A Toddlers First *First BB's fired!*

canadian hunter312

canadian hunter312

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The little guy will be turning 4 in the spring and really wants a gun. He's doing pretty good with not pointing his nerf guns at people and his aim is surprisingly good. What's a decent air rifle/BB gun for such a little guy? I was originally going to grab a Savage Rascal .22, but I think some practice is in order before handing him something more powerful.

Needs to have decent accuracy so he doesn't get frustrated by not hitting the target and I would prefer if he could load and #### it himself. Not interested in CO2.
 
A Red Ryder of course, just make sure he doesn't shoot his eye out with it. My boy had a Red Ryder at 5 years old and loved it. The little rascal is also a good choice, but the Red Ryder he can shoot in the basement or Garage with a makeshift range set up, with you always present of course.
 
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It might just be my kid, but there's no way I'd be buying him a firearm until he's at least 7 or 8. If I were to get him something, it would likely be a pellet gun. Once he proves he won't shoot the dogs or cat (or me lol) then maybe a .22.
 
I'm not sure if there are any airguns that a 4 year old could #### and load themselves that they could also shoulder. I would also steer clear of BB guns and stick with pellets, as it would be difficult to teach a 4 year old the concept of ricochet, which is a potential serious hazard. Maybe a Beeman P17:

ht tp://airgunsource.com/beeman-p17/dp/105

Shoot pellets not all that hard, but quite accurate and cheap. You'd need to help with cocking and loading, though.
 
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My 7 and 9 year old are still learning the basics with a Red Ryder and I would not yet consider giving them a firearm for a couple more years - they're not yet that responsible (even though as far as the wife is concerned there's several with their names on it). They still point nurf guns at people occasionally while playing. I'll let them occasionally shoot a 22 with my hands on supervision, but that's as far as it goes for now. I would not let a 4 year old handle a Red Ryder without my direct supervision either. They're still very immature at that age regardless how they handle a nurf gun.
 
mastermind said:
My 7 and 9 year old are still learning the basics with a Red Ryder and I would not yet consider giving them a firearm for a couple more years - they're not yet that responsible (even though as far as the wife is concerned there's several with their names on it). They still point nurf guns at people occasionally while playing. I'll let them occasionally shoot a 22 with my hands on supervision, but that's as far as it goes for now. I would not let a 4 year old handle a Red Ryder without my direct supervision either. They're still very immature at that age regardless how they handle a nurf gun.
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I'm with you on that! I gave my son a bolt action "nerf" style dart gun that he's figured out how to use fairly proficiently along with a few nerf guns, but he constantly points them at his mom and I and the pets despite us trying to teach him otherwise. When he can use those for a year or two without sweeping everyone in the room then he can graduate to a pellet gun. I'm in no rush to get there and would rather pound safe use into his head than graduate him too early and end up with a hunk of lead in my thigh.
 
well i bought my 8 year old daughter a RedRider for her birthday because she wanted one, she liked it and it was ok but the BB's would bounce off everything, no matter how soft it was, im amazed we didn't lose an eye ( even with safety glasses) also short cocking arm didn't help, so this xmas (shes now 10) i stepped her up form the RedRider to a cooey model 39 and 500 22 shorts, she likes that a lot more and can shoot it better and gained a lot more confidence using that over the very low power bb gun. shes a better shot already.

so to the point, if getting a pellet gun go with a break rifle or co2 ( if you dont mind buying them) something around 450fps so they go through pop cans at least.

also another note to go with the one above, when she used a break barrel pellet gun, 177 495fps she cant hit anything because she says the gun moves when she pulls the trigger but my pump or co2 pellet guns don't give her that issue. i believe its the spring mass messing her up.

and also for this Xmas i gave my 5 year old daughter a Remington No6 in 22 rim fire, and i replaced the rear stock so its 9"LOP she loves it and shoots 22 shorts with it and can hit pop cans at 20 meters. totally skipped the pellet guns and went 22 rim fire, we can'T shoot in the basement now that they have rim fire but still fun to get into the woods. (house is 84 feet long with unfinished basement i have a pellet gun range setup down there.)

OHH and i would NEVER let them take any of their guns/air rifles out without me there right (arms reach away) there and also only one kid at a time, and they all stay locked in MY safe, yes even the pellet guns,
 
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mastermind said:
My 7 and 9 year old are still learning the basics with a Red Ryder and I would not yet consider giving them a firearm for a couple more years - they're not yet that responsible (even though as far as the wife is concerned there's several with their names on it). They still point nurf guns at people occasionally while playing. I'll let them occasionally shoot a 22 with my hands on supervision, but that's as far as it goes for now. I would not let a 4 year old handle a Red Ryder without my direct supervision either. They're still very immature at that age regardless how they handle a nurf gun.
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Many teenagers and even some adults are too immature to handle firearms and age is merely one factor in determining if an individual is capable of using a firearm safely or not. He does not point is nerf guns at anyone or the pets without asking us first. Yes, we have "spied" on him when they're playing alone.


