Hey Guys - Help Needed

[hookalakupua]

Sorry to pile on, but I don't think you are going to find many here that think it would be a good idea to graduate a kid from a rifle he can't operate to a more complex and potentially dangerous platform, possibly for the benefit of your patience. When he can load his own rifle, work the bolt, and knock golf balls off the log at 25 yards with open sights, then we can talk.

No apologies necessary as everyone is entitled to their point of view and opinion. I was just asking for a place to buy a new rifle and was trying to be funny explaining my situation with my son and some people have chosen to respond accordingly and that's their prerogative.

He's definitely ready as he turns 6 in 3 weeks and has more than proven himself capable and ready to his mother and I. As my follow up post stated, I will be more specific next time knowing that a dialogue off topic may pursue. Not quite sure he can hit a golf ball at 25 with iron sights but I know he can hit a 6" gong with them at that distance and that's fine by me. Golf ball at 25 is kind of arbitrary and if that works for you then great. I use a handful of other criteria (some objective and some subjective) to decide when to move my kids on but regardless, that's not a discussion I look to have with anyone.

 

[hookalakupua]

Are you kidding me? You let your sun start shooting when he was 3 years old?..
You are lucky I am not your gun dealer ! I would NEVER sell a gun to a person with such poor judgement as you!

Oh boy...My son received his Savage on his 4th birthday. Firearm awareness and discussions started well before that as he would see his mom and I with them. Nothing big but a comment here and there about them not being a toy and to never touch them. Anyway, once he had his Savage, it was another 3 or 4 months with him being allowed to touch it, hold it and manipulate it. After that, it was onto the range and he hasn't looked back. He turns 6 in a few weeks so technically he's been shooting for about 1.5 years.

With that said, I'm sorry that a fellow gun owner would make such a statement without either gathering more information or asking more questions. It's always interesting to see fellow firearm enthusiasts flame one another while claiming to be all knowing and although it disappoints me given the battles we all currently face, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

If you'd like to have a civil discussion about my background, watch video of my son shooting or maybe find a way to sit down for a cup of coffee and discuss judgement and all things firearms related, please send me a PM. I really don't believe there's any need for a statement like that, especially since I was asking for help in trying to find a rifle and not parental advice on how to instruct my kids to shoot.

Again, please feel free to reach out to me as if this is a topic that is as important to you as it seems, I would hope you'd have an interest in discussing it further in order to either understand the situation more clearly or in order to elicit a change. Neither of which is going to occur within a forum.

Aloha

 

[hookalakupua]

Guess I will chime in.

1. I think it is great that you have your son out shooting... but only if he enjoys it. I know at that age, my son would shoot just a few rounds and then he was bored.

2. I agree with the others... before your son moves onto a semi auto, he needs to be able to show mastery, both with gun safety and operation of his bolt gun. My son shot his Crickett rifle for many years before moving to a semi auto. He was 10 or 11 before getting his 15-22.

1. Thank you as it's one of those things that I believe was going to naturally happen, given the environment he's in. Enjoyment is key to any and all endeavors for our children and with the exception of "farm labor" when they turn 10, they are free to make choices and decisions for themselves in regard to activities of interest.

2. I completely agree and that's the reason he's moving on. Children all develop mentally and physically at different stages/rates as does their maturity. There is no single way and I hope that people understand that.

Thank you for the kind words and insight.

Here's to a safe and wonderful New Year for all!

 

[micocyco]

Hi Pisgah - I guess I should have been more specific. He's got no problem manipulating the action and loading a round...it's just that it takes some time and given our wintery conditions here in KY (23 degrees last week when we were out), he does 4 or 5 before his hands get too cold and I then do 15-20 for him. He is unbelievably safe, otherwise he'd stay on the Savage as you recommended. This is more about fostering his joy and enthusiasm for shooting/firearms than anything else. He's seen his older cousin on an M&P and has shown a great deal of interest in it. I'm fairly certain that his joy will increase by adding an M&P to his shooting/instruction but I'll know for certain in a couple of weeks. Like you, I've got a fair bit of experience so I think it will be ok. If not, changes will be made and we'll find something that does maintain his interest while challenging him. Thanks

I'm glad you did not take offense to my comment.
But could I ask have you ever heard of BB or pellet guns ?
My Grandson has some great fun learning to shoot my antique crossman BB pistol.

 

[hookalakupua]

I'm glad you did not take offense to my comment.
But could I ask have you ever heard of BB or pellet guns ?
My Grandson has some great fun learning to shoot my antique crossman BB pistol.

