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Recoil shy kid

7986 Views 22 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  Drop-Shot
I have an 11 year old son who is the most recoil shy person I have ever seen. He has started filling out and getting somewhat heavier but he still pretty much refuses to shoot shotguns. I know this is Shooting world but maybe someone can help me out. He is shooting a youth model 20ga. and it is just a little long for him but not much. While he is very recoil shy with shotguns, rifles don't seem to bother him. I am at my wits end with this child. What can I do to help him out?
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870 I would say to have him lean forward a bit and the recoil should take him back slightly,short of a 410,20 ga is only slightly more bam.Don't make him or he will shy away from you and become distant later on.Rave about his accomplishments and don't focus on his weaknesses,He will become a stouter person 1 year from now and you can never go back.You can get back to the place but not the time,enjoy the youth cause it goes away in a year or so and won't come back.I just wish I could get back in time and fix all my faults,but that won't happen,so enjoy what you have,your a lucky person to have a son in the magical years,He soon will become a man and you will have fond memorys.Drop-Shot
:idea: I'll give you a great method to use while training a woman or a kid to shoot. Have them wear ear plugs and muffs...at the same time...

When they can't hear the loud report, they don't become afraid of the gun. I've handed 22 pistols to women without their using ear protection; they are always blown away by how much the punny 22 kicked. :shock: Then I had them wear ear protection and had them shoot moderate loads in a 357; they all preferred the "mild kicking" 357! :!: :roll: :wink:

This WORKS! Try it... :D

Regards,
Professor Luv2 PHD (Pull the trigger; Hit the target; Drop the bird) :roll: :wink:
I can't help you with your recoil problem but why don't you post this on www.Shotgunworld.com ? It is the biggest and best website on the net in my honest opinion.
I may have fixed this problem. I have a really good friend who has an 8 year old boy and he is shooting rifles and shotguns very well. My son, 3 years older, couldn't let this younger kid out do him so he egaged on his own. He got with the program and is hitting birds really well. His rifle shooting has never been a problem and has asked to step up from the .243 to a 25-06 and 7mm-08 and one of my 30-06. I am going to let him have a go with the 7mm-08 first and if it doesn't cause a problem I will let him shoot the 25-06. I am not going to let him shoot the 30-06 yet, the one he wants to shoot really kicks and I think that would cause more problems. Do any of you see a problem with the 7mm-08, I think it has less recoil than the 25-06 or that is how it feels to me.
this may sound stupid but it was just a thought i had since my .300 win mag seems to kick harder than my 338 win mag which is the same cartridge necked up right? so wouldnt the 25-06 kick harder than the 30-06 since its the same pressure coming out of a smaller dia. hole ? its just a thought it might be stupid but i figured id ask

Aaron
i started shooting a 12 gauge when I was 13, and I liked the kick, I really made be feel like a man, (I still know some guys that are scared of the kick) My grandpa had me hunting with his winchester 30-06 when I was 12, I rattled me, and I was done after acouple of shots, Id just look for a low recoil shell, my 20 gauge with high velosity loads kicks harder than my 12 gauge, I think its maybe cause the gun is so light.

id make him wear a jacket so it wont hurt his shoulder so he'll want to do it next time etc. also, if he's hitting the target he is going to enjoy shooting more than if he doesnt.

-Tim
give the kid a break and take him out shooting more. Eventually he will get over it, also try a limbsaver recoil pad.
Trying to force the kid to shoot a shotgun when he's shy of it isn't a good idea. You are just going to stimulate his sense of rebellion.

I have been shooting since I was six. My son, who is now grown just didn't like shooting. It was probably becuase I liked it so much. He liked computers...what can a guy do?

Sure you want your son to enjoy shooting as much as you do. But you know what? He probably just doesn't. All you can do is to introduce the kid to shooting, help him along a bit and then he's got to run with it.

I think that you might just encourage him to shoot .22's. If he likes that and he enjoys plinking then I'd just encourage him to do that. Then, as time goes by he might come around to shotgun shooting. Especially if he has some pals who like shooting the scatter guns.

Truth be known, peer pressure is probably more important to your son than pressure from you is. If he has buddies who like to shoot then he'll join in. If he doesn't, then he won't.

