I don't want to be an alarmist, but....

[Austin J Hawthorne Jr.]

I might only get one convert out of 100, but whenever I visit a skeet or trap range that has more younger folks shooting than dedicated trap or skeet shooters, I make it a habit of bringing 3 or 4 side x sides with me and make sure that at least one of them has damascus barrels. In between rounds I approach some of these young folks and ask to see their pumps and semi-autos. By expressing an interest in their guns it invariably leads to their asking me about my Parkers or other vintage doubles. It's truly surprising how many young folks have never even seen a SxS, much less had the chance to use one. As often as I can, I give them a Parker and tell them to shoot a round on me. Many of them finish the round, ask a few questions, and then ask if I would mind if they shot another round. This, I believe, is the best way to introduce new shooters to our SxS fraternity. It seems to work for me, especially here in New Jersey where most of the hunting lasts for 30 minutes, or until all of the stocked pheasants are shot before your feet get cold.