Teaching kids to shoot. Red dots or irons?

[scarecrow]

So my oldest is ready to start shooting. He's 6. Have yall started them with irons or red dots? He does fine with the red rider but he's ready to take a step up.

[hunterjw]

Little of both.
Red dot on my single shot .410 mostly because I knocked the bead off of it a long time ago. My son killed his first turkey this year at age 5 with the red dot on the gun. Nothing fancy but does make it easy for a youth.
When he gets older I will probably switch him to iron on shotgun. He shoots his red Ryder and my .22 w iron.

As long as they are having fun that is key!

[Bownut]

Irons

[Carolina Counsel]

Irons is probably the best route but not the one I took. I find it easier to teach on a red dot and cross hairs. When they get a little maturity, I add in irons.

[SCWOODROW]

Starting them with irons at a target is a great thing in my opinion. With that said my oldest is 7 and his turkey gun is setup with a red dot. He has been shooting a shotgun at stationary targets since he was 5, .410 and now a 20. I would highly recommend the optic route when it comes to a hunting situation. There is nothing worse than having to explain a miss or a cripple to a young child. As for target shooting let him rip with the irons until it is time to work on being proficient with his hunting rig.

[Kioti]

Irons even though I don't like them.

[Rubberhead*]

When my son first started hunting with a shotgun, I insisted on getting him a pump so that he'd develop the muscle memory and always feel comfortable shooting a pump. I would have bought him a manual transmission car too, if I could have found one.

[Swamp Rat]

Everybody should start with irons, unless they have a vision issue that makes optics/red dots the only real option. That having been said, if they are struggling, bring out a red dot and let them have it "easier" to get some positive reinforcement (hits). But explain that irons will always be there, a red dot might not be, and that irons have their place.

[Two Barrels]

Irons with a single shot .22 are where I started my kids. That is how I started as well, with the same 67A my father learned on. Keep it fun and they will love it. Every rifleman should be skilled with iron sights.

[Gregory]

What ever you do make sure you teach them shoot off of their dominate eye.

[Tha Dick]

Irons. Pistol and long gun

[bearclaw]

If you are planning on your child being a shotgunner, I’d remove all sights from BB gun.

[scarecrow]

Thanks for all the information. Hoping to start this weekend.

[fro]

Iron sights .22

[SCswampCAT]

I grew up on iron sights. I think the first animal I killed with a scoped gun was my first deer.

[2thDoc]

my extremely honest suggestion is not to overthink it.

[Duck Nitz]

If you are planning on your child being a shotgunner, I’d remove all sights from BB gun.

second this one...point a gun, aim a rifle/pistol

[Glenn]

Somehow we all learned to shoot with beads and open iron sights but don’t think our kids can? Or maybe we don’t think we are as good at teaching them? Batteries die. Teach them to shoot with open iron sights.

[wskinner]

What ever you do make sure you teach them shoot off of their dominate eye.

Big time advice here.

[led0321]

Learning to shoot at 10 and learning to shoot at 5 are different. Everyone should learn to shoot irons eventually. A kid at 5-6 will find it easier to shoot a red dot and will enjoy it more. As they get old enough to understand the few extra steps involved with irons switch them over. Each kid is different too.

The biggest thing is keep it fun. It doesn't matter if you are fishing, hunting, shooting, hitting a baseball, etc... If it is fun they will want to keep doing it.

Shooting is like a simple algebra equation, you have to follow specific steps, at specific times to "find the X". Red dots allow a kid to find the X with a few less steps at a younger age.