Dear Parent,
As some of you have noticed, it’s getting really close to that special day when the kids get up before the sun and see what jolly old St. Nick has left for them under the tree. You know, Christmas!
Cheyenne Dalton is sponsored by Volquartsen Firearms
This is a great opportunity to introduce your kid(s) to the fun of the shooting sports, and since everyone I know enjoys shooting, I thought I’d share with you some ideas as well as dos and don’ts from a kid’s point of view. First, I want to address the safety concerns of a firearm and a child and I will assume that you, being the parent, have enough sense to teach your child proper safe weapons handling. There, that’s enough of the serious talk portion of today’s letter.
Parents, we want a gun we can handle. Something that fits our stature and maybe even something that’s pink or purple, or camo! We know that it may seem a little childish to shoot a pink gun, but hey, we’re kids, right? A bolt action single shot would be nice, oh, and iron sights too, please! That way we can learn how to aim a gun properly. Scopes are cool, but iron sights are more practical.
Dads, we know you’d like us to shoot a big gun, and it may seem cool to post videos of us shooting the big gun on Instagram, but sometimes the big gun can scare us into not liking guns. They tend to be loud, and the recoil can be unmanageable, too. We don’t want our first experience with a gun to be a bad one.
We like to hear and see what happens when we shoot a gun so targets are a really great idea to include when buying a gun for your child or grandchild. Paper targets come with all sorts of fun patterns printed on them and steel targets make a nice sound when they’re hit with a bullet. Heck, aluminum cans work great too since they move and flip when shot. It doesn’t have to be an expensive target, most any will do.
Another thing we need from you is patience. Shooting a gun for the first time is a little bit intimidating, even if we act super excited. Be prepared for lots of questions and lots of misses. Remember, we’re learning and this is supposed to be fun. I’ve seen parents push their kids too hard and end up ruining what otherwise would’ve been a great afternoon at the range. We need support, not pressure.
Do you remember that movie? Yeah, that movie. The one where the kid is warned about “you’ll shoot your eye out.” Well, please remember to get us some eye protection that fits properly, as well as some ear protection. Foam plugs, or ear muffs, they all work great. A lot of companies make eye protection that will fit a kid’s face and offer great protection from possible ricochets.
I hope my letter has helped to influence your ideas about purchasing a firearm this Christmas for your son or daughter and I can’t wait to see pictures of their smiling faces on The WON’s and my media feeds! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas filled with family and joy!
Cheyenne Dalton is an up-and-coming junior competition in 3-gun, USPSA, and Rimfire challenge. She writes a column about her shooting experiences, sponsored by Voquartsen Firearms. She's been competing for 4 years and has won state titles, along with the Limited Ladies Rimfire World championship 2 times (2014 & 2016). When she's not at the range, she is traveling with her Bluegrass band, "That Dalton Gang," where she plays mandolin and violin, along with singing lead vocals. Her future plans include lots of shooting and continuing her education with a focus on being a pharmacist. She lives on a family farm in Missouri. View all posts by Cheyenne Dalton
