Getting the kids into shooting

[Kwontanamo]

Has anyone used airsoft as a progression to get their kids into shooting?

[Hawk21]

I use it as a supplement to drill safety concepts and range commands into my kids heads in the backyard.  
 

I don’t get them to the range regularly enough for everything to be second nature so it’s a perfect refresher.

 

My son has the cheap colt pistol/rifle kit from bass pro, but I know Sig makes a setup that is almost exact copy of actual weight and controls.

[belus]

I'm a couple years away from this but I've been pondering it. The local range I belong to doesn't let kids shoot until 8yo, and then its only rimfire rifle for a while.

 

I plan to start with a Daisy Champion in the back yard to learn the mechanics and safety of it. Then see about small bore type competitions, either NRL22 or a CMP variety.

 

If the interest stays he'll see air soft at steel challenge type stages for a little bit before we use an actual firearm and visit a match.

[Kwontanamo]

9 hours ago, belus said:

I'm a couple years away from this but I've been pondering it. The local range I belong to doesn't let kids shoot until 8yo, and then its only rimfire rifle for a while.

 

I plan to start with a Daisy Champion in the back yard to learn the mechanics and safety of it. Then see about small bore type competitions, either NRL22 or a CMP variety.

 

If the interest stays he'll see air soft at steel challenge type stages for a little bit before we use an actual firearm and visit a match.

I was thinking about starting my kid at 8 as well. I actually didn’t know about the age restriction. I guess it would be a bad idea to start them out with a BB gun t 6-7.

[RangerTrace]

One thing I've learned is that all kids age/mature at a different rate.  My kid, Jake, is 8 and is finally enjoying shooting  my suppressed 9mm AR.  His has to use a range bag or ATV to hold it up, but he can hit "c" zone steel out to 30 without much problem.  He's at least 2 years away from seriously trying pistols and maybe a match.  I tried the BB gun and those things really are dangerous.  They have just enough power to bounce them around the yard and him something you weren't trying to.  When his hands get a little bigger, I've got a fancy red Ruger Mark IV lite with a venom on it.   Oh, and he learned to be my trapper and score keeper at sporting clays last weekend.  Said he's looking forward to our next trip!!  

[Nolan]

Go with the airsoft even if they are more expensive than BB guns, they are much safer and you can get models that are exactly like your personal guns.  I used airsoft to get my wife ready for shooting Steel Challenge matches.  I picked up a complete set of reduced size airsoft Steel Challenge targets and set them up in the back yard.  We treated it just like shooting a match.  Standard safety rules, range commands, bagging, unbagging, holster, timer, etc...  By the time my wife was comfortable enough to shoot a real match, she had close to a hundred practice matches.  She shot the match and did very well.  The other competitors couldn't believe it was her first 'real' match.

 

We were also going to the shooting range regularly, once she had the safety rules down and was comfortable. 

 

Nolan

[Kwontanamo]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I will definitely have to consider his learning/maturity when the time comes. He's every bit of a threenager at the moment. I think i have a pretty decent idea for how to progress the kits from simply getting into shooting and eventually into USPSA/IPSC competition or even steel challenge. 

[obsessiveshooter]

Airsoft practice is a great idea if you can do it.  I brought my teen sons into USPSA with a PCC, thinking it would be harder for them to do something dangerous with, compared to a pistol.  The hardest part was range commands and getting aware of the 180.  Airsoft practice in the backyard could have gotten them familiar enough to take the intimidation edge off.  That intimidation can cause brain farts that create DQ situations.  It certainly did for me when I was learning the game as an adult, so how much more difficult must it be for a 13 year old boy?

In today's climate, you need to think about your neighbors seeing you setting up an array of humanoid shaped targets in your backyard, and running training drills with your kids shooting those targets with real looking guns at high speed.  1 in 1000 people know what USPSA is. Heck, I've never met a "gun guy" [outside of matches] that knew about USPSA.  To the 99.9%, seeing that activity might cause more than a little concern!   

[Nolan]

3 hours ago, obsessiveshooter said:

Airsoft practice is a great idea if you can do it.  I brought my teen sons into USPSA with a PCC, thinking it would be harder for them to do something dangerous with, compared to a pistol.  The hardest part was range commands and getting aware of the 180.  Airsoft practice in the backyard could have gotten them familiar enough to take the intimidation edge off.  That intimidation can cause brain farts that create DQ situations.  It certainly did for me when I was learning the game as an adult, so how much more difficult must it be for a 13 year old boy?

In today's climate, you need to think about your neighbors seeing you setting up an array of humanoid shaped targets in your backyard, and running training drills with your kids shooting those targets with real looking guns at high speed.  1 in 1000 people know what USPSA is. Heck, I've never met a "gun guy" [outside of matches] that knew about USPSA.  To the 99.9%, seeing that activity might cause more than a little concern!   

