It’s always fun to get out with the family and create those awesome moments that they’ll never forget. I always remember going out to the range with Dad, my uncle, Mom, and my brother Zach. I have specific memories of aiming at the clay pigeons with our shotguns made out of two-by-fours on a cool afternoon in the late spring. Then “graduating” to real firearms when we were older and knew the rules thoroughly. 

Teaching kids responsibility with firearms is vital. But how do you do that? 

Here are some tips to help keep everyone safe as you head out to the range with the family this summer:

First thing’s first – before you head to the range, sit down and talk to the kids about the basics. Make sure you cover acceptable behavior, safety, proper handling of the firearms, grip, stance, and sight picture.

Acceptable Behavior

First and foremost, they need to understand that it’s ok to horse around but not when firearms are present. That’s how accidents can happen and when you’re dealing with firearms, accidents can mean life or death. Shooting is fun but it is serious.

Safety

Anytime we talk about firearms we talk about safety. Make sure they know the four safety rules and what they mean:

1. Treat every firearm as if it’s always loaded.
2. Never point the muzzle at anything you’re not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re on target and ready to shoot.
4. Know your intended target and what’s beyond.

Proper Handling of the Firearms

Make sure your kids know that the only time it’s acceptable to handle firearms is if an adult is present. They should also know that the first thing you do when you pick up a firearm is to check to ensure it is unloaded, locking the action open. The second thing you do is to engage the manual safety if there is one. Let them know that it’s ok to ask questions.

Grip

This will vary depending on which type of firearm you’re shooting. If you’re starting with a rifle, they should have the firearm on the shoulder of their dominant eye. (Ex. right eye dominate means they should have the firearm on their right shoulder.) They should start in the seated position with their elbows resting on the surface. Make sure they are gripping the firearm firm but not white-knuckling it. Their non-dominate hand should be on the forearm and their dominant hand should wrap around the stock to operate the trigger, safety, etc. 

Stance

Start with a seated position. This way they have fewer things to think about. They can focus on sight picture, trigger control, etc instead of on how they’re standing. The seated position is also very stable and offers great recoil management if you’re using a larger caliber.

Sight Picture

Teach them how to align their sights. Draw it out on paper or ask the Google for some help but show them a visual of what they should just before they squeeze the trigger. 

Other Tips to Cover

What type of firearm should we start with?

It’s best to have new shooters start with .22LR rifles. This is because .22LR has virtually no recoil to manage and it’s easier to maintain stability with a rifle. Shotguns have significant recoil for beginner shooters and handguns are less stable because you don’t have two points of contact on the firearm.

Range Protocol

Make sure everyone knows they must remain behind the line of fire until the shooter finishes, the firearm is cleared, the action is locked open and everyone has confirmed they are ready to cross the line of fire. After every shot, the shooter is excited to see how they did but this can be a very dangerous moment for everyone, especially kids. 

Teach your kids to shout “Going Hot” or some variation of the phrase to alert everyone around them that they are about to fire. This is a great habit to get in to because it lets everyone know they need to stay behind the line of fire and make sure they have their ear protection on.

Protective Gear

Speaking of ear protection, make sure you have proper ear protection for your kids. Even though .22LR doesn’t have too harsh of a bang, make it mandatory they wear ear plugs. For larger calibers, electronic earmuffs are a great option because they suppress the loud noises but still allow you to hear ambient noise at an appropriate level. Inside the ear plugs are better for long guns because there isn’t the risk of the muff getting in the way of a good shot but sometimes the convenience of being able to hear with electronic earmuffs still outweighs that negative.

The morale of the story is get out and shoot. Have fun but be safe. And take your kids with you, this is great knowledge to have.