Need some input for teaching youngster

[TaunTaun]

My stepdaughter is turning 5 years old, and has already begun admiring our family's weapons. Even at this young age, she is devoloping a curiousity about firearms. One of my goals is to teach her how to be comfortable with firearms, know what to do, know what not to do, and in general be able to put a bullet between someone's eyes if she had to. While I don't encourage this type of behavior on a normal basis, I still want to make sure she'll be prepared.

As such, in the next year or so, I want to start getting her familiar with firearms. Part of that is trigger time in a controlled environment so that she can start learning the mechanics, and start treating "toy" guns as if they were the real thing.

A couple options that I am looking at starting out is the tried and true BB Gun. Her being on the small side, probably a lever action. One thing that I am kind of curious about is the airsoft guns. Mind you, I am not at all familiar with them. I havent even been around when they've been used, so zero experience with them.

I've also considered one of the .22lr Chipmunk rifles once she is ready for that.

I've seen a few ideas for indoor traps for BB Guns and whatnot, so I can always set something up in the basement or backyard.

I'm curious as to what others have done to teach their kids during this early impressionable stage.

 

[kludge]

I always start with Eddie Eagle, and move on from there when they are ready.

Cornered Cat has some great ideas too, that I have incorporated.

 

[ckcollins2003]

A BB gun is probably best at that age. I got mine on my 5th birthday and my father showed me how to load, aim, and squeeze the trigger. Shooting soda cans in the backyard was always great! I think I went through one of the large copperhead bb cartons each week. I've enjoyed shooting ever since and moved to my first .22 when I was 8.

I believe the best thing you can do is to make it fun as well as informative. If you're going to be so strict and serious about shooting at her young age she is not going to learn from it and will not enjoy it. If she has fun she will continue to enjoy it and grow into one hell of a marksman.

As far as airsoft guns go, they don't do anything to really teach the fundementals of marksmanship. It's a fun game to play and that's about it. I'd stay clear of them if you are actually wanting to teach her about shooting and being able to hit a target with every shot.

One thing for "treating toy guns as if they are real"... There's no reason in my opinion to treat a toy gun as if it were a real gun. I grew up knowing the difference and playing "Army" as a child. I pointed my orange tipped toy guns at my friends and pretended to shoot them just as they did to me. The knowledge is in the teaching. Teach her the difference between a real firearm and a toy gun and let her grow and play as other children do. Don't be one of those parents that punishes their children for pointing a toy gun at someone after you buy them that toy gun. They are children after all. If they get a toy gun they're not going to just carry it in a holster all day long.

Good luck and Happy Holidays.

 

[SideArmed]

My son turned five earlier this year, and was very iquisitive about firearms as well. Before I even introduced him to any guns that actually shot anything other than a foam dart, we started in with Eddy Eagle. Although we had already been working on not shooting anyone with his nerf guns, we also worked on the four rules of gun safety.

Once he could prove to me that he had them memorized, I got out the Marlin Model 60 that belonged to my grandfather and went through the history of the gun (and how it would be his someday) as well as all the parts of it. We also took it down and I showed him how it works. He is very interested in figuring out how things work, just and any other little kid.

The above spanned about 4 months of working on safety and practicing gun handleing with his toy guns before we moved on to the real deal. Then we hit the farm for some plinking.

At the begining of any range time at the farm we go through the four rules of gun safety, and I will toss out some odd ball stuff to see if he is paying attention, then through all the parts of the rifle. Then he is allowed to shoot.

He is also responsible for helping to set up the targets (plastic bottles and cans & what not) and also for clean up. I feel this is a major part of the learning process for him, as what he learns now will help shape him into a responsible shooter later in life.

Having reactive targets at a shorter (to you and I) distance seemed to draw him in quickly. We started out at about 20-25 yards, and are now out to about 50 with the open sights on my Marlin. The little steel spinner targets they sell are a big kick for the kids, they like hearing the ping and watching the target flip up or spin around.

Good luck!

 

[indyk]

Kids and firearms

Found some previous talkins about this.
If you like to read...
Here are some topics that correspond with kids, 1st guns, age etc. I think you will find these posts useful.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...discussion/172363-how_young_is_too_young.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/women_and_firearms/142217-daughters_first_gun.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...do_you_start_teaching_your_kids_to_shoot.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...me_defense_and_gun_storage_with_children.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general_firearms_discussion/142882-test_your_kids_i_did.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general_firearms_discussion/132651-a_question_of_age.html

 

[TaunTaun]

Thanks much, hopefully, I'll find some good ideas, and be able to restrain myself from being overprotective of my lil girl. Hmmm, maybe some jui-jitsu classes....

Here's a thought, why don't we sticky this since it is a reoccuring kind of question?