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I started with a .22 revolver at age 3, single shot .22 rifle age 4, and single shot 28 ga at 5.
I assist with kids as young as age 3 with a single shot .22 rifle and .22 revolver.
It depends on each kid and their level of maturity and physical size and dexterity.
i.e. We will take a old wooden busted stock, say from a 10/22 or Marlin 60 and make it "kids size" and take a piece of PVC pipe and make a "barrel".
This is a real gun, not a toy!
WE can leave that gun behind the back door, just like it was done when I was coming up, and other kids like me were raised.
The kid has a chore to sweep that floor and they will stop, not touch, get an adult to move that gun so they can sweep.
This how I, and others were parented and mentored.
Take that same gun, move it to the bathroom, and that same kid will enter that bathroom, come right back out and again, stop, not touch, and get an adult.
This gun, is used under supervision to let that kid handle that gun.
"Bring me your gun" we can ask, and that kid will practice safe gun handling as they were taught to do.
They use this to practice mounting a .22 rifle and all that goes with shooting one.
Shotguns as well. I take a mat, and do foot prints their feet go onto for foot postition, and that kid will crack that knee and practice mounting that gun to face, swinging it, slapping trigger and moving through the target.
--
Safety is paramount!
The kid has to know they are going to be safe, and have fun!
The parent, or adult has to know what is going on with a kid, so a buddy system is always best - one kid, one adult.
Ammo count, it is real important to know how many live rounds there are, and how many are fired.
I and mine do not want a missing round, so we do as was done when I was a wee brat.
Single shot rifles, mean one ctg, one spent ctg.
So a wooden block, or take a CCI plastic container.
Two sides, different colors on the wood , and we paint the CCI plastic.
i.e Ten .22 ctgs are put on one side, and when spent ctg is removed, it goes onto the other side.
This is not just for the kid, this is for ME, or any adult.
I want to have all ctgs accounted for.
The kid learns how important safety is.
Not just counting ctgs, also looking into that chamber, and sticking a finger in that rifle.
Revolvers are the other great teaching tool.
The J frame size .22 fits smaller hands, and easy to count rounds, and see condition of gun, and I /we can as well.
Instilling the correct basic fundamentals of handguns, such as trigger, sights and all is real important.
So I /we will take a centerfire, say a Model 10, that is just like a Model 18 that kid can shoot.
Model 10 we can dryfire, and put a dime on the barrel and let the kid run the cylinder with out the dime falling off.
When they shoot a Model 18, this practice shows!
I like to break it down to the most simple, as it is proven to me, and others, all this transitions to other guns, other platforms and everything.
I can set a shotgun barrel , no gun, just the barrel behind a door and a kid will come get me or and adult.
I/we will hear them say "stop!" and here they come to get us.
I /we can leave a 1911 barrel by itself and a kid will climb up to color a coloring book, and "stop!", hop back down for me or someone to remove that barrel.
The safest gun, is the Rem Nylon 66 that is butt fed.
Muzzle is downrange when loading, and unloading, fingers /hands never get near muzzle.
Browning Automatic is another, just most kids fingers and hands do better with the Rem ...
Marlin 60 we use for the bigger kids, they don't have to load them mags.
I deal with some adults that have arthritis as well and the Marlin 60 is easier for them to use, so some kids, parents and grandparents use this gun after getting the basics from a single shot.
I use the Marlin 60 when I am not shooting a single shot.
The H&R break top .22 revolvers fit small hands, and can be found for a good price, so these work great for kids, plus it is neat the way it breaks open, easy to see it is safe, load and all as well.
I assist with kids as young as age 3 with a single shot .22 rifle and .22 revolver.
It depends on each kid and their level of maturity and physical size and dexterity.
i.e. We will take a old wooden busted stock, say from a 10/22 or Marlin 60 and make it "kids size" and take a piece of PVC pipe and make a "barrel".
This is a real gun, not a toy!
WE can leave that gun behind the back door, just like it was done when I was coming up, and other kids like me were raised.
The kid has a chore to sweep that floor and they will stop, not touch, get an adult to move that gun so they can sweep.
This how I, and others were parented and mentored.
Take that same gun, move it to the bathroom, and that same kid will enter that bathroom, come right back out and again, stop, not touch, and get an adult.
This gun, is used under supervision to let that kid handle that gun.
"Bring me your gun" we can ask, and that kid will practice safe gun handling as they were taught to do.
They use this to practice mounting a .22 rifle and all that goes with shooting one.
Shotguns as well. I take a mat, and do foot prints their feet go onto for foot postition, and that kid will crack that knee and practice mounting that gun to face, swinging it, slapping trigger and moving through the target.
--
Safety is paramount!
The kid has to know they are going to be safe, and have fun!
The parent, or adult has to know what is going on with a kid, so a buddy system is always best - one kid, one adult.
Ammo count, it is real important to know how many live rounds there are, and how many are fired.
I and mine do not want a missing round, so we do as was done when I was a wee brat.
Single shot rifles, mean one ctg, one spent ctg.
So a wooden block, or take a CCI plastic container.
Two sides, different colors on the wood , and we paint the CCI plastic.
i.e Ten .22 ctgs are put on one side, and when spent ctg is removed, it goes onto the other side.
This is not just for the kid, this is for ME, or any adult.
