Advice for training my kids to shoot

[teacher74]

I am looking for some advice for a starter rifle to teach my children to shoot. My son is 6 and is ready to start learning. My daughters won't be ready for a few more years. I have a 10/22, but I really want a non-semi automatic to teach him the fundamentals first. My 10/22 stock is just too long for him to comfortably shoot and get a good shoulder position. To top it all off, he is left handed and I and my girls are righties. I was thinking something like a cricket or a chipmunk (although I know nothing about them other than the names) but since he is lefty I am maybe thinking about a lever action. I am looking at 22lr

I am open to anything and just want to know what some of you parents have done.

[Eddie1965]

I got my son a Savage Cub. I has great sights, very accurate and weighs only 3lbs. He out grew it pretty fast though, he shoots my AR-7 now.

[teacher74]

Lefty???

Do you know if they make them left-handed?

[Sinixstar]

You might also want to consider something along the lines of the Rossi Trifecta. Single-shot break action setup that comes with 3 barrels. .22LR, .243, and .20ga shotgun. He'd get a lot more use out of something like that.

[Sarrow]

Have you thought about picking up a quality BB gun? Daisy makes a pretty nice beginners lever action if you want to teach them the basics of shooting and firearm safety. However, if you are set on picking up a 22lr Id vote for the CZ 452 Scout. You'll get iron sights for learning the basics as well as the ability to mount a scope down the road.

[Critical]

I took my 8 year old brother to the gun range over the holidays. He shot our 572 Remington (too big), various .22 pistols (too big), and a single shot .22 kids rifle, which was perfect. I can't remember the name of the gun, but it was bolt action, and you loaded a single shot at a time. It was a little hard to pull back on the hammer but was a great size.

BB gun might be the way to go though.

[50BMGBOB]

Check for eye dominance. If he is right eye dominant you will want to teach him right handed. I was working with my daughters friend last week who is right handed but left eyed and had her shoot left handed. Eye dominance is more critical than which hand they use.

[Deluhathol]

the eye dominance my not really play a factor unless you are teaching him to shoot with both eyes open. I am left eye dominant and when I was growing up and learning to shoot I always shot right handed and with my right eye. The only time I notice the eye dominance is when I'm trap shooting with both eyes open.

[teacher74]

He's left handed and left eye dominant. I was thinking about staying away from bolt action, since it is pretty complicated for a lefty to manipulate the bolt on a right handed rifle. I didn't want to discourage him with that.

[FeuerFrei]

Good to start them observing you shooting and stressing safety always.
I used a no noise BB gun to start my kids off shooting soda cans in the back yard. As they progress they move up to bolt action 22 using shorts or longs first. (not in backyard)
You will know when to move up to more potent weapons as you train you kids. Good luck and good job starting early.

[krazz]

Send them here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHE-l5GrBts

It's just like Thunder Ranch, only with different motives.

[CAL.BAR]

Ready to shoot at 6? My advice is wait until they have the size and strength to handle the guns with ease. If you start too soon they will be scared and intimidated. Mine is 8 and a black belt in TKD, but I've only just started him on pellet guns etc. Guns can be scary for little kids. That fear can last a lifetime.

My advice, go slow. Start with BB guns etc. even if you go to the range with a small .22 that doesn't mean you won't be standing next to me blasting with my .45 etc.

[Dirtbiker]

I got my son a Daisy Red Ryder when he turned 8. He has become a pretty good shot using soda cans and sg clays (not moving)

He is 10 now and next month we will be taking the hunter safety course together. We may never hunt but he will have all the training to be safe.

[Saym14]

is he already proficient on Red Ryder?

[taloft]

I know that Savage makes a Left handed youth .22 Mark II GLY.

Remington used to make the model 5 youth rimfire in left handed as well. I don't know if they still do.

Both offer iron sites, and are magazine fed bolt actions.