little kids fake gun

smitty · Mar 15, 2013

I'm going to get my 6 yr old boy a "fake" gun for Easter. I've got a couple old Tasco scopes, thought I'd mount a scope on it so he can get used to picking up birds and whatnot in it.

I was initially going to make one out of a 2x4, and shape it with my router and scroll saw, but I'm wondering if anybody has an old youth size stock they don't need or want anymore?

Or if someone's done this kindof thing before and has a better idea?

Gotta start 'em early if you want 'em to be lethal later.

greatwestern · Mar 15, 2013

Why not a 'real' gun? Of course you know this, no disrespect, but guns are not toys. Better not to blur the line in a kid's mind eh?

My grandfather started me and my brother on a Winny 68 when we were each 5. Allowed to take it out alone at 7. Started on the .257 roberts at 8.

For starter guns, the little Crickets are sweet; marlin youth lever; ruger 10-22; etc and so forth

I've never thought 'toy' guns to be a very good idea in any respect

Best of luck and have some good safe 'real' fun with your boy

Cheers'
Adam

feddoc · Mar 15, 2013

I've got a 10/22 stock I will give you.

travishunter3006 · Mar 15, 2013

I just started my 3yr old nephew on a BB gun from Walmart. That might be a place to start.

vmcfadden · Mar 16, 2013

Get him a BB or Pellet gun and send him out after birds. He will get used to finding stuff in the scope then. If a neighbor boy his age or brother, some competition can go along that will really put him into it and fast. They will learn quick when competition exists.

vaquero · Mar 16, 2013

I agree with getting him a real gun, like a bolt action 22. Gun safety and muzzle control at all times. When they are big enough to hold both ends of the gun off the ground at the same time they are big enough to shoot

Hardway · Mar 17, 2013

Only real guns in my house, my kids dont know what a "fake" gun is. They are for killin animals....I figure the self defense part of gun school can wait untill they are older..... All they know right now is that guns kill anything you point them at.

Zeke · Mar 18, 2013

I'm not a big fan of toy guns but it's all in the "learnin'".
A fake gun might be OK if you take the time to teach proper gun safety. He should respect the "fake" gun as though it was real. It might be a great teaching tool.

Zeke

smitty · Mar 18, 2013

The idea is to get him used to picking up targets in the scope. I don't want to get him a "real" gun just yet. Just something he can pack on our bear hunt next month and look around with.

Of course, safety will be taught, he has toy guns that shoot nerf darts, and he only shoots or points that gun at targets. Not his little sister.

The thought was to get a cheap stock, mount a broken scope on it, and let him pack it around when we go hunting and camping. I see a few guys struggle finding an animal in their scope, so I wanted to get my boy used to it without spending a bunch on a gun that isn't quite necessary yet.

dz · Mar 18, 2013

My boys have always had a gun in the field when tagging along with me. When my now 28 year old son was 8 he was packing a BB gun along on a doe Antelope hunt, we was about 10 yrds away from a bedded herd when the BB's rolled to the front of the gun spooking the herd. It made for some quick shooting on my part. I had mounted a 4 power scope that was off my father?s 30-06 on it. When he was 14 and only had a few seconds to find and shoot a Muley with a nice drop tine he did it. I think the direction you are going is great. Toy gun, BB gun or 22 or bigger is up to you. I know that our boys ended up having BB gun wars, so I highly recommend the guns no matter what they are, they are under some sort of supervision.
DZ

vmcfadden · Mar 18, 2013

>Get him a BB or Pellet
>gun and send him out
>after birds. He will get
>used to finding stuff in
>the scope then. If a
>neighbor boy his age or
>brother, some competition can go
>along that will really put
>him into it and fast.
>They will learn quick when
>competition exists.

I agree with the the above posts get him a real gun also. Shooting the real gun will get him used to the kick and sound. The BB or pellet gun will give him the extra time to practice when you can't be with him. He can go out behind the house and shoot whatever. With some proper teaching to start.

O_S_O_K · Mar 19, 2013

Smity,

I like your idea.

My boys both were carrying toy guns around in the field when they were 3 years old.

I think it's important to teach them at a very young age that there really is no such thing as a "toy gun" and they should treat all guns with the same level of respect.

They learned very early what a gun can do to a living thing.

I would have them carry the gun around whenever we went hunting. This gave me the opportunity to teach them how to carry it properly, how to always keep it pointed in a safe direction and to never point it at something they didn't intend on killing.

Using the toy gun allowed them to make mistakes without unnecessary end results that were severe.

They also would aim and shoot at the animals as we hunted giving them a chance to practice sight acquisition.

At 5-6 they had BB guns and by 8 they each had their own 10-22.

Everyone has their own theory on this but I trust my boys 100% with handling a firearm and they have proven to me their ability to do so.

Sorry I don't have any other ideas for you but I like what your doing.

I will say, why not have them learn to shoot with open sights first? I found this to be beneficial as we hunt more than just big game (waterfowl), plus I think it was a good incentive for them. I wouldn't get them a scope for their 10-22 until they could shoot proficiently with the open sights.

Just a thought for ya.

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