The TaurusTX 22: Making Shooting Fun Again
At the Dump with the TaurusTX 22
Our grandson had been eyeing the old dump nearby on private property, that’s been in place for at least 50 years and featuring such interesting objects as an old refrigerator, printer, satellite dish and an assortment of pickle jars and coffee cans. The dump is located on a slope in the woods. Of course, we shot downhill and the terrain made a good backstop.
Here’s where safety comes into premiere consideration. There are no shooting benches. You have to think about every move, and follow strict muzzle control rules. You can no longer set a gun down after it’s been unloaded, facing downrange with an open action on a bench. The kids really enjoyed shooting at suitable targets (nothing that would create ricochets) in the dump, and they worked from about 10 to 20 yard distances.
They didn’t realize it, but they also practiced the shooting skill of moving from one target to the next. First, they placed a few old pickle jars on top of a composter, and worked from one side to the next. Then they moved from an old printer to a coffee can to a piece of siding. They thought that was fun, fun, fun.
We didn’t pit them against each other in competition, since we still wanted this experience to be fun and they are already extremely competitive with each other. You have to know the kids’ personalities to decide whether it’s helpful and a pleasant experience to encourage competition.
I’ve discovered throughout the years that shooting is a serious business, but once you get the fundamentals and safety down pat, it’s time to make it fun. You can always practice bullseye shooting on a traditional range, and you can probably plink as well. There are multiple spinning targets and interesting characters or pictures of objects to place on target stands.
The perfect combination to make shooting fun is to pair a great gun, such as this .22, along with fun targets and then, take off any pressure and just enjoy shooting.
The TaurusTX 22 retails for $363.99. Learn more about it at the website.
About the Author
Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in travel and outdoor markets. Before launching “Women’s Outdoor News,” aka The WON, in 2008, she worked as a newspaper and then magazine editor. Her bylines can be found at “Field and Stream,” “American Hunter,” “Outdoor Life,” “America’s 1st Freedom,” “Fly Fisherman,” AAA publications, “St. Louis Post-Dispatch,” “Columbia (Mo.) Tribune,” “Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader,” “SHOT Business,” “SHOT Daily,” “Shooting Illustrated,” “Show Me Missouri” and a host of other magazines and newspapers. She writes a popular travel blog, based on a former self-syndicated newspaper column, “The Accidental Ozarkian.” She recently published “Milling Around: Exploring 26 Mills in the Missouri Ozarks,” which is an Amazon best seller.
