What can be more fun during Thanksgiving break than shooting a gun with family and friends? It can be the best time of year to get some target practice. I will usually grab my father-in-law and my boys and head out to a local range. This year, we didn't go. However, we typically visit family on Fire Island the following weekend, and they provided a surprise. Skeet shooting off the deck into the Great South Bay. 12 gauge pump actions and a 12 gauge over/under were the tools available.
I was proud of my boys, who did as well or better than most of the regulars. They didn't just prove they are good shots, they handled the guns safely in a large group. There were a fair number assembled, over 20 people, some watching, some waiting to take a turn. These situations can be precarious due to a variety of levels of experience. Naturally, we older folk were stepping up and providing guidance.
My family are not regulars at the range. We own 2 small guns, but do not break them out often. I taught the boys safety with a BB gun when they were younger, and have continued to take them out so they've used a variety of guns and learned to use them properly. Pistols, a WWII carbine my father-in-law owns, .30-30, and a variety of others. Both knew enough to keep the guns pointed down and out toward the bay while waiting for the trap to get set, keep their fingers off the trigger until they were ready for the pull, and handed off the guns after emptying the chamber and leaving it open. Without any reminders from me. There's nothing more embarrassing or dangerous, in a setting like that, than having someone handle a gun improperly.
Yet we did have a situation. As the last few shells were being utilized one of the younger regulars, a fellow the same age as my elder son, was resting a loaded gun on the deck rail with his finger on the trigger and telling jokes. As he prepared to lift the gun, he accidentally discharged it, cutting a nice chunk out of the railing. This drew a look of disapproval from his father, who owns the deck, and I'm sure a stern talking-to afterward.
Skeet is delicious, when served with a fine Thanksgiving feast.
