proud pappa

[Tim McCoy]

Good stuff Ivory. Great times ahead. Have a 7 yr old grandson we are starting to work with.

Relative to recoil concerns. If by 22, you mean a rimfire, I'd take a pause. Then work up to a centerfire 22 before a 243. If it was a centerfire 22 you refer to, and you are worried, suspect your son has caught on to the concern, but he may not know why. So I might, and have, used a thin piece of closed cell foam, aka a sissy pad, between the rifle butt pad and kid. Let him see you use it first. I still use one myself, I hate recoil on the bench, both my boys laugh, and think I'm soft. I say nope, but that extra pad sure is soft.

With a new shooter, another concern is muzzle blast, if he's not used to a big blast/bang of the centerfire sort, it can give a new shooter a pause. So I've been known to insist on ear plugs and ear muff style protectors over the ear plugs. I'd also give some thought to starting a new shooter with a 243, on light varmint loads at the range, if he'd not shot a 223 or the like. Then heavier pills more suited to big game later. When shooting at the range, after 2-3 shots where accuracy was bad with an accurate rifle, I'd pretend to load a round and watch...

Have fun, great memories to be made for sure.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I started my son out with a BB gun (under my supervision) at around 5. Graduated pretty quickly to a .22 single shot and then bought him a single shot .20 ga shotgun for his 7th BD. Spent lots of time shooting and practicing. Started Dove hunting at 7. Bought hin a .243 Remington 600 for Christmas when he was 11 and started shooting it immediately. Applied for an antelope tag in Wyoming and shot his first big game animal when he was 12.

IMHO the important thing is to get them exposed to guns, shooting them and having fun with targets. The more range time the better. We used to go to the Mojave Desert camping, dune buggy and dirt bike riding and shooting at least once a month.

 

[sneakypete]

Ivory, get him shooting 243, 223 whatever is comfortable for him. Congrats again!

 

[ivorytip]

Good stuff Ivory. Great times ahead. Have a 7 yr old grandson we are starting to work with.

Relative to recoil concerns. If by 22, you mean a rimfire, I'd take a pause. Then work up to a centerfire 22 before a 243. If it was a centerfire 22 you refer to, and you are worried, suspect your son has caught on to the concern, but he may not know why. So I might, and have, used a thin piece of closed cell foam, aka a sissy pad, between the rifle butt pad and kid. Let him see you use it first. I still use one myself, I hate recoil on the bench, both my boys laugh, and think I'm soft. I say nope, but that extra pad sure is soft.

With a new shooter, another concern is muzzle blast, if he's not used to a big blast/bang of the centerfire sort, it can give a new shooter a pause. So I've been known to insist on ear plugs and ear muff style protectors over the ear plugs. I'd also give some thought to starting a new shooter with a 243, on light varmint loads at the range, if he'd not shot a 223 or the like. Then heavier pills more suited to big game later. When shooting at the range, after 2-3 shots where accuracy was bad with an accurate rifle, I'd pretend to load a round and watch...

Have fun, great memories to be made for sure.

that's a great idea, he has only shot the rimfire 22, I need to blow the dust off of the old centerfire! and ear muffs at the range are a must, my hearing has gone to the dogs because I was to lazy to use them. I have some 80 grain barnes vor-tx bt's I'm going to start him out with I think. he watched his friend shoot a deer last year with a 30-30, he missed then grabbed his dads 280 short , that he had never shot before and drop that little two point on the ground. hopefully seeing his friend use a bigger gun is enough to play up confidence in his head. thanks for the advice guys, wet rainy windy day today so we will shoot for Monday.

 

[badgerbob]

I remember when my son passed his Hunter Safety course many years ago (he is 52 now!). My Dad and I taught the course in California, where Dad was an instructor for over 50 years. My son was only 7 and we wanted to take him dove hunting that year. Dad really spent a lot of time with all the youngsters he taught, going the extra mile. He actually reads the questions to make sure all the young kids understand what the question is. My Dad really liked teaching the youngsters.

Don't mean to steal the thread, but I have a story that I thought might fit in here. I also taught hunter safety in Calif. in the early 70s. And, as well, I read the questions to the students, as needed. I lived in a small town, and one of the kids approached me one day, saying he wanted to take the course, but could not read. It bothered me that a child could reach 12 years of age and still could not read. I allowed him to take the course and then read him the test. He passed easily. I knew his father and was confident he would continue training the youth. I then asked the boy how it was he did not know how to read. He told me it was just boring and he couldn't make himself do it. In talking with him further I found that he could read a bit so I got out a Petersons Hunting Mag. and helped him read an article on mule deer hunting. The more he read the better he got, and on questioning him he was understanding what he read. I let him barrow the Mag. and told him when he finished to bring it back and I would give him another. After about 6 magazines I gave him a copy of Big Red, a book by Jim Kjellguard (sp) He read that darn book and loved it. Meanwhile the reading teacher at the local school had found out about my involvement and asked me what I did to inspire the kid. When I told her she asked me what she could do to keep him inspired. I told her about the books by Kjellguard, he wrote many, and the hunting mag. She told me she would stock the library with his books and that she had the capability to order as many mag. publications as she needed and could I recommend any. Which I did, sorry I either did not know about Eastmans at the time or maybe it wasn't out yet. She later told me this kid read every book and mag. he could get his hands on as long as it was outdoors or hunting oriented. Kind of neat that a hunters education course led to a young man being able to read. Just goes to show there is no limit to the outcome once you reach out and maybe go the extra mile a little.
Thanks, BB