Making of a Shooter, The (ca. 1946)

[Music] [Applause] the [Applause] you [Music] oh oh [Music] gee dad did you change your mind and are you going with me after all no I wish I could I'm just going out to the club later for a little practice here are the letters I promised you Jimmy now listen son I sending you out to the National Shooting championships because I want you to learn how to shoot and how to handle a gun safely these letters will introduce you to friends of mine who will look after you at each match of course Mary will join you at Camp Perry where are Mary and your mother are you all packed and ready bags in the the car mom and Mary are outside oh goodbye dear oh Jimmy that hair it won't stay down Mom Mary you sure we got time to make that plane give your shirt and I'll get you there in plenty of time now Jimmy do be careful and do exactly what your father's friends tell you to do I will Mom gee dad I wish you could go too so do I Jimmy but I'll have to stay close to the hospital for a while but we'll have some hunting together this fall well bye here we are over the mecca of all Trap Shooters the home grounds of the amateur trap shooting Association at vano Ohio where the grand American handicap tournament is being held once a year contestants flock in here from all corners of the compass singly and in teams they come by Train by trailer by automobile and airplane here railroad presidents and Bank directors stand shoulder-to-shoulder with mechanics and clerks on an equal footing of good fellowship and good sportsmanship in this most democratic of sports one of the letters given to Jimmy by his dad was addressed to Ned Lily winner of the many trap shooting championships here are Ned and Jimmy n now they're coming out to one of the practiced traps where they won't be disturbed while Ned gives Jimmy a few pointers on how an expert handles a gun at the tracks Jimmy learns from NED the rules of safety and courtesy followed by all Trap Shooters keep the muzzle of the gun pointed where it should be pointed above the trap house and away from fellow Shooters and Spectators load it only when you're ready to shoot carry it with the breach open when not in firing position and now Jimmy gets a closeup of Ned's shooting stance and a chance to watch him smash Target after Target into smoke Jimmy is close enough to see how Ned aims and follows the target as it comes from the trap house how he swings his gun and how he pulls the trigger Jimmy watches Ned swing his gun with practiced eye and smooth coordination along the line of Target flight pulling the trigger as he swings past the target experience and practice have made the speed and timing of Ned's swing automatically right for every angle the target may take as it leaves the Trap Ned makes trap shooting look easy and safe too as it is for the many shooters who follow the simple rules of proper gun handling this is how the grand American Firing Line looks during the height of the tournament nearly a million shots are fired during these events there is continuous gunfire punctuated with the calls for Targets in the voices of the referees calling the shots in handicap tournaments such as the grand American many of the events are shot at handicap distances from the trap house this varies with each Shooter's ability from 16 yards back to 25 yds let's watch Ned's Squad in action here they are all expert shots art cascaden Ned hail Jones Charles young or Sparrow young to all of his many friends and Leela Hall Jimmy can learn a lot about safe courteous and considerate gun handling by watching this squad in action Shooters Crossing behind the other members of the squad from position 5 to one always keep their guns unloaded and the breach action open they load only when ready to shoot all of the multicolored patches you see on these shooting jackets don't mean holes that have been covered up these are Chevrons indicating championships W long run records made at and other achievements that all confirmed Trap Shooters will recognize and don't think this is just a man's game trap shooting is a sport for the entire family where mother dad and the kids have a great time here is the scoreboard showing winners of the shooting events such as the grand American handicap the North American clay target Championship the doubles Championship The Grand American woman's championship and many others but winning is only part of the thrill of coming to the Grand American and taking part in this colorful tournament Jimmy has found out that winner or not everyone who has ever attended a grand American takes away Everlasting memories of the experience of meeting and mingling with Sportsmen who handle guns safely courteously and considerately at all times Ned reminds Jimmy of this as they say goodbye at the national ski championships Jimmy will find another such group of good Sportsmen and expert gun handlers here he presents a letter from his dad to Dick shaes Dick's du on the firing line now he tells Jimmy there's a big telescope over by the clubhouse if he wants to get a closeup of all that's going on like trap shooting ski is a sport for the whole family ski events are divided into classes according to the gauge of gun used here at the national ski championships you will find contestants of all ages from all over the United States watching Dick and Pat Nelson Howard and Don sper Jimmy finds that clay targets are thrown across the skep field from a high trap house on the left and a low trap house on the right the targets travel about 60 MPH and the shooters move to various positions around the field in order to shoot at the targets from different angles Jimmy doesn't miss this chance to get a telescopic view with dick as he finishes shooting and he doesn't waste any time getting out there so that he can