Need helps on a kids scope

[PickettSFHunter]

I bought my 6 year old a Ruger American Compact in 350 LGND. He has trouble with scopes but we are practicing and I'm hopeful he will be better by next deer season. I'm looking for a scope that would be the easiest for him to get the eye relief right on. Would any of these Scout model scopes with generous eye relief work? I have never used one. He has used a red dot and is fine with that, but just looking ahead, I know he needs to learn to use a scope. Any advice appreciated. Thank you

 

[Andy S.]

Following. I'm in the same boat with my 7 y/o daughter. I'm afraid it will be a while before she is proficient enough with a scope for me to allow her to shoot at game. Paper is one thing, but crippling animals for the sake of learning is not something I will endorse.

Does anyone make a red dot for rifles where you can see the dot on the vitals of the deer, like a laser beam sight you see on some pistols?

 

[Safari Hunt]

What trouble is he having? Eye relief? I have three scopes and the eye relief is adjusted by moving the scope several inches in the rings. Pistol scopes have a lot of ER but might have too much for a rifle.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

What trouble is he having? Eye relief? I have three scopes and the eye relief is adjusted by moving the scope several inches in the rings. Pistol scopes have a lot of ER but might have too much for a rifle.

The issue he is having is just getting his eye in the right spot to see through a scope. I've tried a lot of different lengths of pull but still is having trouble.

 

[Remington700]

One of my daughters had trouble with scopes. I ended up getting a Vortex spitfire 3x. She isn't going to shoot anything far off any ways. It helps with eye relief as well as finding animals in the woods.

 

[ADR]

Much like Rem700, I think a red dot under magnification would do well. On my AR (that was recently lost in a boating accident) I had a vortex SPARC II with a 3x magnifier that was about to flip out of the way. Very easy target acquisition. You could initially used the red dot and then flip the magnifier into play for longer ranged practice sessions.

 

[Tenntrapper]

I've tried mounting a scout scope in the normal position. It doesn't work.

 

[tellico4x4]

Went thru same with youngest grandson. At 7 he struggled with scope his older bros had used, so I switched to a red dot. He did okay with it & killed a couple, but he always complained about how big the dot was even on smallest setting. Found an old Weaver K1 & it has been perfect. They are actually 1-1/2x magnification and he can shoot it like a champ.He killed a buck with it this year at 120 yrs, dropping him in its tracks with a high shoulder shot which was exactly where I told him to hold!

 

[Andy S.]

^^^^ Thanks for the tip.

 

[Lost Lake]

A good fixed 2.5 x 20 would be my choice.

 

[EastTNHunter]

I just bought a 1.5-5x scope for a youth rifle. Add cheek rest to adjust for height and it will help. Keep the scope on lowest setting.

 

[TN Larry]

I had the same issue with my son as he is right handed and left eye dominant. I bought a Bushnell trs-25 red dot and put on his 30-30. He killed 7 deer with it. My biggest concern was being able to find the deer in the scope. There were no issues with the red dot and would highly recommended. It worked so well that we also put one on his turkey gun that he killed several birds with. We have switched his turkey gun now to a Fastfire for weight purposes and his rifles now to regular scopes as he got older, but there were no issues with it from the few years that we used one on both guns. I would highly recommend this route especially if hunting in the woods with shots under 50 or 60 yards. He did kill a couple farther than that too.

 

[Bucket]

I started all 3 of my kids out with this scope because it has 6" eye relief. Also figured out my youngest two were left eye dominant but right handed, so they shoot lefty. This scope was great while they were young though.

Amazon product ASIN B0000A0AGP

 

[Andy S.]

^^^ What scope is that bucket? I just seen a little "a" emblem, as if it is an Amazon link. But it does not look like a typical link we click on.

 

[2in1shot]

It boils down to practice and time behind the gun. Get a 22 that fits him and put a 3-9 on it. Show him proper check weld and eye alignment.
He will pick it up. A few hundred rounds of 22 and and a couple dozen trips to the range and he will be ready for season.

 

[Bucket]

^^^ What scope is that bucket? I just seen a little "a" emblem, as if it is an Amazon link. But it does not look like a typical link we click on.

It's the Bushnell Banner Dusk & Dawn 1.75-4 x 32 shotgun scope. After a little more digging it appears they have discontinued it. It has a full 6" eye relief and a very generous eye relief zone as well - perfect for kiddos.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009535274

 

[Andy S.]

