Developing kids into shooters

[PennDude]

My two oldest are 8 and 7. I think they'll be mature enough to hunt this coming fall. In preparation, we've started to go to the range. They're shooting a Savage Rascal .22lr and a Ruger 10/22. All we've done so far is shoot at a steel flipper target, which they enjoy. They're shooting from a bench as well as from a Bog Pod. We're going to work on shooting in different positions throughout the year and eventually transition into a Ruger American 2 5.56 w/suppressor.

I'm looking for tips on how to keep this fun and interesting for them. They have really been enjoying the couple trips we've made to the range. I don't want them to see this become mundane for them by only shooting at the same target.

 

[TaperPin]

Kids are such individuals it’s hard to say what will be a mental reward, but kids enjoy doing things when they have food in the stomaches, aren’t too cold or hot, and aren’t tired out. Snacks and drinks are nice. Bring jerky and favorite chips just like someone might take fishing.

Adding a spotting scope lets someone not shooting enjoy watching where the bullet lands on paper targets. As you know, some kids thrive on competition and others steer clear of it.

Googling “crossman paper targets” or anything related to BB guns and air rifles will turn up all sorts of animals, bugs, zombies, African animals, fish, birds, biplanes, trucks, board games, dart board games, silhouettes of all shapes, and some ideas for homemade paper targets that can be made at home. Kids love cutting out shapes or photos from magazines and gluing things together. Maybe making targets is a fun activity before heading to the range.

One kid may love doing nothing but hitting that one plate, another wants a target that is scored every time, and another gets a kick out of a slew of paper targets that looks more like something out of a Hickok45 shooting gallery.

Don’t forget to celebrate as they get better, or have an extra good day at the range - however your family celebrates things.

 

[Montucky]

Shooting Baloons….
My kids Love shooting those big whitetail buck paper targets….
As they get older steel long range builds so much confidence

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Any kind of target that reacts. Foam bouncing or my kids favorite was a warm soda, eggs, water filled empty can etc.

 

[wesfromky]

My two oldest are 8 and 7. I think they'll be mature enough to hunt this coming fall. In preparation, we've started to go to the range. They're shooting a Savage Rascal .22lr and a Ruger 10/22. All we've done so far is shoot at a steel flipper target, which they enjoy. They're shooting from a bench as well as from a Bog Pod. We're going to work on shooting in different positions throughout the year and eventually transition into a Ruger American 2 5.56 w/suppressor.

I'm looking for tips on how to keep this fun and interesting for them. They have really been enjoying the couple trips we've made to the range. I don't want them to see this become mundane for them by only shooting at the same target.

If you haven't already, this thread seems to be pretty good.

Kids rifle manifesto

I've chimed in on so many different "what rifle for my age XX kid?" threads that I thought I'd try to consolidate my thoughts here. My oldest son is 14 now, started shooting centerfire rifles at 9. My younger kids started shooting centerfire rifles at between 5-7 yrs old. 5 kids shooting now...

rokslide.com

 

[ddowning]

My kids learned to shoot shooting nrl style 22 matches. We practiced a ton on the backyard range. At first, my hand never left the gun. I dialed elevation and windage and helped them build positions. They did the aiming, breathing, trigger squeezing, and ran the bolt. As they got older they learned how to do more and more without help. When they started the youngest was 4 and the oldest was 7. They are now 9 and 13. The 13 year old has placed top ten overall (not just youth category) in several local matches.

The story of getting to this point could be greatly expanded, but it has been a very rewarding tool to teach my kids about the rewards of hard work, how nearly everything in life is a competition, and to just get to spend time with them. Let's face it, whether we are competing for a job, a spouse, a trophy, or our pride, there are a lot of areas in life where success requires us to win an informal competition.

 

[CMF]

We shoot at deer and elk targets, usually some beer cans, sometimes steel. We've done resetting flip up steel targets. There are some "bleeding" big game targets. Tannerite inside leftover halloween pumpkins is sure to keep them interested.
We didn't go often enough for it to become mundane. Usually just a midday time killer at deer camp
Two of mine only shot the 22 until they pulled the trigger on their first deer at 8yo with 243/270. My youngest did practice shooting with his 243 before killing a deer.
I probably would have started them sooner with bigger calibers if we had suppressed rifles and more time to shoot at further distances. We had less than 100yds at deer camp and not much more other places.
Working in NM now, we've made it out to the BLM the last two weekends to shoot out to 200+.
My 14/16yo now have both killed elk with muzzy and my 11yo got a cow elk this year with a braked 300 win mag shooting 130grn barnes reduced recoil.

 

[roadrunner]

Any kind of target that reacts. Foam bouncing or my kids favorite was a warm soda, eggs, water filled empty can etc.

1 gallon jugs filled with water work well also, especially for expanding/high fragmenting bullets in calibers of .223 and up.

 

[Luked]

I have 2 kids. My oldest is my son at 16. He has zero interest in hunting or guns.
My youngest is my daughter at 11.
She wants to do everything. She wanted to deer hunt this year. So I built her a 300 Blk in an Ar15 for her deer rifle.
She loves the thing. One thing i did with her to just shoot and have fun is to fill alum cans with water. You hit them they explode.
With kids I think you have to start them out with something fun.....who doesn't like to see stuff blow up right.

 

[Caseknife]

1 gallon jugs filled with water work well also, especially for expanding/high fragmenting bullets in calibers of .223 and up.

With dye in the water, preferably that bad red #3.

Also make sure you make time to police the range for brass and blown up targets.

 

[Marshfly]

Get a dueling tree. Let them compete. First with no steel on their side wins.

Other than that we go up high in the mountains and shoot cross canyon at rocks and stuff.

 

[zrodwyo]

Red Ryder BB gun.

I’ve been walking around shooting grasshoppers since I was 5 years old. Now my 7 and 5 year olds walk around shooting grasshoppers. My kids were raised hunting, and nothing gets them excited like heading off on their own armed with a BB gun.

As an added benefit, this year I started by 7 year old on a “real rifle”. It took him all of 30 seconds to get the hang of shouldering it and acquiring his target through the scope. Shooting grasshoppers all day just teaches you something you cannot learn at the range.