Thank Everyone

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

Yesterday I set out to find my son a L handed small bore 22. Currently he shoots precision with a 40 yo R handed sporter. I looked and looked, but wasn't finding anything used we could afford. I found this website page and thought heck these guys will know if anybody does do I posted "Need Advice competitive Son". That started the strangest 24 hours of my life.

All I wanted was advice, but guy after guy started donating money to help John get a good left handed rifle. To say I was blown away is an understatement. John couldn't believe people wanted to help him who don't even know him. We were both shell shocked as the generosity of the people here. It's been nothing that either of us had ever seen. "butchlambert" spearhead the charge, and TAJ45 is handling the collection. TAJ45 had met John & seen his awards at the SIRAPC dinner. Then I spoke with Neal Stepping of ISS for nearly 2 hours trying to find a gun that would work for John .what a nice guy . I wanted to post a thank you, but I didn't want it to get lost in the original post and therefore I wrote this post.

THANK YOU. I don't know how else to say it, but Thank you. All of you Thank You. From the bottom of my heart Thank you. John in tipical teenage smart reply said I should put Thank You in a bunch of different languages and type sizes with color to make it look like a card, but just going to tell you Thank each and every one of you for any help, big, small, anything thank you.

I will keep you posted on how he is doing. Right now he qualifed for Camp Perry regionals in March, State Jr Rifle Championship also in March. Also some small local matches in .22 CMP rimfire, standing International, American Legion State. I will take pictures & keep you all updated.

Thank you

Paula Hamilton

 

[DirtySteve]

Just keep us all posted on how he progresses. Your a great mom for trying to do all you could to find the right rifle for him. Not to mention you coaching him as well...

Steve D.

 

[Texas10]

Bump

 

[dedogs]

Very Classy Lady right there!

 

[TZaun]

If I could offer up a little advice Paula, that would be to make sure John shoots to have fun and for himself. No need to feel pressure to perform for any of us deplorables. As long as he practices smart, not necessarily hard, he will do just fine. A neat saying my daughter's rifle coach offers up is “same crappy practice, same crappy results”. It’s crude, but spot on.

 

[Flouncer]

Wow !! Good Job Butch and all others. Dang !!

 

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

Thanks, please share any advice any of you have. We're not in a hot bed of coaching. John has a nice gentleman named Ted Malone who works with John 1x a month prior to our standing match, but outside of that+ CMP camp John has me, & I don't know much outside of my copy of 'Ways of the Rifle". He has raw talent & desire. Last summer he got bored with targets so he shot out a candle, lit a match + popped a firecracker. We do silly things like putting playing cards out + he has to shot the eyes out of a card he wants, but I just have to hit a card with my gun to see who wins the hand. I told him if shooting becomes a chore instead of fun he needed to step back. He does his best when he is smiling and teasing me. Seriously if any of you want to teach him, or work with him I'll make it happen. Both of us driving we can get to most places. I know he hasn't had much coaching, but he is open to any help anywhere. Thank you guys so much.

 

[dogdude]

Paula, is that a picture of John and his sister ?

 

[TAJ45]

Help him? I can sweep brass without hurting myself or too many bystanders - on a good day.
John would be teaching me. Those off hand shot plots would have been my prone, back in the day. :/
IU did have a HYPER shooting class back in 68-9. We were taught reloading, intro'd to position shooting under the Student Union in the winter and some rifle, pistol, skeet and trap when it warmed. We reloaded everything we shot and we policed the clay fragments after the shottie lessons.

Loren Mitchell was our instructor....poetry in motion when shooting skeet doubles. He was written up in The Rifleman a year or two later iirc and sent me a photo stat of the article. I think he said Oklahoma was the only other state to have a similar, for credit, class. Leukemia finally got him.

 

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

That is John getting a medal for 3rd kneeling in America Legions State match last year upper left, & John with Emily Haag (TCU women's rifle team), his camp counselor at 3p CMP camp last summer. I thought you all might like to see some of John's breif career so far.

 

[PatMiles]

Paula,
Keep that young man pointed in the right direction and we'll read about him more in the future...in more ways than just shooting.
The world needs more mothers such as you!
Pat

 

[bobinpa]

Yesterday I set out to find my son a L handed small bore 22. Currently he shoots precision with a 40 yo R handed sporter. I looked and looked, but wasn't finding anything used we could afford. I found this website page and thought heck these guys will know if anybody does do I posted "Need Advice competitive Son". That started the strangest 24 hours of my life.

