Hey MTNMAN, how ya doin'? I've got a turkey shoot story I'ld like to share with you. It involves .22lr rather than shotguns I hope you don't mind.
This happened several years ago (okay, several + years ago) at the Citizens Rifle & Pistol Club in West Windsor down in south Jersey. You may have heard of them. Anyway, every fall they would have an open house and turkey shoot to bring in new members. The turkey shoot was a dead-mark event, the object of which is to place two shots as close together as possible in this case using .22 rifles or pistols. You could shoot a gun that the club provided or shoot what you brung as long as you would allow anyone on your card (group of 10 shooters) to use your gun if they wished. The shooter placing his two shots closest together on his target won the card and got a voucher for a frozen turkey. Well I brought my 10/22 with folding dragonove (sp) style stock, equipped with a sling and 4X scope along and easily took the first match I entered. So I decided to hang around for a while shoot the bull and watch some of the others shoot. People were coming in in dribs and drabs so it took a while to fill a card. At some point a boy of about 9 or 10 years old came in with his dad and signed up to shoot on one of the cards that had not filled up yet With some instruction from one of the club member/volunteers and using my gun he shot a very respectable target beating the other six shooters on his card thus far. At this point a couple of hotshot ,20 somethings complete with shooting logoed ball caps, that had been watching the proceedings, decided to shoot on the card that the kid was on. So I caught their attention and said to them "Why don't you shoot the next card and let the kid have the turkey?" Well they just went "hmmph" and blew me off. I knew that one of these guys was going to snatch the kids turkey and that got me mad. So I pulled out a buck and said to the score keeper I'll take the last spot on the card, then caught dad and the boy at the door and asked them to hold on a minute. Sure enough the hotshots had outshot the kid. So when it came time for me to shoot I wrapped the sling around my arm and pulled the butt into my shoulder and shot the prettiest one hole group you'ld ever want to see. I handed the turkey voucher to the boy and told him "Bring a turkey home to your mom buddy, I already have mine and you deserve it more than those two guys." That boys face lit up like the sun and his old man shook my hand, thanking me several times. The twenty-somethings were miffed and protested the score keepers decision. He laid the two cards on top of each other and held them up to the light and told them that there was no question that I had beat them and could do whatever I pleased with my turkey. I will never forget the ear to ear smile on that boys face or how good I felt.
Sorry this was so long but thought it worth telling. If you get the chance, teach or encourage a youngster to shoot, you'll get as much out of it as they will. I promise.
Brett
