Teaching Kids To Shoot
Some great advice from my friend Dustin…
In the past couple years I’ve introduced thousands of kids to shooting pellet rifles and archery through our summer camp and scores to rimfire rifles in our hands on marksmanship camps. Here are several tips to help you teach your youngster to shoot straight.
Baby Steps
Take it slow, take it safe. First step is always gun safety:
1) Keep it pointed in a safe direction.
2) Keep your finger off the trigger.
3) Treat it like it’s loaded.
4) Keep it unloaded.
And I always add on the Eddie Eagle saying that if you find a gun, even if you think it’s an airsoft/toy: “Stop. Don’t touch. Leave the area. Find a responsible adult.â€
Kids are never too young to learn gun safety. I quiz my 2 year old all the time: “What do you do with daddy’s guns?†Answer: “Don’t touch!â€.
But I’m always asked when kids are old enough to shoot. Answer: It depends.
All kids are different, my 14 year old daughter didn’t shoot until we were in the adoption process when she was 13. My 5 year old shot his first shots at 4 years old, but he’d rather find roly-polies under the range trash can than shoot. My 8 year old has been shooting for a year, but I make sure I’m one on one with him to be as safe as possible. Every kid matures differently and it’s the parents’ responsibility to be the judge on readiness and safety.
Read the rest of the article: http://fishgame.com/2014/10/teaching-kids-to-shoot-part1/
Spot on. I have an addition: Once your kids learn the fundamentals, let them pick their gun. I prefer semiauto rifles and pistols, but my kids really like bolt guns and single action revolvers. They’ve staked out *their* guns and have a blast shooting with me. And I will say, the extra time required to shoot, load and unload a rimfire SAA clone forces them to slow down and think about what they’re doing. And it’s fun!