Thread: Teaching Kids To Shoot

So how young is too young with girls?

Is 5 old enough for a savage rascal and shooting with dad?

I think so, yet to have the conversation with the other half though.

Thoughts?

Originally Posted by 300_BLK

So how young is too young with girls?

Is 5 old enough for a savage rascal and shooting with dad?

I think so, yet to have the conversation with the other half though.

Thoughts?

I don't think gender really matters. A mate has twin girls and had them shooting with a different kids single shot before five-they love the time with dad and he is anal about safety

My young fella was using my hi powered .177 air rifle to knock over the odd bunny when he was 5ish. He has had a few goes at targets with subs in a single shot .22 recently, just about to turn 6.
I go on a few tramps with him, mostly overnighters but we have done a few 3 day/night walks an I take a rifle if the area allows, We have only come across one animal as we don't tend to leave the track much just yet when we go out together.

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!

I hunted alone with my little 20ga.. if things got slow i would shoot just the hear the gun go off. Very regretably i murdered song birds and the like........children IMHO should be highly supervised.

Originally Posted by 300_BLK

So how young is too young with girls?

Is 5 old enough for a savage rascal and shooting with dad?

I think so, yet to have the conversation with the other half though.

Thoughts?

I think it depends on the kid and circumstances.

My daughter was on at me from just after 3 to come shooting and she wanted a pink rascal. She got one for her 4 th Birthday. She listens really well, we have a good safe area to shoot in (just balloons and clays at the moment - in fact am trying to get there this afternoon, she's already asked)

My son is 6 and is interested in joing dad shooting possums and rabbits. At the moment he has come out with me a couple of times but has been limited to torch duties and retrieval. I keep reiterating the saftey rules that should be followed and why. Hopefully this willean they will become second nature.
I was sighting in a mates air rifle a little while ago and let him have a go with that but as mentioned it was far too big and heavy for him.
I am wanting to take him out and get him shooting some targets in the near future but at the moment his listening is terrible and often stops on the third or fourth time (an infuriating new development). So its no go until we knock that on the head as I cant be 100% sure.

Originally Posted by res

I don't think gender really matters. A mate has twin girls and had them shooting with a different kids single shot before five-they love the time with dad and he is anal about safety

I am too, I think you should be when they start, gotta keep it fun though. Regarding gender I have observed that some girls learn faster than boys, but I am also biased

Originally Posted by Beaker

I think it depends on the kid and circumstances.

My daughter was on at me from just after 3 to come shooting and she wanted a pink rascal. She got one for her 4 th Birthday. She listens really well, we have a good safe area to shoot in (just balloons and clays at the moment - in fact am trying to get there this afternoon, she's already asked)

Thats awesome @Beaker. I have taken both girls out with myself and Pop to shoot bunnies, they always wear earmuffs and get to carry the rabbits. I'm constantly getting asked if we can go again. Just need to find somewhere local to Palmy. The wee walks have been so successful that mum is into hunting now and last xmas I got her a T3 223

Where is the best place to get the kids earmuffs? Bunnings / Mitre 10 Mega?

F

P.S Great thread!

When I started out there was very little shooting at a young age as my dad was too busy on the farm to go hunting, strange as that may seem. Our yearly big event was duck shooting. My earliest memories were of being in the maimai with my mum, fingers in my ears, watching the flame come out the barrels of her side by side. At the age of 9 I got my first Lab, and since I had him so well trained I used to get invited out hunting all around the district just because of him, even though I wasn't allowed to shoot shoot myself.

My dad was a Mountain Safety Council firearms officer so training was strict and by the book. We had a 4 year training program.
At age 13 we had our first season as a shooter using a single barrel 20g. We were only allowed to shoot from a maimai with dad in direct supervision in the same maimai.
At age 14 we were allowed to hunt from a maimai or shooting stand on our own, but only if my dad was also shooting on the pond. We were not allowed to walk and hunt [ie jump shoot].
At age 15 we were allowed to walk and hunt [jump shoot], provided it was with my dad or a licensed hunter that my dad approved of.
At age 16 we sat our license and were free to roam at will.

I taught my kids to shoot when they were an early 7 & 9 respectively.
We spent most of the first year shooting at the local DS range so they could get comfortable with their rifles and familiar with safety to the point its engraved into them.
I probably over done the range thing, as now they only want to go onto farms etc instead of an occasional plink at the range...
They are now 10 & 12 and still going strong.

@300_BLK try amazon. I got 'mini' peltors, for a great price, and a bit sexist, but pink for the daughter and blue for the boy.
I'll have a look on the lappy tommorrow for the link.

I remember my dad letting me try his 303 when I was about 8 or 9. Not a peasant experience! I got my first air rifle at age 13, and my first 22 at 16. I started my daughter on my .22 air rifle when she was 8, but it was too long and heavy for her. She then tried my JW15S, and she has fallen in love with it. We go over the rules each time we go out to the range, and she is really good at calling "bolt open, mag out, chamber empty" each time she finishes a mag. I made a bunny shaped gong target, which she loves to make swing. Haven't found any hunting grounds just yet, but as soon as I do, we will be out there. I have suppressors on the 22's and she has cute pink earmuffs (grade 5) as well for when we shoot non subs.

My daughter (5) showed a bit of interest the other day when I was sighting in my night vision scope on my CO2 177 pistol. It isnt ideal the way it is set up (nothing like shooting a normal rifle or pistol as it has a detached screen) but she was pretty good about picking up the rules, safe direction, checking firing zone, finger on trigger only when ready to fire etc. I might get a stock for it and put a normal scope back on it, would be ideal for kids then. Its a Crosman 2240, which is essentially the same as the 2250.