New to shooting airguns and collectables

[ggggr]

Had some female company at the weekend. On previous visits she has tried a few rifles with various results. She is only small and is left eye dominant but shoots right handed. Anyway as Im looking to move soon and wanted to start packing guns away, I got her to try a few. I was cocking and loading the guns and then passing them to her. Must have fired 500 shots over the weekend. Ive noticed before that with different guns some people shoot one side of me with one gun and the other side with a different gun. I suppose its how you hold the gun and where you put your head. She was shooting way to the right with most guns at first but then getting closer to the target with more shots with each gun as she adapted. I didnt adjust the sights for windage but once she grouped, set something off target to aim at. Once settled she was regularly hitting a pair of wine bottle corks 3 out of 3. Bit crap with Webley pistols but finished up shooting the end of beer cans with a scorpion pistol. I had to almost wrench it out of her hands despite her saying " not a gun person". Tried Webley jaguar,MK3,falcon,Hawk 1,2,3, osprey and vulcan, Diana 22,23,27,25/55, Bsa Airsporter mk1,improved model B and Lincoln jeffries, Relum 527 and Tornado,Haenal 15 In work on Monday,nobody believed that she had been shooting as she is a respectable middle aged lady. I know different-she enjoyed the guns as well.

[MRVEG]

she's definitely marriage material

[I. J.]

she's definitely marriage material

Wont her husband mind?

Well done and another convert to the sport and class guns at that, well apart from the Relum.

ATB
Ian

[Hamish64]

Great to hear that, we really should have more women shooters

[ggggr]

A mate called round today to pick something up. He is not a "gun person" although he owns a mk5 ish Airsporter which is usually in the loft. However, he had his 8yr old soon with him and asked him if he would like to try a gun. I let him try the cometa 50 I got off here recently, with a smk 4x20 scope on it. I put the cardboard onto my backstop and drew a purple dot and then explained about the gun,cocked and loaded it, knocked off safety and passed it to him. He was struggling with the gun a bit,leaning back to sight it but fired. I couldnt see where it had hit so walked up to the target---Right in the middle of the dot! He will remember that. Next shot was just a little above and I could see him struggling so I put out a few cans instead. He hit them ok. Then I took off the tele and let him try the open sights. He was doing ok. I was trying to show him how to hold the gun and stand more upright so he wouldnt do his back in. I gave him a Diana 22 to try and he held that a bit easier and was hitting the cans about 1 out of 2. Thats not actually that bad because the sun was now in his eyes. As he was still struggling with the weight I let him try the Zenit pistol and he hit a can 4 out of 5. His dad will probably be in trouble when the lad tells his mother. Oh well--at least its in his head now.

[barryeye]

He will remember that day forever. I remember my first go over 50 years ago.
Well done.

[Ulverston]

Im going to have to get some pulling tips from you Guy as well as the mechanical tips! I can imagine the horrified looks I will get when I ask "want to see my gun baby?" Every credit on getting people to shoot!

[scirroco]

Had some female company at the weekend. On previous visits she has tried a few rifles with various results. She is only small and is left eye dominant but shoots right handed. Anyway as Im looking to move soon and wanted to start packing guns away, I got her to try a few. I was cocking and loading the guns and then passing them to her. Must have fired 500 shots over the weekend. Ive noticed before that with different guns some people shoot one side of me with one gun and the other side with a different gun. I suppose its how you hold the gun and where you put your head. She was shooting way to the right with most guns at first but then getting closer to the target with more shots with each gun as she adapted. I didnt adjust the sights for windage but once she grouped, set something off target to aim at. Once settled she was regularly hitting a pair of wine bottle corks 3 out of 3. Bit crap with Webley pistols but finished up shooting the end of beer cans with a scorpion pistol. I had to almost wrench it out of her hands despite her saying " not a gun person". Tried Webley jaguar,MK3,falcon,Hawk 1,2,3, osprey and vulcan, Diana 22,23,27,25/55, Bsa Airsporter mk1,improved model B and Lincoln jeffries, Relum 527 and Tornado,Haenal 15 In work on Monday,nobody believed that she had been shooting as she is a respectable middle aged lady. I know different-she enjoyed the guns as well.

you have female company AND YOUR PLAYING WITH GUNS???!!!!
WHATEVER TURNS YOU ON
RGDS SCIRROCO

[ggggr]

The lad and his dad called round yesterday. He tried a Diana model 15 (that I was looking for a cocking arm for as the spring for the plunger was broken),a Diana 22 and the Cometa. I was trying to explain to him how to stand and then he would stand square on with his back bent backwards. Anyhow he was struggling so I gave him the Diana 22 again and put out something for him to lean on. He was hitting two tin cans side by side most of the time. I think he was shooting a bit to the right but not much point altering sights yet. told him to come back in a couple of weeks to try the gun again and for a bit of safety training (MORE FOR HIS DAD ) and then he can take the gun away. I am going to have to make a backstop for him as well. The gun is stamped 10 58 so its the same age as his dad.
Hopefully we will have another shooter in the ranks soon.
If we all just teach one person to shoot then we will be winning.

[harry mac]

The lad and his dad called round yesterday. He tried a Diana model 15 (that I was looking for a cocking arm for as the spring for the plunger was broken),a Diana 22 and the Cometa. I was trying to explain to him how to stand and then he would stand square on with his back bent backwards. Anyhow he was struggling so I gave him the Diana 22 again and put out something for him to lean on. He was hitting two tin cans side by side most of the time. I think he was shooting a bit to the right but not much point altering sights yet. told him to come back in a couple of weeks to try the gun again and for a bit of safety training (MORE FOR HIS DAD ) and then he can take the gun away. I am going to have to make a backstop for him as well. The gun is stamped 10 58 so its the same age as his dad.
Hopefully we will have another shooter in the ranks soon.
If we all just teach one person to shoot then we will be winning.

Commendable work. Let's hope the lad gets bitten by the bug before he discovers the other youthful distractions. At least that way once he's done playing with girls and drinking beer he'll probably be back.

[ggggr]

I was recently given a Daisy 717 with problems (see thread on here about it) ---I sorted out the trigger but the gun was leaking air. That nice gentleman Lawrie Armatruda spent a fair bit of time making up a new valve for it and it now holds air for a couple of hours, which is better than the 2 minutes before. Thank you Lawrie.
Anyhow, I asked my postie Tom (who has never had an airgun) if he would be interested in the pistol and after a 5 minute safety run through,I gave him the gun on Tuesday. I saw him today and he has tried it and is happy with it.
If we can show people that it can be a fun to plink and make sure we and they are safe, then we should be able to keep our hobby legal.

[Amac]

I am well impressed with your efforts! Hope you continue to convert previous none shooters at the current rate ! I must admit to using similar techniques with various people over the years, and still enjoy starting people on their way with safe gun handling and accuracy techniques. Isnt it a shame when we worry about what people might think about their kids being taught how to shoot though.
Andy