DNP Posted February 14, 2015 Report Posted February 14, 2015 So, my son is a little over 4 years old now and getting smarter than me by the second. I'm starting to feel like he would be able to handle a little shooting. I want to set up something for the back yard. Debating between an airsoft gun or a bb gun. I already have a Savage Rascal singleshot .22 in the safe waiting for him to be ready....but we still have a while before that one. Anyone have any thoughts on a begginer rifle? I'm thinking something with a red dot before we work on open sights. How early did you start your kids? Grandkids?
edgecrusher Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 My daughter was 7, with..... wait for it..... A savage rascal single shot
DNP Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Posted February 15, 2015 That's just too far away. I don't think I can hold out another 3 years.
AngelDeVille Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 My son got his 1914 Stevens little scout for Christmas at age 5, along with a box of CB caps. I'm not a believer in BB guns for starters, it's too easy to consider them toys.
survivalshop Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 BB guns may be toys , but they still get the fundamentals of shooting , just not as lethal . & they also see a projectiles destructive tendencies .
98Z5V Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 Started Jake off with a CO2 powered pellet pistol. Easy to learn, easy to load, and I used an archery target as the backstop/target. Once he was decent with the CO2 pistol, it wasn't long before he was shooting .22LR rifle with me. I think learning pistol first made rifle shooting a little easier. He was 7 as the start of the pellet pistol, but I wish I would have started him younger.
mrmackc Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 (edited) It is one of a parent's most pleasurable job to teach their boys and girls the skills of shooting. It is also a pleasant experience teachings a group of kids marksmanship and that guns are tools and shooting and hunting can be a safe enjoyable skill sport. Six years is a good age for starting very basic perceptions of launching projectiles with something besides throwing once the child understands how to throw a ball and playcatch then start on nerf guns and airsoft. Moving on to starting the idea of using open iron and peep sights with bb gun. We grouped 6, 7, and 8 year olds together with a n adult coach for each shooter The coach was a member of the NRA junior rifle team. High school juniors seniors and also adult NRA club members coach the bb gun shooters. Coaches loaded the round. coached the shooters and made sure the young shooters followed safety rules, and give praise for following directions. Parents aren't always best coaching their own kids. My kids did better with other coaches. Edited February 15, 2015 by mrmackc
slugger43 Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 It is one of a parent's most pleasurable job to teach their boys and girls the skills of shooting. It is also a pleasant experience teachings a group of kids marksmanship and that guns are tools and shooting and hunting can be a safe enjoyable skill sport. Six years is a good age for starting very basic perceptions of launching projectiles with something besides throwing once the child understands how to throw a ball and playcatch then start on nerf guns and airsoft. Moving on to starting the idea of using open iron and peep sights with bb gun. We grouped 6, 7, and 8 year olds together with a n adult coach for each shooter The coach was a member of the NRA junior rifle team. High school juniors seniors and also adult NRA club members coach the bb gun shooters. Coaches loaded the round. coached the shooters and made sure the young shooters followed safety rules, and give praise for following directions. Parents aren't always best coaching their own kids. My kids did better with other coaches. Lots of good points there. Kid is more important than the kids age. My son let me participate in my grandson's first "real" rifle. He had used all of the toys, and when he asked for a real rifle, we got him a 22 single shot. Age almost 8. Lots of technical and mechanical training, and a ton of safety instruction. First range trip, the little guy says, "how much are we going to shoot today?" My son said, "It's your rifle, your day at the range. If you want to shoot two rounds and go home, OK. If you want to shoot until dark, we'll do that." Had to pry the little rascal off the range. He loved it. Made this old dude smile. But it was HIS choice.
slugger43 Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 Oh yeah, and that first rifle was a T-C "Hotshot". Neat little super safe single shot.
Microgunner Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 I started my kids at age 5 with a cut down Stevens Favorite. My son was shooting my Colt 1911 45 by age 8. My daughter never took to shooting sports .
DNP Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Posted February 15, 2015 Lots of great input here. Thank you. My thoughts right now were to have a rifle to start working on safe handling. Figure if he can knock a can or two around he will have good time. He already has a decent understanding of what guns are and he already knows they are not toys. Need to send him out to Tom's summer camp this year...gotta have the basics down before he goes.
Rsquared Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 Need to send him out to Tom's summer camp this year The kid will come back loving Guns, hot rods, motorcycles, bars, strippers..........everything a young man should enjoy. <lmao>
98Z5V Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 I already accidentally corrupted the boy, a few years ago. Gotta watch my mouth around camp... <lmao>
unforgiven Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 The kid will come back loving Guns, hot rods, motorcycles, bars, strippers..........everything a young man should enjoy. <lmao> Hell fukin yea. <thumbsup> education should be in their somewhere,but then all those things provide an education..of sorts. >:D
DNP Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Posted February 15, 2015 We're still good Tom, he hasn't dropped and serious words yet.
Robocop1051 Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 I was 5 when my dad started me with my first Winchester mod. 72 (.22lr bolt) I had a Daisy BB gun that I used to run around the yard with and shoot small sticks out of it (because the old man wouldn't give me BB's unless he was around). It was taken away from me after I shot my little sister in the back for being a snitch... Snitches get Stitches!!! My son will learn to shoot on my Ruger 77/22
planeflyer21 Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 Started the girl out on pistols, a Ruger MKIII Hunter, at age 4. Two hands, left to steady, right to pull the trigger. All on top of a sandbag. Started her on the rifle later that year, a Cricket (garbage...get something else), with a Rossi Youth Combo a year later. Next month she's joining up with the local Scolastic Sports Shooting Club, the pistol team!
shepp Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 I was 5 when my dad started me with my first Winchester mod. 72 (.22lr bolt) I had a Daisy BB gun that I used to run around the yard with and shoot small sticks out of it (because the old man wouldn't give me BB's unless he was around). It was taken away from me after I shot my little sister in the back for being a snitch... Snitches get Stitches!!! My son will learn to shoot on my Ruger 77/22 My old man had these big pins (2")with a bead on the end of it he used to hold pieces of balsa wood in place when he build RC planes, well I figured out that bead was the same size as a bb. Those fuckers flew out my daisy pretty damn good!!! Id shoot them into card board boxes in the basement........ My buddies son has one of the Henery (I think) break down 22's he shoots that pretty good last fall I let him shoot my .556 he didn't have enough shoulder to make it cycle but he sure thought that was great.
mrmackc Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 I was 5 when my dad started me with my first Winchester mod. 72 (.22lr bolt) I had a Daisy BB gun that I used to run around the yard with and shoot small sticks out of it (because the old man wouldn't give me BB's unless he was around). It was taken away from me after I shot my little sister in the back for being a snitch... Snitches get Stitches!!! My son will learn to shoot on my Ruger 77/22 I was about six when we moved to an oil lease out in the boonies. I would "borrow" some of my mom's kitchen matches drop one down the muzzle of my old Red Ryder bb gun and shoot the side of the house and the side of the trash barrel they made good incindary bullets.my dad caught me before I burned the house down.
Dane Armory Posted February 15, 2015 Report Posted February 15, 2015 BB's and pellets are good. Airsoft pellets might be good but wont give him a perspective that shooting things can be dangerest. Paint balls... BAD iDEA ! Or A Nasty mess to clean up for someone !
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