Teaching Children

[NSR500]

Can any of you share your experience with teaching kids gun safety and proper shooting? Obviously, an immature/unstable kid/person at any age is questionable...
I have a 7yo daughter and I've always talked to her about firearms and safe handling. So far I've never taken her shooting with me, but she has seen me clean my guns.
For me, I was about her age when I was allowed to shoot a Red Rider BB Gun with my Uncle. Then I got my first Pellet rifle at about 11 and at 12, my Dad would let me shoot with him at the range. He also put me in a safety & shooting class taught by LE's at the local range.
So, can any of you share the age you started teaching you kids and if you started them on a pellet/bb gun? Also, when did you start letting them handle/fire real firearms?

thx

[bu-bye]

I started my kids off young, around 2 years old. I would open carry a pistol every time I was home with them (still do). At first they wanted to touch it and look at it but after a couple months they didn't care one bit. The rule was and always has been "If you want to see or touch the guns just ask". They have NO reason to sneek around and try to get into my guns. If they want to see them they ask me and I almost always say yes. Guns are a very open topic in our home and they are no more of a big deal then the blender in the kitchen.I bought my son his first 22 bolt action at the age of 5. He is 6 now and still has yet to shoot it. He thinks its cool but he is not new to guns so its not as big of a deal.

My advice is teach your daught about guns. Clean them with her and after she knows the basic rules (guns are always loaded.....never point at people......finger off the trigger......only when daddys around) you can take her to the range. My son at the age of 5 has shot my glock 17 (with my help), Fab-10, and 22 pistols and rifles. If the child is willing to listen to every word you say and follow them to the letter then they are ready to go shooting. You may have to remind them about a few times but if they are following for the most part they should be good

[NSR500]

Thanks for the info! I have a pellet rifle I may start her on, and I just picked up a 10/22 I can teach her on when she progresses.
Gotta start them young!

[WolfMansDad]

The main thing is, of course, safety. After that, you want to make sure she has a good experience the first time. Don't push. If she's not ready at 7, it's better to wait a year or three for her to have a good experience than to turn her off from guns at an early age. Make sure she has adequate ear protection so the sound doesn't hurt her. Make sure she doesn't shoot something that kicks too much. Giver her a really BIG target so she can hit it more than about 2/3 of the time, but not so big that she hits it every time. A little challenge will keep things interesting.

Water-filled milk jugs are fun targets for kids.

[Uberdummy]

Well, I don't have children as I am only 20 but I can tell you my experience as a youth.

When I was 5 my mother bought me a Pumpmaster 760 and I was taught how to shoot it up in the hills. (This was Reno, plenty of isolated hills.) My targets were coffee cans, and then I was switched to soda cans. I was then allowed to shoot a .22lr (with help, that thing was so heavy to me).
During my summer visits to here in SoCal (Pomona, before it became freaked out), my grandfather bought me a bow at the age of 7 and taught me how to shoot it in the front yard (yeah, crazy how things have changed isn't it?). The milk jugs full of water had me out shooting everyday. Eventually he gave me his longbow. I was allowed to handle my grandfather's rifles and shotguns whenever I asked. I had an early respect for guns and their power. I recieved a few more pellet guns as gifts over the years (because now living in california, especially urban areas, giving a teenager a rifle was ludicrous). when I turned 14 my grandfather gave me his old .22, but i never took possesion until I was 17. Now at 20 I own 4 rifles, and the only thing holding me back is money.

I was taught young to not fear weapons and grew up with pellet guns, throwing stars, knives, swords, and other currently illegal items. Now here I am. I respect any weapon, and believe anyone should have them if they choose.

[metalhead357]

might be a 'back step' to what some have already said, but if'n any doubt how she'll do...even before the BB gun route, get some play pop guns, nerf shooters, and even some of those little pistols that shoot the little-itty bitty round disks. Teach here good habits there and from there; dont point it at people, always treat as loaded, muszzle direcetion, etc, etc.

I used to love the now (seemingly) long gone dart guns with the suction cup ends. Aint seen 'em in a bit or I'd say try those tooo.

After all that step it up to slingshots or BB guns.............. then the .22's and 410's

Good luck, and if she makes the olympics or professional circut... I want an autograph

[blkA4alb]

I used to love the now (seemingly) long gone dart guns with the suction cup ends. Aint seen 'em in a bit or I'd say try those tooo.

I loved those, I had one that was basically a gatling gun. You pumped it up until it read full and then you would just hold the trigger down and the front would rotate and fire all 55 or something darts one after another. It was pretty awesome...I wonder what happened to it. Nerf guns right?

[metalhead357]

I loved those, I had one that was basically a gatling gun. You pumped it up until it read full and then you would just hold the trigger down and the front would rotate and fire all 55 or something darts one after another. It was pretty awesome...I wonder what happened to it. Nerf guns right?

LOL! I remember those! those were cool. But what I was talking about was the true ol' school dart guns that had a (about) 5 inch heavy plastic shaft that was inserted into the spring loaded gun; on the other end of the gun was about a one inch suction cup. Strong enought to kill bugs but not to do any damage to peeps or small furry animals in the house buta good placed shot could suction one to someone's forehead . Ah dang! here we're talking gun safety and ya' get me talking about my other life long long long ago........

[blkA4alb]

Well we never had anything like this!

http://www.hasbro.com/pl/page.viewproduct/product_id.13884/dn/nerf/default.cfm

[bu-bye]

Oh man my brother and me had the coolest dart gun as a kid given to us by my uncle who was a sheriff. It was a revolver rifle. It held 6 small (1.5" long 0.5" wide) suction cup darts and was air fired. Let me tell you that thing was pushing 200-300FPS and hurt if it hit you. I could shoot cans out to 100 feet with that thing. It was more like a BB gun. Like most toys given to a couple boys it broke a few months later

[Pokey]

A friend taught me a GREAT demonstration for kids (and some adults). When you go out shooting take them, a soda can (full), and a .22. After the safety talk you shake up the soda can then shoot it with the .22. Recover the can (which is usually blown to hell) and let them look it over. Then the important part, tell them to put it back together. They usually turn it over a couple times then imform you 'I can't', that is when you tell them "that's right, nothing you shoot can ever be put back together". The lesson works as young as 3 & 4 yr olds. Seems that when they see it and form the conclusion themselves it sinks in alot better.

[50ae]

That coke can idea is great. I always took one of my bigger rifles and a squash but I think I like your idea better.

[AxonGap]

[tankerman]

I agree with you, thats how I have been teaching my children.

Teaching adults would be much more difficult, since many of them already thinks guns are toys.

[VeryCoolCat]

Don't forget to teach them the consequences that a gun can cause if used improperly. Its one thing to teach them proper safety... but they must also know what happens if they fail to comply with those privisions. Kinda like drivers ed that show the "Red Pavement" videos

I remember this story a while back how a dad taught his son the consequences by getting his favorite toy and shooting it.