Here's how I taught my (then-soon-to-be) wife to shoot:
She was already interested in firearms, and wasn't scared of them. Noone had ever really cultivated her interest or taken the time to teach her about them. She had had a few boyfriends in the past who had guns but they kinda had the "it's a guy thang" attitude. Then I came along...
It so happened about this time I was looking to purchase
my first gun, so I went to a local range a rented a pistol of the same type that I was considering to buy, and I brought her with me. I rented a gun for her, too, and when we got into the range area, I explained to her how to operate the controls, what they were called, how to load, etc., and I explained the rules of safe gun handling. Then, I let her have at it, and I haven't been able to keep her out of it since!
In fact, she's the one who discovered this forum and introduced me to it.
I plan on teaching my children about firearms as soon as I think they are ready. I have one daughter now that's 6, and another due to be born soon. For teaching kids, the aproach that's been suggested to me, and what I plan to use, is to load a gun (one they can have a healthy respect for, but not fear of) with
one round, then shoot it at a jug of bleach water, a melon, etc., to show them what a gun can do and why they are dangerous. I plan on doing this with the 6 yr old when she's @ 10 or so, as I don't think she's ready yet.
I agree with what has already been said here- to teach someone who's afraid, don't try to "impress" them with a BOSG (Big 'Ol Scary Gun), start with a small one, show them it's just a machine that
can be handled safely, and don't force the issue. You'll only reinforce their negative stereotype of gun owners. We have to show the world that we are upstanding, trustworthy citizens and not a bunch of paranoid hate-mongers.
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"Fear is the path to the Dark Side...
Fear leads to gun laws, gun laws lead to disarmament, disarmament... leads to Tyranny!"
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"If it isn't Scottish, it's CRAP!"