoy the time we spend together.
So, I could really use some advice about this.
Oh, and yes, his father is fine with me teaching him how to shoot. He'd appreciate it, actually. I don't know about his mother! But his dad's fine with it.
PS - The rifle has a 4x scope, and I can shoot ragged one hole groups, or almost one hole groups, with it at 10 yards pretty consistently using a shooting stick or less.
I'm an Orthodox Christian priestmonk. I've never been married or had any kids that I know of.
But we have an 11 year old boy who comes to the monastery when his parents are able to bring him here for services, and he likes to go out with me on chipmunk patrol after lunch. I've fixed up our old Benjamin Sheridan 397PA pump up jobber, which is a good size air rifle for him, and I have the thought of trying to actually work with him and teach him how to shoot. I don't know how realistic this is, but I have the hopes or expectation that maybe he might be able to effectively engage chipmunks with me next year when they come back out in force again.
I have the thought of starting him out on paper targets to see what kind of groups and consistency he is capable of. But I have no idea what to expect.
I have a lot of experience working with teenage juvenile delinquents. I have a LOT of experience with them. But I have, really, no experience whatsoever with children under 14. None at all, really. And certainly not with ANY well adjusted and behaved kids like him.
I had BB guns at around 8 or 9, and a pellet gun at around 11, I think. But I never shot at paper targets when I was a boy. I only shot at plastic army men, models, tin cans, sticks, etc.
So if any of you parents could enlighten me about what to expect from this boy, I'd really appreciate it.
And am I even being realistic in thinking that he might be able to engage chipmunks next year at 11, going on 12? Personally, I think you really need to be able to hit within 1/4" at whatever range the chipper is or you have no business shooting at it. I think he should be able to engage rabbits at that age. I certainly did. But they're a whole lot bigger than a chipmunk.
So, please give me a reality check here, if you will. I haven't said anything to him about this idea of mine yet, so if you think I should leave that alone altogether, feel free to tell me that, too.
I just feel sorry for the boy because although we always have a gaggle of kids here every Sunday and Feast Day, he's the oldest of the kids, and he looks just bored to death here waiting for his parents to take him home. And after a little over 22 years here, I'm bored to death here, too. So at least I can relate to him about that! And he does seem to really enjoy the time we spend together.
So, I could really use some advice about this.
Oh, and yes, his father is fine with me teaching him how to shoot. He'd appreciate it, actually. I don't know about his mother! But his dad's fine with it.
PS - The rifle has a 4x scope, and I can shoot ragged one hole groups, or almost one hole groups, with it at 10 yards pretty consistently using a shooting stick or less.