Today, I bought the daughter her first rifle.

She’s been shooting my partner’s old Stevens Crackshot, but it’s too old and too nice a rifle for her to quite appreciate, and frankly, it’s a bit finicky.

The folks at Kim’s Nation of Rifleman forum were kind enough to reccomend this, and the kicker was this: Took the daughter to a gun show and she saw this, fell in love. So I ordered it from my local place, all of $148, and I hope to surprise her with it come thanksgiving.

I was all prepared to spend more and buy a clipfed rifle, but then I though, hell, she’ll just want something else to grow into. So hurt me hurt me; I’ll have to buy her another rifle someday. Boo Hoo.

I’m so tickled I could giggle.

My good friend Jenny says of my training the daughter to shoot: “She’ll grow up self assured and not dependent on anyone else for anything”. I’m grinning so hard my face hurts.