 

Just use round or square steel targets, plate racks or poppers like these

https://www.evike.com/shop/28/144/

 

When we first started shooting in the backyard, the neighbors heads would pop up over the fences like prairie dogs or like Neighbor Wilson, then we would spend the next 30 minutes letting them play with the airsoft.  One neighbor actually came to the front door and very politely asked what, where, how to get airsoft to teach his kids.  I offered to let them use mine, but this kids lived with their mother, out of state.  This was here in Californiastan, your results may vary.  It was hilarious (not to be confused with Alec Baldwin's wife) watching them shooting the Texas Star!  Then my wife would show them how, Bing Bing Bing Bing Bing!  Then she would mow down the plate racks.  They generally left pretty quickly after that.

 

Nolan

 

[Kwontanamo]

On 12/11/2021 at 10:19 AM, obsessiveshooter said:

Airsoft practice is a great idea if you can do it.  I brought my teen sons into USPSA with a PCC, thinking it would be harder for them to do something dangerous with, compared to a pistol.  The hardest part was range commands and getting aware of the 180.  Airsoft practice in the backyard could have gotten them familiar enough to take the intimidation edge off.  That intimidation can cause brain farts that create DQ situations.  It certainly did for me when I was learning the game as an adult, so how much more difficult must it be for a 13 year old boy?

In today's climate, you need to think about your neighbors seeing you setting up an array of humanoid shaped targets in your backyard, and running training drills with your kids shooting those targets with real looking guns at high speed.  1 in 1000 people know what USPSA is. Heck, I've never met a "gun guy" [outside of matches] that knew about USPSA.  To the 99.9%, seeing that activity might cause more than a little concern!   

This is awesome. Thank you!

I've also seen some kids start out of ZK22 or Ruger22's at USPSA matches and the questions/ideas just started flowing. Hopefully ammo pandemic dials down and things normal out in the near future. I'm also in the process of building a Frankenstein PCC...which the wife has not blessed off on yet 

[Kwontanamo]

where does everyone go to get an airsoft gun? preferably replicas of competition guns. 

[Kletus]

Kwontanamo,

 

If you look up "hi-capa" you will find plenty of pistols that pretty much duplicate a 2011.  I have one made by Evike, but Tokyo Marui is supposed to be the best.  I bought mine on Amazon "Evike - WE-Tech Hi-Capa 6" IREX Competition Airsoft Pistol"(not available at the moment) and it has performed amazingly.  I'm currently using it with my 7 year old and she's running some made up stages with it.  I've used it for "dryfire", running stages at the range, and I've used the steel challenge set from Tactrainers to practice steel challenge stages.

 

 

[Kletus]

Here are a couple of video's of my 7 year old daughter.  I didn't see anything against it, but moderators, please delete if not allowed.

 

First "stage" with movement:

 

https://youtu.be/Zf2kRKUsU9o

 

Same stage after some practice:

 

https://youtu.be/vdhJj-8TI6A

 

Day 2 of Practice on a new stage with holster.  Need to find something shorter !

 

https://youtu.be/dlNH-hqHS7I

 

Still have plenty to work on, such as trigger finger awareness during holstering and transitions, but she loves it, and it lets her start learning and make mistakes safely.  I wouldn't let my 8 year old boys do this yet, because they haven't developed the maturity to listen and carefully follow instructions yet.

[Kwontanamo]

On 12/30/2021 at 9:37 AM, Kletus said:

Kwontanamo,

 

If you look up "hi-capa" you will find plenty of pistols that pretty much duplicate a 2011.  I have one made by Evike, but Tokyo Marui is supposed to be the best.  I bought mine on Amazon "Evike - WE-Tech Hi-Capa 6" IREX Competition Airsoft Pistol"(not available at the moment) and it has performed amazingly.  I'm currently using it with my 7 year old and she's running some made up stages with it.  I've used it for "dryfire", running stages at the range, and I've used the steel challenge set from Tactrainers to practice steel challenge stages.

 

 

 

Thank you so much! how to explain to the wife why i'm getting these 

[Kwontanamo]

On 12/30/2021 at 10:15 AM, Kletus said:

Here are a couple of video's of my 7 year old daughter.  I didn't see anything against it, but moderators, please delete if not allowed.

 

First "stage" with movement:

 

https://youtu.be/Zf2kRKUsU9o

 

Same stage after some practice:

 

https://youtu.be/vdhJj-8TI6A

 

Day 2 of Practice on a new stage with holster.  Need to find something shorter !

