10yr Old Shooting 1st time. Irons or Optic?
- Thread starter WNC Seabee
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benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
I vote let him use the red dot if he wants. Introduce irons, certainly, but there's no reason to make a kid use irons on his first trip to the range.
My wife and I went to the range with another couple some years ago, and the other woman had never fired a gun before. She fired various guns with irons and became very frustrated and obviously Not Having Fun. Someone let her borrow a .22 with a low-power scope and suddenly there was a big grin her face.
Some people start OK with irons. Some don't. I say, if a kid wants to shoot with a red dot, let him/her shoot with a red dot. There will be enough time in the years to come for him to become an expert with irons, but make sure it's fun, not "training," his first time out.
My wife and I went to the range with another couple some years ago, and the other woman had never fired a gun before. She fired various guns with irons and became very frustrated and obviously Not Having Fun. Someone let her borrow a .22 with a low-power scope and suddenly there was a big grin her face.
Some people start OK with irons. Some don't. I say, if a kid wants to shoot with a red dot, let him/her shoot with a red dot. There will be enough time in the years to come for him to become an expert with irons, but make sure it's fun, not "training," his first time out.
Not with unmagnified 1x optics. The movement is the same as with irons.
eatont9999
Member
My first shot was with irons. I would teach the basics first. Before he gets used to a scope, I would teach him how to mount one and sight it in.
JTW Jr.
Member
What if the rifle didn't come with irons ?
NotSoFast
Member
Use the Red Dot as incentive. When he showes you he is doing well with the iron sights, then he can use the red dot sights. I guarantee you he will work to excel at the iron sights, especially if he knows he gets to shoot with the red dot as much as he wants later.
JTW Jr.
Member
I have to disagree especially with kids , as there is no such thing as a guarantee , what may work for some , won't work for others. If the child starts to get discouraged , let them decide.
Or let them do both. Whatever it takes to keep them interested.
Some kids will enjoy shooting paper , others want reactionary targets , mix it up , keep it interesting .
RockyMtnTactical
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For introduction into shooting, I would have to advocate iron sights. I am a big fan of optics, but iron sights are the basics and I believe we should all be able to use them.
Okay, time for my 2 cents...My first shooting experience was with my fathers 10/22 Ruger (iron sights) and my uncle had his 10/22 with a scope. After shooting with iron sights I shot with the scope and had fun with both. Then grandpa pulled out the 12 gauge pump and a couple of cases of clay pigeons. I have still never come close to having as much fun doing anything as I did that day. I didn't hit alot with the rifles but knocked 90% of those pigeons out of the air (thrown straight infront of me of course). I am currently teaching my 7 yo daughter with iron sights on the same .22 I first shot.
Long story short, keep it safe and keep it fun while attempting to make it educational.
Long story short, keep it safe and keep it fun while attempting to make it educational.
Creature
Member
The same reason that when a boy is learning carpentry, he learns how to use the hand saw before he learns how to use the table saw or the band saw. Its all about learning the wood and how the tool must interact with it...
Or, in this case, learning the iron.
JesseL
Member
Creature said:
I always figured that starting a kid off with a handsaw was to make it harder for him to cut his fingers off.
And what in the world is "learning the iron"?
Sounds a little too mystial for me.
Creature
Member
As well it should...
Seriously, what I meant is that teaching a kid how to sight a gun using basic iron sights is much the same as learning how to saw wood with a hand saw. You have to use more of your senses...to feel how the saw is cutting. In the case of the rifle, it is how the rifle moves and the relationship of the front sight and the rear sight and the processes of sight alignment on the target. It is as basic as it gets.
Seriously, what I meant is that teaching a kid how to sight a gun using basic iron sights is much the same as learning how to saw wood with a hand saw. You have to use more of your senses...to feel how the saw is cutting. In the case of the rifle, it is how the rifle moves and the relationship of the front sight and the rear sight and the processes of sight alignment on the target. It is as basic as it gets.
Joe Demko
Member
The intricacies of iron sight alignment only apply to iron sight alignment. There is no transfer of that particular skill set to use of a scope or a dot sight. The other skills involved in marksmanship apply regardless of what type of sights the shooter is using. A shooter can just as easily begin with an optical sight and learn the use of irons later as vice versa.
Yeah, that happens to me six or seven times a year. We haven't been talking about a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Uzbekistan to hunt the elusive albino naked molegoat. We're talking about taking a kid to the range for the first time and instilling an interest in shooting.
Dr.Mall Ninja
Member
whatever he wants to do, let him enjoy it
sarduy
Member
+1
but first expain to him WHY he need to learn with irons, for example, what happen if you run out of battery? or your reddot got broken?
1. irons
2. reddots
3. scopes
ETA: at the same time he want to have fun, as we all do, so just bring the optic and let him use it after a few irons shots
S&WKING
Member
what do u want him to shoot the rest of his life? the first gun i shot was a 10/22 it had a scop and ive now had 5 rifles and they all have scopes and i dont think id ever have a gun without a scope except the 45/70 i shoot in lever
Thernlund
Member
I'm not sure you guys noticed... the OP already had the range trip and the kid liked irons anyway. So it's now a non-issue.
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