Have any pf you ever used your BB gun to keep your shooting skills intact or suggested to newbies to learn with a BB gun? AS a kid I used to carry around my Red Rider and practice snap shooting...100s and 100s of times. I got the idea from a neighbor kid when I was also a kid. "Joe" would carry his BB gun everywhere along with several boxes of BBs in his pockets. He would shoot at anything, always a quick snap shot without aiming, counting on his natural hand/eye coordination, which we all have. He could hit walnuts hanging on the tree, clothespins on the clothesline, birds anywhere even sometimes flying by, grass hoppers in the garden, and, remarkably, ants running across the sidewalk. I tried to get as good as he was, but could never do it. He probably shot easily 10 times as much as I did. My shooting did, however, help me develop good shotgun skill. I was always better than most of my peers with a shotgun when I was a kid and I am convinced that the constant practice trained my brain to follow a target. But Joe was the definite champ. He was not just better than the rest of us, he was way better.
Using BB guns to teach shotgun skills?
- Thread starter Sniper66
- Start date
- Status
WestKentucky
Member
Yes. As a kid i shot countless BBs at the bridge near my grandpa's house I would shoot watersnakes and fathead chub minnows. Walnuts in his yard, and bees off my grannies flowers when she wasn't looking. At home in town I was limited but still gave that levergun a good workout. I believe it made me a much better rifle shot, and the slow travel of a bb moving toward a minnow in the swift water taught me to lead a target so I guess it helped scattergun skills too.
Kendal Black
Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2011
- Messages
- 1,647
Jeff Cooper shared this years ago in the Commentaries, so I want to give full credit. He, in turn, was giving full credit to someone else.
It is a brilliant idea to teach children wing shooting with a BB gun and a tossed Frisbee. The longer you think about it, the more sense it makes. The target is big, close and slow: very well, but the "pattern" is only .177 inch.
In my own childhood my use of the BB gun was very extensive, a favorite thing to do, but working on the teach yourself basis I may have learned as many bad habits as good ones.
It is a brilliant idea to teach children wing shooting with a BB gun and a tossed Frisbee. The longer you think about it, the more sense it makes. The target is big, close and slow: very well, but the "pattern" is only .177 inch.
In my own childhood my use of the BB gun was very extensive, a favorite thing to do, but working on the teach yourself basis I may have learned as many bad habits as good ones.
sean m
Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2007
- Messages
- 576
Had the following as a bookmarks on the ol'computer.
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2011/09/lucky-mcdaniel-instinct-shooting-trainer-outfit/
And the Army's TT-23-71-1-Principles-of-Quick-Kill as a PDF
http://weaponsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/TT-23-71-1-Principles-of-Quick-Kill.pdf
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2011/09/lucky-mcdaniel-instinct-shooting-trainer-outfit/
And the Army's TT-23-71-1-Principles-of-Quick-Kill as a PDF
http://weaponsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/TT-23-71-1-Principles-of-Quick-Kill.pdf
kBob
Member
Daisy sold kits that included a sightless air rifle < I believe they offered it with an adult length stock, and little plastic "clays" that snapped apart into to pieces when hit and decame non aerodynamic as the parts were hinged together'
This civilian version was marketed as Quick Skill. The Military version was called Quick Skill and used the same BB guns.
The method was described in Infantry magazine , a US gov publication so was commonly available. A few years back some guys got the idea they could copyright the materials as Daisy's copyrights had run out.
The system was created by a well known Skeet and trap shooter of the late '50's who's name escapes me.
Loosing the rear sight on my Daisy about the time I got into cartridge guns encouraged me to do this sort of point shooting.
Even when extensive Quick Kill training was done away with the Army still taught some of the basics. For the 25 meter and under portions of qualification with the M16A1 in the early 1970s troopers were taught to shoot from the stand (you walked forward and either a standing man or kneeling man target popped up) by keeping the head up and looking over the sights. They went so far as to put tape over the back of the carrying handle and the ears of the front sight to prevent their use. Thanks to many hours of lever working and countless BBs that was four points of my 67 possible I always got.
At night firing the sights were taped over as well in training to encourage "pointing the rifle" from a head up position.
