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There have been a few threads lately about guns for kids etc so I thought it would be nice to have a spot where we could share out experiences and pointers, maybe in time creating road map for others to follow.
I'm selfishly wanting this as my son is still a wee while of learning (11months atm) so keen to see what to do and even more importantly what not to do.
My dad used to put together light .38 loads for me to 'shoot' in his .357 S&W when I was three-ish. I really liked it, one of my earliest memories. Dunno if that'd fly over here though ;)
I started with a Stevens single shot .22.
My younger brother and I would got out Night Shooting with Dad when he worked for the Rabbit Board.
He went through the firearms safety rules with us every time just before we would go out.
These were the rules.
Follow all the firearms safety rules especially pointing the rifle in a safe direction at all times.
We were given only one round at a time and were only allowed to load when dad said it was safe to do so.
We would shoot any sitting rabbits and treed possums. any rabbits on the run were dealt to by Dad with the Shotgun.
You got to keep the rifle until you missed, broke a safety rule or didn't listen to what you were told.
Serious Safety violations or Not listening could also get you grounded from coming out on future night shoots.
Then you had to give the rifle to your brother and he kept it until he missed, broke a safety rule or didn't listen to what he was told.
And who ever didn't have the Rifle had to carry the rabbits and possums that were shot.
This sometimes caused tears as you soon learned to obey the rules, listen to Dad and shoot straight. :)
I loved it ....... my brother not so much mainly because I could out shoot him. :P
Cheers
Pete
I am enjoying shooting with my 7 year old son.
I try to make it as fun as possible for him and offer lots of encouragement and praise. We shoot reactive targets, rather than paper and make games and challenges for each other. He is getting deadly out to 65m on anything smaller than a tennis ball.
He does not like the noise from centerfires at all so I'm very conscious of who's shooting or about to. I tend to do my stuff mid week and leave the weekends free for plinking with him.
We have always been very careful about the kids ears, the suppressor is always used and if anyone else is shooting our kids have a pair of the wee peltors each.
I'm continuously reaffirming range and firearm etiquette with him to form good habits.
I'm also careful how long we go for and knock off at the first sign of him having had enough. Just like with fishing, an ice-cream on the way home is pretty mandatory.
I had free rein with an air rifle after it was deemed I was competent shooting it from 5.5 years, any misdemeanors and the air rifle went in the safe and a bloody great chain went threw my motorbike and was padlocked. That was hell!
Times have changed and there is no way I can afford to live rural so I am raising towny kids unfortunatly, it is what it is tho and I try and get them away from the tv/computer screens as much as possible (under protest usually yet they have fun when out doing whatever).
I had a Gamo air rifle (1000fps advertised) and its noise and recoil/vibration was far in excess of a 22lr subsonic suppressed.
So I tried getting the kids on the JW 15, they shot it a few times and had fun but couldn't hold or aim the rifle at all, it was just too big in every way.
So far they are loving the Savage Rascal, but I am sure any similarly scaled rifle would be just as good.
The Rascal is not suppressed but as it fitts them properly wearing earmuffs is not so much of an issue.
I think i have a spare suppressor for a 22 if you want it, i'll never use it, actually I might even have 2 of themQuote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Then I would have to fit it and to be honest if I am perking I would rather sort out the burly situation !:DQuote:
Originally Posted by mikee
Burley is easy, just give me a rough day, old smelly fishing boat complete with fishy smelling diesel fumes and bob will be your uncle, fanny your aunt and............................ hey Presto, BurleyQuote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
I will soon be 66 years old and i still vividly remember my Dad coming home one evening with a little book/phamplet that went through the basics of shooting and gun safety. I literally soaked it up like a sponge. I was 9 years old. He started me off with a .22 rilfe at a club range and skeet shooting with a 20ga. Single barrel. From there we advance to hunting afield basically kicking up a rabbit or two. Very happy memories.
P.S.
My Father was probably alittle too permissive and let hunt on my own bedfore i was mature enough. My .02 cents.....i would be very much hands on.
My father was probably also a bit permissive, from 9 was left to hunt the river flats in the Lewis and where the chch show grounds now are. Dont think either option would fly now!
Now how did that work with health and safety...... O that's right we all managed without itQuote:
Originally Posted by res
Let's be honest, workplace deaths and injuries were much more common back thenQuote:
Originally Posted by 223nut
But wasn't life more fun with less paperwork?!Quote:
Originally Posted by res
Absolutely, just been helping a friend work out a hazard list for a workshop that's part of a biz he's has bought (he knows nothing about that part of the operation) and it's making me very glad I'm out of that gameQuote:
Originally Posted by 223nut
Every year I put 5 year 7/8 kids through a hunting based mentor programme, they start with a. 22 and the progress to. 223, had them shooting clay targets at 200m with it. Come hunting day it will be the.284 but that won't know the difference with everything going on. Should be fun. Heading in Monday for 3 days hunting with them
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So how young is too young with girls?
