Let my boy shoot today...

[gogoalie]

firing both my Viper & SKS...he prefered & shot the .22 better of course... , but he still enjoyed shooting the SKS...

His shooting of the Viper was at 30 yards away & he had a coupla bulls eyes, & was on paper the first attempt...not like his father, who couldn't hit the broadside of a barn 2' away, back at his age...

The .22 as well penetrated through 3 3/4" of wood!...that held the box down that held out target. I pointed this out to my son to let him know how lethal, even a small .22 can be, as this was his first time.

My first time firing a gun was a .22, with iron sights, at a paper plate, for school, & I only nicked the edges of the plate (my instructor poked a single hole for me, giving me 5 points...)

He didn't like the kick of the SKS, but loved shooting it nonetheless...

Brandon will be 11 years old in May...you'll see his world record pike in my photo albums!

 

[MARV1]

Started my older boys at 5 with the 10/22 with a Williams peepsight. By 7 my oldest one was dead accurate with it. At 8 both were shooting a Mini-14 on their own. Was a hoot looking where their bullets hit at first as I let them shoot floating wood on the river instead of paper. When they got close I know they would be ready. At 9 my oldest boy shot his first moose, one shot is all it took. Last fall my second son at 8 shot his first moose, again with one shot. Both behind the ear right on the ball of the spine.

 

[Darreld Walton]

My own kids...

My own kids...

When the oldest boy was big enough to hold up a 10-22, he promptly emptied it 'A-Team Style', and just as promptly given a cut-down single shot till he had enough self-control to actually hit things instead of tearing up the hillside. That little rifle was passed down through five more brothers and four sisters. It helped a LOT to hand them ONE round at a time when supervised, and only allowed a portion of a box to 'plink with friends' when they got their hunting licenses. The girls, believe it or not, preferred a 20 ga. 1100 Remington and hand-thrown targets, and are DEADLY on birds.
The Grandkids have to share a Chipmunk, and it's still too big for some of the smaller kids, but by six, most of 'em have mastered it and are ready for something else. Once in awhile, the little Ruger Bearcat comes out and it's PERFECT for handgun training for kids. (Oh hell, now I'm on yet ANOTHER 'watch list').
First 'BIG' gun for them ended up being either a 7X57 or a .257 Roberts, just about perfect for the critters around Wyoming where we lived at the time. The Roberts could be called 'light' for elk and bigger, but I've seen some mighty big ones fall to one with a good shot.
We still get out occasionally, the whole bunch, and shoot all the 'new toys' we've acquired. Many conversations about shooting over a pot of coffee. Keeps 'em coming home once in awhile.
Ain't teachin' kids to shoot fun? Almost as much fun as that first fish they caught or that first legitimate base hit!!!