270WSMANIC
Member
When my boys got their first bb guns some 25 yrs ago. I started to try to think of effective ways to train them. First and foremost is the gun loaded. Yes till YOU verify other wise. I might then carry the gun into another room out of their sight then return, same question is it unloaded or not? Of course the response I got was yes ( dummy )I just checked it a moment ago its unloaded. Me, how do you know I didn't load it while in the other room, the look I got told me they got the point; and from then on the answer I always got was yes.
Kids are easily distracted, to promote safe gun handling used something they were familiar with, This was in the days of STAR WARS. If y'all remember the light coming out of DARTH VADERS weapon would cut/kill anything it touched. I used the same principle to apply to the gun barrel, always on, death ray always there loaded or not. One exception when cleaning or working on a gun its impossible to not get in front of the barrel so, verify unloaded, disable gun as much as possible (remove bolt etc). Remember if you turn your back for a bit the gun is considered loaded again till verified unloaded again. I then went into the yard with toy guns, yes me too and started walking around with them; watching their barrel position out of the corner of my eye. Now and then I would step in front of them while walking and they would fail to shift the barrel away from me. When I got on them about that their answer? But you got in front of my barrel I didn't point it at you. My answer of course, you are the one who controls the gun, your job to reposition to a safe position. Then I got creative, while pretending to get distracted I let my toy gun barrel point at both of them as I turned around. They told me about it real quick. I knew they were well on their way to safe gun handling, And I saw very little need to correct them after that.
As they got a bit older and started hunting with me the safe gun handling had become second nature.
I had one more thing I wanted them to consider. When hunting in the company of others, if you slip and fall on one of our WV hills (happens a lot especially to kids) where is the barrel going to be pointing? That’s right who the Hell knows. Answer, highly consider not chambering a round in this situation. Neither they not I ever chamber a round unless on stand or hunting alone with good footing. Further more I don't think we have ever lost a shot at game because of the second or so and slight noise of closing a bolt.
Now all that said, I make no claim of being an expert firearms safety instructor. What I do know is that it worked very well for me and my sons. Maybe some of y'all can use it too.
Kids are easily distracted, to promote safe gun handling used something they were familiar with, This was in the days of STAR WARS. If y'all remember the light coming out of DARTH VADERS weapon would cut/kill anything it touched. I used the same principle to apply to the gun barrel, always on, death ray always there loaded or not. One exception when cleaning or working on a gun its impossible to not get in front of the barrel so, verify unloaded, disable gun as much as possible (remove bolt etc). Remember if you turn your back for a bit the gun is considered loaded again till verified unloaded again. I then went into the yard with toy guns, yes me too and started walking around with them; watching their barrel position out of the corner of my eye. Now and then I would step in front of them while walking and they would fail to shift the barrel away from me. When I got on them about that their answer? But you got in front of my barrel I didn't point it at you. My answer of course, you are the one who controls the gun, your job to reposition to a safe position. Then I got creative, while pretending to get distracted I let my toy gun barrel point at both of them as I turned around. They told me about it real quick. I knew they were well on their way to safe gun handling, And I saw very little need to correct them after that.
As they got a bit older and started hunting with me the safe gun handling had become second nature.
I had one more thing I wanted them to consider. When hunting in the company of others, if you slip and fall on one of our WV hills (happens a lot especially to kids) where is the barrel going to be pointing? That’s right who the Hell knows. Answer, highly consider not chambering a round in this situation. Neither they not I ever chamber a round unless on stand or hunting alone with good footing. Further more I don't think we have ever lost a shot at game because of the second or so and slight noise of closing a bolt.
Now all that said, I make no claim of being an expert firearms safety instructor. What I do know is that it worked very well for me and my sons. Maybe some of y'all can use it too.