I hadn't thought of BB's and their tendency to ricochet. I was thinking of a BB gun for ease of use and low cost, but ricochets aren't good for anyone. I suppose the safest route with BB's would be a large pellet trap or big square of foam with plywood backing. Can soft non plated lead BB's be purchased or would any size lead shot work with lower chances of ricochets?

I assume a pump air rifle to shoot pellets would be best? If so, what's the smallest and easiest to pump? I'll be with him at all times, but he's independent and would prefer pumping and loading himself.
 
+1 on the Savage Rascal.
CCI makes a 'Quiet' round - low velocity. My young kids enjoy it. Decent trigger, small.
I'm not worried about them, as they only shoot when I'm right there with them.
They had trouble with the peep, and were getting frustrated, so we but a Barska red dot on it, and they were on paper, and happy.

My 2 cents
 
canadian hunter312 said:
The little guy will be turning 4 in the spring and really wants a gun. He's doing pretty good with not pointing his nerf guns at people and his aim is surprisingly good. What's a decent air rifle/BB gun for such a little guy? I was originally going to grab a Savage Rascal .22, but I think some practice is in order before handing him something more powerful.

Needs to have decent accuracy so he doesn't get frustrated by not hitting the target and I would prefer if he could load and #### it himself. Not interested in CO2.
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I have to be 100% honest, the words "toddler" and "really wants a gun" sort of made my jaw drop. I think "turning 4" doesn't really rank a child much higher than 2 or 3 from a maturity standpoint, though I applaud your desire to want what's best for him at this age. I think the truth is~he's simply too young to shoot anything "real" responsibly, be it an airsoft, BB gun, lead pellet gun except under the most strict supervision and if that's the case, I wouldn't get too hung-up gun weights/difficulty of cycling the action etc. You'll be doing that for him anyway.

I've been down this road with all 3 of my kids, 2 nieces, 3 nephews, and allot of their friends and I've learned allot about attention span, what to expect, etc. Everything from archery gear, slingshots, air rifles (BB and pellet), air pistols, airsoft, Cooey 39 22, Cooey 75 22, Savage Rascal, etc. etc. Out of all that, I've learned;

1. Attention span even when everything is going perfectly~VERY SHORT
2. The Savage Rascal and a CO2-powered single shot .22 air rifle~both the biggest hits. Why? Scoped, right LOP, easy to load, shot off a rest at close range reactive targets, not loud.
3. Ammo for 22s~always the most quiet, only make sure the scope is zeroed for it. Used to be only CB longs, but now CCI Quiet-22...even Aguila Colibri. No matter what gun/ammo combo~eye and ear protection
4. Targets~reactive targets only, kids don't care about tight groups. Popping balloons, gongs that go "ting" when they're hit? That's a different story!

I have a bouquet of lever action BB-guns leaning in the corner of my lock box. I've always had a soft spot for them, could never get any kid excited about them. Maybe a watchful parent/uncle takes the "mischief" thrill-factor out of Daisy BB gun ownership. lol

Anyhow, not judging in any way/shape or form..just suggesting the little fella maybe ought to be using your gear with you helping...and that something like a Savage Rascal would not only fit his physical size, but he'll be able to operate it himself under strict supervision. Accurate little rifles too. Once scoped, if he's still keen a couple of years down the road, you can run faster ammo through it and the satisfaction level should still be there. When my daughter hit 12 and got her hunter's apprentice license, it's our green Savage Rascal she wanted to take when I visited a farmer friend to rid his barn of pigeons. I had at least 1 other 22 that fit her better (Anschutz 1450) but the comfort/ability level with the Savage was very bad news for the pigeons. 5 years later, that same farmer still tells me how amazed he is at how she never missed. My kids now range from 5'2"-6'4" and they won't let me sell that Savage Rascal. I suspect I'll be teaching my grandkids to shoot with it.

Good luck, and safe shooting no matter what you decide.
 
My suggestion would be a Crosman 760. An old varient with a rifled barrel if possible but the new style smooth bores shoot fairly well. They are a pump rifle and at the age of four would most likely require an adult to pump up so it would require an adult present ensuring it is used in a safe manner. These rifles are small and light and have a short LOP. Accurate enough to practice markmanship out to 10-15 yrds. Cheap enough it wont break the bank if it ends up collecting dust and comes with a small scope. Also a pair of shooting glasses, tin of pellets and bbs, some targets.
 
My 5 (6 next month) year old got a Rascal about a year ago, and he loves it. Obviously, he doesn't have access to it on his own, and when we hit the range it's with max supervision.