get some some practical gun handling advice from dick and learn some more about ski shooting from dick Jimmy learns that ski Shooters must hold their guns so that part of the stock shows under the forearm until the target appears as dick points out to Jimmy the rules for proper gun handling when shooting ski are simple but important load only when standing at the shooting position ready to shoot and always keep the muzzle of your gun pointed in a safe Direction Direction be sure your shell pocket contains only the gauge of shell that your gun shoots look simple or does it no wonder Jimmy is fascinated here is where timing counts there's an element of surprise too for targets may appear instantaneously or be delayed up to 3 seconds now he calls for doubles as he raises his gun he is already pointing the target going away see those Target smoke notice how he follows through so that he is always leading the target even after he's pulled the trigger not everyone here at the national ski championships Can Be A Champion but all can handle guns just as safely dick tells Jimmy as they say goodbye Jimmy was certainly a lucky boy to attend these big colorful tournaments and meet and watch Champions handle their guns and he has still another treat coming a day at the National Rifle matches rooting for Mary to win once a year Camp Perry is the Bull's Eye aimed at by rifle enthusiasts scattered throughout the United States for here the National Rifle matches are held Porters are provided for the shooters who wish to stay on the grounds it's an annual event for entire families for here at Camp Perry you will find all types of rifles and all types and ages of contestants there are so many classes of competition it would take more than one pair of eyes to see all that is happening during the matches schools are cond conducted by expert instructors to teach the contestants the proper and Safe Handling of rifles at all times ready on the right ready on the left ready on the firing line commence firing all firing is controlled by the range officer who gives the signal to commence or cease firing all contestants are governed by these signals and unless they're on the firing line and ready to fire at Targets their guns are kept unloaded with breach actions open these are contestants taking part in the 30 caliber events in which they shoot as individuals and as teams they handle their guns carefully and safely as experts always do and here are Jimmy and Mary they have to register first and get a windshield sticker which permits them to move freely about the grounds in their car then they're off to the firing line where Mary is entered in the 22 caliber events more people own 22 caliber rifles than any other type of firearm inexpensive to buy and inexpensive to shoot 22 rifles place the fun of owning and learning to shoot a gun within the reach of all here Jimmy sees all the contestants following that Golden Rule of safe gun handling guns unloaded and actions open until they're on the firing line and ready to shoot this same Golden Rule should be observed by every owner of a 22 r gun unloaded and action open when at home in an automobile or going to and from the shooting ground before Mary goes on the firing line she takes Jimmy out on the Range and introduces him to Thurman Randall an instructor at the range school and known far and wide as one of the best winner of innumerable championships himself Thurman Randall volunteers to give Jimmy some tips while Mary gets ready to start shooting from him Jimmy gets some experts advice to keep his gun unloaded until he's ready to shoot he also learns how to stand and aim and then how to use a sling and get in the proper position for prone shooting and how and when to load how to sight and how to squeeze the tri trigger while aiming listening to Thurman Randall Jimmy can understand now why no accidents happen at Camp Perry although millions of shots are fired there each year and now he hurries off to find Mary and does find her on the firing line in the small bore event she has her heart set on winning she takes her time and puts one in the X-Ring in the middle of the target Jimmy finds a telescope through which he can watch Mary's targets Jimmy watches Another Bullseye made by Mary and he's certainly excited but there's still a few rounds to fire there's the last shot a perfect 400 Jimmy reports but Mary still doesn't know whether or not someone has tied her score they'll have to wait until the targets are scored officially to know for sure now it's official a perfect 400 with 32 X's and here is the trophy Mary was shooting for and gets Jimmy is as happy as Mary is about their Camp Perry experiences so it's goodbye to Camp Perry Jimmy is headed for home now to prepare for that hunting trip he and his dad have planned and here they are Fred Armstrong is giving Jimmy some practice shooting at miniature targets until Jimmy's dad shows up with his new field gun and invites him to try some targets thrown from a hand trap now they're off for a hunt in good pheasant cover Jimmy is careful to watch his dad and to keep his gun unloaded and in its case too until they're ready to start hunting these hunting dogs one a Setter and the other a pointer know what's coming they are impatient to get started Jimmy and his dad and the guide wisely let the dogs start hunting before they load their guns while they're loading each is careful to have the muzzle of his gun pointed safely away from the others muzzles up guns on safety and pointed correctly away from the others of the p party there they go after the dogs Jimmy has learned to unload his gun before crawling through or over fences heads up the dogs are on point ready Jimmy and dad there he goes right Jimmy it's your dad's bird and he got it too Jimmy realized he shouldn't