Lessons from the Gun Range: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse,
My shield sat packed by the front door with care,
Ready to go to the gun range, but in my mind – I was already there…

Nestled down deep snug in my bed,
Visions of gun safety rules danced in my head
Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, is rule number one
Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, wait, I’m not done,
Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use, those are the rules, no excuse!

Still dreaming of the gun range, I felt a smile on my face
The thought of target practice still makes my heart race
All the enthralling lessons that I’ve ever been taught,
Helping me to one day become a better shot…

Lesson number one, my first time with a gun
Learn the fundamentals, they’re instrumental,
Proper stance, proper grip (don’t bite your lip!)
Sight alignment, slow trigger pull
And make sure your mag is full

Lesson number two, learning to shoot the caliber that’s best for you,
Caliber size can make all the difference,
Use a small caliber size to learn on for instance,
Because different sizes have different resistance

A Thanksgiving lesson came in between lesson two and three,
Because I needed to give thanks to all those who helped me
Lesson number three may seem pretty easy, but let me tell you, it’s not breezy…
The art of dry firing is a must,
Coach’s words, I do trust.

Never use live ammo,
Always go slow,
Tap, Rack, Ready…
Breath, and now go.

So many lessons I have learned
Even in my sleep, to the range I did yearn.
But with Christmas time so near,
It was time for family, friends and holiday cheer…

Must keep the guns safely stored away,
Family and kids in the house all through the night and day.
But I knew I didn’t have to fear,
Eddie Eagle’s message was heard loud and clear:

Stop.
Don’t Touch.
Run Away.
And Tell a Grown Up.

Even in my deep sleep, I sang the tune in my head,
Tossed and turned with excitement in my bed.
When I wake up, I will tell myself, it’s going to be a good day,
Thank you, NRA.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!