We don't have the property to really benefit from a pellet gun, so I figured this was the best route.
 
Guys, it's common sense...HE WILL BE UNDER MY SUPERVISION WHILE USING WHATEVER HE ENDS UP GETTING. He has shot my .22 and 17hmr, but they're simply too big and awkward. And yes, as I apparently need to state the obvious, he was wearing eyes and ears with me supporting the firearm. He's hooked.

He's aware of no finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot and it's actually comical observing him keeping his trigger finger straight on the "receiver" of his nerf guns until it's time to shoot. He knows guns kill, what can and cannot be shot, and has seen multiple kills and dressing of small game and the slaughtering of dozens of chickens. Even pretending to shoot the house, vehicles or pets with a nerf gun results in that little guy scolding me. But, he does want to shoot turkey and deer!



I'm not too keen on a big and heavy gun as I don't want him limited to bench shooting. The Crosman 760 does seem like a good one as it'll take both BB's and pellets and will allow for basement shooting. It's not too long at 33" and just under 3 lbs so he'll be able to shoulder it. The Daisy model 10 and red ryder are both light and short, but the increased risk factor of BB's has me questioning them and apparently the newer ones are mostly plastic and junk compared to older models.

What about a Crosman 1377 or 1322 with the shoulder stock? Can anyone tell me the overall length with the stock attached? I used a 1322 well into my teens so if I go that route he'll use it for 10-15 years or longer.


.22lrguy, good advice on the reactive targets I hadn't thought of that. As for scope vs iron sights, did any of the youngsters try using iron sights or did you start them off with a scope? I assume a red dot would be easier to start with?


If anyone is looking, Cabela's has the rascal on sale at $30 off plus a $30 mail in rebate. I'm considering buying one for personal use until he's old enough. I think a pellet gun is a better idea for now...
 
4 years old?... How about a cap gun.

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Want to make some holes in paper:

daisy-red-ryder-bb-gun-1938-shooters-kit-w-accessories-9.gif
 
My 3 year old has a nerf style bolt action rifle with detachable mag. The "bullets" even have casings, so he gets the full effect of reloading his own ammo, loading the mag, working the bolt, aiming, and firing. I even devised a little trigger lock for him, so when he's done, it gets put in the rack I built him locked and unloaded. Actually, it's about the only toy he ever puts away.

It's been a great learning tool. He carries it around the house with the muzzle carefully pointed down, and only shoots at the animal silhouettes I made up for him. The other day I noticed him teaching his GI joes how to keep the muzzle pointed down unless you're shooting. Love that kid :)

His next gun will be a red Ryder. I bought a starter pack that includes bbs, safety glasses, targets, etc. It was $20 on sale at TSC on Boxing Day. I might invest in a few tins of those copper plated lead pellets that "guarantee" no ricochets.

After that will be his first real gun. A beat up Cooey 82 that went through half a dozen family members and an equal number of bubbas. So I gave it the bubba to end all bubbas. Chopped 9 inches off the barrel, polished everything to a mirror finish, and hand carved a new stock for it. Lot of work, but it'll be a pretty sweet heirloom for him.

Before:




After:




After that, there's a 1955 Winchester 88 with his name on it. :)
(Promise not to bubba that one ;-)
 
kodiakjack said:
My 3 year old has a nerf style bolt action rifle with detachable mag. The "bullets" even have casings, so he gets the full effect of reloading his own ammo, loading the mag, working the bolt, aiming, and firing. I even devised a little trigger lock for him, so when he's done, it gets put in the rack I built him locked and unloaded. Actually, it's about the only toy he ever puts away.

It's been a great learning tool. He carries it around the house with the muzzle carefully pointed down, and only shoots at the animal silhouettes I made up for him. The other day I noticed him teaching his GI joes how to keep the muzzle pointed down unless you're shooting. Love that kid :)

His next gun will be a red Ryder. I bought a starter pack that includes bbs, safety glasses, targets, etc. It was $20 on sale at TSC on Boxing Day. I might invest in a few tins of those copper plated lead pellets that "guarantee" no ricochets.

After that will be his first real gun. A beat up Cooey 82 that went through half a dozen family members and an equal number of bubbas. So I gave it the bubba to end all bubbas. Chopped 9 inches off the barrel, polished everything to a mirror finish, and hand carved a new stock for it. Lot of work, but it'll be a pretty sweet heirloom for him.

Before:




After:




After that, there's a 1955 Winchester 88 with his name on it. :)
(Promise not to bubba that one ;-)
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Wow, awesome job! How'd you get the stock two tone like that? Laminate different colors before carving?


Glad to hear about another youngster practicing safe handling, even though it's just a nerf gun. Some people just can't fathom that idea because most toddlers are more like uncontrollable wild animals...
 
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