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My daughter is 6 years old. She has been shooting for 2 years now with a cricket 22cal.
I first started her with a “toy” rifle. The rifle was to be treated as a real gun. We kept it in the hall closet. It was not to be played with. I’d leave it out or in her room at times to test her. When she saw it she wasn’t supposed to touch it. Simply report its presence to me and then I’d put it away. I’d have her regularly carry it to teach her muzzle control and show me it was on safety and that the chamber was empty.
At the ranch she is allowed to carry her real 22 with the bolt removed. Again this is to teach her muzzle awareness and show me the safety was on and that the rifle chamber is empty whenever I ask. Repetition repetition repetition.
Ultimately she has been handling a “firearm” for 2 years on a very regular basis. The “toy” rifle is now in her closet in an old gun safe locker that she has the key to. It is her responsibility to store it safely. Meaning if any of her friends come over the “rifle” must remain locked and safe from her other 6 year old friends. If the rifle is found out of its locker in the presence of her friends or for any reason not approved by me she will be in serious trouble. I’m happy to say that that has never happened.
I have to say that doing this with her has been very entertaining on top of being educational. She takes it very seriously and that’s part of the entertainment. I’m now being asked by my 6 year old if my firearm is on safety and if my chamber is empty whenever I have one with me at the ranch. Which in turn makes me now have to show my daughter that my rifle is safe doubling my own safety checks. I respect her requests for safety checks telling her there is no age limit for firearms safety and her asking me is as just as important as when I ask her for a safety check. It’s been a lot of fun
Tell me about how your teaching your younger shooters/hunters and what kinds of teaching methods work/don’t work, are fun and not so fun? Especially like to hear from the younger people to give me your thoughts.
I first started her with a “toy” rifle. The rifle was to be treated as a real gun. We kept it in the hall closet. It was not to be played with. I’d leave it out or in her room at times to test her. When she saw it she wasn’t supposed to touch it. Simply report its presence to me and then I’d put it away. I’d have her regularly carry it to teach her muzzle control and show me it was on safety and that the chamber was empty.
At the ranch she is allowed to carry her real 22 with the bolt removed. Again this is to teach her muzzle awareness and show me the safety was on and that the rifle chamber is empty whenever I ask. Repetition repetition repetition.
Ultimately she has been handling a “firearm” for 2 years on a very regular basis. The “toy” rifle is now in her closet in an old gun safe locker that she has the key to. It is her responsibility to store it safely. Meaning if any of her friends come over the “rifle” must remain locked and safe from her other 6 year old friends. If the rifle is found out of its locker in the presence of her friends or for any reason not approved by me she will be in serious trouble. I’m happy to say that that has never happened.
I have to say that doing this with her has been very entertaining on top of being educational. She takes it very seriously and that’s part of the entertainment. I’m now being asked by my 6 year old if my firearm is on safety and if my chamber is empty whenever I have one with me at the ranch. Which in turn makes me now have to show my daughter that my rifle is safe doubling my own safety checks. I respect her requests for safety checks telling her there is no age limit for firearms safety and her asking me is as just as important as when I ask her for a safety check. It’s been a lot of fun
Tell me about how your teaching your younger shooters/hunters and what kinds of teaching methods work/don’t work, are fun and not so fun? Especially like to hear from the younger people to give me your thoughts.
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