I helped a 20-couple year old son of an old friend break into the shooting game last year. He loved shooting my AR (naturally) as well as his grandfather's 03A3 sporter that his dad dragged out of a closet for him. I asked him why he liked the 03A3 so much, and his reply was " I like the way it kicks the snot out of me". Jesus. I eventually steered him into a Savage M10 somethingorother .223 with scope- $400 out the door. He loves it even though it doesn't turn his skinny shoulder into a black and blue mess. I fixed him up with the basics- plenty of ammo, a cleaning rod and solutions, rest and sand bags, etc. and he was off and running. Last time at the range I taught him field positions- offhand, sitting, and prone, and told him that any goofball can shoot well off a bench but a real rifleman is defined by how well he shoots away from the bench.
Excellent! Bring 'em into the fold. Teach them how it's done. Help them along. They're the next generation.
I can't count how many folks I've taught to shoot, literally hundreds. Feel pretty good about that.
"Tactical" - okay, had careers in the Marines and in Law Enforcement. More than my fair share of time on AR-15 & M-16 type rifles. I find them extremely useful, well worthwhile. Doggone things can be quite accurate too. But ya, my real love is for more traditional rifles in blued steel & walnut.
