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Trying to find a class for my 7yo daughter in West Chester Area. I had her at the Oaks show and she found a pink 22 she wanted. Shes also begging me to take her hunting so I was planning on getting her a 20 ga. Wife says I can't get her a gun until she takes a class. I'm having trouble finding one for her age group. Does anyone know of any trainings in the SEPA area that are geared towards kids?
For that age you may be better with a one on one instructor.
I did a class for one of my nephews who was a few years older, and I had to be right on top of everything he was doing the entire time.
Everyone is different, but at least in my case, he was not ready for a group class, he was just too young.
Try calling your local gun shops and asking for personally recommended trainers in your area.
JLB the best trainer would be you. I have never seen a training course or instructor that is just for children. The hunter safety course may be a good start since she has interest in hunting
The most important thing is that she is ready for it. Her expressed interest leads me to say yes. Some kids are good listeners and mentally mature faster than others. If you feel she is ready, then start training her yourself. Start with a BB gun and go from there. If she follows the safety rules then buy her the .22 and move on.
Tell your wife you found an instructor:D
I do it for Scouts. At 7 she would be a cub and limited to BB's
I'd offer up a program but I'm not really near you.
Funny thing is kids listen better then adults.
This ^Quote:
Originally Posted by Daycrawler
Get a bb gun and have "safety and marksmanship" sessions with her. I am using this approach to teach safety to my 3 young ones in the back yard (mainly my 5 year old who wanted a bb gun for Christmas). Enough short sessions with her and you'll be surprised how quickly you can embed behaviors like verbalizing that the range is hot/cleared, not going downrange until range clear, demonstrating what clear is and means, wearing safety glasses, etc. My son is 5 and he's picking it up very well and is also learning to respect firearms and the golden rules of firearm safety. Good luck. I personally would not "outsource" this as it's too important not to get right.
Check out the Southern Chester County Youth Shooting League http://www.sccysl.com/ Unfortunately, they start at 8 years old. I don't know of any program for 7 YO's. When will she turn 8?Quote:
Originally Posted by jlb0305
At SCCYSL, you don't need any equipment. Ear and eye protection, firearms and all ammo is provided for $90/year. There are no other costs. We run a NRA rifle class in August that is available to the kids and family members at no cost. We shoot once a week and have quarterly matches which give everyone a fair chance to earn a trophy or prize.. We have Crickets for the younger beginners, and the "standard" gun is a CM2 Scout, which is outstanding. We also have a few Anschutz rifles that many kids use when they are shooting for Expert. i have a 8 YO boy and an 11 YO girl in the program. The girl has been doing it since she was 8.
This is a great program run by some fine people. I highly recommend it.
Not 8 til next Feb. I'm gonna try to setup a garage range for BB and teach as much as i can in there. Ill try the sccysl next year when she turns 8.
The reason you may find difficulty locating children's training classes is because most private sector trainers require students to sign hold harmless agreements. These are binding legal contracts that cannot be endorsed by anyone under age 18 (in PA), nor can they be "waived" by parental sign off.
Organizations such as the boy scouts and gun clubs likely have built in liability clauses from their insurance carriers that allow for child instruction.
Is there a 4H near you? They have a great youth shooting program. Also check to see if Izaak Walton League is in your area.