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Thread: Teaching young kids to shoot

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Teaching young kids to shoot

    We don't have much here. damacrat state.
    Any out there teach safe shooting to first time kid shooters????
    I think it would be a great learning tool.
    Even if they don't get in to it, it would teach them the correct, and safe, way to shoot.
    Would destroy all the "politically correct" brain washing, going on is schools these days.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    A pellet or a bb gun and any child is a blast .

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Get the NRA firearm safety book, go through it with them. Explain the words. Explain just how serious a subject this is. Sit through "sweet sundays gone" with them. Explain as needed.

    Then, yes I prefer a plain bb gun and pop cans. Simple, intuitive, instant feedback.
    Start short and move out as skill and confidence grow. Confidence is the key.

    Then when they are ready move up to either single shot airgun or .22lr. I would be loading single loads at that point.

    Explain the difficulty's as you go further out.

    The easy way to prepare for all this. Volunteer as a Firearms Safety Instructor for a year or 2. You'll learn a lot, and you'll be ready to catch the mistakes before they happen.

    As far as I know they ALL need help. Check with your range. If your going to do it, do it right. Set them up for life.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    Yea, they play with nerf guns etc. and need to know the difference a real gun makes. Took the GKs to shotgun, pistol ranges and gave exacting instructions, on handling guns. They did well. Biggest problem is discipline in handling. The actual shooting part they pick up pretty fast. I started by giving them one round at a time, mess up and you get a good lesson before the next.
    Whatever!

  5. #5
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    I have been shooting for 40+ years, my wife and I taught both daughters with a single shot 22LR when they turned 5 1/2. My best advice... start small, maybe 10 round sessions as things will get boring at first very quickly. As they progressed, an extra round became a reward for no violations of rules and 1 round went away if they made a mistake. At this age, safe handling was fairly easy to teach. I took the girls for walks in the woods with their 22 and had the bolt in my pocket. We discussed mistakes and discussed things done properly.

    Now at 16 and 12 they are able to teach things to their friends and watch them very closely. But, they are still supervised by me.

  6. #6
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    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    It is a great learning experience for kids. I still remember having the Game Warden come to school for a week in the eighth grade to teach my whole class (probably 35-40 of us then) hunter safety.

    He said he was going to grade it on the curve, but one pretty farm girl and I were the first ones done and we aced it. We did the same thing the next year with the Water Safety class also.

    One graphic show of power involving a full pop can and a Stinger is impressive to young shooters too.

    Robert

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Start slow and work it up. Kids attention spans are not the same as adults. Keep it as fun and enjoyable as possible with in safe boundries. I usually start them out with a single shot and Big targets. I also like to start in the back yard with a bb or pellet gun on the picnic table. This is a secluded area with a short range firearm no recoil or report. Work on basic accuracy and most important safety in handling and using. I have a pipe stand with some swinging disks on it 6" 3" and 1". Behind it I stand up a piece of card board to show misses. This way they learn safety in a secluded place away from others. The first trip to the local range is a single shot 22 on paper targets with the ammo rationed out 1 round at a time. When they get tired or attention starts to wander it off for Ice cream or a walk.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I make an oversized cardboard cutout of the sights on their gun or the one we are shooting. I show them sight alignment and target hold. We do a little dry firing to check out length of pull and trigger control. Then they get to lay out some cans or swingers and inspect targets to understand the damage that can be done. When they start to lose interest, it's a wrap. All gun safety procedures are followed and a good solid rest to shoot from.

  9. #9
    In Remembrance Reverend Al's Avatar
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    Two of our local gun clubs have joined forces and host a "Juniors" program every Saturday at one of their ranges. Kids of all ages are welcome to participate in the program which includes air rifle and air pistol plus .22 rimfire rifle. The entire program is FREE with all of the guns, ammunition, targets, and instruction supplied by volunteers from our two clubs. All their parents have to do is bring them to the range and they will receive instruction and coaching. In most cases we include the parents in the shooting program and let them fire a few rounds as well. Many of the parents have never shot before either ...
    I may have passed my "Best Before" date, but I haven't reached my "Expiry" date!

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    That's a great idea , involving the parents !

  11. #11
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    We, the local sportsman club, run a kids camp every summer and among other things we teach young kids how to shoot. It is very interesting teaching younger ones shooting and very enjoyable and a good deal of work. We use .22 bolt actions and .22 semi-auto, mixed sights of scopes and open and peep, and shoot from the prone at targets 25 yards away. We run groups of 7 and each session lasts 3 hrs. There are at least 4 helpers, all NRA certified instructors per each 7 and 1 range master. Before we go to the range the kids have one hour of basic safety instruction in a class room.
    Death to every foe and traitor and hurrah, my boys, for freedom !

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
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    I taught 4H shooting sports for some years when my kids were in 4H. It's a great program with state and national competitions in archery, rifle and shotgun.
    I have an old Remington single shot .22 that I inherited from my dad.
    It's what I would start the little ones off with. Give a six year old that rifle, and they'll load and shoot it for hours if you let them! Had a hard time getting it back a few times.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master

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    Most of our local schools allow the local extension service to teach a week long hunter safety course to all the 7th graders and on the last day they go to the range and have a marksmanship shoot off. The girls usually win.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    The girls usually win
    It always amused me to see a some little middle school girl go up against a senior boy in a competition. All he would thinking was "can't get beat by a girl", and about half the time that would cost him the match!

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    Our local Chapter of Oregon Hunters Association holds a Youth Day the first weekend in June.
    Introducing young ones to the shooting sports is only part of the programs.
    It has always been well excepted here....dale

  16. #16
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    The girls usually win.
    Very True !!
    Death to every foe and traitor and hurrah, my boys, for freedom !

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy shaper's Avatar
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    Go on line and look up , Apple Seed shooting. Our wild life club sponsors a couple shoots per year. The main thing they teach is safety first then accuracy, and American history . They prefer shooters have a Ruger 10/22 and will shoot 400 times over the two day event.
    I have come to believe honey bees are more important to this world than I am.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    I had my grandson shooting my new 204 Ruger Encore barrel the other weekend, told him he could shoot it first, he is 11, said it kicked less than his 10-22, well, it is 11.8lbs. My son in law is a shooter.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy mike69's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    It is a great learning experience for kids. I still remember having the Game Warden come to school for a week in the eighth grade to teach my whole class (probably 35-40 of us then) hunter safety.

    He said he was going to grade it on the curve, but one pretty farm girl and I were the first ones done and we aced it. We did the same thing the next year with the Water Safety class also.

    One graphic show of power involving a full pop can and a Stinger is impressive to young shooters too.

    Robert
    That's when I got my hunter safety card was in the 8th grade . They should of never stopped that .I started both my kids out with single shot rossi 22s then moved to 243 rossi's they both got there first deer with them .

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