Leavemeout Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 First post anywhere so be easy on me. My daughter really wanted to go target shooting with me and I finally gave in and took her a week ago. Wasn't sure she was ready but she loved shooting my M&P 15-22 with a red dot with me holding the rifle and her looking into the red dot and pulling the trigger when ready. Concern I have is that the red dot doesn't require as much aim/focus as iron sights. She's only 6 so I may be going down a rabbit hole with worrying about iron sights. Safety is number one but don't want to start bad habits right out of the gate. Any guidance/thoughts would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spats McGee Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 Welcome to The Bore Site! You're really the only one who can decide if she's ready to start shooting. Mine wasn't ready by the age of 6, but that doesn't mean that yours isn't. Just remember that things can go south awfully fast if you have your back turned "just for a minute." With that said, I think the key at her age is just to make sure she has fun. I think that shooting with iron sights is important for any shooter, but at 6, if she's not having fun, she won't want to shoot. Let her shoot with the red dot and enjoy the time with her. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirForceShooter Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 For starting off kids I really like bolt actions. You're teaching them to shoot not spray. At her age and size I'd consider a Cricket. Find a used one. And for the love of God, not PINK. And most importantly, have fun. AFS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny53 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 1 hour ago, AirForceShooter said: For starting off kids I really like bolt actions. You're teaching them to shoot not spray. At her age and size I'd consider a Cricket. Find a used one. And for the love of God, not PINK. And most importantly, have fun. AFS I have bought Crickets for my granddaughters at 6 years of age, and they were PINK :-) . A bolt action single shot is the way to go for a first gun. Cricket are good guns, Savage makes one that I think is better but the cost is much higher. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O4L Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 I agree with getting her a small single shot bolt action. I have no experience with the Cricket, but many people like them for a youth gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Someday Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 A Cricket was my daughter's first rifle. I put a little scope on it for her and he loved it. Single action bolt is a very good idea - especially at that young age. At this point, as AFS said, the idea is to have fun. A bold (or lever for that matter) action will slow her down and force her to think about each shot. A red dot/scope will help her enjoy the experience a bit more until you feel she is old enough to understand how to site using irons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booker Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 I also endorse the Cricket rifles. Even for experienced shooters as one has to get back to the basics of shooting! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leavemeout Posted September 21, 2017 Author Share Posted September 21, 2017 Thanks for the replies. I should have noted I only loaded 1 round each time and held the 22 at all times. I like the idea of a bolt action but she was so excited to shoot a big gun like Dad's ar that she may not give up the 15-22 in my lifetime. I thought 6 was too young in general too but she is a good kid and I was worried she could either lose interest or become too interested and get herself in trouble some day with a gun outside our home. Better safely trained then sorry was my thinking. Thanks again. And she does want the pink 15-22 but my safe has a no pink policy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlockPride Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 Savage Rascal for the kids. Much, much easier on the adults as they don't have that silly cocking device at the rear of the bolt. Much closer to a traditional bolt rifle. Comes in various colors, too. It's what we bought my now 8 yr old when he was 5. Shoots the CCI Quiets nicely and doesn't scare the kiddo with too much noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Cicero Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 It's more fun for the kids when they can hit their target. I wouldn't worry about the red dot. My kids started on a Cricket, prone with sandbags, and quickly graduated to a 10-22 with a scope for more accuracy (Ruger stock sights suck), still prone and on sandbags. Then OD learned to use a sling and got rid of the sandbags. YD got rid of the sandbags, but didn't want to use the sling. Whatever. I just wanted her to enjoy shooting, and she did. They both enjoyed it till they discovered archery, then they did that instead, with their daddy. They like it cause it is quiet. OD hunts with a crossbow now, and target shoots with a stick bow. YD prefers a compound. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gun Shark Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 (edited) I don’t have any experience with rifles. But I recently rented an S&W shield .22 to teach a girl how to shoot. Not only did she love Shooting it, I really enjoyed it as well(I’m not the hugest fan of the triggers, so it surprised me how much I liked it). Edited September 22, 2017 by Gun Shark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Someday Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 On 9/21/2017 at 4:34 PM, Leavemeout said: ...I thought 6 was too young in general too but she is a good kid and I was worried she could either lose interest or become too interested and get herself in trouble some day with a gun outside our home. Better safely trained then sorry was my thinking. ... There is no "perfect age" to train a kid. Only you can tell if she is mature enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWARREN123 Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 Small single shot rifle such as the Cricket. I have no idea of a pistol size for a 6 yo. Safe fun always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leavemeout Posted September 23, 2017 Author Share Posted September 23, 2017 Taking her again tomorrow night. Usually go late when the range is empty and they have less to get distracted by. May borrow a neighbors bolt 22 and see how that goes. Thanks for the ideas and input. Much appreciated. