Shooting club gives ballistics lessons to High Point forensics classes

FRANKLIN — Fifty-eight High Point High students studying forensic science took a trip to the Franklin Revolver & Rifle Association, where they learned about safety, the properties of some firearms and bullets and some trained to shoot.

The ballistics instruction session was arranged by High Point science teacher Maddie Travaille.

The program began with a welcome by Association President Helen Swingle, who gave the students information on lead contamination, ingestion and clean-up.

Range Safety Officer George Ambrose gave a lesson on various types of ammunition and how different bullet designs perform upon impact.

Franklin resident John Heller, chief instructor at Franklin R&R and a national pistol champion, listed firearms safety rules and described handgun types and nomenclature. He trained four students in basic marksmanship and the use of a Browning .22 caliber semi-automatic target pistol and the Model 1911 .45 caliber automatic Colt pistol.

Those selected shooters fired several strings of five rounds each at 25 yard targets.

Jeff Davidowsky, a member of the Franklin R&R and a science teacher at High Point High, taught shooting range safety rules and the use of personal safety equipment. He also commanded the firing line operations with range officers Bill Haas, Jean Member and Adam Levin.

High Point has offered a forensic science class since 2002. Since 2010 High Point juniors and seniors have received this hands-on training in collecting samples of spent cartridge cases and fired bullet fragments as crime scene investigators actually collect evidence.