Texas Gun Range to host Children's Birthday Parties

[jayhawk]

In our "First-Shots" program, we have 5 shooting lanes going at one time, but we also have 3 instructors in the same bay. One range safety officer, and two instructors.
5 shooters in individual lanes separated by ballistic walls, and attended by 3 instructors. Then there are almost always the parents watching as well.

The only way we could make it any safer would be to go one-on-one instruction. This is done on occassion, when a shooter exhibits fear, or just intimidation. That still leaves 1 instructor for every two shooters.

The "First-Shots" program is sacnctioned by the NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation). While this is completely separate from the NRA, I am a NRA certified Instructor in more than one discipline. If I felt the situation unsafe, do you really think I would continue to volunteer for this?

I personally think the birthday party at the range idea is a GREAT one!

That sounds like a good procedure, if that is what is being done. The article seemed to me to suggest that parents (who may or may not know gun safety) would be primarily relied on for supervision, and instructors would be available if there weren't enough parents.

I've been to public ranges where novices are teaching/supervising novices (as I'm sure many of us have), and it's not a situation that I personally prefer to be around. Get swept by someone else's muzzle a few times and it doesn't seem so GREAT!