Thread: Teaching Kids To Shoot

There have been a few threads lately about guns for kids etc so I thought it would be nice to have a spot where we could share out experiences and pointers, maybe in time creating road map for others to follow.

I'm selfishly wanting this as my son is still a wee while of learning (11months atm) so keen to see what to do and even more importantly what not to do.

My dad used to put together light .38 loads for me to 'shoot' in his .357 S&W when I was three-ish. I really liked it, one of my earliest memories. Dunno if that'd fly over here though

I started with a Stevens single shot .22.

My younger brother and I would got out Night Shooting with Dad when he worked for the Rabbit Board.

He went through the firearms safety rules with us every time just before we would go out.

These were the rules.

Follow all the firearms safety rules especially pointing the rifle in a safe direction at all times.

We were given only one round at a time and were only allowed to load when dad said it was safe to do so.

We would shoot any sitting rabbits and treed possums. any rabbits on the run were dealt to by Dad with the Shotgun.

You got to keep the rifle until you missed, broke a safety rule or didn't listen to what you were told.

Serious Safety violations or Not listening could also get you grounded from coming out on future night shoots.

Then you had to give the rifle to your brother and he kept it until he missed, broke a safety rule or didn't listen to what he was told.

And who ever didn't have the Rifle had to carry the rabbits and possums that were shot.

This sometimes caused tears as you soon learned to obey the rules, listen to Dad and shoot straight.

I loved it ....... my brother not so much mainly because I could out shoot him.

Cheers
Pete

I am enjoying shooting with my 7 year old son.
I try to make it as fun as possible for him and offer lots of encouragement and praise. We shoot reactive targets, rather than paper and make games and challenges for each other. He is getting deadly out to 65m on anything smaller than a tennis ball.
He does not like the noise from centerfires at all so I'm very conscious of who's shooting or about to. I tend to do my stuff mid week and leave the weekends free for plinking with him.
We have always been very careful about the kids ears, the suppressor is always used and if anyone else is shooting our kids have a pair of the wee peltors each.
I'm continuously reaffirming range and firearm etiquette with him to form good habits.
I'm also careful how long we go for and knock off at the first sign of him having had enough. Just like with fishing, an ice-cream on the way home is pretty mandatory.

I had free rein with an air rifle after it was deemed I was competent shooting it from 5.5 years, any misdemeanors and the air rifle went in the safe and a bloody great chain went threw my motorbike and was padlocked. That was hell!

Times have changed and there is no way I can afford to live rural so I am raising towny kids unfortunatly, it is what it is tho and I try and get them away from the tv/computer screens as much as possible (under protest usually yet they have fun when out doing whatever).

I had a Gamo air rifle (1000fps advertised) and its noise and recoil/vibration was far in excess of a 22lr subsonic suppressed.

So I tried getting the kids on the JW 15, they shot it a few times and had fun but couldn't hold or aim the rifle at all, it was just too big in every way.

So far they are loving the Savage Rascal, but I am sure any similarly scaled rifle would be just as good.
The Rascal is not suppressed but as it fitts them properly wearing earmuffs is not so much of an issue.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I had free rein with an air rifle after it was deemed I was competent shooting it from 5.5 years, any misdemeanors and the air rifle went in the safe and a bloody great chain went threw my motorbike and was padlocked. That was hell!

Times have changed and there is no way I can afford to live rural so I am raising towny kids unfortunatly, it is what it is tho and I try and get them away from the tv/computer screens as much as possible (under protest usually yet they have fun when out doing whatever).

I had a Gamo air rifle (1000fps advertised) and its noise and recoil/vibration was far in excess of a 22lr subsonic suppressed.

So I tried getting the kids on the JW 15, they shot it a few times and had fun but couldn't hold or aim the rifle at all, it was just too big in every way.

So far they are loving the Savage Rascal, but I am sure any similarly scaled rifle would be just as good.
The Rascal is not suppressed but as it fitts them properly wearing earmuffs is not so much of an issue.

I think i have a spare suppressor for a 22 if you want it, i'll never use it, actually I might even have 2 of them

Originally Posted by mikee

I think i have a spare suppressor for a 22 if you want it, i'll never use it, actually I might even have 2 of them

Then I would have to fit it and to be honest if I am perking I would rather sort out the burly situation !

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Then I would have to fit it and to be honest if I am perking I would rather sort out the burly situation !

Burley is easy, just give me a rough day, old smelly fishing boat complete with fishy smelling diesel fumes and bob will be your uncle, fanny your aunt and............................ hey Presto, Burley

I will soon be 66 years old and i still vividly remember my Dad coming home one evening with a little book/phamplet that went through the basics of shooting and gun safety. I literally soaked it up like a sponge. I was 9 years old. He started me off with a .22 rilfe at a club range and skeet shooting with a 20ga. Single barrel. From there we advance to hunting afield basically kicking up a rabbit or two. Very happy memories.
P.S.
My Father was probably alittle too permissive and let hunt on my own bedfore i was mature enough. My .02 cents.....i would be very much hands on.

My father was probably also a bit permissive, from 9 was left to hunt the river flats in the Lewis and where the chch show grounds now are. Dont think either option would fly now!

Originally Posted by res

My father was probably also a bit permissive, from 9 was left to hunt the river flats in the Lewis and where the chch show grounds now are. Dont think either option would fly now!

Now how did that work with health and safety...... O that's right we all managed without it

Originally Posted by 223nut

Now how did that work with health and safety...... O that's right we all managed without it

Let's be honest, workplace deaths and injuries were much more common back then

Originally Posted by res

Let's be honest, workplace deaths and injuries were much more common back then

But wasn't life more fun with less paperwork?!

Originally Posted by 223nut

But wasn't life more fun with less paperwork?!

Absolutely, just been helping a friend work out a hazard list for a workshop that's part of a biz he's has bought (he knows nothing about that part of the operation) and it's making me very glad I'm out of that game

Every year I put 5 year 7/8 kids through a hunting based mentor programme, they start with a. 22 and the progress to. 223, had them shooting clay targets at 200m with it. Come hunting day it will be the.284 but that won't know the difference with everything going on. Should be fun. Heading in Monday for 3 days hunting with them

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