take a chance and shoot past Fred and also that the shot belonged rightfully to his dad but but there'll be other birds pointed here's an example of another courtesy of the field which Jimmy learns when meeting other Hunters it's good hunting manners and a safe practice to unload your gun another rule that Jimmy learns is that when lunchtime comes guns are unloaded to guard against accidental discharge Hunters are constantly reminded of the rules of safe gun handling by such posters as these well it's been a great day and back they go now to their car it's been a day of real sport and in addition Jimmy has had a chance to practice safe gun handling out on the field on an actual hunt where he got his Fant guns are unloaded and cased and so back to Camp tired but contented already looking forward to tomorrow's duck hunt next day off to the blinds for a crack at the morning flight Jimmy watches Fred put their guns muzzle up in a safe position before they shove off Dad's going off on his own with Jimmy's good wishes Jimmy and Fred have another location picked out and now their decoys are set out the boat is grounded in the Blind and it's time to load Jimmy loads carefully and puts his gun on safety ducks are flying but they're all too high while Fred tries to call them in Jimmy remembers that shooting at high ones just spoils the sport for everyone shooting near him but here come some Jimmy Waits ready to shoot from a kneeling position as Fred calls them in and now Jimmy gets one Jimmy's gun goes back on safety as Fred's big black Labrador Retriever goes out to bring in the bird this is one of the biggest Thrills Jimmy has ever experienced and the retriever looks like he was enjoying the hunt too but all hunts have to end guns are unloaded before they go out to pick up their decoys and as Fred pulls back to Camp the guns rest muzzle up back where they're in a safe position and where the barrels cannot be fouled with mud Jimmy's next hunt will be for big game here they are up at the Preston big game cabin deep in the North Woods Jim is going out to do a little practice shooting first with his 22 and then with his new big game rifle plinking with the 22 is fun but Jimmy's impatient to get in a few shots with his new high power rifle here it is Fred instructs him how to load an aim and there goes the target Jimmy evidently hasn't forgotten what he learned at Camp Perry they're up for a real hunt now Jimmy learns that it's important to know how to load and unload a big game rifle quickly and safely knowing at all times that the muzzle of his gun is pointed safely and also that the cartridges are placed only in the magazine and not in the chamber until he's ready to shoot Jimmy sees how muzzle conscious these men are although there are no loads in the gun Chambers they are extremely careful every step they take to keep their guns pointed away from the other men on the trail he is reminded that these safety posters are not just meaningless parts of the scenery Jimmy reads the poster carefully back at the cabin it looks as though someone is getting a telegram the messenger boy is calling for Dr Preston and he must know it's important by the way he hurries up the trail back in the woods the hunter separate Jimmy and Fred take the trail across the river and under Fred's watchful eyes Jimmy takes no unnecessary chances as he crosses the slippery rocks the guns are laid safely aside muzzles up and pointed away then Fred helps Jimmy across as they move along the trail Fred tells Jimmy to watch carefully for signs of gain look out son those rocks are slippery a sprained an that's bad up here even if he isn't lost and knows his way around the timber back on the trail Fred and Jimmy find deer signs the tracks of a big buck now it's time to load a cartridge into the Chamber of his gun Fred tells Jimmy and then carefully put the safety lever in the safe position although he doesn't know it the messenger is crawling along a deer trail right toward Jimmy Fred recognizes this as a good spot for Jimmy to wait for a shot while he makes a circling drive to try and head off the big buck and Jimmy is certainly eager for a chance to get his deer his gun is ready he's watching the thick underbrush for any sign of movement he hears something he sees movement and the Flash of something gray but wait Jimmy remembers that poster he's asking himself is it game be sure you know before you shoot and it's not game Jimmy has glad that he did wait and made sure just what it was he saw moving through the brush realizing this is an emergency Jimmy sends out the distress signal of the wood three shots in Rapid succession aiming at the ground to make sure his bullets will not go astray the distress signal Works dad heard the three shots and answers with three to tell Jimmy he's coming to him as fast as he can get there Dad's friend heard them too and hurries off so does Fred dad gets there first and looks at the messenger boy's injured ankle seeing that it is only a severe sprain he reads the message which brought the boy into the woods as his friend and Fred stand by fellows I am sorry but I have an emergency call to return to the hospital Jimmy and I must leave at once will you see that this boy gets back all right sure doc we'll take care of him Jimmy I'm Mighty proud of you you've not only proved yourself to be a true Sportsman but a safe shooter and you handle that emergency like a veteran thanks Dad it's easy to be safe if everyone just follows the simple rules I've learned and Dad it's been the most fun I've ever had next year let's do it all over again that's a date next year we'll do it together well and next year as always Jimmy will remember the experience of meeting and mingling with Sportsmen who handle guns safe sa L courteously and considerately at all times