All I wanted was advice, but guy after guy started donating money to help John get a good left handed rifle. To say I was blown away is an understatement. John couldn't believe people wanted to help him who don't even know him. We were both shell shocked as the generosity of the people here. It's been nothing that either of us had ever seen. "butchlambert" spearhead the charge, and TAJ45 is handling the collection. TAJ45 had met John & seen his awards at the SIRAPC dinner. Then I spoke with Neal Stepping of ISS for nearly 2 hours trying to find a gun that would work for John .what a nice guy . I wanted to post a thank you, but I didn't want it to get lost in the original post and therefore I wrote this post.

THANK YOU. I don't know how else to say it, but Thank you. All of you Thank You. From the bottom of my heart Thank you. John in tipical teenage smart reply said I should put Thank You in a bunch of different languages and type sizes with color to make it look like a card, but just going to tell you Thank each and every one of you for any help, big, small, anything thank you.

I will keep you posted on how he is doing. Right now he qualifed for Camp Perry regionals in March, State Jr Rifle Championship also in March. Also some small local matches in .22 CMP rimfire, standing International, American Legion State. I will take pictures & keep you all updated.

Thank you

Paula Hamilton
View attachment 1088854

I think most people that shoot have been in John's shoes.... meaning that when we started, whether it was when we were 9 or 29 years old, we were all at a place where we wanted or needed advice, coaching, better equipment etc. When we hear a story like yours, about a young man like John, who does well without the best equipment..... we all wonder what he could do if he had better equipment. There is no question that John has the skills and determination to take it somewhere, so it's a natural reaction to want to help him through the rough times that we all experienced. Hopefully we come up with enough to get him a rifle that won't hold him back. It would be great to hear about his successes in the future and to know that we helped it along. But if I can give you any advice, it would be to let John be his own driving force. If it becomes a job for him he may start to dislike it.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I hope yall keep coming around and join in this wonderful community

 

[BoomDeBoom]

Paula, are the jacket and pants John is wearing in the picture showing him shooting his or is he using someone else's gear? If he is using someone else's, I have a left hand leather Hawkeye shooting coat that has been stored for 40 years and I would make available to him if it would fit him. Please let me know his suit jacket size and if he needs a shooting coat.

 

[TZaun]

That is John getting a medal for 3rd kneeling in America Legions State match last year upper left, & John with Emily Haag (TCU women's rifle team), his camp counselor at 3p CMP camp last summer. I thought you all might like to see some of John's breif career so far.

It’s a small world indeed. I know Emily. She is from ND and shot in the club my kids shoot for. Emily, my daughter, and a couple other shooters from our club won some National Championships together and had some very good showings in some others. Great memories. Very nice young lady.

 

[natdscott]

Thanks, please share any advice any of you have. We're not in a hot bed of coaching. John has a nice gentleman named Ted Malone who works with John 1x a month prior to our standing match, but outside of that+ CMP camp John has me, & I don't know much outside of my copy of 'Ways of the Rifle". He has raw talent & desire. Last summer he got bored with targets so he shot out a candle, lit a match + popped a firecracker. We do silly things like putting playing cards out + he has to shot the eyes out of a card he wants, but I just have to hit a card with my gun to see who wins the hand. I told him if shooting becomes a chore instead of fun he needed to step back. He does his best when he is smiling and teasing me. Seriously if any of you want to teach him, or work with him I'll make it happen. Both of us driving we can get to most places. I know he hasn't had much coaching, but he is open to any help anywhere. Thank you guys so much.

Paula, if you would, shoot me a message with your phone number. I may not be that far away...can't say whether I know enough to coach him, but I'd be happy to take a look.

-Nathan Scott

 

[bobinpa]

Paula, are the jacket and pants John is wearing in the picture showing him shooting his or is he using someone else's gear? If he is using someone else's, I have a left hand leather Hawkeye shooting coat that has been stored for 40 years and I would make available to him if it would fit him. Please let me know his suit jacket size and if he needs a shooting coat.

Wow, what a way to make an entrance. In your first post, you are offering up some gear. Nicely done.

 

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

Thank you for the offer, those are his, matter of fact I had to get new pants because he grew out of the first in 1 year. John trying to get other kids on his team to start in precision do he offered his olds gear to any of them who want to try. Sort of payment it forward idea. Do you know if NRA has different requirements for their coats /pants to shoot Smallbore. . Thank you, if you want I can get his sizes.

 

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

Emily is so nice. She talked to me & when she figured out John had only a year shoot & no coach she suggested I start traveling with John to get him experience. She saw something she liked with him. One of the nicest most supportive people we have met. John was lucky to get Emily. Only positive things to say about her.

 

[nmkid]

It warms my heart to hear about a young "straight arrow" man. Hopes he continues to have success.