jdavionic Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 My daughter just turned 12. She's quite small (20th percentile for height & weight) but she loves shooting. She wants to shoot "better than Dad", which is great to hear. But can she with a Ruger Mk III? Or a Browning Buckmark? When I look at the USPSA rule book, it looks like she must shoot a 9mm. But a 9mm for her is a bit much at this point in her size / comfort level. Help for this eager young girl! Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 YES! Bring her out. I'll bet that the club will be happy to have her, and even put her in the scores to boost morale! We have a junior that started shooting stages with an airsoft, and has upgraded to a .22 on a glock lower. He's very safe and will be a heck of a shooter one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scirocco38s Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 My daughter just turned 12. She's quite small (20th percentile for height & weight) but she loves shooting. She wants to shoot "better than Dad", which is great to hear. But can she with a Ruger Mk III? Or a Browning Buckmark? When I look at the USPSA rule book, it looks like she must shoot a 9mm. But a 9mm for her is a bit much at this point in her size / comfort level. Help for this eager young girl! Many thanks. As match director at my club, I have a couple of kids that compete with 22's. They are a small boy and a girl around 11 or so. I allow them to compete in whichever division they like(the guns they use only hold 10 rounds). I score them minor and only require them to hit the steel not knock it over. Their parents follow them during the stage and assist them if necessary and thats ok with everyone there. I have yet to hear anyone complain about it nor would I allow them to. I also allow those youth shooters a special break when shooting over barricades or thru ports iff they are to high.(we either provide a step up for them or allow them to shoot around the corner of the wall). These young shooters are the future of the sport and anything I can do to encourage them to shoot safely, I will. It also promotes family uity as they have a common hobby which is also a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Don't forget steel is now an option.... No movement or reloads required, and the steel sounds so cool when you hit it. Could be the perfect platform for your daughter to start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofcrfs242 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 One thing that I have learned in my limited experience in USPSA style shooting events is that most all of the shooters are great people. Most also realize that the youth are going to carry our sport long after most of us are gone. Find a local club and attend a shoot. Take your daughter with you and ask if she could shoot with a 22. I think that most clubs would love to have her shoot with them. The people in this sport are unsurpassed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdavionic Posted January 1, 2008 Author Share Posted January 1, 2008 Thank you for the encouraging feedback. It sounds like it's basically at the discretion of the local club. I'm a relatively new member (joined in July '07) and I don't think I've missed one local match. I've never seen anyone as young as my daughter shooting with them; and I didn't see any allowance for her participation with a .22LR in the rule book. So I didn't think there was an option for her until she got big enough to handle a 9mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 (edited) and I didn't see any allowance for her participation with a .22LR in the rule book. So I didn't think there was an option for her until she got big enough to handle a 9mm. Don't misunderstand. Most clubs will allow her to compete, and may even post her scores. But she will not get classified by USPSA until she starts shooting a pistol that meets the reqiurements of the division she is shooting. In essence she will just be shooting for fun, and of course the learning experience. But heck yea, bring her out. Edited January 1, 2008 by North Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjlefty51 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Good luck. We need more junior shooters and anyway we can encourage them to shoot is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdavionic Posted January 1, 2008 Author Share Posted January 1, 2008 and I didn't see any allowance for her participation with a .22LR in the rule book. So I didn't think there was an option for her until she got big enough to handle a 9mm. Don't misunderstand. Most clubs will allow her to compete, and may even post her scores. But she will not get classified by USPSA until she starts shooting a pistol that meets the reqiurements of the division she is shooting. In essence she will just be shooting for fun, and of course the learning experience. But heck yea, bring her out. Thank you. I don't think she'll care about the classification. Hopefully they'll post her scores on the local website. I know she'd like to compare herself against others. She's very competitive (competitive gymnast) and it is one thing that motivates her a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 This has got me thinking. Why not have USPSA recognize rimfire as a division for under 14 years old ? No holster starts - allow coaching - allow assistance such as clearing a jam - allow for "alternate" shooting positions such as steps What would be the harm ? 500 + new members ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 It wont take too long for her to get in the swing of things. Then she could try a small grip 9mm with very soft loads Kids have this habit of growing up faster than you would think start now ...and soon she will be an awsome junior I hope you both have a great time! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigdawg Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 This has got me thinking.Why not have USPSA recognize rimfire as a division for under 14 years old ? No holster starts - allow coaching - allow assistance such as clearing a jam - allow for "alternate" shooting positions such as steps What would be the harm ? 500 + new members ? I have often wondered this myself. With the cost of ammo going nuts it sounds like a hell of an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkS_A18138 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Thats what we do with the women and Jr's at our club that are new or very young. My daughter Shea shot matches for a year and half before moving her to a small center-fire gun. Now I just can't the shotgun out of her hands and put the pistol back in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chp5 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Why not have USPSA recognize rimfire as a division for under 14 years old ?No holster starts - allow coaching - allow assistance such as clearing a jam - allow for "alternate" shooting positions such as steps What would be the harm ? 