Cool link Wobbly, thanks for sharing.
Teaching marskmanship
- Thread starter BSK
- Start date
BSK
Well-Known Member
Football Hunter said:
Oh, I can hit a target with an arrow all day long. Just not a living deer! :(
BSK
Well-Known Member
Wobblyshot1 said:
Awesome link Wobbly! Thanks! Anyone else know of good reference material for shooting skills, especially information on identifying accuracy problems? I literally don't know what to look for.
As a couple have said something just in different words. Start off with a pellet rifle, then a .22 cal. Then let them practice just sitting in a chair, with a unloaded firearm, finding different objects in the scope and pulling the trigger and staying on target.
After they can hit a target with the pellet rifle and .22 cal. move them up to a small caliber centerfire rifle. I wouldn't even try to get them hitting with open sights. Unless thats what they will be hunting with. Alot of rounds out of a pellet rifle and .22 cal. will go a long way. The most important thing is to keep it fun but safe.
I taught my daughters by having friendly shooting competitions with a .22 cal rifle and ballons. As they got older we moved on to smaller targets like bottle caps.
After they can hit a target with the pellet rifle and .22 cal. move them up to a small caliber centerfire rifle. I wouldn't even try to get them hitting with open sights. Unless thats what they will be hunting with. Alot of rounds out of a pellet rifle and .22 cal. will go a long way. The most important thing is to keep it fun but safe.
I taught my daughters by having friendly shooting competitions with a .22 cal rifle and ballons. As they got older we moved on to smaller targets like bottle caps.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Rackseeker said:
What if they never learn to hit the target?
stik
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
they need to take up golf.
Some people are natural shots, some are never able to hit anything. Step one should be determining which eye is dominant. From there I would move to a BB gun and start by drawing a picture of the front and rear sights alingned and on a target. It is amazing how many people do not grasp that concept. I firmly believe mastering that should precede using a scope. One of the real keys is a rifle that fits in terms of stock length.
Whatever you start with, it should be done from a solid rest to instill confidence. If the gun is sighted in and the correct eye is being used, the only reason for missing is fliching when shooting from a rest. Shooting at dragon flys with a Daisy pump is the next step. Shoot them sitting, then shoot them flying. Next step is squirrel hunting with a .22. If you can master that, you are good to go. Shooting targets is not the way to learn to shoot. Reason being, most people flich when shooting targets but do not when shooting live animals. I am a perfect example. I am a far better than average shot at live game. I flich like a madman when shooting a target.
The process of shooting should not be a thought process. If it is, it is not going to be extremely successfull. It should be automatic. The BB gun will help accomplish this if you have enough flys and other little critters to shoot.
Whatever you start with, it should be done from a solid rest to instill confidence. If the gun is sighted in and the correct eye is being used, the only reason for missing is fliching when shooting from a rest. Shooting at dragon flys with a Daisy pump is the next step. Shoot them sitting, then shoot them flying. Next step is squirrel hunting with a .22. If you can master that, you are good to go. Shooting targets is not the way to learn to shoot. Reason being, most people flich when shooting targets but do not when shooting live animals. I am a perfect example. I am a far better than average shot at live game. I flich like a madman when shooting a target.
The process of shooting should not be a thought process. If it is, it is not going to be extremely successfull. It should be automatic. The BB gun will help accomplish this if you have enough flys and other little critters to shoot.
Switchbacker,
You're not bragging... keep raising your son to love the outdoors. We live in the "woods" without a neighbor in sight or shouting distance. Shortly after her 4th birthday, my daughter began marksmanship training with a pellet rifle. The stock didn't fit her well, but she is doing well at 10 yards. Too bad I can't show one of her targets. At her age, we focus mainly on safety and shooting form. I give her lots of praise when she follows my advice. Very little criticism if she pulls a shot. I don't know if she will pick up hunting, but she will understand firearm safety and, if needed, how to shot well.
Jim
You're not bragging... keep raising your son to love the outdoors. We live in the "woods" without a neighbor in sight or shouting distance. Shortly after her 4th birthday, my daughter began marksmanship training with a pellet rifle. The stock didn't fit her well, but she is doing well at 10 yards. Too bad I can't show one of her targets. At her age, we focus mainly on safety and shooting form. I give her lots of praise when she follows my advice. Very little criticism if she pulls a shot. I don't know if she will pick up hunting, but she will understand firearm safety and, if needed, how to shot well.
Jim
Cabbage
Well-Known Member
I highly recommend these instructors, their classes and teaching doctrine.
http://www.prifirearmstraining.com/cour ... pose_Rifle
This is a great all around rifle class for anyone at any level.
http://www.prifirearmstraining.com/cour ... pose_Rifle
This is a great all around rifle class for anyone at any level.
How can someone so edgemakated not be able to teach someone how to shoot a gun? :grin:
moondawg
Well-Known Member
bowriter said:
Interesting. I am a lot like that. I might flinch when shooting targets, especially the first few shots. But if I'm shooting at a live animal, I don't have time to flinch. A lot of it is that I probably don't practice with the rifle as much as I should.