Is 5 old enough for a savage rascal and shooting with dad?
I think so, yet to have the conversation with the other half though.
Thoughts?
I don't think gender really matters. A mate has twin girls and had them shooting with a different kids single shot before five-they love the time with dad and he is anal about safetyQuote:
Originally Posted by 300_BLK
My young fella was using my hi powered .177 air rifle to knock over the odd bunny when he was 5ish. He has had a few goes at targets with subs in a single shot .22 recently, just about to turn 6.
I go on a few tramps with him, mostly overnighters but we have done a few 3 day/night walks an I take a rifle if the area allows, We have only come across one animal as we don't tend to leave the track much just yet when we go out together.
I hunted alone with my little 20ga.. if things got slow i would shoot just the hear the gun go off. Very regretably i murdered song birds and the like........children IMHO should be highly supervised.Quote:
Originally Posted by res
I think it depends on the kid and circumstances.Quote:
Originally Posted by 300_BLK
My daughter was on at me from just after 3 to come shooting and she wanted a pink rascal. She got one for her 4 th Birthday. She listens really well, we have a good safe area to shoot in (just balloons and clays at the moment - in fact am trying to get there this afternoon, she's already asked)
My son is 6 and is interested in joing dad shooting possums and rabbits. At the moment he has come out with me a couple of times but has been limited to torch duties and retrieval. I keep reiterating the saftey rules that should be followed and why. Hopefully this willean they will become second nature.
I was sighting in a mates air rifle a little while ago and let him have a go with that but as mentioned it was far too big and heavy for him.
I am wanting to take him out and get him shooting some targets in the near future but at the moment his listening is terrible and often stops on the third or fourth time (an infuriating new development). So its no go until we knock that on the head as I cant be 100% sure.
I am too, I think you should be when they start, gotta keep it fun though. Regarding gender I have observed that some girls learn faster than boys, but I am also biased :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by res
Thats awesome @Beaker. I have taken both girls out with myself and Pop to shoot bunnies, they always wear earmuffs and get to carry the rabbits. I'm constantly getting asked if we can go again. Just need to find somewhere local to Palmy. The wee walks have been so successful that mum is into hunting now and last xmas I got her a T3 223 :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Beaker
Where is the best place to get the kids earmuffs? Bunnings / Mitre 10 Mega?
F
P.S Great thread! :D
When I started out there was very little shooting at a young age as my dad was too busy on the farm to go hunting, strange as that may seem. Our yearly big event was duck shooting. My earliest memories were of being in the maimai with my mum, fingers in my ears, watching the flame come out the barrels of her side by side. At the age of 9 I got my first Lab, and since I had him so well trained I used to get invited out hunting all around the district just because of him, even though I wasn't allowed to shoot shoot myself.
My dad was a Mountain Safety Council firearms officer so training was strict and by the book. We had a 4 year training program.
At age 13 we had our first season as a shooter using a single barrel 20g. We were only allowed to shoot from a maimai with dad in direct supervision in the same maimai.
At age 14 we were allowed to hunt from a maimai or shooting stand on our own, but only if my dad was also shooting on the pond. We were not allowed to walk and hunt [ie jump shoot].
At age 15 we were allowed to walk and hunt [jump shoot], provided it was with my dad or a licensed hunter that my dad approved of.
At age 16 we sat our license and were free to roam at will.
I taught my kids to shoot when they were an early 7 & 9 respectively.
We spent most of the first year shooting at the local DS range so they could get comfortable with their rifles and familiar with safety to the point its engraved into them.
I probably over done the range thing, as now they only want to go onto farms etc instead of an occasional plink at the range...
They are now 10 & 12 and still going strong.
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@300_BLK try amazon. I got 'mini' peltors, for a great price, and a bit sexist, but pink for the daughter and blue for the boy.
I'll have a look on the lappy tommorrow for the link.
I remember my dad letting me try his 303 when I was about 8 or 9. Not a peasant experience! I got my first air rifle at age 13, and my first 22 at 16. I started my daughter on my .22 air rifle when she was 8, but it was too long and heavy for her. She then tried my JW15S, and she has fallen in love with it. We go over the rules each time we go out to the range, and she is really good at calling "bolt open, mag out, chamber empty" each time she finishes a mag. I made a bunny shaped gong target, which she loves to make swing. Haven't found any hunting grounds just yet, but as soon as I do, we will be out there. I have suppressors on the 22's and she has cute pink earmuffs (grade 5) as well for when we shoot non subs.
My daughter (5) showed a bit of interest the other day when I was sighting in my night vision scope on my CO2 177 pistol. It isnt ideal the way it is set up (nothing like shooting a normal rifle or pistol as it has a detached screen) but she was pretty good about picking up the rules, safe direction, checking firing zone, finger on trigger only when ready to fire etc. I might get a stock for it and put a normal scope back on it, would be ideal for kids then. Its a Crosman 2240, which is essentially the same as the 2250.
