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This thread was prompted by a recent post.

Rifle.

It is much easier to aim accurately with a rifle, and much more difficult shoot one's self with a rifle. It is also easier for an instructor to seize control of a rifle safely if necessary.

This was the route that nearly every boy took in the good old days.

I would venture to say that the child should shoot prone if your arrangement permits that, or from a bench rest. You cannot shoot yourself when shooting prone with a rifle. It is impossible.

Handguns are dangerous. That's why I carry one.

- Jim

I agree with Jim...

Start off with a rifle, it's much easier for the person training or supervising to control than a handgun is.. I have always felt more comfortable handing a rifle to someone who
doesnt know how to shoot, than I am a handgun. I've tried both, and I wont hand someone new a handgun ever again, I dont care if it's a adult or a kid.

But I think it's equally important that after a good foundation is made with the rifle that training should go to a handgun soon after and the same rules pounded into their heads.
My reasoning for this, my nieces and sisters have all shot rifles most of their life, they know to NEVER point at something they dont intend to shoot. I've handed them a handgun
a few times, and had the crap scared out of me. They just do things they normally wouldnt do with a rifle, though all of that was corrected, the first few times they relaxed on the
rules for reason's I dont quite understand.

I have also noticed this with other people too. I had a loaded handgun pointed at my chest last week, from a person who would NEVER do such a thing with a rifle. He
was quite shocked over his actions when I pointed out what he just did. Watching me barrel roll out of the way was a good indication, but I made it clear I dont like loaded guns ( or any gun in any state ) pointed at me. I guess to some people the rules they learned with a rifle, dont quite carry over to a handgun for whatever reason.

seamusTX wrote:Rifle.

It is much easier to aim accurately with a rifle, and much more difficult shoot one's self with a rifle. It is also easier for an instructor to seize control of a rifle safely if necessary.

This was the route that nearly every boy took in the good old days.

I would venture to say that the child should shoot prone if your arrangement permits that, or from a bench rest. You cannot shoot yourself when shooting prone with a rifle. It is impossible.

Handguns are dangerous. That's why I carry one.

- Jim

On all points.

Rifle off a bench rest at a relatively short distance. Build safe gun handling skills and build their confidence that they can hit their target at the same time.

.22 single shot rifle.

Considering all of the variables involved with safe gun handling, especially the paying-attention-to-what-you're-doing and what's-going-on-around-you parts, it's the rare child who is ready for this much before age 7.

We began with my daughter when she was 5 1/2 and she is now 6. We went over all the rules and worked with her on them. She can recite them when asked. She was going to the range with us on a weekly basis until the election. She was doing really well and paid attention. We started her out with a pink cricket that she picked out. I was really surprised at the maturity she showed when we were at the range. There was no jumping around no playing games. She took shooting serious and focused on what she was doing.

She was able to aim and hit where she wanted and I think this helped build her confidence. She is capable of loading her rifle, locking the chamber and cocking it on her own and then ejecting the spent brass. She did ask to shoot my walther p22 and the recoil was to much for her and she was very disappointed she missed the target. I also figured out that she really enjoyed using the splatter targets and seeing right away where her shot hit. Unfortunately with all the recent gun sales the range has been so busy I don’t feel comfortable with having her in there with it packed. In the past we were able to get a bay to ourselves so I could focus my full attention on her and not worry about someone beside us that was new to guns.

I think that teaching her about shooting and not shielding her from guns has helped with the curiosity of them. She has none now and knows what happens when you use one. We answer any and all questions about them.

Bunkins wrote:I've handed them a handgun a few times, and had the crap scared out of me. They just do things they normally wouldnt do with a rifle,...

I think handing a loaded firearm to another person is an advanced topic. As you say, it is much easier to forget muzzle and trigger guard discipline with a handgun.

The only person I feel safe exchanging loaded handguns with is my wife, and that is only at the range. Otherwise I ask the person to set down the weapon, and I pick it up, or vice versa.

- Jim

I have said it before and I will say it again, I have seen just as many complete idiots handling rifles as I have handguns.

Firearms safety is what a child needs to be taught first. What type of firearm you use comes second.

Rifles and handguns both have muzzles. If you have the culture of safe firearms handling instilled in you, then you know that muzzle-awareness is one of your primary concerns at all times.

I think that a child should be taught safety first, then taught with whatever type of firearm you have handy, next.

My son doesn't have any interest in rifles. He sees me and my love for handguns, with much less interest in rifles, so he has little interest in rifles. Combine that with the fact that I have no youth-sized .22 rifles, and you have a young man who is not very interested in rifles paired with a .22 that is too long for him to get a proper grip on. With his lack of interest, I've never gotten around to buying a youth-sized .22 rifle, and with him shooting my .22 pistol, I can't see him being very satisfied with a single-shot. I guess I need to look into the lever action .22's. Doesn't Henry make those?

Henry does make lever-action .22 rifles.

I would recommend a bolt-action. It's too easy to point a lever-action in the wrong direction while operating the lever, and also to fumble the trigger.

You can find used bolt-action .22s for under $100. I don't know if anyone makes them new.

You might also consider one of those rifle-shotgun combos. I have no personal experience with them, but I haven't heard anything bad about them.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:You can find used bolt-action .22s for under $100. I don't know if anyone makes them new. - Jim

Bud's Guns sells new Mossberg, Chipmunk, Cricket, Savage, Marlin, Winchester, CZ, Ruger, Browning and Henry bolt action .22LR rifles.

You can tell I don't go to gun stores much. I haven't been in one for about a year.

- Jim

I voted for #3 because #1 only mentioned rifles. . . and I think you can start a kiddo out on a youth sized shotgun (.410 or 28 gauge).

With a revolver, you can always just load one at a time. I wouldn't start a kid on a semi-auto just because of all the moving parts.

It's hard to beat a .22 rifle, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a must for a first timer.

seamusTX wrote:Rifle.

It is much easier to aim accurately with a rifle, and much more difficult shoot one's self with a rifle. It is also easier for an instructor to seize control of a rifle safely if necessary.

This was the route that nearly every boy took in the good old days.

I would venture to say that the child should shoot prone if your arrangement permits that, or from a bench rest. You cannot shoot yourself when shooting prone with a rifle. It is impossible.

Handguns are dangerous. That's why I carry one.

- Jim

It is very easy to teach with a rifle. With all 4 of mine, it didn't matter what firearm it was. The fact that they were going shooting with dad was the trick and that I've built it up to be a big deal for them to finally be MATURE enough to go. It was emphasized that age had nothing to do with it. It was always one on one with the child and I and I tried to pick a range time when I knew it wouldn't be that busy.

I have a Romanian training rifle I got at a gun show for around $85.00 for the express purpose of teaching my kids to shoot. It's a clunky old 5-shot bolt action with big, fat iron sights that is very consistent and accurate. The rule is that if they get three shots IN A ROW within the X ring, then we go get some icecream when we're done. If any single shot actually covers the X, then it's an automatic Ice Cream date. So far, I've only had to pay up with my youngest.

From there, they go to an old Smith & Wesson K-22 pistol. The K-22 is a 6 shot revolver that was originally designed as a police training pistol. It has the same weight and feel as the old Model 10-38 special.

Once those two firearms are mastered, then we go to the rest.

Man, I never got ice cream when I got a bullseye



So.... When ya takin me to the range?