 

https://youtu.be/dlNH-hqHS7I

 

Still have plenty to work on, such as trigger finger awareness during holstering and transitions, but she loves it, and it lets her start learning and make mistakes safely.  I wouldn't let my 8 year old boys do this yet, because they haven't developed the maturity to listen and carefully follow instructions yet.

I can't see these from my work computer but i'll definitely take a look at this for ideas. I really appreciate this! Thank you!

[EarlKeese]

On 12/30/2021 at 10:15 AM, Kletus said:

Here are a couple of video's of my 7 year old daughter.  I didn't see anything against it, but moderators, please delete if not allowed.

 

First "stage" with movement:

 

https://youtu.be/Zf2kRKUsU9o

 

Same stage after some practice:

 

https://youtu.be/vdhJj-8TI6A

 

Day 2 of Practice on a new stage with holster.  Need to find something shorter !

 

https://youtu.be/dlNH-hqHS7I

 

Still have plenty to work on, such as trigger finger awareness during holstering and transitions, but she loves it, and it lets her start learning and make mistakes safely.  I wouldn't let my 8 year old boys do this yet, because they haven't developed the maturity to listen and carefully follow instructions yet.

Videos are set to private.

[Kletus]

Hopefully it's fixed now.

[X5SigChris]

My kids are super little and at no point to learn firearms. Heck, we’re still learning words and how to potty lol. But there may be a cricket bolt gun in the safe waiting lol. I learned with a pump bb rifle as a kid followed by a CO2 bb pistol. I think had airsoft been a bugger thing back then, that he may have introduced me sooner. I believe it’s a very viable option to consider. Worst case, you get one that matches you division gun and you now have a dry fire tool 

[EarlKeese]

On 1/24/2022 at 8:30 AM, Kletus said:

Hopefully it's fixed now.

Thanks for sharing! The videos are great and her improvement is impressive. I just picked up an AAP01(like a 22/45) and airsoft Steel Challenge set up for my daughter(11) and I to use. She's been shooting a 10/22 in SC for a year but isn't comfortable shooting pistols yet. Hopefully this will get her going, then we plan to start her in RFS matches to introduce movement. 

[Kletus]

23 hours ago, EarlKeese said:

Thanks for sharing! The videos are great and her improvement is impressive. I just picked up an AAP01(like a 22/45) and airsoft Steel Challenge set up for my daughter(11) and I to use. She's been shooting a 10/22 in SC for a year but isn't comfortable shooting pistols yet. Hopefully this will get her going, then we plan to start her in RFS matches to introduce movement. 

I'm sure it goes without saying, but safety glasses are a must.    I personally like the .28gram bb's for shooting cardboard and for outside.  .25 is fine for inside.

[Kletus]

This range trip we added a mag pouch and a reload before the last array.  The mag was loose in the pouch, so she had to hold it in while she ran, which messed up some of her form during movement.

 

 

[Kletus]

Not sure if this link will share.  Figured I'd avoid video's of a 7 year old shooting on YouTube.  She has shown great safety and muzzle awareness, so yesterday she got to shoot a Walther PPK - .22 freehand for the first time at 6 yards.  All 10 out of the first mag on target, even after switching to head shots halfway through.  9/10 out of the next 10 were on target with a head shot being the only miss.  The part that I actually like most is that part way through she turned to ask me if she could shoot at the head.  When she did, the muzzle stayed perfectly downrange and finger moved outside the trigger guard.  As soon as I saw here start to turn I was preparing to be able to grab the gun and keep it pointed correctly, but she did perfectly.  To answer the original post:  Yes, airsoft is an amazing training tool that lets you get over the initial learning bits without the stress or danger of a real firearm.  There is no way I would have thought that her first real bullets downrange would have come from a pistol, simply from a safety/muzzle control stance, but she was able to learn and be prepared through the practice and drilling we did prior.

 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvjcaxeK55FXgtcbvzCbswFPQZSh-A?e=TdatrN

 

Her and her target

 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvjcaxeK55FXgtcdaQq0ShNHx5ibyw?e=aKCB4G

 

First run at a 10 yard plate rack.  Cost me $3 ($1 per hit).  You can see where she relaxed and the recoil of the first shot surprised her a little.  After that she tightened up and did great.

 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvjcaxeK55FXgtcagkG4N-eObDOF2w?e=DOdc97

 

 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by Kletus

[Kletus]

I also need to say that video is invaluable.  There are several things she's done (like getting the finger into the trigger guard while moving) that I didn't catch real time but was able to see on video and also show her so that she sees exactly what she was doing.  It's even more key to show her things she is doing right and to positively reinforce those actions.

 

A GoPro on a selfie stick or on a tripod is a great tool.

[Scrounger]

These videos are very enlightening. I have my 12 year old using Airsoft in the yard practicing steel challenge stages, but the idea of having kids run stages safely while the learn the basics is brilliant!