Teaching a child to shoot.

[Melvin]

So I was always taught to shoot with open sights before I was allowed to advance to a scoped rifle.

This is the way I have taught and am still teaching my children.

I have a friend that bought his son a scoped rifle to learn with. He felt the instant gratification would be good for his willingness to learn. I told him he was doing the boy a great disservice.

So, what do you gents think and how do you go about it?

Open sights or optics for children learning to shoot? You make the call.

[Pigslilspaz]

I never even use scopes anyways. Works fine for me. 

[MachFly]

It's a lot easier to shoot with a scope, so I say you need to learn with the iron sights. If you normally shoot with the iron sights and you pick up something with a scope you'll do alright, if you normally shoot with a scope and you pick up something with an iron sight you'll suck.

Also I think that it's more fun to shoot with an iron sight.

[morfiend]

 I'd go with a target rifle with adjustable peep sights! after learn how to use them you can shoot anything.

 



   

[branch37]

I know when I was growing up, scopes were not allowed in our gun collection.  The only gun with a scope was my dads 25-06

[Masherbrum]

Open sights.   Lay the Foundation and then move them to a scoped firearm, if they continue to pursue it.  

My $.02

[Sonicblu]

As it pertains to sights, I use tech sights, peep style.

Not to bump thread but have any of you been to an Appleseed shoot. If not I highly recommend it.

Best thing IMO for training my son, as I didn't have the skill set I thought I did. My son is learning  to be a marksman, not just shoot.

If anyone would like more info just pm me or just google Appleseed shoot.

Intensive two day training.

[1pLUs44]

Depending on what I was doing, I still like both. Anything before about 250 yards (depending on the size of the target of course) I like to shoot open sighted. But if I'm actually doing something serious with my rifle (deer hunting, longer range shots) then I like the security of using a scope just to make sure you can see everything clearly and know where your bullet will strike.

I did start out on iron sights though, I have a little .22 semi auto with a peep sight and I used to run thousands of rounds through that thing. To be honest, I prefer peep sight over the regular iron sight.

[olds442]

well im 12 and started on a scoped 980fps pellet gun, that really helped because the gun had scoped and flip up iron sights so i learned both, i like iron sights better because its like point in shoot. so a scope i think just will improve his shooting because it shows him the same stuff. now when you start getting into hunting like me and a scope is needed then so be it. i say also if its his first time start on a pellet gun or a 22 then slowly move up in the calibers, i like the 30-30's and 234. cal's

[canacka]

I can see the point of gratification for the youngster but I do believe you should know the basics.  The only thing I can think of that wouldn't matter what you use is practice with trigger control.  Without it, it really doesn't matter.  The bad thing about first using a scope is if he's shooting really well with it then goes to iron sights and struggles a little, he'll want to revert back to the scope and give up.  Depends on the kid I guess.

[Spikes]

The way I was taught:
If I can shoot quarters at X yards with open sights, I can shoot dimes at X yards with a scope.

[gyrene81]

i was taught with old school iron sights...didn't even look through a scope until i was 16. would not recommend them past 200 yards unless you have spent a lot of time shooting. peep sights take some getting used to, different sight picture, smaller adjustments, but they are great for non-scoped shooting. you can reach out to 500-600 yards accurately. scopes are great for precision shooting but, you don't learn marksmanship with them...at least nobody i ever met did. personally i think it has something to do with gaining a good understanding of windage and elevation.

what ever happened to the "first gun" being a bb or pellet rifle? teach the kids respect for weapons and marksmanship without breaking the bank.

[Melvin]

what ever happened to the "first gun" being a bb or pellet rifle? teach the kids respect for weapons and marksmanship without breaking the bank.

Yep, my kids got a Red Rider bb gun when they turned 5. (Of course I had to cock it for them at first  )

Nothing like the satisfying sound and action as they knock pop cans off the picnic table, it gets them excited as can be.

Now they are moving on to the .22. I have a Ruger 10/22 that they've shot a little, but I think I'm going to go and get something for them that needs manual re-loading. I'm thinking a Henry, but I found a nice Remington Fieldmaster (the gun I learned on ) at a local pawn shop for $400.

Anyway, most of the responses here seem to reaffirm my belief that starting a child on a scoped rifle is bad news.

 

[Shuffler]

Start with basics and move up.

[branch37]

i was taught with old school iron sights...didn't even look through a scope until i was 16. would not recommend them past 200 yards unless you have spent a lot of time shooting. peep sights take some getting used to, different sight picture, smaller adjustments, but they are great for non-scoped shooting. you can reach out to 500-600 yards accurately. scopes are great for precision shooting but, you don't learn marksmanship with them...at least nobody i ever met did. personally i think it has something to do with gaining a good understanding of windage and elevation.

what ever happened to the "first gun" being a bb or pellet rifle? teach the kids respect for weapons and marksmanship without breaking the bank.

I started with a red rider BB gun when I was maybe  6 or 7 running around shooting birds all day.  Got it taken away a few times when I found out what happens when you shoot a cow in the ass.