5 Tips For Teaching Kids How To Use A Gun

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

Teaching your children how to use a gun is important so that they can learn how to responsibly handle a firearm when needed. If they are not taught to properly handle a firearm at a young age, they will be less comfortable around guns and may be afraid of them not knowing how they work. Once they have safety practices instilled into them during plenty of range practice, they will be able to feel confident in their abilities, and they may be able to teach their own children in the future.

1- Teach Gun Safety
Always teach firearm safety rules repeatedly with your children by telling them the rule and showing them the proper example. They need to be taught to always point the gun in a safe direction. A safe direction will not be the same in every situation, so teaching them to be aware of their surroundings and aware of the position of the barrel is key. Teach your children to keep their finger off the trigger until they are ready to shoot. It is not a natural position to keep your trigger finger straight against a gun, so this point needs to be repeated many times when young children are practicing on the range. Finally, they need to be taught to never have a gun loaded until they are ready to use it.

2- Allow Them Practice Time
Giving young children carefully supervised practice time on a gun range is especially important. Children will learn best by doing something correctly again and again. Always observe them when they are practicing, correct any bad gun handling practices, and remind them of the firearm safety rules as they use the gun. Practicing often will allow them to learn to shoot accurately and to feel comfortable with using their gun.

3- Use a Child-Friendly Firearm
Children will likely start out with .22 or .243 ammunition on the range since these will not give as much re-coil as something bigger. Rifles that are a bit smaller are great for children because of their smaller frame and shorter arm length. Finding a gun that suits their hand size and is simple to operate will also benefit children. Keep in mind the purpose of use for the gun as well when deciding on type of gun. Various types of hunting require different kinds of guns or ammo to be used.

4- Focus on the Fundamentals
When teaching your child about gun safety and while practicing shooting and hunting with them, focus on the fundamentals. Pointing the gun in a safe direction, keeping your finger off the trigger, and always knowing when the gun is loaded and ready to shoot. Children will need practice on how to handle a gun when shooting and learning how to operate that specific type of gun. They will need to be shown how to check that their gun is no longer loaded when finished shooting.

5- Be Patient With Them
Finally, be patient with your child. They may find the details overwhelming at first or may forget something you just told them. They will need encouragement and practice. They need to feel confident and be safe. As a parent, you are there to help and support their learning and to show them an example of proper use and handling of firearms.

It is great for children to be taught how to safely use and respect a firearm. Using a gun for hunting or self-defense is a valuable skill. As a parent, you have the opportunity to teach your children how to be safe around firearms and how to use them properly with consistent practice. 

Author Bio: Paige Williams is a Public Relations Specialist representing Diamond K Brass. With a degree in Integrated Marketing Communication, she shares her knowledge with the readers. Can be reached at [email protected]