Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 10 y.o. Grandson first time rifle shooter

My grandson will be visiting again this summer, we’ve had a blast every year with a lot of activities.
Last couple years we must have gone through a zillion BB’s from 3 BB guns. I’m going to surprise him with a brand new CZ 457 Youth Trainer (lop=12”, he’s small for a 10y.o).
We go over the gun safety rules 100% of the times we shoot, he follows them and can recite them to me. I have paper targets aplenty and hanging metal plates but once he’s really in tune w the shooting I’m thinking of other activities, i.e “Hickcock 45” targets like liter sodas, cheap smaller soda cans, etc. I have 300 acres w/o neighbors so we’re not limited in that regard.
Do you guys have any cool/interesting ideas for a first time 10 y.o shooter?

Crockett

Yeah.

Find a handgun and start him on that.

He will like soda cans filled with water

Clay birds.

Things that break,

Does one have any ground squirrels down there?



A well stocked alfalfa pivot might support several hundred here, and being about 10" tall by 2" wide they make challenging targets for a new shooter.

Especially rewarding for youngsters who are serious about their efforts.

With short stubble, it can be fun and challenging to boost golf balls from about 25 yds out to as far as one can shoot.

Color me envious,

I have plenty of Armadillos, don’t know how he’ll feel about that, pretty sure mom (my daughter) won’t be too fond of that

.22’s and Chipmunks, crows or whatever other live vermin targets of opportunity. Pop bottles, and milk jugs filled full of colored water and anything else that will explode.

How about some small metal animal targets?

A summer he'll never forget.

His first day back at school a couple years ago he was to write a “what did you do over the summer”, his teacher called my daughter to advise her he was shooting BB guns; GUNS BAD! she said, my daughter thought it was a joke but the teacher wasn’t joking. Not the Colorado of the ol’ days!!!

Oh wow that's an amazing story.

Bravo.

Those back and forth steel pistol plate trees that you don't have to reset when he finds his groove!

One of my favorites is shooting paintballs set on golf tees with either a 22 rim fire handgun or rifle. Range is dictated by skill level and firearm.

Those too.

I spent a lot of time “up north” at my grandparents cabin during summers.

Walking the woods with .22’s, building deer blinds, watching birds, fishing, twotracking, carving and just hanging out with my grandpa. It’s great memories that are still with me 30 plus years later.

Enjoy it.

If they weren't so damned expensive, eggs are good targets. My grandsons have a 3-D printer and they make up small critters that come apart well when hit. I second the recommendations on targets that react.

Tannerite!

Do you have a garden? Exploding fruits and vegetables are memorable things to a young boy. They also reinforce the importance of gun safety you are ingraining in him. A pumpkin or watermelon shot with a shotgun at close range can be compared to a human head when describing the damage that could happen if safety protocols aren’t strictly adhered to.

Something big enough to hit. My dad didn't shoot. Just knowing the principles of sight alignment I don't think me or my brother ever got anything lined up. Very frustrating. Start him on a shotgun. And hang with the BB gun until he masters the basics. My first 5 shots at 9 years old were 4 rabbits and a predictable miss on a flying dove out of range.

Plastic drink bottles with water and then frozen in the deep freeze. They will take several hits before coming apart.

Cans filled and them frozen also work. If they are hanging from a frame they work better.

Necco wafers. Plastic "Army men".

I bought a little rimfire dueling tree that my nieces and nephews damn near wore out they had so much fun. Best $50 I ever spent.