Favorite guns to shoot with your kids

[PowerG]

Single Six for the younger grandkids, graduating up as is appropriate. The oldest grandson likes the M4.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

Our girls (now 10 & 11 1/2) like the 10/22 and their Crickets, and are growing (slowly) into their new 6920's ...but the favorite is the Colt 1903 .32 Pocket. It fits their hands and is a delight to shoot so who can blame them. I'm now saving up to buy a second one to pass down as well.

 

[Bentonville]

I started them at age six with BB and pellet guns; then to .22 single shot Winchester as they grew in understanding and knowledge of safety to bolt action Savage .22 to Ruger .22. Then we went to .38 revolvers to 9mm to .45s. Finally to 12 gauge shotgun and Mac90/SKS 7.62x39. I think the favorites of the kids and the dad are the HKs USP Compact in 9mm, P30 and especially the Beretta 92FS and the HKVP9. They are so easy to shoot with little recoil. It has been a gradual thing with the firearm matching their hand size and physical stature. They were always directly under my supervision constant instruction.
The boys are now 29,27, and 22. They all love to shoot and they are all very careful with firearms. I pray they stay that way.

 

[LocoGringo]

My son is 5 (about to turn 6 in January) and I'm looking at getting matching Nerf guns for Christmas to start. Once he gets that down and is strong enough, pays attention and follows instructions, I'll put him on the 10/22 and the Smith and Wesson 22a. Looking forward to some fun range times in the future.

 

[Dain Bramage]

Everyone in my family starts off with .22's. But, my daughter's favorite gun is a 9mm AR with a Millet red dot sight, and my youngest son prefers my Star BM in 9mm.

I guess the nines have it, even though it's not my favorite caliber.

 

[rugerman]

I bought my kids a Chipmunk 22 when they were really small (3&5 years old), I started them out with 22 shorts, when they mastered them we moved up to 22 long rifle. Their favorite was shooting drink cans filled with water shot with 22 stingers. The soon out grew the little rifle and moved to my 10-22 and marlin 39a. The little rifle was then loaned out to friend with a small son who kept it for 2 years. Then it went to friends son who had leukemia and was a bit small for his age, he kept it for 3 years and it was his constant companion next another friend with 2 small sons got it for several years (here I almost lost it in his divorce). Now it sits in my gun case, all my friends kids are to old (large) for it, everytime I open my gun case I smile at all the good times we had with that little gun. I need to find a kid to pass it on to, too good to let it waste away in my gun case.

 

[hariph creek]

Ruger 10/22 with 16" carbon fiber tension barrel, Blackhawk! adjustable stock, red dot optic and a bag full of 25rd mags. My wife is 4'-11", I'm 6'-2" and the kids are, at any given point, somewhere in between. This gun fits us all, is reliable, light weight and fun to shoot. I make 'em load their own mags. Then let them blast away.

Of course ... Now that .22lr isn't particularly cheap or available ...? A bolt action is starting to look pretty good. Frankly I'd rather have a bolt gun anyway.

My son loves touching off the "big" handguns. .357mag, 10mm, .44 mag ...

 

[Missionary]

Greetings
WEll mine are all growed up and waiting on the grand kids to get larger. We sure put alot of rounds through a M1 Carbine. My 2 sons learned alot about trigger control and sight picture. Plus for us at least we spent many hours casting, lubing and reloading that brass many times.
Mike in Peru

 

[tactikel]

My Remington model 121 Fieldmaster. My sister, daughters, and wife all love that gun! Something about a pump .22, fast, but you are in total control, makes them beg to shoot it.

 

[Fred in Wisc]

I take kids shooting whenever I can. It's interesting to see what they gravitate to, I usually bring 3-6 guns and we shoot them all, then go back to their favorite some more.

Muzzle loaders are usually a big hit. The mechanics of it are cool, plus fire and smoke come out, and you can do super light loads for them to start out. Also non-gun parents are usually more willing to let their kids try that (it's historical, not so scary, I guess).

Otherwise the Remington 597 with a cool Boyd's stock, the Ruger 22 auto, and the AR15 are usually hits with the kids. For smaller shooters the little Rossi youth size 22 single shot is great- has fiber optic sights and it's tiny and light.

For brand new shooters I also keep a stock of Super Colibri ammo, it's so quiet you can hear it impact on the cardboard targets!

Always eyes and ears, and close targets on big cardboard sheets. Cut out their targets, write down the date and the gun with a sharpie and send it home with them so they have a story to tell their family and friends.

 

[Cee Zee]

It surprises me that no one has started kids off with a shotgun. My brothers and I started that way. My brothers got matching .410's when I was still waiting for my first BB gun. They were a few years older than me. Dad always thought that buckshot wouldn't leave the farm but a .22 round just might. It was a pretty safe assumption. I actually started with a 16 ga. loaded with bird shot so it wasn't a big kicking gun. But it sure kicked more than a .22. I didn't mind the kick one bit though. I graduated to the real thing and I was happy as a lark.

It wasn't long before I got to shoot the .22's but for a while it was shotguns only. They are a good choice in many ways especially with the light loads a person can find today.