Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Kids at the Campfire Advice for a 5 yr old shooter

I want to teach my 5 yr old grandson to shoot this summer.
Where can I get shooting glasses and ear protection to fit a 5 yr. old?
I already have the Chipmunk rifle and the Ruger Bearcat.
Thought I would start with CB Longs then try shorts.
I have a "range" field on the back 40 where I learned to shoot.
Any suggestions appreciated.
THANKS
Coach

A number of companies make youth hearing and eye protection.
Midway USA should have a good assortment from the major mfgrs.
Here's an example from just a quick google search:

http://www.gundogsonline.com/hearin...safety-combo-eye-and-ear-protection.html

Personally, I think a simple, accurate BB gun is a great tool for a 5 year old. That's what I started with- a BB gun & some tin cans. My dad introduced a .22 rifle to me a couple of years later. You can use the BB to instill the very important principles of muzzle control, using the safety, etc, and you can avoid the report, which may be startling to a 5 year old, depending on the kid. I thought my dad had a great philosophy- he didn't want to push anything too fast and accidentally turn us off in the course of his own enthusiasm. Soon enough I was shooting shotgun at gamebirds with him. (ducks with a .410 at age 8) I think 7 is a great age to start with bigger guns (bigger than a BB gun, that is), like a .22 rifle. Hearing protection is a great idea!

Good luck!

I started my daughter with a BB gun at age 5. She graduated to a pellet rifle within 6 months with close coaching. I have recently started training with a Chipmunk 22 rifle. I have found that peep sights are easier for kids to grasp. My daughter now shoots a low wall 22 hornet scoped with a compact 4x scope.

skip the BB gun and go to pellets... BB's ricochet something fierce.. Try it... I started on a bb gun myself and after I grew up a little I started noticing that they bounced off of everything... jmho

If you go with a .22, Savage and Marlin make a youth size that is not tiny, so it will last a kid for a long time.

The little CZ 427 is nice.
Remington is selling the Yugo .22, which is slight and slim, but you can find the same rifle under the original brand for half the money.

Forget the BB gun.
If you go with the pellet gun, he is not going to be able to cock it properly for a few more years, but that is okay. He'll need Dad there, anyway. But keep HIS gun in the gun cabinet just like the BIG ones, so he treats it with the same respect.

My grandson came to visit at Easter and we got to shoot for the first time. It took a long time to convince his mother he wasn't too young to start shooting.
I used the Chipmunk 22 with a scope. I found an old Redfield 4X at a pawn shop, it fits the little rifle fine.
I used CB longs for ammo and we shot at about 15 yds. He had the ear muffs and the shooting glasses you guys helped me find. Actually I got them and the ammo from Natchez.
He did well to hit the target at first but got better with each shot. I also used baloons stapled to the target. I used rat shot and he could hit them easily. He didn't know about the ammo.
I think it is important for first time shooters to "hit" the target.
He will be back in June for the next try and we will work on the basics some more.
By the way when he hit the first baloon he laid the rifle down, pulled off the muffs, jumped up and down and yelled " I hit it Papa". It really made my day.

I got some advice, keep it fun. Some kids like to just shoot. Some, like to work put small groups on paper. I am the latter. I would use regular ammo this time. To let him work on basic marksmanship.

Old Coach;

Start with a BB gun, then CB shorts in the Chipmunk. They make about as much noise as a BB gun. Go from there to CB longs, hi-vel shorts, longs, long rifles, what have you.

And, use "reactive" targets, like animal crackers and balloons. Make it fun.

I agree with VAnimrod, except I too find that the ricochet from BB's can be dangerous. Pellet guns are safer sometimes. It depends on the background.

My three young daughters have a Coey single shot .22 rimfire with a greatly trimmed down stock (it looks like a BB gun) and the thing they enjoy the most is popping ballons. With the sub-sonic CB loads - they learn to like the noise, and later I graduate them up to the louder cartridges - eventually they ask for those ones.

+1 The fun part is important, right after the safety, of course.

Shooting with a child is such a great reward when you see the look on their face after hitting the bullseye. I taught both my daughters to shoot and both of my step-sons. I now have a step-son that is my best hunting buddy. His drunk father doesn't know what he is missing. I was with this now fine young man when he shot his first deer. He gave me the biggest hug you could ever what from your own child. Always made it fun with different targets & games. Most importantly, they learned that a firearm was not a toy & to handle it properly. Children are our future in this sport. Ken

Use targets that react to being hit:
* used drink cans with some water in them,
* plastic drink bottles with some water,
* spent shaving cream cans
* little wooden rams and chickens that fall over when hit
* dirt clods on a board
* wooden checkers

I started shooting with my grandfather on his first rifle, a Remington No. 4 Rolling Block .22. When I was visiting at age 7, we took out my father's first rifle, a Winchester single shot bolt action. While we were setting up cans on a ditch bank, a fox came out in the pasture. My grandfather told me to get kneel and he supported the rifle. The fox saw us and took off running, so he told me to lead it and don't jerk the trigger. Well, I had the trigger down, but didn't figure out what "lead" meant, so I shot off the last 1/3 of the foxes tail for a souvenir. Hunting had me hooked.

My 4 year old is way too young yet, but he has the interest.

He has exactly 1 toy gun , which is actually a plastic flintlock pistol from an old costume, which I use to help demonstrate safe firearms handling (though he also knows what to do if he sees a REAL gun - he knows what we are learning is for when he is a "big" boy)

However it is pretty funny, the other day he was playing with the gun, he had a cloth and a little empty bottle, I asked what he was doing .. he said he was cleaning his gun

The wife is more than a little hesitant to let him start shooting too young, so probably the .22 will have to wait til cub scouts.

A pellet rifle though.. hmm ..

well obviously I am going to keep my eye on this thread for good pointers.

I love it, that's adorable!

I just love it here . the interaction amongst you folks is cool. I like the ideas of the diff things for kids to shoot at, but us bigger folks like the moving targets also. I built a revolving wheel,battery powered, so the baloons move like they do at a carnival or fair. my daughter learned to shoot like this and now my 8yr old grandson wants to do it.We have access to BLM land here in cal so we go out in the back country to practice. Dave

Back to the original question.

Dillon sells junior sized eye & ear protection.

regards

Mark

I found a good use for all those dang zuccinis that get ripe in the fall, they make great targets. Solid enough to take a few hits but still get skinned where they take the shot. We took them and an overripe watermelon out and killed them tonight with our youth CZ rifle. It's a good visual effect plus it gives the youngsters a healthy appreciation of what even a .22 bullet will do.
SD

I got a beeman pellet trap for my boys to shoot at in the back yard .... works pretty well. Has hanging metal animals and you can place targets on a piece of cardboard to slide in a slot on the trap. http://www.airgundepot.com/beeman-pellet-trap.html