500 + new members ? I completely agree with this. For that matter, just have a .22 division for anyone to play? Maybe this topic needs its own thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Why not have USPSA recognize rimfire as a division for under 14 years old ? Ask KC Eusebio if he needed rimfire to compete as a youngster??? I watched that guy shoot Open as a B class shooter when his Open gun's muzzle almost dragged the ground when it was in his holster (I think he was, like, 10 or something???) No holster starts - allow coaching - allow assistance such as clearing a jam - allow for "alternate" shooting positions such as steps I think this would be an interesting idea to look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 allow for "alternate" shooting positions such as steps Already allowed (required?) under 1.1.6..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 you'd have to be a grinch, as an MD, not to make all possible accommodations for her. Heck, we might even consider it as a real category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 This has got me thinking.Why not have USPSA recognize rimfire as a division for under 14 years old ? No holster starts - allow coaching - allow assistance such as clearing a jam - allow for "alternate" shooting positions such as steps What would be the harm ? 500 + new members ? This needs a thread of it's own to explore... perhaps a poll too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chp5 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 This has got me thinking.Why not have USPSA recognize rimfire as a division for under 14 years old ? No holster starts - allow coaching - allow assistance such as clearing a jam - allow for "alternate" shooting positions such as steps What would be the harm ? 500 + new members ? This needs a thread of it's own to explore... perhaps a poll too. +1 The .22 division is cool in steel and I think it would be great for USPSA too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eager Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Hmmm, since I have an 11 yr old daughter, if anyone wants to slip out a recommendation for a .22 pistol that would serve for this purpose while at the same time tactfully not try to apear to hijack this thread in anyway... well... I would be listening and apreciative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Do you just paint all the steel before a '22' shoots.. like in Steel Challenge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr2e Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 we had a young gentleman shooting his .22 ruger at our idpa (i know ) match last week. it is very informal and the md's get to make the call as far as who can do what. i just remember the smile he had after he shot. he was safe, listened to instructions and shot very well. it reminded me of what i think christmas is about. it not for the grown ups, it for the kids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Hmmm, since I have an 11 yr old daughter, if anyone wants to slip out a recommendation for a .22 pistol that would serve for this purposewhile at the same time tactfully not try to apear to hijack this thread in anyway... well... I would be listening and apreciative. Ruger Mk 2 or 3, Browning Buckmark, maybe the S&W 22's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 OK guys, another story from me. How I Got Started In USPSA. I was at this little country indoor range just punching holes in NRA targets with my Ruger MKII which was the first and only gun I owned on a Wednesday evening. This gentleman comes in with a huge range bag and proceeds to drag out his belt, holster, and a single stack .45. He also gathered a clipboard, this funny looking box with buttons and a LED screen, and these cardboard targets that were basically rectangular but had a 'head' on it. This gentleman informed that the 'combat' shooters will be showing up shortly and that I'll have to clear the range for them. But stick around and see what we do. You might like it. Having nothing else to do I said sure. When I saw the that first run and gun stage that exploded after that funny box with the buttons and the LED screen went 'beep' I was hooked. I gotta do try this. But all I have is this MKII. No problem said the gentleman. Come back next week and we'll work something out. I did. Shot a few unsanctioned matches with the MKII and bought a .45. The rest is history. Now I'm a shooter. Clays, USPSA, whatever. And I owe it all to that MKII that I still have in the safe and to Lloyd Landry for planting the seed. Thank you. Yeah, I still can't hit anything but I'm having fun. So, yeah. Bring her out. Being a .22 she'll shoot for no score officially but what the heck, the juniors are the future of our sport and the future of our Right To Keep and Bear Arms no matter what path she takes in the shooting world. Get in touch with the Match Director ahead of time and work out the details. Unless he's a real stick in the mud he'll be receptive to the idea. Which brings up a thread-drift. Maybe just maybe we could have a sub-junior class. Under say 14 and .22 RF. Ring the steel instead of fall. Wouldn't be hard to set up the rules. Give me a reason why we shouldn't have it. The Super Squad of sub-juniors at the Nats would be a hoot to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g.willikers Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Adding .22s to uspsa matches is a great idea. It will not only allow youngsters to get involved, it will bring back past competitors who gave it up due to age. One obstacle for current shooters bringing their kids to matches is the cost or the effort of supplying them with ammo. .22s solves that problem. Many older guys have given up on the game due to joint and vision problems that greatly reduced their skills and fun. .22s could easily bring them back. No painful recoil, no bending to pick up brass, an inexpensive dot scoped rig to aid fuzzy vision. All to the good. Scoring could be modified to accommodate a .22 division. Kids could be scored the same as everyone else and adults could be scored more realistically, say, only A zones are counted or something similar. The bottom line is that .22s will increase participation, fur sure. Both the Action Pistol and Steel Challenge games include them. My 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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