FATHERS, SONS AND GUNS

foreign [Music] now there goes three happy young fellas and did you notice that please this punch expression on their faces as they walk by that old dog didn't seem too unhappy about the situation either now did he hi I'm Slim Pickens full-time actor part-time Hunter and a concerned father what I'm concerned about is the growing lack of communication between Father and Son and this busy age of Art like most dads sometimes I feel that I don't get a chance to spend enough time with my boy and finding that time is only part of the problem now the folks at Winchester Western have taken a giant step and helping to solve this problem by organizing a series of Father and Son hunting and shooting seminars that's what this picture is all about a full weekend of practice instruction and actual field shooting for the boys and their dads now this one took place here in Southern California and my son and I along with 29 other fathers and Son teams were privileged to Take A Part [Music] good to see you these are your boys yeah Scott and Larry Scott Scott Larry that's all right good to see you welcome aboard [Music] after we got the registration taken care of and our gear tucked away in our rooms we all met for our first classroom session the men from Winchester explained what we'd be doing for the next two days and how we're going about doing it they told us about the history of sporting firearms and how they have been improved over the years then it was spread missile Vine's turn Fred's won more championships and holds more records than a pelican camp he's made fine Shooters out of fellas that couldn't even hit the broad side of a barn to start with here's an instructor that you'll be seeing later so after an evening of getting to know the shotgun it was time to turn in [Music] we were all up bright and early the next morning after a big breakfast while we headed for the buses it would take us to the gun club say there's Van Heflin and his boy Tracy blah [Music] as I looked around at all those faces it was pretty tough to decide who was the most eager to get started the dads are their sons after short ride across the San Fernando Valley we arrived at the aqua Sierra Gooden Club in Chatsworth [Music] some of the fellas brought their own guns along they didn't have to though the Winchester folks supplied the guns and the shells and it's all included in the seminar price [Music] after we were unbust we were sorted out into teams and introduced to our instructors [Music] foreign in came the first lesson of the day gun safety so if we have the guns out if you'd put the cases back in the car be sure that your actions are open actions are opened at all times except when it is loaded and you're ready to go into the field okay if you 400s now will uh come over here we'll get ready and load okay now we will proceed to the fence and cross it and go into the first bird field now just a minute first man fine okay you're pointing your muzzle this way you get right behind him we're going in single file now you just cradle a gun in this just let it ride right in the crate that's it you may carry your gun this way the man and the last group may carry his gun over his shoulder but never when there is normally anybody behind him because he may be looking right at that muzzle but that is the only time that you can carry a gun over your shoulder I would prefer that you'd carry a gun in this fashion here that's right kind of crazy just hang on to it and that's the way okay now we'll uh go over the fence walk up to the fence now you open your action take out one shell you do the same thing now I think we ought to change this and get uh will you come up here Scott you too can Scott come up with that either way okay now you open your action you take out that one shell it's permissible to leave the other two shells or the other one shell in the chamber as long as that action is open okay when you pass that gun now to your dad you go over the fence pass the guns over all right now what I want all the guns in a straight line across fine now we'll go through here and single file now be sure that the guns are held in a safe direction that is straight up in this particular situation [Music] him is my boy Tom says we got down to the nitty-gritty of the whole thing trying to hit those ducking diving clay birds this is where the Winchester guys really show their worth with helpful hints that turn misses into hits and speaking of helpful hints here spread missile dining with some right now this is the worst fault and the most con often committed era you see where is his left foot is he's got it too far behind his right foot here you want to keep this foot out this foot goes here and this foot goes out like this that keeps his shoulder Square to the gun to shoot a shotgun you must keep your shoulders at right angles to the shotgun rifle you stand parallel shotgun stand Square so by getting that way then the gun goes right in his shoulder the second thing it gives him a good platform so he can stand up without falling down and not fall over the gun goes between your collarbone and your shoulder bone not on your bicep out here where you get a bruise this is where 90 of the people shoot us off the bicep every Hunter goes in the field he throws a gun up from a lack of practice it goes right out here on his bicep he comes in with a black and blue Mark the gun goes in this hollow right in here the pocket right there good mainly Lean Forward everybody you're shooting you miss is this way the gun is heavy like I told you and you do this all right you come out here and practice a little we'll start with the high one well wow wow wow now how's that for some fancy shooting [Music] [Music] it's a day we are most of us kept improving under the watch the lies of our instructors and before we knew it it's time for lunch as you can tell by that line they didn't have to call us twice nothing like a hard morning shooting to whip up an appetite following lunch we had a short talk on Hunting conservation by John Gardner editor of Western Outdoors then it was back to the gun racks and we were ready for the afternoon session those Winchester instructors turned out to be more than teachers they were real friends never one of them is a dedicated shooter and Hunter in his own right right [Music] [Music] I hear spread missile down again giving some instructions to ban heflin's boy life was quicker now you must shoot a shotgun real quick it gets over there you can't hear you quicker now here's one of the experts giving some of the fine points to the Latham boys well you went through the Target too fast and you shot right over the top of it now if the rest of you watch this guy to keep that Target when you point it out there and follow it out try to keep that Target right about there you've got a 20 or 30 inch circle of shot working for you cover it up and aim at it yeah you don't see it you lose it now the target is going this way you have to get your gun ahead of it this is get lead getting ahead of the gun and pull your trigger and keep the gun going through oh [Music] all right now let's get right up like that that's it fine all right cool [Music] boy look at that all right the younger boy turned out to be a real clay Buster now it's Dad's turn to try and uphold the Dignity of the senior generation when the you have to follow through and if you're leaning back away from the gun you don't have that advantage of following through because the recoil just throws you a little bit good shooting Harold very good [Music] okay cool [Music] at the time the day was over each and every one of us was a better and a safer shooter beginner an old hand line [Music] Sandy Dawn bright and clear after breakfast church and a pleasant bus ride out to the CV Valley we arrived at the green head club for a full day of hunting in the field [Music] once again we were divided in the small teens each with their own instructor [Music] the Dog Handlers met were assigned the fields that they'd be working and so were all [Music] okay John you go through [Music] you may recognize this guy he's Frank Ferguson one of the stars of the television show Peyton Place those are these dogs rags and Barney Barney's just a pup but Rags knows what this hunting business is all about just watch her work this field there she's locked onto a point and it's a cockfest down he comes [Music] good shooting young fella [Music] while some of the teams are out in the field the others are not just sitting around waiting to go north Surrey they're working at those traps keeping those reflexes Sharp now we go into the field with another team [Music] this time it's Harold Latham with his boys Scotty and Larry and Dr David Owen with his Boy Bill you go you go through Scott and let Dad pass his gun to you atta boy [Music] this speller is Paul Newton with his dog's Ginger and Bowie foreign hey there Ginger's on a point now we'll see how well yesterday's instruction that the Trap feels sank in [Music] that's it move right in on the dog now that's another cockpit and young Latham has himself a fine trophy [Music] that's a pinch of a bird look at that nice Ringneck beautiful bird real great another point this time it's Bill Owen's turn to put one in the back okay you're on that you're on the bird you did a good job [Music] well that's the story and for 60 Fathers and Sons of assorted sizes shapes and ages it was one grand weekend full of accomplishments and fun it's getting tougher all the time to find a way to spend just a little bit more time with that sun of yours before he suddenly becomes a man now this is one way and for my money it's one of the best as the folks at Winchester Western say the man who hunts with his son will never have to hunt points so long [Music] foreign [Music]