Starting kids on skeet shooting

[Haggis]

Well , Clan Haggis has just come inside from a couple of hours on the range. Youth Turkey Day is Saturday and Allison is rearing to go. So we were out shooting her new shotgun again to get her back in the groove. Now I'm a great believer in natural shooting and spend alot of time teaching the kids how to shoot offhand, sitting, prone, natural rest and others so that when it's time to take an animial, they're ready to naturally use whatever posture is available to cleanly take the intended game. Well, my daughter suddenly announced that she wanted to try her hand at duck and goose hunting this year, much to my surprise and delight. I told her we'd have to do some trap shooting to get her use to shooting on the wing. Then I realized I never taught anyone how to shoot trap.

I started wing shooting early and picked it up by trail and error and then joined my school's skeet team so that came sort of naturally to me. So any suggestions on getting a kid or a newbie (my wife has expressed interest) with minimum frustrations and maximum entertainment to the new shooters?
:REOutShootinghunter

 

[tdesanto]

Well , Clan Haggis has just come inside from a couple of hours on the range. Youth Turkey Day is Saturday and Allison is rearing to go. So we were out shooting her new shotgun again to get her back in the groove. Now I'm a great believer in natural shooting and spend alot of time teaching the kids how to shoot offhand, sitting, prone, natural rest and others so that when it's time to take an animial, they're ready to naturally use whatever posture is available to cleanly take the intended game. Well, my daughter suddenly announced that she wanted to try her hand at duck and goose hunting this year, much to my surprise and delight. I told her we'd have to do some trap shooting to get her use to shooting on the wing. Then I realized I never taught anyone how to shoot trap.

I started wing shooting early and picked it up by trail and error and then joined my school's skeet team so that came sort of naturally to me. So any suggestions on getting a kid or a newbie (my wife has expressed interest) with minimum frustrations and maximum entertainment to the new shooters?
:REOutShootinghunter

Start with trap, short range. Then gradually move farther away. They don't move as quickly (from the perspective of the shooter) and don't require much lead. Then move to some skeet...preferably closer to the houses/throwers. Then gradually move them out to the high point where the shots are perpendicular to the path of the clays. This will require the most lead.

Then, when they’re good and ready, move them out to 5-stand or sporting clays. That’s where the real fun begins.

Are there any good instructors around? It’s a lot easier to learn proper technique than to unlearn bad habits.

 

[BCcamp]

Ditto tdesanto's suggestion to find a good instructor. Here are links to skeet and trap associations with lists of clubs and shooting centers. They can probably recommend an instructor in your area, and some have youth programs.

http://www.shootata.com
http://www.mynssa.com/

Great fun for the family! Enjoy!

 

[Haggis]

Thanks for the suggestions folks. I might need to clearify abit. Instruction will be taking place on our property. Here in the sticks, skeet ranges tend to be where ever we set up our thrower or "sportsman" clubs that are geared more to public drinking the sportsmanship. Professional instruction will be from Papa and Uncle Tom, two of the best wing shooters I've ever known, and of course myself.

What I was looking for was some personal experiences from folks that have helped their own kids learn the craft. I think I'll start off with just a hand thrower to be able to adust the force and speed abit before moving onto the mechanical thrower.

 

[calamaridog]

The first shotgun I learned on was a .410 double barrel then a 20 gauge pump. If they have never fired a shotgun before, I'd suggest a few rounds at paper first to get used to the weight and recoil.

I think the hand thrower is a good idea for starters. Couple of practice throws BEFORE they start shooting

(I hope my daughter is as interested as yours when she is older)

 

[Connie]

Well, one thing not to do is what I did. I have shot a shotgun exactly twice in my life, and when I die, I will be able to say that I have shot a shotgun exactly twice in my life.

My dad explained all of the finer points (I had already had a fair amount of experience with rifles and hand guns). I pulled it in snug to my shoulder, yelled pull, fired, and blew the clay pigeon to smitherines. I was so excited that the second try I didn't quite pull it against my shoulder, I think you know the rest.:REOutShootinghunter

(So yeah I agree with a few shots at paper first)

 

[Haggis]

Well, Allison has been shooting for a couple of years now, rimfire, shotgun and highpower. She shot 2 turkeys last year with her great grandmothers Ithica model 37 16 guage, but this year I surprised her with her very own shotgun, an 870 in 20 guage which I added a Sims recoil pad. This is something I do for with all firearms for first time shooters in the Clan, they really make a difference in felt recoil and give beginners a better feeling of confidence. I bet my kids have gone through more rounds than most of the adults on this forum.

Passing on tradition skills (hunting, marksmanship, fishing, foraging) is a big part of my families mind set, and it's something we take kind of seriously. And by doing so I get to invest more time with my kids out doing something together, instead of living in seperate rooms of the house so to speak. Plus it's alot of fun. My wife was a city girl and never did any of this stuff, but as she's watched me and the kids and the fun we have, she has got interested in learning all the crazy ridgerunner stuff her husband has been doing for years. Michelle will be taking her hunters safety course this summer so she can get her first hunting liscense. More meat in the freezer this fall!

 

[BCcamp]

Haggis, I think this is great that the whole family is involved. And it is a great way to teach kids about responsibility and safety. The questions you ask are also excellent topics for the forums found here

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/index.php

 

[Haggis]

Thanks for the link, BC.

 

[FshTaco99]

For trap... elbow up, NEVER take your face off the stock, see the target not the barrel, and always keep your gun moving. I've been shooting competition trap for a couple years now. I'm still horrible at skeet but doubles trap is where it's at! The PA state shoot was recently or coming up soon. Always an awesome event to attend.

 

[ntsqd]

In my own experience one of the simpler machine throwers is a lot more consistent than a hand thrower. Based on this, and my limited time behind the buttstock of a shotgun, I wonder if the hand thrower wouldn't be more frustrating early-on?

Of course eventually going to settings or a method that are deliberately inconsistent would be the goal. I just wonder about initially if a consistent pigeon path wouldn't be easier to learn the basics with.

 

[FshTaco99]

A basic, stake mounted, pull-string target thrower is what I started with. They're dangerous at times, but still throws a fairly consistent bird. I've tried the hand throwers, which are still good, but can be very inconsistent at time. A hand thrower makes practice turn into a knock-off of 5 stand.

 

[Buckru]

Before I had children, I tought my nephews to wing shoot. (My kids are 2.8 and 8 mos. in due time) The first thing i did was teach them about pattern. Go to a butcher shop and buy a large roll of butcher paper. Hang the paper horizontally and have them begin swinging and shooting at the paper. I have found it really reinforces the need to swing through the shot. Tremendous difference in pattern from swinging through and swinging and stopping at trigger pull. Next up is the thrower. Forget the hand thrower, youll wear your arm out. A good thrower can be adjusted for bird speed and isn't very expensive. Sart em off with gun raised and work em to where they raise the gun later on. One of the mistakes I see hunters make is they don't begin tracking with their body while the gun is being raised into position.
This is a good starting point and good for you for the family time.

Please note I am just a hunter and have no instructional background.

Buck Buchanan