Pre-rifle training for my son

My dad let me fire his .06 around age 9 from the shoulder and the recoil about knocked me on my butt. He told me if it hurts that way when using it correctly, could i imagine what it would feel like to fire it irresponsibly or even worse to be on the recieving end. Mom wasn't exactly thrilled with the bruise, but looking back i don't think i would have taken firearms nearly as serious without my dads 'wake up call'.
 
My two cents:
1. There's no rush. Have him help when you clean your weapons after your next few range trips. Explain to him the parts, their function, how a safety works, etc. Let him do a bit of scrubbing. Understanding how the system works will deepen the foundation. Taking away a bit of the mystery won't take away the fun. Remember, though, that he's 5 and has the memory span of a goldfish; much of this will be lost on him. Repetition is the key.
2. Take him out and shoot some cans or a target taped to a cardboard box using one of those break barrel pellet guns. It's quieter, produces less recoil, the sights work the same and you get to watch cans fall over. Every little boy loves to watch cans fall over. Better, you can start shooting at closer ranges, so he'll improve faster. If it's just the two of you, it could be great education as well as bonding time. You can talk to him at length about the rules of safety or how crappy the Cubs are going to be again this year w/out constantly being drowned out by the guy sighting in his new 7mm Mag 3 lanes over. Also, it's safer for you and those around you; if your boy ADs using a pellet gun, there's only a slight chance of severe injury.
3. Move up to the range and a real firearm after you think that step 2 has brought him up to speed.

Enjoy it. You both will have great memories.
 
Daisy red rider BB gun. Set up targets in back yard. Maybe staple some balloons into the fence. Shoot with him, correcting his mistakes as u go. Try to keep it fun though. A negative experience might turn him away from firearms. Maybe preface him that you are going to be watching him and correcting him a lot bc guns are very serious and can kill people, but that you aren't getting mad at him. I remember my dad taking my 20 gauge away from me for 15 minutes when I was in 3rd grade while we were dove hunting. That was actually a good eye opening lesson.
 
My father prohibited BB guns !! This based on the observation that all too many kids and all too many adults thought they were toys. I agree with him !

Reactive targets are a great challenge. I used to put the empty 6 or 7 oz frozen juice cans out in the field .When hit they bounce , changing position to something that's more , or less visible.
When more expert use animal crackers as targets ! This BTW is challenging for adults at a 50' indoor range.:)
 
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Went squirrel and rabbit hunting with my Dad starting at about age 5. Hunting teaches very quickly about the effects on being on the wrong side of the rifle when fired. I was allowed to shoot my Dad's rifle which was an old (even in the 50's) Winchester pump.

Got my first BB gun when I was six and shot a lot of birds and cans. I already knew safety and the mechanics of sighting from hunting.

We had a single shot 22 in the family. It was originally my mother's and then got passed to my older brother, then me when I was 8, and finally to my younger brother. Best shooting 22 I every owned with iron sights.

Daddy's eyes finally forced him to buy a bolt with a scope and I inherited the pump.

I have had 3 AD's in my life. Although scary, none was dangerous as the barrel was always pointed in a safe direction...even when empty.

I taught my wife to hunt just before we got married. Only way she could spend time with me during hunting season. I found that I had to really think hard when training her to handle a weapon correctly before seeing the mistakes she made. Gun handling is so instilled in me that I don't consciously think about it.

One key element in learning to handle weapons correctly is experience. The more your son handles the weapons, the safer he will become to the point it is second nature.
 
The more your son handles the weapons, the safer he will become to the point it is second nature.
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I agree. All I would add, would be "with proper instruction", and "as soon as possible after birth".
 
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