Need advice for my son

mkess · #1 03-18-2012, 08:51 PM

I haven't been able to get my 8 year old son to shoot my M&P yet. I'm not pushing him and he knows when he's ready he can. But my question is when we are in the yard shooting the BB gun I've noticed he looks down the barrel with his left eye and he is right handed. I tried to get him to shoot left handed and he says its feels to awkward and same if he tries to use his right eye and right hand. Any suggestions?

gruntdeputy · #2 03-18-2012, 08:56 PM

He appears to be left-eye dominate. Have his eyes tested. He might need glasses.

As for shooting, consider starting him out on a .22LR pistol; less noise and recoil, less scary to a new shooter, child or adult.

Good luck!
Frank

c7aea · #3 03-18-2012, 09:04 PM

That is normal. Just because you are right handed doesnt mean you will be right eye dominant.

There is a simple test that can be done to determine your dominant eye. Stretch both hands directly out in front of you, with both hands make a small hole between your pointer fingers and thumbs. focus at a small point while looking threw the hole. Slowly bring your hands back to your face while keeping the object in sight. The hole your hands make will go to your dominant eye.

Majorlk · #4 03-18-2012, 09:16 PM

My 8-year old grandson is having fits because I won't give him my 15-22 in trade for his Cricket.

mkess · #5 03-18-2012, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Majorlk

My 8-year old grandson is having fits because I won't give him my 15-22 in trade for his Cricket.

Mine wants to shoot it, but anywhere we go there is larger calibers around and that bothers him a little. Last trip to the local WMA range I finally got him to sit on the bench with me and hang/check my targets. He actually gave me props for owning a cup that was about 100 yards out and enjoyed seeing some of the other M&P's out there and other kids shooting as well as the AK74 next to us that he could see the fire coming out the barrel.

ZenOhSix · #6 03-19-2012, 12:53 AM

Silly question, something that I haven't really thought of before: when is a good time to take your child shooting?

My son is 5.5 years old and has expressed interest in "shooting", based upon NERF toys, video games, etc. He has seen my gun bags, but I have yet to do anything firearm related around him. I was thinking about the age of 7 or so would be a good integration point? Not that a set age is the defacto, as it really comes down to the maturity of an individual - but that's when it seems like an age group where they could begin to respect a firearm?

Thanks,
Mike

c7aea · #7 03-19-2012, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenOhSix

Silly question, something that I haven't really thought of before: when is a good time to take your child shooting?

My son is 5.5 years old and has expressed interest in "shooting", based upon NERF toys, video games, etc. He has seen my gun bags, but I have yet to do anything firearm related around him. I was thinking about the age of 7 or so would be a good integration point? Not that a set age is the defacto, as it really comes down to the maturity of an individual - but that's when it seems like an age group where they could begin to respect a firearm?

Thanks,
Mike

I am certainly no child expert, I dont have any yet. But I think a lot depends on the kid. I have seen some surprisingly smart and clever kids and plenty of adults that make me want to bang my head against a wall….. I wouldnt want them to be use a firearm….
I personally think if a kid can understand what a gun is they should be taught it is a potentially very dangerous thing, not to touch it, and tell an adult if they find one.
To start shooting begin with bb/pellet guns and rifles. Thats what my dad did. And they are quiet enough that we could do it in our back yard. Lots of fun

310Pilot · #8 03-19-2012, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenOhSix

Silly question, something that I haven't really thought of before: when is a good time to take your child shooting?

My son is 5.5 years old and has expressed interest in "shooting", based upon NERF toys, video games, etc. He has seen my gun bags, but I have yet to do anything firearm related around him. I was thinking about the age of 7 or so would be a good integration point? Not that a set age is the defacto, as it really comes down to the maturity of an individual - but that's when it seems like an age group where they could begin to respect a firearm?

Thanks,
Mike

As stated earlier, it depends on the individual and his state of maturity and ability to grasp the concepts necessary to shoot safely. I remember my Mom and Dad starting me shooting at about 5, first using my Mom's Sheridan pellet rifle, then working me into .22 rifles, then Dad's K-22, in short order. The center fires came along (for me) about a year or two later. Of course, gun safety was drilled into my head for quite some time before starting shooting, pretty much from my earliest memories, as we had quite a few guns in the house. It didn't hurt that my Mom was an NRA certified instructor, either! Only you can determine if your son is ready, but I strongly recommend starting him out with a pellet rifle, then moving into .22s. He'll become a fine shot, learn safe gun handling skills, and will have a life-long source of enjoyment that his Dad taught him!

tork'd · #9 03-19-2012, 06:03 AM

starting out with a pellet rifle may also give you insight as to what he thinks they are for.
neighbors son thought (even thou dad pounded safety as well as what to shot and what not) they were for shooting every bird and his neighbors cat for fun..
he still gets to look at the pellet rifle that is now round and hanging in one of their trees

v-13 · #10 03-19-2012, 07:34 AM

When my son was 5 he was struck by the curiosity factor, as he always saw his dad carrying when he was working. Having noticing that, I took him out to the range and had him shoot my (at that time) 66 with hot loads. All it took was one shot and it satisfied his curiosity. Later he received a 22 rifle for his 12th birthday. He is now a captain in the Army and a firearms instructor.

