teaching little ones to shoot??

[Bait O' Eggs]

I started the process of teaching my son (5) how to shoot this weekend.

We went to the range on Saturday and set up a target at about 20 yards. I piled some sand bags up on the bench and let him shoot at the target a couple of times. No holes I knew the gun needed sighted in but wanted to give him the first few shots on his new gun. I sighted the gun in and gave it back to him to bang away with. I was really starting to question if he was understanding what I was trying to explain. I let him shoot an open sight 22 which didnt really seem to click with him. He didnt do any better with a scoped 22. He seemed to think the fun part was pulling the trigger making the bang, after about 20 shots he was done and wanted to go home. I think he was lining up the sights OK, (kind of hard to tell from behind) and then completely not watching when he pulled the trigger. He spends 30 seconds lining up the shot, and then moves the gun all around while he is placing his finger on the trigger and when it gets there, he pulls it immediately no matter where the gun is pointed. I dont like telling him to have his finger on the trigger when he is lining up the shot, as he has doesnt wait to pull it.

On the way home he kept telling me he wanted to go back on sunday. :smile: :smile: We practived aiming at home and I was getting the impression he didnt understand what the center of the target was. I placed a one inch orange dot in the center of the target and he seemed to like that as he knew where I was talking about. Sunday I placed the target at 6 yards and he had several shots within an inch of the dot telling me he was understanding what I was explaining. A few scattered around the paper, and a couple misses completely. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

I stopped at the store on the way home and got him some 3 inch orange dots so he could hit them a little easier. I gotta keep his success up for moral. Moving the target closer on Sunday was a good move.

This is my first time teaching a kid how to shoot, does anybody have any suggestion? I know some of you have already beent thru this. Patience patience and more patience is what I seem to getting out of it so far.

He seemed more interested in the lunch mom packed on Sunday that shooting. He did go home telling mom he outshot me Maybe he is smarter than I give him credit for.

What worked for you in the past??

[Rock Stick or Fish]

If you've got him wanting to come back the next time, it sounds like you're doing okay.

Sorry that its just a comment, but since I have no experience, I don't want to make any suggestions. :smile:

RSF

[Rauly]

FUN...FUN...FUN...that is what it needs to be to him right now. AND SAFE!!! If he has asked to go back then you are doing it right. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] He is 5 years old, geez what ever is in the lunch box IS the most important thing I can understand that and I know you can too BOE. :grin: You will know he is hooked when he starts asking about how big a orange dot he has to shoot to make Boone & Crocket. :whazzup: I want to be there to listen to you explain that one. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] :grin: My diagnosis is for him to shoot 10,000,000,000,000 holes in paper, 10,000,000,000,000 clay targets, and as much fur and feathers as he can draw tags for. After he has done this give me a call, and lets go on a elk hunt and have him drag them out for us.

Rauly

[DriftR]

I'll jump in here on this one. I have two daughters that are now in their 20's and in college. I taught them early on how to fish and to shoot a gun. In fact, my two daughters and wife used to go along with me when I was a avid trapshooter. You always have to make it a fun thing to do. Taking along a favorite toy, or a great bunch of snacks, letting them pick out their own shooting ear muffs or shooting glasses adds to their memories. Just don't make it competitive. If my daughters didn't hit the target we got a bigger target or like you moved it closer. I sent them both thru ODFW gun safety (their grandfather actually took the class with them) so it was fun. I eventually gave them both 22's and they love to plink. They both plan on taking another class for handgun certification in the near future. They are not hunters like their dad but still like targets, cans and bottles. Just keep it fun, short and give them ice cream for going along with you, that is when they are young.

[Norm]

I started my son with a BB gun and pop cans. By far I got the most milage out of the old Red Rider BB gun, the kids like it better than the pump guns because it is faster to reload. Kids like to see the cans fall and hear the pop when they hit. My son would get bored with paper targets pretty quick so I bought some orange clay pigons to start him with a .22 and .410. The pigons break apart when they hit them making it more of a game, baloons would also work if you don't mind blowing them up :smile: .

[ 02-03-2003, 01:28 PM: Message edited by: Norm ]