Shooting lessons

I'd be disturbed too. Does your grandson live here in the UK?

Is he doing it as a competitive sport?

It's a worry because of most people's feelings about gun ownership, and in the USA it goes to extremes. Here in the UK, it tends to centre on inappropriate gun licensing to people who clearly should not have guns, illegal possession, and concerns about arming the police. We don't have the sort of national rifle association that influences politics, so it boils down to whether you approve of young people learning to shoot in a supervised setting. I would rather they didn't (never allowed my children to have guns as toys), but acknowledge that it isn't illegal. I'd have steered mine towards archery if they had shown an interest in target shooting, and let's face it, it might be better than those bloody X-box 'games' that involve realstic scenarios, killing humans.

I have heard that my 9-year-old grandson has taken to going to a gun club. I can't say I like it, but he is very level headed and at least he is being well supervised.

Scouts are no longer allowed to carry knives, though they can use them during scouting activities under supervision. Since this rule was put in place, shooting – both rifle and archery target practice – has become much more popular. Both are competitive (Olympic) sports requiring skill and practice. Both have extremely strict safety rules. Both are great fun. All the shooters I have met (mainly archers) are great people, not violent at all.

Shooting nowadays isn't about killing. It's about getting a high score or a target face.

Stop worrying.

Compare it with darts.

Jack was a very keen clay pigeon shooter and won more than a few trophies. It started by chance at a village fete where you could have a go, I think it was something like 3 shots for £2. He seemed to have a natural ability, so he started having lessons at a local club.

I think Bags has put it very well.

Watching the Olympics, I was impressed with Peter Wilson, who won a gold for GB. He was calm and controlled, and clearly a responsible gun owner who will be a good role model for up and coming young people wanting to learn to shoot. There's such precision and quick thinking needed in clay pigeon shooting.

Phoenix nice to have those memories of Jack's achievements.

Yes. Shooting is a calm and quiet sport.

I would imagine it's very good for developing hand/eye coordination, although I think I'd feel happier with archery [I love watching the archery at the Olympics]. Must say I've always fancied doing clay pigeon shooting though.

I wouldn't worry Maniac - both my sons had shooting lessons at school when they were around 10 years' old, and handled weapons in the cadet corp at school. Neither has gone on to develop any interest in shooting or an unhealthy interest in lethal weapons.

Rifle shooting (through a club) is a passion of DH' s. And of his father before him.

The worst of it is the stink of gun cleaning fluid. (retch)

Somewhere I have a medal my father, the most unagressive of men - won for rifle shooting when in the Officers' Training Corps at University. Maybe GS is taking after him.

I have never had an interest in guns, but when my then fiancé, now OH bought an air rifle many years ago I became quite hooked on a bit of target practice in the back garden. It is great fun. I tried desperately to discourage DS1 from any interest in toy guns (the air rifle was long gone by then) but gave up after his obsession became too much to withstand. Guns made out of Lego and even toast made me realise he needed to get it out of his system. He had an air rifle in his teens which he used responsibly but no longer bothers with. DS2, who would have met no resistance whatsoever, never showed much interest at all, so I think it comes down to the individual.

Sporting shooting is quite different to just being 'interested in guns'. If he is doing it through a recognised club he will get a very good education in how all guns need to be treated with great respect. My husband has been a clay shooter for over 40 years and everyone I have ever met connected with this has been highly responsible. I shot for a while and found it a fascinating sport that required discipline and real concentration - two good skills to learn.

Thank-you for all your reassurances.He is in the Scouts so it's probably with them.
As I and my son have been denied all contact for over 2 years this was the first I had heard about it.so seeing it on FB was a shock
I do feel incensed that such activities can happen without the knowledge or agreement of his father.

But if he's a scout, he'll do scouty things. This is one of them. He can get a badge. Does his father know he's a scout? Anyone can look at the scout handbook or website to see the sort of things scouts do.

Yes Bags he has been a Beaver,Cub and Scout .Before the break I or his dad have often taken him and collected him from scout camps and activitie.Now we are given no news at all -occasionally see a photo in local paper e.g.kayak team

BTW, I'm sorry about your son not knowing stuff about his son. That must be hard. But target shooting is not something to get incensed or worried about. Would you get incensed or worried if he was doing karate or some other martial art that is popular with young people?

Archery or clay pidgeon shooting is exactly the same as playstation or X box activities. Its all hand /eye co ordination stuff. Much better for kids to get them out in the fresh air. Its probably the same price?!

Until the ban my DH was heavily into competitive pistol shooting. I do have a gold medal I won in a ladies competition, [boasting face] but on the whole I found it mind numbingly boring. Lots of, mainly middle aged, men obsessing about loads and distances and peering at holes in pieces of paper. There were several children in the club and safety was always paramount. There was no worshipping of the gun as a weapon - a competition target pistol hardly even looks like a gun and would certainly not be your first choice for shooting a person.

Oh, yes, I think I heard my DS saying that GS had been introduced to shooting in the Cubs.