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Weapons progression should (almost) NEVER start nor gravitate toward your own interests (unless those interests are part of a graduated, incremental introduction emphasizing safety and marksmanship with each gun).
Mikej's approach of zero ammo at the start deserves great attention. I would only take issue with his choice toward handguns at the embryonic stage (granting a speculation that this was perhaps the end-goal of his pupils). Another aspect in his favor toward that choice is that he was dealing with adults.
Young people wanna shoot. Young people are impatient for instant results. Equipped with prior safety admonitions and strict supervision, I have found it is best to get them behind an accurate and safe gun as soon as possible. Progress from there with the "carrot" always being more shooting.
Here is a graduated list of guns that I have employed toward getting kids AND adults up to speed. I've spent a lot of time refining it and a lot of thought toward it, primarily because I was not subject to such a comprehensive progression: Poverty dictated that I was taken from BB gun to .22, and then thrown in to the cold deep pool of a steel buttplate .30-30 that hurt me worse than the back of Dad's hand. I shot that gun through a veil of tears more often than not.
1) Air rifle. (accurate and simple). The introductory workhorse here is a single shot Benjamin 342 .22 caliber. Flawlessly accurate, no recoil or report, simple and safe controls. Used car salesmen would call it "the draw": (sucks 'em right in to the whole concept while teaching what a good rifle is capable of).
2) SINGLE SHOT .22: Put the 10-22 in the back of the safe. We don't even want repeater function as a shiny object dangling in front of their face. The option of a second shot should be a closely guarded secret for now. This allows for "conference time" (safety, marksmanship) before allowing the "carrot" again. We are still choosing to learn iron sights as well.
3) Centerfire .22 of minimal or zero recoil (moderately loud report required). (Hornet or even the rimfire WMR is a good choice: .223's are much too loud at this stage). Good idea to stick with iron sights to begin with. This can be the transition gun to optics and a journey backward to the .22 Long Rifle (with scope) may be in order if marksmanship begins to suffer.
4) Centerfire .22 of modest recoil. Yes, you should wait all the way to here before a .223 is introduced. We are still WORLDS away from even considering a semi-auto. Single shot .223's being somewhat unusual, this gun (and the Step 3 gun) is probably a bolt action repeater, but the magazine remains unused until that first shot is delivered accurately every single time.
5) Light deer rifle (.243, .250 Savage, .257 Roberts). Choose a gun and caliber that CANNOT deliver discomfort to the shoulder or face. Low-recoil loads (factory or home brewed) are desirable. At this stage (or late in Step 4) "long range capability" (200yds is sufficient) will be another "draw". The look on a face that has just detonated a gallon water jug at 200 yards is priceless. Here we allow repeated play and we receive the repeated smiles and pride.
Of course in ALL cases, the gun is perfectly sighted prior to introduction. Sight adjustment procedures can be touched on during the process if refinement is necessary, but we want NO misses attributable to the gun. Fumbling with sights rates low on the fun scale.
Defense weapons (handguns, shotguns, semi-autos, etc.) need to wait until all this is learned. A progression of weapons there is also the best approach.
THIS is what I wish had been presented to me so many years ago. It is what I have presented to numerous pupils, and they have rapidly become very good and safe shots much quicker (and often better) than myself.
Mikej's approach of zero ammo at the start deserves great attention. I would only take issue with his choice toward handguns at the embryonic stage (granting a speculation that this was perhaps the end-goal of his pupils). Another aspect in his favor toward that choice is that he was dealing with adults.
Young people wanna shoot. Young people are impatient for instant results. Equipped with prior safety admonitions and strict supervision, I have found it is best to get them behind an accurate and safe gun as soon as possible. Progress from there with the "carrot" always being more shooting.
Here is a graduated list of guns that I have employed toward getting kids AND adults up to speed. I've spent a lot of time refining it and a lot of thought toward it, primarily because I was not subject to such a comprehensive progression: Poverty dictated that I was taken from BB gun to .22, and then thrown in to the cold deep pool of a steel buttplate .30-30 that hurt me worse than the back of Dad's hand. I shot that gun through a veil of tears more often than not.
1) Air rifle. (accurate and simple). The introductory workhorse here is a single shot Benjamin 342 .22 caliber. Flawlessly accurate, no recoil or report, simple and safe controls. Used car salesmen would call it "the draw": (sucks 'em right in to the whole concept while teaching what a good rifle is capable of).
2) SINGLE SHOT .22: Put the 10-22 in the back of the safe. We don't even want repeater function as a shiny object dangling in front of their face. The option of a second shot should be a closely guarded secret for now. This allows for "conference time" (safety, marksmanship) before allowing the "carrot" again. We are still choosing to learn iron sights as well.
3) Centerfire .22 of minimal or zero recoil (moderately loud report required). (Hornet or even the rimfire WMR is a good choice: .223's are much too loud at this stage). Good idea to stick with iron sights to begin with. This can be the transition gun to optics and a journey backward to the .22 Long Rifle (with scope) may be in order if marksmanship begins to suffer.
4) Centerfire .22 of modest recoil. Yes, you should wait all the way to here before a .223 is introduced. We are still WORLDS away from even considering a semi-auto. Single shot .223's being somewhat unusual, this gun (and the Step 3 gun) is probably a bolt action repeater, but the magazine remains unused until that first shot is delivered accurately every single time.
5) Light deer rifle (.243, .250 Savage, .257 Roberts). Choose a gun and caliber that CANNOT deliver discomfort to the shoulder or face. Low-recoil loads (factory or home brewed) are desirable. At this stage (or late in Step 4) "long range capability" (200yds is sufficient) will be another "draw". The look on a face that has just detonated a gallon water jug at 200 yards is priceless. Here we allow repeated play and we receive the repeated smiles and pride.
Of course in ALL cases, the gun is perfectly sighted prior to introduction. Sight adjustment procedures can be touched on during the process if refinement is necessary, but we want NO misses attributable to the gun. Fumbling with sights rates low on the fun scale.
Defense weapons (handguns, shotguns, semi-autos, etc.) need to wait until all this is learned. A progression of weapons there is also the best approach.
THIS is what I wish had been presented to me so many years ago. It is what I have presented to numerous pupils, and they have rapidly become very good and safe shots much quicker (and often better) than myself.
