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Teaching your kids to shoot.

I've taken my kids to Kittery Trading Post in Maine which has a giant section of firearms with the long guns and accessories in isles. My 8yo at the time reached for a blue rubber gun that was being used as a prop for some holster brand and my 10yo pushed his hand away scolding him that just because it looks fake doesn't mean it's fake. I was proud of him for stopping his brother because this is something I engrain in my kids with of all the different color options out there of real firearms.
 
^ SUPERB!!!!!!

Big-bro gets my props. That's a GREAT catch.

It's actually one that gets a lot of kids who otherwise do very well: the colors and sometimes crazy shapes distorts in their minds that definition of "firearm," and they unwittingly fall victim.

The dangers of guns that "don't look like guns" is often lost on younger or less mature children. Even children who have been properly educated in gun-safety can have issues with this one.

In their unformed minds, if a working firearm doesn't actually "look like a gun," then it may be reasoned to be a "toy gun." And what's interesting about this is not just that the gun has to look like a toy, but that various brightly colored finishes, such as the Sig P238 "Titanium Rainbow" or the Keystone Crickett .22LR rifle's "Red, White,and Blue" laminate stock can be perceived as a toy.

This was shocking to me as a gun-owning parent, and when I saw the following show I immediately sat down with my daughter to talk about this, to help her avoid this pitfall.


Start at time-point 26:36, and play it until 31:18.

This show is actually a decent watch all-around, and I'd actually encourage all parents (gun-owning or not) to give this a watch. Some may even choose to watch with their kids - as I did - and discuss the issues presented as the show progresses (I'd recommend that the responsible adults pre-view the entirety of the show, though, as there are some segments which may be upsetting).

For once, it's a fair look....which is why - I believe - this documentary never really caught fire in popular mainstream media.
 
I had taken my son with me hunting dove when he was four About 3 time a year. At age 6 he wanted a BB gun so I said we can get a 22lr because if he is going to shoot a gun he has to be with me so why not a 22lr. I got him a Rossi 22lr and a 410. After teaching him to shoot the 22lr he wanted to dove hunt with the 410.Some of the best times of my life was hunting with him for the next 12 years.
 
TSiWRX said:
^ SUPERB!!!!!!

Big-bro gets my props. That's a GREAT catch.

It's actually one that gets a lot of kids who otherwise do very well: the colors and sometimes crazy shapes distorts in their minds that definition of "firearm," and they unwittingly fall victim.

The dangers of guns that "don't look like guns" is often lost on younger or less mature children. Even children who have been properly educated in gun-safety can have issues with this one.

In their unformed minds, if a working firearm doesn't actually "look like a gun," then it may be reasoned to be a "toy gun." And what's interesting about this is not just that the gun has to look like a toy, but that various brightly colored finishes, such as the Sig P238 "Titanium Rainbow" or the Keystone Crickett .22LR rifle's "Red, White,and Blue" laminate stock can be perceived as a toy.

This was shocking to me as a gun-owning parent, and when I saw the following show I immediately sat down with my daughter to talk about this, to help her avoid this pitfall.


Start at time-point 26:36, and play it until 31:18.

This show is actually a decent watch all-around, and I'd actually encourage all parents (gun-owning or not) to give this a watch. Some may even choose to watch with their kids - as I did - and discuss the issues presented as the show progresses (I'd recommend that the responsible adults pre-view the entirety of the show, though, as there are some segments which may be upsetting).

For once, it's a fair look....which is why - I believe - this documentary never really caught fire in popular mainstream media.
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Awesome write up TSiWRX!

You should start a thread on the subject of guns that don't look like guns. I'm sure a lot of us could gain some valuable insight on this subject.
 
TSiWRX said:
I really love these visceral demonstrations - not just for kids, but also newer shooters.

To show them both what the gun can and cannot do, to try to dispel some of the myths that they've been inoculated with via less-than-realistic media.
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My uncle's method was using a .22 to teach how to use the firearm, then switching to a single-barrel 12 gauge with slugs to teach me the power firearms have and to teach respect for the harm they can do. I loved it and it was effective.
 
TSiWRX said:
Every child is different - and that extends to what they can take on in terms of gun-handling and shooting, too.

Don't think of any number as being that magical age. Instead, judge each child (even siblings) based on his or her own abilities and traits. :)

Work with their inborn curiosity, while working at the same time to demystify: to "take away the power of the forbidden," if you will.

What I mean by the latter is not to just let him have free access to the guns - rather, to make it so that there's not an "OMG you CAN'T TOUCH THAT!" kind of forbidden-fruit glorification of "the gun" that's so common in society these days.

We're inherently curious as humans, and children even more so. If a particular child is cautious around guns and understands their danger (in an age-appropriate manner), it can potentially mean that he/she is already processing at a high level - take advantage of that and lay out a good, safe, *_fun_* path for this child, and let their curiosity and abilities be your mile-markers.

My daughter got bitten by the bug rather early, so I simply let her know that any time she wanted to see my guns (and knives), that I would make it a priority to do so, in a *_right then and there_* kind of way (not "Sure, honey, we'll do that later" and it never materialized kind of way). This not only meant to her that she was never "denied access" (although, in reality, she of course was ;) see what I did, there?), but that she would get my absolute undivided attention for that time, too.

With knives, I started her on my training knives. With guns, I started her on my airsoft replicas. We moved on to live baldes and actual firearms (dry) only when she expressed that she was ready. Similarly, we waited for her to be ready for live-fire before doing so with the airsoft, and yet again with firearms.