^^^ Thank you.

 

[GMB54]

I think Bushnell still has a couple scopes with over 4" of eye relief. The Nikon Omega and Inline XR were 5" if you can still find one of those.

Ruger does offer a 350L in a scout configuration also if you want to go with a full blown scout rifle. Your scope choices would likely be greatly increased.
https://ruger.com/products/scoutRifle/specSheets/6841.html

 

[Pilchard]

Picket, have your child practice at the house by closing one eye acquiring their target through a drinking straw. Give them objects to find through the straw....This will show them that there is one angle/distance from the "scope" that allows them to view what's on the other side with the greatest detail. Then, loosen the rings on the rifle and get them to shoulder it comfortably on a bench.... have them pretend the scope is the drinking straw and you can adjust eye relief to get the proper fitting..... If your child can do it with a drinking straw, they should be able to figure out the scope. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Dennis]

It sounds like the issue has more to do with consistent mounting of the gun. If the gun is too big for him and you can get him to mount the gun consistently, then you should be able to mount the scope appropriately so it is where he needs it to be. He shouldn't have to move his head around to find the sight picture. Tell him the image should fill the scope when he looks at it. Move the scope until it is where he needs it to be.

I would buy a scope with low magnification, something that can go down to less than 2x. I assume with that caliber you aren't shooting more than about 150yds. Buy something quality in a 1.5-6 range or so. If you buy something cheap it won't be easy to see through it in low light, which is when you need it the most.

Eye relief changes with level of magnification on an adjustable scope. So leave it in the lowest setting until he gets used to it.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Picket, have your child practice at the house by closing one eye acquiring their target through a drinking straw. Give them objects to find through the straw....This will show them that there is one angle/distance from the "scope" that allows them to view what's on the other side with the greatest detail. Then, loosen the rings on the rifle and get them to shoulder it comfortably on a bench.... have them pretend the scope is the drinking straw and you can adjust eye relief to get the proper fitting..... If your child can do it with a drinking straw, they should be able to figure out the scope. Just my 2 cents.

Very interesting. Thank you!

 

[Andy S.]

^^^ Thanks for the tip, much appreciated.

 

[Tenntrapper]

A word of advice on scout scopes. We've all had sun glare on the objective lens, but glare on the ocular end is a whole nother animal. Since the scope is set farther out, if the sun is behind you, it WILL glare. I finally gave up on a scout configuration, for this sole reason.

 

[rodeojoe]

I have had good luck with a Leupold M8 4x36mm straight power on the kids 243.

 

[TheLBLman]

Another perspective:

It may be we're asking too much for someone so young to become quickly adept with a traditional riflescope, regardless the magnification or eye relief?

My thinking is it may be better to start them out with a red dot optic (personal preference being a Burris Fastfire), while teaching them to hunt with close-range opportunities. Unlike the traditional scope, eye relief, cheek weld, etc. are of little consequence.

The initial focus can then be more on just learning how to hunt and make clean kills instead of the more technical aspects of scope usage.

Along with this, practice target shooting with a traditional scope on a .22 (or even an air rifle). Over time, they will become more adept with using that traditional riflescope, and can "graduate" to it with the hunting guns.

The best answer to the original question may be just TIME
as he will learn how to use the scope over time.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

As an update since I saw this brought to the top....the boy did halfway figure out the night vision scope back in April. I would say it's more like a video game than a traditional scope though. He shot this boar in the shoulder at about 75 yards.

 

[TheLBLman]

Wowzer!
He already looks like a fearless hunter!

 

[Bucket]

That's awesome!

 

[Andy S.]

The issue he is having is just getting his eye in the right spot to see through a scope. I've tried a lot of different lengths of pull but still is having trouble.

I finally found a scope that claims to offer GENEROUS eye relief that could prove beneficial for kids. The Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32 Scout Scope. 9.45" of eye relief, plex reticle, and a fair price ($150) for an introductory/kids scope. Reviews I have read have been favorable.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1017081657/
https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-crossfire-ii-2-7x32-vplex-moa-scout-scope.html

 

[MODEL7FAN]

You need a low power compact 1-4, 1.5-5 etc. the scope needs to be mounted with the lowest rings you can buy extra low so he can get somewhat of a cheek weld on his small face