[Seahawk]

The preceding posts are all excellent. I started my kids around 6.

Interesting thing happened last weekend, one I am not proud of but it should serve as a warning to other parents.

A friend of my son's, who has shot here for years (one of his older brother shoots skeet and trap for the Naval Academy and he learned it all on my farm) came over to shoot with his BIL, a great guy.

We parked the trucks at the little range I have set up: there were three trucks, two forward facing the range and the middle truck backed up, about halfway along side the two outer trucks.

As usual, we draw the shooting line, etc. I always act as range safety since it is my place, etc.

About a half hour in, the BIL is leaning on the hood of the truck opposite mine, I am leaning on the hood of my truck, talking with him. The other truck is, as I mentioned between us and slightly out of sight.

I knew Jack was reloading from the bed of my truck and I thought his friends was doing so out of his...they are both behind me and out of my sight.

All of the sudden a shot is fired from behind me, and the round goes between the BIL and myself.

Jack's friend, for reasons no one can quite grasp, decide to use the window sill on an open door on the middle truck to steady his aim and fire down range.

I honestly couldn't believe it happened. Instead of going ballistic, I made him empty the rifle, pack up and go. I asked the BIL to have his Dad call me when they got home.

I was pretty shaken: It was my responsibility to manage the shoot. I let my guard down because I was very familiar with these young men and they know the drill, at least I thought they did.

So, I have made some changes to how we park, where we reload and re-instilled the "range hot/cold" protocol, which until this time had never been breached in over 17 years of shooting here.

This was a cheap lesson. Gun safety is only part of the equation. Range safety and awareness (which I failed to heed) are equally as important.

Cheap lesson.