CA2NC · #11 03-19-2012, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkess

Mine wants to shoot it, but anywhere we go there is larger calibers around and that bothers him a little. Last trip to the local WMA range I finally got him to sit on the bench with me and hang/check my targets. He actually gave me props for owning a cup that was about 100 yards out and enjoyed seeing some of the other M&P's out there and other kids shooting as well as the AK74 next to us that he could see the fire coming out the barrel.

This seems to be very common. We've set up .22 only slots at our club to get kids more comfortable and not have the larger calibers going off around.

ol' geeser · #12 03-19-2012, 10:28 AM

Mrs. ol' geeser is right handed and left eye dominant. When she was in the academy she shot almost perfect with her pistol ( a Beretta 92 at the time)....the shotgun was a different story. She is currently shooting a lot of skeet and such trying to switch to southpaw.

Started grandson about right w/ .22 Mountie at 9 yrs. old...bagged, off a bench, with ballons as targets at about 15 yds. He loved it.....I gave him a Stoger coachgun .410 for his 10th birthday and we started squirrel hunting....a little too heavy and stock is too long for him to shoulder comfortably, hence " it kicks too much PawPaw"....Bad move on my part....
This spring as the ponds refill we are fishing a lot and shooting turtles with a Savage "Rascal" that fits him well...things are getting better

Gopher Slayer · #13 03-19-2012, 11:19 AM

You need to get him practicing the correct way. Large caliber rifles aren't fun to shoot when you lean your face over the stock to use your left eye. I did that too as a kid because my right eye is almost blind. It took me getting scope-checked one time to figure out I needed to switch to lefty. One gopher shooting season later I was a left handed shooter. It worked out well in the end because I could hold the heavier rifles perfectly steady with my right arm out front. Now it feels goofy to shoot right handed.

Majorlk · #14 03-19-2012, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenOhSix

Silly question, something that I haven't really thought of before: when is a good time to take your child shooting?

My son is 5.5 years old and has expressed interest in "shooting", based upon NERF toys, video games, etc. He has seen my gun bags, but I have yet to do anything firearm related around him. I was thinking about the age of 7 or so would be a good integration point? Not that a set age is the defacto, as it really comes down to the maturity of an individual - but that's when it seems like an age group where they could begin to respect a firearm?

Thanks,
Mike

I started my two children shooting when they each turned seven. No pellet guns, no BB guns; I started them shooting with a S&W M34, 22/32 Kit gun. Same deal with my grandchildren that want to shoot. Not all of them do, although the youngest now has his own Cricket .22.

amazingflapjack · #15 03-19-2012, 02:41 PM

Look at shooting with both eyes open. There is some cometery on the webb. If you can do it, it has advantages.

310Pilot · #16 03-19-2012, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Majorlk

I started my two children shooting when they each turned seven. No pellet guns, no BB guns; I started them shooting with a S&W M34, 22/32 Kit gun. Same deal with my grandchildren that want to shoot. Not all of them do, although the youngest now has his own Cricket .22.

A BB gun with the sights removed is an excellent training tool for shotgun or other moving target shooting. In fact, they were used extensively by the US Army Air Force in the initial stages of aerial gunnery training during WWII. The shooter can see the BB on flight, using peripheral vision, and it is of great assistance in learning to lead and adjust for trajectory.

DZH · #17 03-19-2012, 07:52 PM

My kids are 6 and 7. They stated about a year a go. Here is a vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SL-l...e_gdata_player

Started out with 22 rifle. Open sites then to the M&P 15-22 with the red dot so they can shoot with both eyes open. We shoot paint cans, water balloons, full coke cans and water jugs to keep it fun for the kids.
My 5 yrd boy has ask to shoot my 40 S&W And my shotgun. I let my kids hold the guns any time they ask.
Now when they see a gun it is no big dill.
Just have fun and be safe.

Zack
Using Tapatalk

BELT_FED · #18 03-19-2012, 11:23 PM

I totally agree with what's been said it really depends on the child. And while a pellet rifle is a great way to get started and learn the basics. Its also a good way to get a child to hate it if they r only partially interested. Chattanooga Phil can vouch for this store. A man showed up at Phil's range with his 5 year old girl. She bounced out of the truck in all pink with a pink cricket(cute as a button). But he had put a very small red dot scope on it and by the time she found the dot in her scope and got it on the target and got to pull the trigger 2 min had passed then her father would take it away from and reload it and she had to start all over. After 10 min of this she was mad and board so he was pa king her up and telling a friend how she was going to be like her mom.. and he was back to shooting by himself. Having over heard this I asked if I could help the man looked at me funny and said sure I'd love to have her enjoy this with me.. so I reached for my belt fed ar-15 chambered in 22lr with its 42mm red dot and bipods all she had to do is point and shoot.. after 2 100 rd belts and the little metal targets still ringing she was hooked..

With that said I'm not saying that u need a belt fed ar-15 to have fun at the range but just remember your dealing with a child that wants to do something with you cause you r everything to them. So keep it safe and fun.. And the rest will follow.. after they decide its what they wanna do and they enjoy it then start working on trigger control and the other fundamentals but at first keep it simple safe and fun..