Teaching younger kids to shoot, what to start out with?

[308]

This is the Mossberg my grandfather gave me 51 years ago when I was 9

My 9yr old grandson now shoots it. He prefers the bolt action and 8rnd mag over the 10/22...in fact he won't even shoot the 10/22 when asked.

Funny how time goes by. I used to lay prone and shoot bottle caps at 25 yards as a kid. Now he's doing similar things.

 

[ThePhonMan]

When my friend and I decided to teach his son, age 6, to shoot a few years ago, I bought him a Savage Rascal, single shot 22. Another friend, who is a NRA shooting instructor, mentioned that the Cricket requires the trigger to be pulled after the safety is on if you want to unload a loaded chamber. That seemed like teaching a really bad habit so I went with the Rascal.

It's small enough to feel right for the kid and isn't intimidating. Naturally, his dad wanted him to transition from the 22 to his AR in one session and that didn't go well. Put the boy off on trying new guns for over a year.

About a year later, I transitioned him to a 22 revolver, then a .357 loaded with very light 38 specials. That went much better.

4+ years later, he's a machine at shooting anything other than 12 gauge. He like my Benelli M4 due to the lower recoil but it's too heavy for an 11 year old to shoot a lot.

YMMV

 

[teflon6string]

Ancient .22s handed down as family heirlooms are wonderful first weapons. The more primitive the better as long as they are well-made, safe and functional.

Single-shot bolt action and rolling block plinkers actually enable young shooters to think for a full second or more between shots, analyze what just happened, consider refinement and maybe receive a word or two of constructive advice/encouragement from a competent safety-minded mentor/instructor.

In a world full of semi- and full-auto electronic toys, gadgets and video games, including battery-powered, magazine-fed nerfs (which are fun as hell by the way), few things that kids (and adults) use these days will allow even a single crucial moment to reflect.

 

[teflon6string]

This is the Mossberg my grandfather gave me 51 years ago when I was 9

My 9yr old grandson now shoots it. He prefers the bolt action and 8rnd mag over the 10/22...in fact he won't even shoot the 10/22 when asked.

Funny how time goes by. I used to lay prone and shoot bottle caps at 25 yards as a kid. Now he's doing similar things.

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+100
I wish I could click some extra likes.
Both my boys have been soldiers and fired everything most people can imagine. They still love the simple single-shot .22s they started with as kids.