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASH Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 i agree with bolt action also . i started my girls at 8 and 10 with bolt guns and moved on from there. but i spent more time on every gun is loaded , treat it as such and we would do drills til they got it right . but a cricket sounds ok . i still got my old 22 bolt from when i was 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maccabeus Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 The single shot bolt is the better idea, esp. If it is sized for a small child. Not having one, I took my kids out for the first time on my Marlin 795. Only 1 round per mag. And an extra adult to watch who wasn't shooting so I could stay focused on the one who was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMBKLR Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 (edited) Here is my youngest with her Cricket. Kind of a pain to load but I wanted to start her with a single shot. She chose the target she wanted to shoot the bad guy. Edited July 12, 2018 by ZMBKLR Added info 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa-Lefty Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 My daughter stated at a very early age with a cricket rifle at age five, but before that she was shooting my browning buckmark hunter .22 pistol with scope off sandbags at age 4, with me sitting right beside her and she was spinning one of those rubber gopher targets almost every time at 15-20 yards and loving it. Now she is 17 years old, killed 15 deer, a dozen turkeys, unknown number of rabbits, squirrels, ducks, etc. and shoots on her high school trap team and shot a 191 out of a possible 200 in 16 yard singles at this year's Iowa SCTP state trap shoot! As long as they are properly supervised and having fun, let them shoot! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gun Shark Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 My daughter stated at a very early age with a cricket rifle at age five, but before that she was shooting my browning buckmark hunter .22 pistol with scope off sandbags at age 4, with me sitting right beside her and she was spinning one of those rubber gopher targets almost every time at 15-20 yards and loving it. Now she is 17 years old, killed 15 deer, a dozen turkeys, unknown number of rabbits, squirrels, ducks, etc. and shoots on her high school trap team and shot a 191 out of a possible 200 in 16 yard singles at this year's Iowa SCTP state trap shoot! As long as they are properly supervised and having fun, let them shoot!That’s awesome... but... no hogs?Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa-Lefty Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 9 hours ago, Gun Shark said: That’s awesome... but... no hogs? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk No, no hogs LOL. If you shoot the hogs in Iowa, some farmer gets very upset ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gun Shark Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 No, no hogs LOL. If you shoot the hogs in Iowa, some farmer gets very upset [emoji51]Just give him a couple hundred bucks and call it good. Seriously, there aren’t any Wild Boar up there? Come down to Florida and go to Chappy’s Outfitters. Great people and an over abundance of hogs in the state. There is no season here either. They are pest animals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa-Lefty Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Gun Shark said: Just give him a couple hundred bucks and call it good. Seriously, there aren’t any Wild Boar up there? Come down to Florida and go to Chappy’s Outfitters. Great people and an over abundance of hogs in the state. There is no season here either. They are pest animals. Nope no wild pigs here. My daughter would love to go shoot some pigs, as long as she could grind them up into sausage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moeman Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 My son which i started the same age loves the MP 22 and a Heritage revolver. I also got him a Henry lever but he didn’t like it then, front heavy. now my son is 13 and likes clays with light load 12 gauge too. One step at at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooterer Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 I have taken many children shooting over the years and the #1 lead delivery system for small shooters I have found is the Savage Rascal (wood stock) Accu trigger, peep sights, cocks on opening, short length of pull, light, single shot and accurate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre! Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 My daughter started shooting at 5 with my hands around hers and me pulling the trigger. At 7 she got a Cricket from Santa, and I slept on the couch for a week... ? Later, after the D I V O R C E and I got into competition shooting she would drill the "New Shooters" on the Four Laws Of Firearms on the way to tech them to shoot... We are now discussing when her 5 year old daughter will start shooting... ? and yes, we will be using her original Cricket! The Cricket was a reasonable price, and has been easy to maintain. That's my thoughts, and several othe rmembers too! Hope that helps you out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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