I want to have all ctgs accounted for.
The kid learns how important safety is.
Not just counting ctgs, also looking into that chamber, and sticking a finger in that rifle.
Revolvers are the other great teaching tool.
The J frame size .22 fits smaller hands, and easy to count rounds, and see condition of gun, and I /we can as well.
Instilling the correct basic fundamentals of handguns, such as trigger, sights and all is real important.
So I /we will take a centerfire, say a Model 10, that is just like a Model 18 that kid can shoot.
Model 10 we can dryfire, and put a dime on the barrel and let the kid run the cylinder with out the dime falling off.
When they shoot a Model 18, this practice shows!
I like to break it down to the most simple, as it is proven to me, and others, all this transitions to other guns, other platforms and everything.
I can set a shotgun barrel , no gun, just the barrel behind a door and a kid will come get me or and adult.
I/we will hear them say "stop!" and here they come to get us.
I /we can leave a 1911 barrel by itself and a kid will climb up to color a coloring book, and "stop!", hop back down for me or someone to remove that barrel.
The safest gun, is the Rem Nylon 66 that is butt fed.
Muzzle is downrange when loading, and unloading, fingers /hands never get near muzzle.
Browning Automatic is another, just most kids fingers and hands do better with the Rem ...
Marlin 60 we use for the bigger kids, they don't have to load them mags.
I deal with some adults that have arthritis as well and the Marlin 60 is easier for them to use, so some kids, parents and grandparents use this gun after getting the basics from a single shot.
I use the Marlin 60 when I am not shooting a single shot.
The H&R break top .22 revolvers fit small hands, and can be found for a good price, so these work great for kids, plus it is neat the way it breaks open, easy to see it is safe, load and all as well.
Check out a Henry Mini-Bolt. Single shot, bolt action .22, stainless with synthetic stock and Williams Fire Sights (fiber optic). got one for my 6yo and it's perfect size for him, and i can actually plink ground squirrels and gophers with it too.
10/22 is a great rifle for kids if it fits them ok. Most kids at the appleseed shoot found the factory stocks to be too long (my 12 year old included). You may have to shorten the stock or convert it to a tapco or something similar.
The cricket was an excellent starter rifle for my 7 year old (now 8). I prefer single shot until I'm confident that the rules of gun handling have been mastered.
The cricket was an excellent starter rifle for my 7 year old (now 8). I prefer single shot until I'm confident that the rules of gun handling have been mastered.
atomemphis
Member
I also learned on a 10/22, and its still one of my favorite guns.
berettashotgun
Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
- Messages
- 1,149
"velobard wrote
Just my personal thoughts on starting with a single-shot bolt action vs a semi-auto. If you're worried about kids getting carried away, or double-pulling because they're startled by the first shot (you can hardly call it bump firing on a 22), then just load one round at a time. You can start by teaching them how to load directly into the chamber, then teach them how the action works by loading one at a time into the mag. If you take these simple precautions I don't picture it being a safety issue to start with a semi-auto."
I fell over when I started thinking about what you just put out there....
My Dad never worried, my back pockets hurt if I " got carried away"
I received a Marlin 351ca for my 4th Christmas- still right here beside me.Never remember having any troubles with it,
Got a crossman 760 for my 6th Christmas, which WILL shoot thru some new wafflestompers and into a 6 1/2 year old foot - but not exit, just ask my older brother, I still got the scar
but quickly graduated to a Sheridan - still have it . I spent all my free summer days shooting locusts from the elm trees with my best friend Timmy West. good times. He was an excellent shot.
Had VERY formal instruction from a coupla' MARINES while I was growing up, my Dad and Grandpa- had M1 thumbs at 5.
As far as when and what to decide on......, my kids learned on a 22/45 pistol and a ruger 10/22. AVOID 12ga shotguns for practice 28ga is the way to go in a single shot
They have developed pricey tastes now, Beretta shotguns and Ruger #1 rifles.
Just don't spoil them - too much.
Just my personal thoughts on starting with a single-shot bolt action vs a semi-auto. If you're worried about kids getting carried away, or double-pulling because they're startled by the first shot (you can hardly call it bump firing on a 22), then just load one round at a time. You can start by teaching them how to load directly into the chamber, then teach them how the action works by loading one at a time into the mag. If you take these simple precautions I don't picture it being a safety issue to start with a semi-auto."
I fell over when I started thinking about what you just put out there....
My Dad never worried, my back pockets hurt if I " got carried away"
I received a Marlin 351ca for my 4th Christmas- still right here beside me.Never remember having any troubles with it,
Got a crossman 760 for my 6th Christmas, which WILL shoot thru some new wafflestompers and into a 6 1/2 year old foot - but not exit, just ask my older brother, I still got the scar
but quickly graduated to a Sheridan - still have it . I spent all my free summer days shooting locusts from the elm trees with my best friend Timmy West. good times. He was an excellent shot.Had VERY formal instruction from a coupla' MARINES while I was growing up, my Dad and Grandpa- had M1 thumbs at 5.
As far as when and what to decide on......, my kids learned on a 22/45 pistol and a ruger 10/22. AVOID 12ga shotguns for practice 28ga is the way to go in a single shot
They have developed pricey tastes now, Beretta shotguns and Ruger #1 rifles.
Just don't spoil them - too much.
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