I have just intoduced my 7 year old daughter to guns and gun safety. I would like to get a gun to let her try her hand at shooting. Should I look at a .22 rimfire or should I start her on an airgun. She has small hands and I would like to ease her into it since she has a lot to learn.
Which gun for teaching a child?
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Dan Morris
New member
I started mine with a pellet/bb gun at about that age.Graduated to a 22 and he went with me on hunts. Got him a 30-30 when he could legally carry one. Went on to a 30-06. Shoots them safely and has always been responsible.IMO
Dan
Dan
justice4all
New member
IMO too many kids treat BB guns like toys. A gun is not a toy, so I think kids should be taught on single shot .22s, or ones loaded one at a time. They should also be introduced to the destructive power of firearms with visual demonstrations on watermelons, etc. If a BB gun is all they are old enough to handle, I'd suggest waiting a few years.
Double Naught Spy
New member
At several gun shows, I have seen several tiny .22 bolt action rifles and a couple that open at the breech via the hinge. All were antiques or very old, something like my father might of had as a child growing up in the country. The guns were obviously designed for tiny people such as children. My question to the rest of you is do you know whether or not any such similar rifles are currently manufactured as youth-sized, single shot .22?
Jeff Thomas
New member
If your daughter is quite small, then a BB gun might indeed be best.
If she is large enough, then I would highly recommend the Marlin 15YN. Compare it to the Chipmunk and others, and I think you'll consider the Marlin a cut above.
It's a bolt action, single shot .22 LR. See more at http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/boltAction22/15YN.htm
Good luck, and have fun.
Regards from AZ
ps - I pay my youngest boy a quarter when he correctly recites the 4 firearm safety rules. He never misses, so I'm somewhat circumspect about how often I ask. I'm not made of money.
If she is large enough, then I would highly recommend the Marlin 15YN. Compare it to the Chipmunk and others, and I think you'll consider the Marlin a cut above.
It's a bolt action, single shot .22 LR. See more at http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/boltAction22/15YN.htm
Good luck, and have fun.
Regards from AZ
ps - I pay my youngest boy a quarter when he correctly recites the 4 firearm safety rules. He never misses, so I'm somewhat circumspect about how often I ask. I'm not made of money.
I like the idea of a single-shot .22 LR.
It is easier for you to control the ammunition supply. Yes, I am telling to do the Barney Fife thing with your daughter. With pellets and BB's its hard to keep track of how many were just taken. Now you know how many shots she has - one. The rest are safely in your control.
Also, with a .22 you have an audio indication that it was fired. With an air-rifle, you might think she already shot, when the rifle is primed and loaded. With a 7 year old, distractions may abound, so this is an added safety factor.
Find a single shot that can take .22 Short and .22 Long. That will make the recoil and noise less frightening.
Don't forget to keep it fun!
It is easier for you to control the ammunition supply. Yes, I am telling to do the Barney Fife thing with your daughter. With pellets and BB's its hard to keep track of how many were just taken. Now you know how many shots she has - one. The rest are safely in your control.
Also, with a .22 you have an audio indication that it was fired. With an air-rifle, you might think she already shot, when the rifle is primed and loaded. With a 7 year old, distractions may abound, so this is an added safety factor.
Find a single shot that can take .22 Short and .22 Long. That will make the recoil and noise less frightening.
Don't forget to keep it fun!
I just took my 7 year old daughter out to the range this morning for the first time. I recently took in a new "Crickett" 22LR in trade this month to see how she would like the shooting sports. I had looked at the Marlin mentioned above, as well as a Savage and a Stevens Favorite. The stocks were too large. The Crickett fits her perfectly.
The Crickett is a single shot bolt action. The striker must be pulled back manually after closing the action. Mine (hers!) is stainless with a black sythetic stock. It also has a key lock that prevent the bolt from closing when locked. It comes with an peep sight and is tapped for a scope mount.
I set up her target at about 7 yards at let her go. It took a while to get her comfortable on the bench and properly situated. Today we worked on sight alignment and trigger control. Different shooting positions will come later... Anyways, she had a great, safe time and is looking forward to another range session.
The rifle appears to be quite accurate and had no failures to fire with 100 rounds of Super X. Her targets were Shoot & C (?) which I thought would give her better feedback on where her shots are going. That target was difficult for her because of the black target/Black sight combination. Switching to a target with an orange bull was much easier.
