Teaching kids to shoot.

nosajnh

FNG
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Feb 8, 2023
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The biggest thing is a gun that fits. If the stock is too long or the gun too heavy they will have to overcome all of that before they can concentrate on sight picture and squeezing the trigger.
 
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grfox92

grfox92

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The biggest thing is a gun that fits. If the stock is too long or the gun too heavy they will have to overcome all of that before they can concentrate on sight picture and squeezing the trigger.
That's why we are stuck on the bb gun until I get the Magpul stock for the 10/22. He has shot the 10/22 off a bench, but it's way too long as is.

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nosajnh

FNG
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Feb 8, 2023
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If you can swing it, get a cricket until he grows into the 10/22. My kids shot the cricket squirrel hunting from 6 until around 10 when they could handle the 10/22 easily. You will not have a problem selling the cricket when you are done. We also bought the mount and scope for the cricket.
 

ghott

Lil-Rokslider
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Apr 25, 2020
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114
Having the same issue with my 6 year old son and getting him to learn iron sights on the BB gun. Is there a decent video or drawing that anyone has found that helps teach kids how to line them up? I’ve tried talking him thru it several times but it just doesn’t seem to register
 

nosajnh

FNG
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Feb 8, 2023
Messages
70
Having the same issue with my 6 year old son and getting him to learn iron sights on the BB gun. Is there a decent video or drawing that anyone has found that helps teach kids how to line them up? I’ve tried talking him thru it several times but it just doesn’t seem to register
Keep it fun so he wants to keep doing wether he is hitting or not and one day it will click.
 
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grfox92

grfox92

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Shout out to WKR @BLJ sent me a PM and offered me a carbine style stock for my 10/22. When it gets here next week I'll mount it with a red dot and update the thread.



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Jyaug12

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Apr 5, 2023
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I have taught all of my kids with the red Ryder BB gun then stepped them to a savage rascal using the iron sights. I found painting the front sight with a paint pen helped them. Brightened the front sight up.
 
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I’m in my lower thirties now but I can still remember shooting a red ryder BB gun at pop cans as a little kid. My brother and I loved it.
 
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grfox92

grfox92

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I’m in my lower thirties now but I can still remember shooting a red ryder BB gun at pop cans as a little kid. My brother and I loved it.
Mine shot slightly left, but I could arc them into a soda can and compensate at almost any range.

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Lou270

Lil-Rokslider
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Jun 5, 2022
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184
I started my kids out with a peep both rimfire and centerfire. Then moved to reddot and finally scope. Worked very well. Most youth guns are still long for very young kids but depends how big. I started my on a cricket 22. Little bugger very accurate and tiny. For
Centerfire i used a 243 encore and bough a second stock and cut it way down and put on slip on limbsaver and used reduced recoil loads. As got older swapped to regular stock and full power 243 loads. Point is LOP is tough. For shotguns mossberg makes a bantam mini that is also very small and pump so no problem with low recoil ammo

Lou
 

SloppyJ

WKR
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Feb 24, 2023
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Great thread as my son really wants to go shoot with me and he is starting to work on his red ryder at age 5. Everything just seems so heavy and disproportionate for him. I'm going to look into the cricket and a red dot.
 

NRA4LIFE

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Nov 20, 2016
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washington
My wife bought me a Bug-A-Salt as a gag gift for my birthday last year (59 yo). If I'd had that thing when I was 8, I would have learned a bit. I think those damned flies are jumping the string or something.

One thing I am glad was my dad started me on .22 LR and .410. Had I touched off a 30-06 or 12 ga at 8 or 9 I may have not liked that too much.
 

BLJ

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Not to go nanny on you guys, but when my boy shoots the BB gun he ALWAYS has on safety glasses. Just a heads up regarding ricochets. I know probably low odds but it only takes one.
 

nosajnh

FNG
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Feb 8, 2023
Messages
70
Not to vear too off topic however when my kids were getting there start with shotguns I found the escort semi autos were the best for reduced recoil, adjustable length of pull and barrel length. We also had a mossberg bantam 410 pump but sold it because it had more recoil than the gas operated 20 semi auto.20170513_063045.jpg
 

9.1

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May 27, 2021
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I've been really happy with a CMP daisy 853 air rifle for getting my son into shooting. The peep/globe sights are super easy to learn. Lead pellets reduce the risk of a ricochet, and the thing is really accurate. We've been shooting hard candy from our easter egg hunts today to see the explosions. We also have a full set of air rifle silhouette targets that are really fun to shoot.
 
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Nov 1, 2019
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For those looking at a cricket of you if you can spring for the cz 457 it is a much better choice. Can get mags and turn them into single shot, can find replacement stocks, run a can on it. And it has a decent trigger. Both my kids used that as their starter and at least 250 boy scouts have used it over the years of me running range days.
 

seand

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Sep 22, 2012
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Tigard, Oregon
Start him off with a red dot, or if irons, peep sights. He can learn the other sights later. Red dots make it super easy for kids and they can spend their time getting better at shooting
 

Marbles

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Great thread as my son really wants to go shoot with me and he is starting to work on his red ryder at age 5. Everything just seems so heavy and disproportionate for him. I'm going to look into the cricket and a red dot.
Look at a Savage Rascal. I looked at both, the Savage is a much nicer gun. I thing the pull to cock on the Cricket is obnoxious. The Rascal works just like a full sized gun.

For the record, the Rascal is the only Savage I own. In general, I don't care for Savages, which is why I looked at the Cricket first.
 
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