Pursuit Hunter
Well-Known Member
IMO, flinching is the #1 cause of inacuracy, The only way to avoid it is to be surprised when the weapon goes off. The only way to do that is by slowly squeezing the trigger. All been said before here...
My 2 cents:
The best exercise to teach trigger control is to have the student shoot their weapon single shot with the teacher loading the chamber each time. Have the student look the other way and then put a round in the chamber (or leave it empty) and close the action. Load/don't load randomly. When the shooter expets it to go bang and it just goes click, you will see any trigger jerking and flinching. When they can consistently refrain from flinching on an empty chamber, then they will have learned the basics of trigger control.
My 2 cents:
The best exercise to teach trigger control is to have the student shoot their weapon single shot with the teacher loading the chamber each time. Have the student look the other way and then put a round in the chamber (or leave it empty) and close the action. Load/don't load randomly. When the shooter expets it to go bang and it just goes click, you will see any trigger jerking and flinching. When they can consistently refrain from flinching on an empty chamber, then they will have learned the basics of trigger control.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Pursuit Hunter said:
Thats great PH. I have done this before and it is by far the best way to quit flinching. My problem is, I am horrible at target shooting, and best at a live target. Thats tough learning at a young age, but it can be achieved.
Cooincidinc-Saw this thread yesterday and today, a lady I have never met called and asked me to teach her to shoot a handgun. Now the odd part...
She lives in FL.
She will be up here in late July and I told her to bring her gun and I work with her.
She lives in FL.
She will be up here in late July and I told her to bring her gun and I work with her.
Wobblyshot1
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bowriter said:
Maybe BSK can help you ;)
AlabamaSwamper
Well-Known Member
smstone22 said:
Very good post!
Winchester
Well-Known Member
a .22 and lots of free hand shooting is a good way to get started!
Monty
Well-Known Member
Some topics need to be covered before even picking up the firearm, such as proper body position, proper sight alignment (front, rear, and target), proper trigger pull (I used the squirt gun comparison - slowly pull the trigger to the rear just as if you were shooting a squirt gun and wanted a constant, steady stream), and knowing the dominant eye is pretty helpful, too. Helps to get the person comfortable with just handling a firearm and understanding how it functions - especially the safety.
Eye and ear protection (I've seen Dad's take their sons/daughters shooting for the first time using a large caliber/gauge firearm that'll kick like the dickens and no hearing protection - then wonder why the kid didn't like the experience.
I'd begin with iron sights at close range dry firing - lots of dry firing (as said about putting a coin on the firearm to check for trigger control). Then go to a small caliber/gauge firearm - hard to beat the ole .22 single shot rifle or single action pistol - again at close range (at least getting them to hit a target fairly consistently and build confidence). Using the method Pursuit Hunter describes is excellent training in the later stages of refining trigger control and keeping their eye focused on the front sight (some shooters try to see where their round hit as soon as it leaves the barrel - called chasing the bullet - causes most shots to go low, like flinching/jerking the trigger).
Stop shooting when they start getting tired or frustrated with shot "groups". Pouring thru boxes of ammo when tired just wastes the ammo and builds bad habits, IMO.
Eye and ear protection (I've seen Dad's take their sons/daughters shooting for the first time using a large caliber/gauge firearm that'll kick like the dickens and no hearing protection - then wonder why the kid didn't like the experience.
I'd begin with iron sights at close range dry firing - lots of dry firing (as said about putting a coin on the firearm to check for trigger control). Then go to a small caliber/gauge firearm - hard to beat the ole .22 single shot rifle or single action pistol - again at close range (at least getting them to hit a target fairly consistently and build confidence). Using the method Pursuit Hunter describes is excellent training in the later stages of refining trigger control and keeping their eye focused on the front sight (some shooters try to see where their round hit as soon as it leaves the barrel - called chasing the bullet - causes most shots to go low, like flinching/jerking the trigger).
Stop shooting when they start getting tired or frustrated with shot "groups". Pouring thru boxes of ammo when tired just wastes the ammo and builds bad habits, IMO.
Viper (tp)
Well-Known Member
One thing to help my kids and this pertains to deer hunting in general, is give them some hunting magazines with pics of bucks standing in different positions and a pencil or ink pin and tell them to draw a circle with a crosshair in it were they would shoot that deer.
Man I have taken a few of those magazines with me to the tree and reminess over those years, man what memories.
To the subject of this post, time behind the sights or scope is very important, they need direction on how, and teach then saftey and teach them about the firearm they are shooting at that time. They themselves will have to shoot and control their inter demons so to speak! JMO
Man I have taken a few of those magazines with me to the tree and reminess over those years, man what memories.
To the subject of this post, time behind the sights or scope is very important, they need direction on how, and teach then saftey and teach them about the firearm they are shooting at that time. They themselves will have to shoot and control their inter demons so to speak! JMO
