Took my kids to the range for the first time today

[Deleted member 66305]

I took my girls (9, and almost 7) to an outdoor range today to shoot the Ruger 10/22.

I decided to let both of them try it.

They LOVED it, and want to know when they can go back.

The guy next to us was shooting an AR-15, and offered to let my older try it. She accepted, and squeezed off a couple rounds. She later said she preferred the .22.

I'll have to get an AR so we can work on that.

http://www.break.com/index/quality-time-with-the-kids.html

 

[thumbody]

Glad they enjoyed it! I started mine out around that age too.
Mine liked shooting paper but they LOVED shooting cans and other reactive targets.

 

[Deleted member 66305]

I neglected to bring a pair of binoculars this time, so we couldn't see how we were doing.

Next time...

 

[El Tejon]

Well, maybe Mom can buy Dad a good spotting scope . . . for the children, of course.

Good for you, AB. Each one, teach one.

 

[Deleted member 66305]

Oh, the mom (my ex-wife) is a Brady Bunch, Obama-supporting, Million-Mom-March, knee-jerk gun-grabber.

Or at least, she used to be.

She's still not entirely comfortable with this, but neither is she particularly out-of-joint, and I just might be successful getting her to the range one of these days.

 

[Werewolf]

I neglected to bring a pair of binoculars this time, so we couldn't see how we were doing.

Next time...

For kids that age...

Balloons are the way to go. Instant feed back for them and they love seeing them pop. You can move the target board with balloons attached progressively further away to a point where they aren't hitting every time. That way they'll get better.

Another trick I've used with my grandkids is to blow just one up about half the size of all the rest. I call it the challenge balloon. The kid has to call it and if they hit it on the next shot they get some special reward. My granddaughter loves that part of the shooting game. She usually picks adding an hour to the day - grandsons usually want ice cream or something (<shrug> go figure).

Shoot 'n See targets are OK but after a few hits it is often difficult for a child (heck it's hard for an adult) to tell if and where the last shot hit, plus it's not as much fun as baloons.

Come to think of it, I've put 12 balloons up, 3 to a row and 4 rows and try to pop 'em all as fast as I can with a 22 pistol. Lots'a fun for the adults and my grandkids think it's really cool when paw paw get's em all, one shot per and faster than they can count to 12 themselves.

 

[CAPTAIN MIKE]

Good For You

Boht my children have learned how to shoot - with safety first - from the time they were about five. We started with the Rogue River Rifle .22 that is built with smaller kids and short arms in mind. We gradually worked our way up over the years, and my kids are proficient and safe with their firearms.

Too many kids today are taught at home that guns in an of themselves are 'evil' and that people who own firearms are bad. They are wrong taught that guns "go off by themselves" and that's why are therer so many kids hurt. They overlook the fact that most of the children killed with firearms are teens shot on purpose by fellow gang members and tykes who happened to be playing in their own front yard when the drive-by happened.

The incidents of children outside of the gang world accidentally killed by firearms relate to the negligence of their parents who left access to the gun available to the kids without adult supervision.

Good for you for introducing your children to the safe use of the firearm as a tool. I hope you will take them hunting at least twice every year while they grow up, and that they will long remember as adults the fun they had camping, fishing and shooting with their Dad.

 

[BruceRDucer]

I took my girls (9, and almost 7) to an outdoor range today to shoot the Ruger 10/22.--ArrogantBastard

You had a wonderful outcome. Soon, they'll be wanting their very own guns. This is a very cheery story.

 

[Rosstradamus]

Soon, they'll be wanting their very own guns.

AB, you'll have to start a college fund and an ammo fund.

 

[halfbreed808]

Alright, good read made me smile. Have fun.

 

[scrat]

Too Bad About the mom but im glad to hear you took them to the range and had a good time

 

[springmom]

I've said it before: we need an applause smiley! Well done!!!!!!! Two more lifelong shooters in the making. Good work, dad

Springmom