Goal #48: Go to a shooting range

This afternoon we were at Outdoor World Bass Pro Shop just down the road. I brought the camera knowing there was an archery range but it didn't make it into the stroller.

After we looked at the aquarium, animals, hats and coats we headed upstairs to the archery range.

I grew up shooting a bow. I think I started shooting around 3 years old with a little plastic recurve in our backyard in Colorado Springs. Is it crazy that I still remember my address there and we moved when I was 5?

In middle school, I joined the archery team for one year and had fun doing that. I haven't shot a bow since then.

I asked the guy in the archery department if I could try it out again and he got me set up with a compound bow. I remember my mom's bow being a 40lb. pull but I wasn't sure I could pull that so he set it up to 35lbs. and I could barely pull it. I'm glad the compounds have a little give once you pull it back a certain amount. Recurves don't, so you are holding back however many pounds until you release.

I got the bow, set up the arrow, took my stance, drew back the string, aimed and released. OUCH!!!! I thought I remembered having to keep my left elbow locked and the guy assured me I didn't need a guard. Uh, yeah right! I popped the mess out of my left arm. Luckily I had on a long sleeved shirt so it wasn't as bad as it could've been. The guy told me I need to keep my elbow bent a little to keep it out of the way of the string. Well, when I did that, I couldn't keep the string pulled back. I'm weak. I tried again and got it. I released without pain that time.

So the lesson was, elbow bent with a compound, elbow straight (use a guard) with a recurve.

This experience brought back fond memories of target shooting with my dad and sister in our backyard in Colorado Springs and in Fruita, CO.

All the while, Ryan thought he was going to get to shoot a bow too and was throwing a fit for Jimmy. I asked the guy if he had a child's recurve that we could try. And he did.

Ryan was so excited! I told him he had to follow my directions or he wouldn't get to do it. He listened very well. He didn't quite understand that you had to look where you are shooting. I stood behind him and held my hand over his on the bow and helped draw the string back. I tried to get him to lock his thumb on his jaw but he kept backing away. I asked if he was scared and he said "Uh huh!" 

We counted 1 - 2 - 3 go! The bow wasn't strong enough to even make the arrows go into the target. They just bounced off and Ryan would yell "POP!"

On his last arrow, however, we did get it to go into the target. We thanked the man and were on our way. Ryan kept saying "Bow" and "POP" on the way home.

I hope that when Ryan's at least old enough to string his own recurve that we can share this activity.