Tioga County, PA Youth Field Day August 18, 2012.

[Adam Helmer]

This August 18th marks the 18th Tioga County Youth Field Day; it will be my 14th year working black powder. The event is free and all participants ages 8 to 14 must be acccompanied by an adult. We have 10 stations that include boating, fishing, archery, .22 rifles, trap and black powder, etc. It is a busy day running 150 kids through 10 stations. Every 30 minutes another group arrives for a brief orientation and then they shoot at balloons 25 yards away with .50 caliber muzzleloaders with 50 grains of 2F Goex and a patched roundball.

All the kids get to shoot 3 or 4 times and then I invite the adults to try shooting a balloon. Many of the adults are women who never shot a gun before. Most score a hit and appreciate the opportunity. All the young folks will be voters someday and this exposure to the positive side of guns does all gun owners much good, in my opinion.

Adam