I can no longer remember when she started: I can only see how tiny her hands were - I remember laughing at how small they were, wrapped around a tiny Microtech Mini-UDT.

She was a little bit older - 5 and 1/2 - when she drilled a 6mm hole into an empty RedBull can at 10 yards, with me supporting my Tanio Koba 10/22 GBB replica on my shoulder and her taking the trigger and working the sight.

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She let me know when she turned 8 that she thought she'd finally be ready to "shoot for real" by the time school let out that summer, so I made it my project to update eye/earpro and buy .22LR handguns and rifles for both of us for that season....and we've been shooting together ever since. While my M4V5LW is still a bit nose-heavy for her (she's now almost 14 and a rower - even though she's strong, the weight distribution of the V5LW as I have it configured still makes it awkward for her to manipulate off-hand), she loves the BCM/UCWRG we put together ourselves (https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/lets-see-your-ar-setups.258/page-4#post-4362) .

This picture - https://www.thearmorylife.com/forum/threads/lets-see-your-ar-setups.258/page-4#post-4361 - was from August of 2017 - she was 11 and 1/2 at the time. That's the ubiquitous S&W M&P 15-22 in her hands. She's got on those sports "compression sleeves" as protection from spent brass (she's still not fond of anything hot, even now) - remember what I said about making sure that the kiddo is the one having fun? Yup, cater the sessions to their unique needs. ;)

Keep it fun, always, but ingrain safety *_now_*. Make recitation of The Four Rules something that you do together before each range day. Really hammer home muzzle awareness and trigger discipline, and give the young shooter the primacy of a medical action-plan and basic first-aid (my daughter and I high-five for a successful, "no-TQ needed day" after we pack up). Do all this NOW so that it's simply something that the budding shooter will *always* follow and becomes second-nature, as it will help them years from now, no matter if they simply come to enjoy being a recreational shooter or develop into a professional gunman/woman.

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President Ronald Regan wrote/said that "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." We owe it to our children to pass on the American way of life - of freedom and liberty for all.
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I couldn't agree more. We exposed our kids to guns early and often. We ensured they understood how to handle them safely, how to care for them, and how to shoot, of course. I am convinced that teaching your kids about guns at an early age is the best way to keep them safe. Our kids are both grown and out of the house now and they have both told me that they never had any curiosity about guns growing up because it was just a normal part of life. Music to my ears.
 
Range time yesterday with my young teenage son. Quite proud of his safety and marksmanship skills. He will no doubt outshoot me sometime in the near future. While I didnt get picks of all his range firearms, here is some fun times we had. Had some free rentals from the range and got an MPX and Scar to shoot.
Son got to shoot:

SA Saint Victor 5.56
Sig MPX 9mm
Scar H .308
mauser Kar98c 7mm
S&W model 29 .357
Sig P220 — P320 X Five —- P228
SA 1911 Defender .45
Browning Hi Power 9mm

he was all smiles


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I have owned a gun/guns since I was around 13/14 so I taught my children gun safety before they started shooting. Then as they expressed an interest we started with a Red Ryder and progressed through easy, fun and inexpensive things to shoot. Anytime they expressed an interest in shooting a particular gun if I thought they could properly support the gun and it was not to overpowering we fired it. Rifles started with 22LR then went to youth model 243 bull barrel for a deer rifle and kept going. My oldest son now is a pistol shooter, my daughter is a self defense shooter, youngest son is a pistol, rifle, shotgun shooter and my oldest grandson is a 22, 1911 Compact 9mm, and a youth rifle 243 shooter thatproudly has 2 harvests. I would like to think everything was done correctly but I'm sure I had some flaws in my approach. I'm just happy they are still responsible shooters and all still shoot albeit on different levels of regularity.
 
TSiWRX said:
Oh, and as others have mentioned above:

(1) Be careful about lead. Take de-leading wipes/soap with you, and make sure that they do not snack without properly cleaning their hands.

(2) Do, however, bring high-energy snacks and keep them well-hydrated. Shooting isn't just physically taxing, it's also tremendously mentally taxing. Giving them frequent breaks to properly refuel will help keep them fresh: this is important not just for learning, but also safety *_AND_* fun! :)

(3) Remember that not all gunfire "sounds" the same. My daughter doesn't like shooting the AR with her ProEars ProTac SC-Gold, but has no complaints when I switch her over to my Sordin Supreme Pro X, which has a lower NRR. Remember that different earpro can attenuate different noises differently. (And yes, by all means, double them up also with an in-ear plug, regardless of the over-the-ear protection you may choose to also equip them with.)

(4) Take the time to help them adjust their eyepro and earpro. With smaller heads, this can be difficult (some eyepro and earpro come in children's sizes) - so can hair fashion, etc. Take additional time throughout your range session to verify that their protective equipment are still properly staged.
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Thank you for mentioning the lead thing. We always wash hands before snacks and meals but I hadn’t thought about lead with kids. My girls are 3.5 and 1.5 and they haven’t gone with me yet.
 
Granddaughters both stared on the Mark IV and have gone all the way through to the 454.
One favors the SP101 the other the 300BO pistol. Most disliked round seems to be the 357 Mag.
Of course 357 SIG and 454 will never be highly popular with either.
Although young adults they are still kids to me and I'll do anything I can to get the gals in to shooting
for fun and defense.
 
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