Good age to start the Grandchildren?

[Cascade1911]

I don't think I was in kindergarten the first time I shot the little Stevens 22. What do you all think is a good age to start teaching my twin grandchildren to shoot? Also, any particular advice? Will be the first time teaching children to shoot. I am going to use the same old bolt action single shot Stevens I learned on. Figure to keep the range short and the targets big and move from there. What else?

 

[Dragline45]

I would start them off with an air gun just until they get used to muzzle awareness and trigger control. I typically leave the range when fathers are teaching their kids to shoot, even teenagers, because most of the time I am swept by their firearms far too often to feel any bit of comfort standing there. For anyone who doesent know what it means to be swept by a firearm, basically them turning the gun towards you with the muzzle pointing in your direction.

 

[AK103K]

I started with our boys the day they were born. At least they each had their own Chipmunk then.

As soon as they could reasonably hold them, I started with them handling them, and discussing everything mechanical and safety wise about them with them.

I think the biggest thing, is to be very open and positive about everything, and give them supervised access as much as they want. Dont let the "mystery" even start. Every opportunity is a learning opportunity.

I was still into HP shooting when my kids were small, so they saw me dry firing in different positions pretty much every night. Once they could hold their rifles, they started practicing shooting field positions with me. By the time they fired their first live rounds at 4, they had "fired" thousands of rounds on the living room floor. There first shots were right on target too.

 

[kraigwy]

Depends on the grandkids. My granddaughter took to shooting like a duck to water. Her middle brother is OK, but he's slow. He'll set there forever afraid to shoot because he's afraid he'll miss.

Then her younger brother, I doubt he'll be ready by the time he's 30. He plays too many video games and thinks all you have to do is jerk the trigger regardless where the gun is pointed. I tried, but he's scary.

My other grandkids live in Portland and I don't get a chance to work with them. I''d love to spend a week working with my oldest grandson. He's a junior on a ROTC Scholarship on the fast tract to be an infantry officer. I'd like to get to him before the army does. His sister (a freshman at Oregon State) is just too pretty to think about shooting. A sweetheart but just not interested.

 

[wayneinFL]

I would start them off with an air gun just until they get used to muzzle awareness and trigger control. I typically leave the range when fathers are teaching their kids to shoot, even teenagers, because most of the time I am swept by their firearms far too often to feel any bit of comfort standing there

Starting them prone or off a bench makes it a little easier.

 

[Mobuck]

My kids started by age 6 or 7. One Grandson is shooting a BB gun now but the other has parent issues preventing him from making progress. Maybe he can get some experience next summer when he spends a week here.

 

[Hiker 1]

Balloons are great to use for targets. They're easy for young kids to hit and the pop gives nice feedback.

Focus on safety and fun first, then move them up to marksmanship, IMO.

 

[rtpzwms]

My grandson was 9 when he started. I took him and his sister with their mom to the local range which has a NRA youth program. I signed up the grandson and paid the whopping 3 dollars.

For that huge payment they took him to a back room to give him a safety class which lasted about 30 minutes. Then he came out they put him on a shooting mat handed him a anschutz 22 target rifle! They walked down range together he hung his target. Then got back on the mat lifted the rifle and checked to make sure it wasn't loaded. He was then handed a block of wood with 10 rounds and on the instructors commands he loaded and fired.

He and the instructor would then talk about what he saw looking down the barrel and the instructor would give corrections and this repeated for about 1 hour.

I have to tell you it is one of the best buys ever. Real training real coaching and there was no way that mom, grandpa, or grandma would be the bad guys. All of the corrections were from his coach. The coach did EVERYTHING it was great. I still send 3 dollars on a regular basis to help ensure that he continues but now it costs me double. My granddaughter is doing it too.

 

[C0untZer0]

My 8 year old daughter has a hard time gripping a standard size pistol, so I find that I have a little difficulty teaching proper grip.

But she totally caught on to proper sight alignment and sight picture.

Right now we're firing pellet pistol and pellet rifle from rest.

 

[AK103K]

Rifles like the Chipmunk and Crickets are sized for kids in most all respects. The guns actually fit them, and are of a weight that is relative to their size and what kids can handle. They make learning to shoot so much easier, than trying to teach them on guns that are to big.

Smaller, light weight revolvers are also good starters for handguns, and these days, things like the Walther P22 work well too. Their grips are more appropriate to a kids grip, and they arent overly heavy.

Personally, I thinlk handguns should wait until they have the rifles down, as they tend to be more of a challenge to shoot (even for many adults), and there are more safety issues involved.

