What’s the best way to introduce your kids to shooting guns? The answers vary widely. A person’s resources in terms of firearm access also plays a big role. Obviously, no matter the firearm and kid(s) involved, firing the first shots safely ranks up there as the most important. With safety taken care of, it’s up to you to make it as enjoyable and fun for the kids as possible. After all, if they love their first time shooting, you’ll be making new members of America’s gun culture.
My twin boys are five. In the past four to six months they’ve discovered guns.
We’ve been working on the NRA’s 3 rules of gun safety for a couple of months now that they both have become relentless in their interest about all things gun-related. Hard to believe there would be any published material to quench that thirst for information about guns anywhere at Boch Manor, right?
Even after having lost a lot of my collection in unfortunate boating accidents and to Gov. Pritzker’s gun ban last year, I think I’ve found the perfect introductory package for my kids’ first solo trip to the range with dad.
Recently, while sorting through an ammo fort, I found a couple of bricks of Colibri .22 rounds from Aguila. I fondly recall shooting the original Colibri rounds out of a full-length single-shot, bolt-action .22. The sound of the firing pin striking the primer made more noise than the discharge of the gun. Aguila then came out with the “Super Colibri” which apparently uses a hotter priming compound to send the little 20 grain projectile downrange quite a bit faster (590fps?) and with a bit more noise.
This seemed like the perfect ammo for firing their first shots. Now all I needed was something kid-sized to shoot.
One Monday night while browsing through SCHEELS in Springfield, Illinois prior to one of our Guns Save Life meetings, I saw a little Savage Rascal .22. It’s like a real .22 rifle only a lot smaller and sells for about $150. Making a lifetime of memories? That’s priceless. “I’ll take it,” I told the person at the counter.
What’s more, that little Rascal is effectively a crew-served gun which is perfect for 5, 6, or 7-year-old boys and girls who want to shoot a real gun. Mom or dad (or a grandparent) can stand or sit right behind them and manipulate the (still a little stiff) action to help load and unload the rifle while junior lines up the sights and whacks at the trigger. At least before they progress enough to learn the importance of a good trigger pull.
While no plan survives first contact, my plan is to take them out one morning when we’ll have the range to ourselves. We’ll set up a cardboard target with a sheet paper with a (big) bullseye printed on it at about 15 feet. I’ll have them sit at the portable table and squeeze off their first shots sans those bulky ear muffs thanks to the quiet Colibri ammo which make less noise than a cap gun.
Maybe in a year or so they’ll graduate to CB Caps or the Colibri in a Walther P22 pistol. Time will tell. For now though, my goal is to make their first shots not only safe but extremely fun and exciting while creating a couple of band new members of America’s gun culture.
Well done John, teach them right.
I opened a couple of those Colibri cartridges once. The regular ones have a red priming compound and no powder. The Super Colibri ones have 1/4 grain of small flake powder (looks like 50-60 flakes) on top of what appears to be the same red priming compound. I wondered about that little dab of powder igniting at different angles in the Supers, what with all that empty space, and they all pop without fuss in the Contender. Start with pellet rifle ballistics, and then graduate to Stangers whenever they’re ready for the big time, all in the same rifle.
good plan. air rifle would work fine too and you can use most backyards safely.
The Appleseed Project is a great program for teaching young shooters the fundamentals of shooting and safety essentials.