Teaching children to aim.

[808H200321]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

good stuff, man! i missed the boat on this and feel shitty about it every time i think about it...got my sons at a very early age while in the military and the big "D" followed...sorry no input re: irons vs. optics....

 

[Tunanut]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

SSSSSShhhhhh! I think I hear some crickets.......

 

[dar1246]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

Your kids have to wear the right clothing for shooting.

 

[gruntbull]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

Reading through this thread I don't think there is ever the "perfect" way to teach everyone. People are different and comprehend things differently. Figure out what your child understands, and use that knowledge to teach him shooting. I remember when I was learning how to draw my sidearm, once I heard JERK the pistol from the holster well it clicked and I became quick on the draw. Others may not understand a certain term for SA or SP, so you may have to restate things several different ways always making the mental note on how the pupil(s) react for future use in training.

In the end keep it fun, they are kids let 'em enjoy shooting.

 

[CharlieTN]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

I know that for years I always heard to teach young shooters to use iron sights first but I now (being a father) completely disagree with it. My first goal is to make shooting fun and interesting. I do that through making it easier for them to get hits and using fun targets.

I'm teaching my 6yr old with a cricket using a red dot. She's having a blast shooting cans and water baloons. Even starting to show an interesting in small game hunting. We'll give it a try this fall.

I think you're on the right track.

Charlie

 

[IndySSD]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CharlieTN</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I know that for years I always heard to teach young shooters to use iron sights first but I now (being a father) completely disagree with it. My first goal is to make shooting fun and interesting. I do that through making it easier for them to get hits and using fun targets.

I'm teaching my 6yr old with a cricket using a red dot. She's having a blast shooting cans and water baloons. Even starting to show an interesting in small game hunting. We'll give it a try this fall.

I think you're on the right track.

Charlie </div></div>

Well said!

If you're trying to raise an Olympic marksman you can go all Earl Woods on them like Sterling suggests.

If you're trying to raise your child to enjoy shooting, I'd suggest teaching them safety and fundamentals but let them shoot something fun. Shooting reactive targets with optics are fun! Once they are hooked on shooting, move them into the finer points of marksmanship such as iron sights, holdovers, ranging etc.....

I remember running through hundreds of rounds shooting an old winchester .22 off of our back patio @ bottle caps Pa had nailed to an old fencepost about 30-40 yards away. My goal was to shoot them off the nail with as few shots as possible.

I probably spent half a summer doing that and I can tell you that I was HOOKED!

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

Hold on, this thread's is "teaching children to aim". Did you get that, AIM. It's not about kumbaya. Learning to properly point the rifle using consistent sight alignment, and pull the trigger without disturbing aim, utilizing smooth trigger control is what it's about, whether you're 6 or 60. And, whether the fundamental training is fun, sad, happy, morose, enjoyable, or other fill-in-the-blank emotion, it's for another thread, perhaps, how to make shooting fun for kids. Generally, however, the kid who shoots the best because he has learned how to aim will be the happiest. I think it's understood by all that any activity with kids should be enjoyable. You don't need to avoid teaching the fundementals to have fun. If you do need to avoid the fundementals to have fun maybe the kid would rather be doing something else, like playing catch.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

Well I told my daughter that if she learned the four rules of gun safety I would buy her a gun of her very own. When I was home for leave in October I taught her them and she qouted them back in order. She was then just 4. Upon my return this May I asked her if she knew the 4 rules of gun safety and to my surprise she did, needed a little help, but I was damned impressed, so off I went to the gunstore and bought her a stainless Cricket with a black and purple stock (her favorite colors)and presented it to her.

I began teaching her how to handle it and the responsibility associated with pulling the trigger. (Stock is still a little long for her) Next will be the use of iron sites which we only touched on briefly.

Then off to the range on my next trip home. I guess to answer the posts original question to me its teaching them a natural progression.

1) Safety
2) Responsibilty
3) Handling/equipment/operation
4)Site alignment/Breath control/Trigger control/Follow through
5)Shot placement

Not that one way is better, I just learned with iron sites first and its always remained natural for me so I will teach her the same. Her prize will be a scope when she can demostrate accuracy with the irons.

Jim

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

I think you and your daughter are getting off to a good start, so here's an idea to take it further: The NRA has several shooting qualification programs to keep things interesting for those who have an interest in shooting. These programs reward folks for their progress, with pro-marksman, marksman, sharpshooter distinctions, etc. Call the NRA, and ask for pamphlets for the small-bore qualification programs. What's attractive about these programs is that they can be administered by you on the honor system.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

Nice, I will look into it.

Thank you

 

[breachersup]

Re: Teaching children to aim.

I learned iron sights before optics, and that's the way I prefer to teach the younger crowd, but just by the way that you are concious enough to ask this question , I doubt you are gonna be shortchanging your son.

Obviously, when you get a gentle enough weapon system that has iron sights, you'll wanna expose him to that so that he doesn't get institutionalized on the optics.

-Wish you both the best