Youth class stresses gun safety, proper firearm handling

    Good Life Gun Training offers firearm training to various skill levels of shooting.
    On Saturday, Good Life held a Youth Basic Gun Safety Class at their indoor and outdoor range southwest of Enders.
    The class was a basic one on firearms for ages 13-18, and as with all firearms training, stressed the importance of safety, owner and National Rifle Association certified instructor Dave “Rip” Ripley said.
    Saturday’s class drew four student participants, three boys and a girl, all 13 years old.
    Tim Pore assisted as an associate instructor and with first aid equipment if needed, Ripley said.
    The classroom training portion was comprehensive with actual handgun and rifle handling, the nomenclature of the weapons systems and most important, safety, Ripley said.
    There is a safety component with each part of gun handling, he noted.  
    Everything from picking a gun up, opening a chamber, how safety buttons or latches work, and a specific gun’s operation are just a few.
    Students were also familiarized with the components of ammunition and how to identify faulty cartridges.
    Students learned the four safety rules of “all guns should be considered loaded, never point a gun at anything unless you intend to destroy it, keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are going to shoot and always be sure of what your target is and what is beyond it.”  
    “If these rules are always adhered to, you won’t have an accident,” he said.
    In the 2022 deer hunting season in Nebraska, three hunters were reportedly shot in a three-day period, he said.  
    At the conclusion of the classroom training, the students took a written “education” on the material, received another safety brief, collected their eye and hearing protection, then proceeded to an outbuilding where the shooting would be done at Ripley’s indoor range.
    Ripley and Pore set up the paper targets, then further familiarized the students with the two weapons they were about to use, a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle and a .22 semi-automatic pistol.
    Jackson Wessels, a 7th grader at Wauneta-Palisade, was first up and said it was the first time he had fired a weapon.  
    Millie Peterson, Jackson’s cousin from Grand Island, also said Saturday was the first time she had fired anything.
    Nathan Hiett, another WP 7th grader, said he shoots a lot, while WP classmate Kaden Shifflet has experience with firearms, too, he said.
    The students practiced rifle and pistol handling, stance, sighting and trigger control, Ripley said.
    Each student was able to shoot a good amount of ammunition, displaying good handling skills and everyone had an enjoyable time, they said.
    After the class concluded, students received certificates at a graduation ceremony.  
    “A good day,” Ripley said.