I also think the longer you wait to teach them, the harder its going to be, and especially if you wait until they have been watching TV, movies, video games, etc, and had other "bad" influences that are counter productive to what youre trying to get across to them. We never had any troubles with our kids as they got older, but their friends (and their parents) were an issue a couple of times, and a couple of the parents were scarier than the kids.

 

[C0untZer0]

We're getting a Chipmunk soon.

 

[Arizona Smithshooter]

I bought my grandson a Henry .22 with a Youth stock for his 10th birthday. He is now 14 and has moved up to the full sized stock. I also paid for his NRA membership and he now reads NRA Insights.

http://www.nrainsights.org/

http://www.nrainsights.org/latest_issue.php

 

[Buzzcook]

The right time to start your grandkids is when their parents say it's OK.

So talk to the parents.

 

[hermannr]

Grandparent with 13 grandchildren age 20 down to 2. Age to start...100% agree, when their parents agree. Demysify as soon as they can understand what you are telling them (2 or 3). You do not have to have them shoot to demystify and tell them when their parents agree, you will be happy to show them how and let them shoot for themselves....but only by permission, with grandpa or parent pressent.

I start with water ballons at about 5 yards (we can shoot on our own property) and gallon milk jugs full of water (saved for the purpose) at 10 yards. Your Savage .22 is a perfect weapon to start them on. When their hands are large enough let them try a target .22 pistol (I use a High Stndard Trophy) and those targets that give a large contrasting color splat mark where the bullet goes through.

After they have shown they have mastered safety, trigger control, and sighting with the .22, you can move on to whatever you and their parents agree to and they are physically capable of.

 

[BGutzman]

I started shooting in the 5th grade, I started learning about guns at least a year before that, just basic safety stuff but still a start.

 

[Hal]

The right time to start your grandkids is when their parents say it's OK.

+1

You may also be in for a pleasant surprise too!

I told my wife I was thinking about getting our grandson a BB gun when he was around 6 years old.
My wife felt it was pushing things a little & that I'd better talk it over with my son first.

Son beat me to it. He'd already picked up a Red Ryder for the grandson as a Christmas present.

 

[Rembrandt]

Been teaching firearms to kids for over 30 years, best to start with air guns then .22's.

Started my twin grand daughters on .22's at the age of 6.....by the time they were 9 both had gotten their first deer with twenty gauges.

Firearms are one of the few things next to a driver license that tells kids they are entering the adult world...and kids know that. It brings out a level of maturity that can rarely be duplicated with any other activity. Kids mature differently and at different ages....you'll know if they're ready.

 

[Patriot86]

My father started me off when I was about 7, the first thing he wanted me to do was have a certain level of fear/respect for the power of firearms. So he gave me his 12ga browning pump action, did not warn me about the recoil and directed me to shoot at a target in a safe direction. I fell flat on my ass and from that day forth respected the power of guns. Not sure i will do that with my kids but I was a wild little bugger so it worked for me. From there it was pretty much 22's for a number of years. You really can't go wrong with a basic 22 rifle with iron sights or even a low power scope.

 

[Cascade1911]

Lots of good ideas, thanks. I like the idea of starting them with an air gun, I'll pick one up and probably start them this spring (whats a good air gun for a 5 yo). Balloons are another good idea.

I've already discussed it with the parents, my step daughter and son in law. Step daughter grew up with guns but never had any interest in them. My son in law never had guns in the family or house but is a good shot with mine. They are amiable.

I will be starting them on an air gun in the back yard and on .22's at my camp so the only one terrified should be me.

I certainly want them to respect the seriousness of a firearm, one reason I've never considered giving them toy guns. I don't want them afraid of the back of the gun, only the front.

So, having rambled a bit, a question to point, what has been your tactic in illustrating the deadly danger of the front of the gun? Graphic or non graphic. Also, at 4 or 5, do you go into the why or just the do and don't do, carefully supervise and reserve the why's for later. I want them to understand but I don't want to freak them out.

 

[Cascade1911]

Kids mature differently and at different ages....you'll know if they're ready.

Rembrandt, I certainly hope and believe you are correct about bringing out maturity. My trouble is, I never had children of my own, never wanted them and spent as little time as possible with small children so I have very little experience with them and now I've got a matched pair. When I got married my step daughter 18 a whole different level of problems. So....I'm not real confident in my ability to judge when they are ready. The idea of starting with an air rifle however gives me a margin of error.