Mother got rather angry when she found her wooden cloths pins from the laundry line scattered about the back yard in pieces (and I seemed to find an inordinate number of clothes pin springs I was sure I had not missed picking up with the mower) and encouraged me to run a heavy needle and thread through a little Jacks Ball so as to hang it from one end of the clothes line. A lot cheaper in the long run than buying Mom new clothes pins for sure and nicer for the peach tree as well not to loose switches........
Walking through a field and flushing grass hoppers was the real challenge and source of many boy hood arguments and I did to hit that darned thing, Doug!
-kBob
This civilian version was marketed as Quick Skill. The Military version was called Quick Skill and used the same BB guns.
The method was described in Infantry magazine , a US gov publication so was commonly available. A few years back some guys got the idea they could copyright the materials as Daisy's copyrights had run out.
The system was created by a well known Skeet and trap shooter of the late '50's who's name escapes me.
Loosing the rear sight on my Daisy about the time I got into cartridge guns encouraged me to do this sort of point shooting.
Even when extensive Quick Kill training was done away with the Army still taught some of the basics. For the 25 meter and under portions of qualification with the M16A1 in the early 1970s troopers were taught to shoot from the stand (you walked forward and either a standing man or kneeling man target popped up) by keeping the head up and looking over the sights. They went so far as to put tape over the back of the carrying handle and the ears of the front sight to prevent their use. Thanks to many hours of lever working and countless BBs that was four points of my 67 possible I always got.
At night firing the sights were taped over as well in training to encourage "pointing the rifle" from a head up position.
Mother got rather angry when she found her wooden cloths pins from the laundry line scattered about the back yard in pieces (and I seemed to find an inordinate number of clothes pin springs I was sure I had not missed picking up with the mower) and encouraged me to run a heavy needle and thread through a little Jacks Ball so as to hang it from one end of the clothes line. A lot cheaper in the long run than buying Mom new clothes pins for sure and nicer for the peach tree as well not to loose switches........
Walking through a field and flushing grass hoppers was the real challenge and source of many boy hood arguments and I did to hit that darned thing, Doug!
-kBob
I recently bought a Browning BL-22 and am trying to repeat the carefree shooting of my youth. A tad more costly than the Red Rider, but then, I have more money. I sit on the bridge railing that crosses the small creek near my niece's farm and plink at things that float down the creek or toss a few walnuts out on the island and make them jump. With ammo being much more plentiful these days and even prices going down it's cheap entertainment to shoot a couple boxes of shells. Again, I don't aim. My goal is to improve my accuracy by a quick point and shoot.
Kookla
Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2015
- Messages
- 1,115
You can go to Chief AJ's site and order an adult size stock and oversize lever loop for your Daisy. I did that to mine to teach myself point shooting. Took off the front and rear sights on it to boot.
bikerdoc
Moderator In Memoriam
Great thread guys!
All my grandkids start to learn shooting safely with a BB/pellet gun.
Point shooting and the quick kill technique are invaluable skills. Keep passing them on!
All my grandkids start to learn shooting safely with a BB/pellet gun.
Point shooting and the quick kill technique are invaluable skills. Keep passing them on!
Pete D.
Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2010
- Messages
- 2,659
I bought a Daisy Red Ryder some years ago. I took off the short stock and made one that gave me my LOP.. I added weight by taping lead on in various places - had to pay attention to maintaining balance. It ended up about the same as my lightest shotgun...about six pounds. I filed off the front sight. I used it (still use it) to learn to shoot where I look. pine cones, ping pong balls, twigs, hand thrown clays. It works.
Also...another learning tool with the shotgun that you already own. Take some used hulls, carefully cut of the crimp. Use a nail and block of wood to deprime them. Buy some 209 primers. Use a 1/2 inch metal tube and a mallet to reprime the hulls. Place a shotgun wad into the hull petals first. NO POWDER. Load them and shoot them,. They are useful out to about 20 yards.
Also...another learning tool with the shotgun that you already own. Take some used hulls, carefully cut of the crimp. Use a nail and block of wood to deprime them. Buy some 209 primers. Use a 1/2 inch metal tube and a mallet to reprime the hulls. Place a shotgun wad into the hull petals first. NO POWDER. Load them and shoot them,. They are useful out to about 20 yards.
- Status