She couldn't wait to show her Grandpa her targets! They are going into her box of "firsts" and awards we have collected since her birth.
For the future--she was eyeing some guys busting pigeons on the trap near us. She wants to know if she can try that some day!
www.crickett.com
The Crickett is a single shot bolt action. The striker must be pulled back manually after closing the action. Mine (hers!) is stainless with a black sythetic stock. It also has a key lock that prevent the bolt from closing when locked. It comes with an peep sight and is tapped for a scope mount.
I set up her target at about 7 yards at let her go. It took a while to get her comfortable on the bench and properly situated. Today we worked on sight alignment and trigger control. Different shooting positions will come later... Anyways, she had a great, safe time and is looking forward to another range session.
The rifle appears to be quite accurate and had no failures to fire with 100 rounds of Super X. Her targets were Shoot & C (?) which I thought would give her better feedback on where her shots are going. That target was difficult for her because of the black target/Black sight combination. Switching to a target with an orange bull was much easier.
She couldn't wait to show her Grandpa her targets! They are going into her box of "firsts" and awards we have collected since her birth.
For the future--she was eyeing some guys busting pigeons on the trap near us. She wants to know if she can try that some day!
www.crickett.com
cuerno de chivo
Moderator
SW63 or SW34. Can shoot the Colibri no gunpowder load too.
P
PreserveFreedom
Guest
A single shot 22LR sounds right.
If she's wearing safety glasses and not pumping an insane amount, a bb gun will be safe but pellets are better.
When I was but a lad, I had a BB gun and loved it. One year my dad locked me out of his workshop a couple of months before my birthday. One day he told me my birthday present was in there and that was why I couldn't go in. Based on a few peeks of blanket-covered objects, I thought it might be a bicycle. I wasn't thrilled.
When my birthday came, mom and dad whipped off the cover and revealed a homemade gallery target. Dad had an electric motor driving a chain which brought small steel duck silhouettes across the top. The silhouettes fell when hit and were reset before they came back up. I was thrilled. But mom was still not sure; she was worried about ricochets. We assured her there was nothing to worry about, but we put on shooting glasses.
Unfortunately she lifted hers to rub her eye just as I took the first shot, which hit the shield over the motor and ricocheted. It hit her a centimeter or so below her left eye hard enough to leave a welt.
She was not thrilled.
When I was but a lad, I had a BB gun and loved it. One year my dad locked me out of his workshop a couple of months before my birthday. One day he told me my birthday present was in there and that was why I couldn't go in. Based on a few peeks of blanket-covered objects, I thought it might be a bicycle. I wasn't thrilled.
When my birthday came, mom and dad whipped off the cover and revealed a homemade gallery target. Dad had an electric motor driving a chain which brought small steel duck silhouettes across the top. The silhouettes fell when hit and were reset before they came back up. I was thrilled. But mom was still not sure; she was worried about ricochets. We assured her there was nothing to worry about, but we put on shooting glasses.
Unfortunately she lifted hers to rub her eye just as I took the first shot, which hit the shield over the motor and ricocheted. It hit her a centimeter or so below her left eye hard enough to leave a welt.
She was not thrilled.
Anschutz Achiever in .22 LR. It is a bolt action that can be used with a single shot adapter or with 5 and 10 round magazines. It has a buttplate that can be extended and plastic stock inserts added as a child grows. It can be used by adults when 4 inserts are added. With RWS subsonic hollowpoints, it is an awesome squirrel rifle. And the price is reasonable.
Las Vegan Cajun
New member
I started my kids out with pellet & BB's and now they are shooting a Ruger 22/45. Will probably get them the Ruger 10/22 next.
Started all kids on cut down 22 rifle with scope.I do not believe in letting a new shooter use a handgun.That is to me best left till later.I allso think a air gun is not the way to go.They do not gain respect for a firearm shooting an air rifle.Shooting something that is dynamic when a bullet hits is a very good way of teaching safetyy.If you have to use a heavy cal on a watermelon to demonstrate the effects.the impresson will be lasting and make them a safe shooter.All i can say this method worked for myself and my brothers when we trained the kids.By the way we started all of them at about 5 yrs old.Non turned out ot be shooters but they do know how to shoot if needed and allso are safe.