Not at all my friend as I'm always open to opinions and suggestions that are truly meant to help and that's exactly how I took yours.

I actually never really thought about starting out with a BB or Pelet gun and I'm not sure why. We started out with .22's as young boys ourselves so that might have something to do with it. However, we did first start with a Mega Blaster Nerf Gun!! haha

That's actually a great idea for when I decide to move him over to a pistol and I think I'll start looking for one of those immediately.

Let me know if you ever make it to Lexington, as I owe you a Bourbon! Thanks again as I really do appreciate the suggestion.

Cheers,

 

[Peak53]

Thanks for not being offended in your replies, which show you are thoughtful and safety conscious. I may not agree with your approach, but I wish you and your son success in what you do.

 

[MichiganScott]

He's got no problem manipulating the action and loading a round...it's just that it takes some time and given our wintery conditions here in KY (23 degrees last week when we were out), he does 4 or 5 before his hands get too cold and I then do 15-20 for him.

You might consider doing what we do around here when it's 23 degrees out and our hands get too cold to safely manipulate a rifle. We go inside the range house and warm up our hands by the wood stove.

Of course there is currently about 18" of snow on the ground, so we tend to stay inside and watch TV until it melts. Getting stuck a half mile off the pavement is no longer my idea of fun.

 

[hookalakupua]

You might consider doing what we do around here when it's 23 degrees out and our hands get too cold to safely manipulate a rifle. We go inside the range house and warm up our hands by the wood stove.

Of course there is currently about 18" of snow on the ground, so we tend to stay inside and watch TV until it melts. Getting stuck a half mile off the pavement is no longer my idea of fun.

Now that's funny! I actually don't mind the cold but when the wind whips thru that's when I call no mas! We got about 16" and this city completely shut down. Originally from Colorado so that came as a bit of a surprise.

That's his first time shooting in temperatures like that and I thought it would actually damper his drive but he's apparently part polar bear as he can't wait to get out again.

Good luck getting thawed out and hopefully that snow melts soon!

Go Bucks!! hahaha

 

[RedNeck Jim]

For me, if it is too cold to comfortably handle a gun, any gun... then it is too cold to shoot. Older I get, the more of a wuss I become, so I now do little cold weather shooting. I ain't got nothing to prove to anyone.

Besides that, enjoy your time with your kids. Tomorrow they will be married with their own kids.

I appreciate your attitude here. This could have gotten ugly with folks sticking their nose into your business of raising your own kids.

 

[micocyco]

Not at all my friend as I'm always open to opinions and suggestions that are truly meant to help and that's exactly how I took yours.

I actually never really thought about starting out with a BB or Pelet gun and I'm not sure why. We started out with .22's as young boys ourselves so that might have something to do with it. However, we did first start with a Mega Blaster Nerf Gun!! haha

That's actually a great idea for when I decide to move him over to a pistol and I think I'll start looking for one of those immediately.

Let me know if you ever make it to Lexington, as I owe you a Bourbon! Thanks again as I really do appreciate the suggestion.

Cheers,

My Grandson was 8 when I first let him shoot my / I mean our 15-22. I did not really ask my Son-in-law. We just took it fishing with us & stopped back by an out door range. Better sometimes to ask forgiveness than permission & of course he could not wait to tell his Dad he shot a real rifle.
Thanks for the invite , if I am up that way I will shoot you a PM : )

 

[imashooter2]

Are you kidding me? You let your sun start shooting when he was 3 years old?..
You are lucky I am not your gun dealer ! I would NEVER sell a gun to a person with such poor judgement as you!

Huh! In 1960 I was 3 years old.

 

[MichiganScott]

Are you kidding me? You let your sun start shooting when he was 3 years old?..
You are lucky I am not your gun dealer ! I would NEVER sell a gun to a person with such poor judgement as you!

I started one daughter at five and the other at three. The first lesson consisted of me shooting phone books, jugs of water, melons, cans of pop, tomatoes, etc. with rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Shortly thereafter I began to teach them how to shoot.

Thirty three years later, the one daughter that I started at five asked me when I was going to take her three year old son out and show him what guns can do. She said that she vividly remembered that first lesson and how much it impressed her. I bought both of her boys a NRA Life membership when they were less than three months old. The oldest one is beginning to show an interest in guns. She wants him to know why they are not considered playthings, and why you don't even point a toy gun at anything you don't want destroyed.

I consider that both very responsible and in good judgement. FWIW, never question another man's parenting skills, even if you disagree with them.