I took my almost 5 year old daughter squirrel hunting last weekend and she is left handed and I was wondering if she was going to be left eye dominate. She loved shooting the suppressed 10/22. But it has a cheap Nikon scope that was giving her a hard time. And I was trying to keep it fun for her and teach her the safety side of it. I was thinking of putting a red dot on it to help. Was wondering what y'all have done to help kids. And if a red dot what do you recommend
Teaching kids
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Bob Wright
Well-Known Member
Red dots can be hard to align for a small child too. You certainly can try, especially if you have a buddy that has one mounted already. It won't hurt.
I just draw them some pictures of the cross hairs and ask them do they see the cross hairs clearly in the scope? Head too close or too far from scope type things. Then start getting them onto a simple bullseye/red dot sticky.
It's tough for them when we can't see what they are seeing. Maybe a loose scope laying around that could be held?
I just draw them some pictures of the cross hairs and ask them do they see the cross hairs clearly in the scope? Head too close or too far from scope type things. Then start getting them onto a simple bullseye/red dot sticky.
It's tough for them when we can't see what they are seeing. Maybe a loose scope laying around that could be held?
The Oregonian
Well-Known Member
It could also be an eye dominance thing. I am right handed but left eye dominant, and have a 12 yr old who has been right handed and right eye dominant from the beginning every time I have tested it. I would make sure I tested that bc it is super easy to do and can be the difference between fighting your body vs being comfortable, and I'd probably test once a year or so just to make sure it doesn't migrate, maybe until they hit their growth spurt.
My son had a hard time, until maybe 9 or 10, with squinting…his little body just couldn't make the muscles work without making it hard to see. I bought him a $5 pirate patch off Amazon and he wore it flipped up, then would flip it down while hunting. That helped him a ton.
My son had a hard time, until maybe 9 or 10, with squinting…his little body just couldn't make the muscles work without making it hard to see. I bought him a $5 pirate patch off Amazon and he wore it flipped up, then would flip it down while hunting. That helped him a ton.
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I have a red dot on 1 22 and I like it for some things but was very disappointed when squirrel hunting if it was any distance because mine doesn't magnify at all so it's makes it harder to find the critter some times
cornshank
Well-Known Member
What about trying a different rifle , with open sights ?
Then when she is comfortable with that move her to the ruger.
Then when she is comfortable with that move her to the ruger.
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
Red dots or an LPVO are a good idea. My son is 6 and I started taking him to the range with me to shoot 22lr. I started him off by using a 1-10 Razor I had and turned the illumination on. The eye relief at low power is exceptional and so all I had to do was tell him to put the red dot that's in the middle of the red circle on the target and pull the trigger. Took him all of 5 seconds and we were shooting KYL racks at 50 yards and 6 inch steel at 200.
Made the transition to an actual optic very easy for him. The last time we went we were only shooting at 200 and I put a 4-20 on it and he did perfectly fine without much hassle at all. That optic also has a center dot reticle. I told him to put the dot on the target and pull the trigger. He said alright. I got him setup and had him look through the scope to make sure his eye relief was ok. He said yes. Loaded a round for him, he squeezed it off…impact. Pretty much no learning curve. Granted we're on a flat range and not out hunting or anything.
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Used a red dot for Grandson with an optic nerve issue. This worked well for 22rimfire as well as 410 shotgun for shooting ruffed grouse in fall. On twenty-two and rifle he has graduated to scope. Doing well. Still have red dot on shotgun.
ntsqd
Well-Known Member
I'd be tempted to start with iron sights. I would use target style Lyman MJT peep sights. Drilled and tapped the side of a couple 10/22 receivers to accept the base for the sight (have to lightly notch the stock) and initially I J-B welded the front sight base to a Green Mtn SS bull barrel. Don't laugh, it worked for over a decade and only failed because I knocked the sight into something.
www.lymanproducts.com
Since removing these from my wife's 10/22 in favor of a Leupold 3-9x RF I'm thinking to put them on a JW-15 for our grand daughter. I expect to be teaching her in about 2 years.
If optics are the decision then I'd take a close look at something like the Bushnell 1-4x AR scopes. I shoot mine a LOT set on 1x. And I remove that silly flip out throw lever.....
EDIT: Whomever decided that amazon links shouldn't work really needs to revise their thinking.
20 MJT Globe Front Sight
A companion to the 90MJT receiver sight. *This product is currently out of stock and will be available early 2023.* The 20 MJT - 7/8" diameter Globe Front Sights are machined from one solid piece of steel designed to be mounted in a 3/8" barrel dovetail. 20 MJT height .700" from the bottom of...
If optics are the decision then I'd take a close look at something like the Bushnell 1-4x AR scopes. I shoot mine a LOT set on 1x. And I remove that silly flip out throw lever.....
EDIT: Whomever decided that amazon links shouldn't work really needs to revise their thinking.
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Mike Matteson
Well-Known Member
First you need to figure out which eye is dominate. If you have something hanging on at wall that not to big, and you only have to about 5' away. Have her hold her index finger and line it up with it with both eyes open. Then have her close one eye and then the other. Seen which one is lined up. I don't know what kind of range time you have given her. I am not saying you haven't, but range time will give her time to learn. I got my two grandchild a little kids 22 bolt action single shot. Made sure my son had ammo for them. He took them to the range almost weekly for a long time.
That 10/22 is probably a little heavy for her to hold up and shoot.
If they are not hitting anything, that won't make the a happy camper. Nothing wrong with taking them hunting, but I wouldn't push it. Got make them happy, and having fun.
WeatherBugHiker
Member
I love teaching kids and introducing them to the real world early. My nephews and nieces all have the bug now. I started my oldest nephew out at 6 my father and I got him a 17 hmr savage 93, we put a nice little Leupold on it and set him all up got him practicing every day finally took him on his 7th birthday to South Dakota with us he took 9 Rabbits in 3 days, 6 on the final day. Since then it's turned into a tradition of sorts for our family and we start planning the year they're born!
milo-2
Well-Known Member
I have yet to see a kid that did not pick up shooting with a red dot right away, on a rifle.
OP, i would not get caught up in buying the best dot, I have quite a few Vortex dots, the cheaper Venom and Viper are really as good as the Razor, just get a 3moa dot. I also own a Kahles one, 2 moa, over priced.
We switch from dots to scopes all time while at the range, sight the dot in at 16 yards and it will be close all the way to 65 yards.