I started shooting shotguns when I was 14. I loved shooting them. At eleven I might not have. Even a 20 gauge kicks pretty darned hard.
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Amen logjam.Drop-Shot
Try your post on shotgunworld.com as Clayshooter25/25 recommends, excellent site. See some familiar faces in here.

For your little guys gun you ought to get him a KickEez recoil pad. Best in the business as far as I'm concerned. Also have him actually LOOK at the pad before you have it installed if possible so he can see how "squishy" it is. Limbsavers, Gooey pads, and Pachmyer Decelerators are also good pads.

I am a complete closet "recoil puss". I hate it. I also shoot close to a thousand rounds a week through my 12ga. Light loads, a good fitting stock, and a KickEez made shooting go from miserable to absolutely wonderful.

If you "roll your own" shells load up some weenie shells for him. Or get a different color of shells and tell him that they're low recoil loads (it works....) The earplug theory also works very well.
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the older of my sons loves shooting and guns, the other not so much. it is probably because the older one is better and also a bit of a show off. but the younger is slowly working his way into it, he is kinda getting jealous
wudjalike2no said:
the older of my sons loves shooting and guns, the other not so much. it is probably because the older one is better and also a bit of a show off. but the younger is slowly working his way into it, he is kinda getting jealous
I'm not sure that a parent can push his kid into shooting. As a matter of fact, if one wants their kid to shoot, it's probably best to tell the kid that he's not only enough to do it. The old reverse psychology method.

However, if a kid exhibits and interest I'd advise that a parent immediately show him how to shoot. Otherwise, when you aren't home the kid is going to hunt around and play with your guns. They might load one and then accidents can happen.

I grew up listening to my dad talking lovingly about his hunting trips with his dad. When I was six we visited my granddad. We went out .22 shooting. I had heard that guns kicked, and I was afraid to shoot. After some convincing I took a shot and was hooked. I remain so to this day.
Let the kids shoot big targets up close. I started mine off on
3 pound coffee cans. When they see what happens out in front of them they soon forget about the gun and just shoot stuff!
Papadoodles said:
Let the kids shoot big targets up close. I started mine off on
3 pound coffee cans. When they see what happens out in front of them they soon forget about the gun and just shoot stuff!
We used to shoot rats in the dump. Great fun to shoot at the dump, zillions of bottles to shoot.

Course, you can't do that nowadays. Sometimes modern society is a crock.

We used to have rifle teams in high school. We brought our target guns to class and kept them with us all day long. Can't do that now either. Sometimes modern society is a crock.
What ever happened to marksmanship teams in schools!?!? I'd have loved to have been on one. We even have a nice indoor smallbore range back home full of freaking outdated football equipment!

Ugghhh.....
Clayslayer said:
What ever happened to marksmanship teams in schools!?!? I'd have loved to have been on one. We even have a nice indoor smallbore range back home full of freaking outdated football equipment!

Ugghhh.....
I agree!! We used to have very serious rifle clubs in high school. Kids would carry their gun to class (in its case). If you'd do that know you'd be expelled.

You see, the problem with education is that its run by liberals, and they just don't get it. To them a rifle is a coiled rattlesnake.
To me it's a tool. A form of recreation that does NOT include shooting dozens of people from the top of the water tower......
Clayslayer said:
To me it's a tool. A form of recreation that does NOT include shooting dozens of people from the top of the water tower......
I've never considered shooting dozens of people from the top of a water tower. I have fanticized occassionally of taking aim at the wacko in one of those leftie riots. You know the ones that shut down city streets/bridges, etc...

But I've never considered such a thing seriously. That's crazy.
Logjam you should have seen the riots here in Seattle for the World Trade Commission,they tore up every thing they could get their hands on.The cops were told not to shoot till orders were given,they shot tear gas,but the damage was done.I asked a cop I won't name what were you thinking about during this?He said a roof top and an ak47.But that would be too damaging to those rioters,their rights are more outstanding than any others.They said anarchrists were within the good guys and did all that stuff.That don't happen in Russia,you riot and you get shot,im starting to like russia more and more.Drop-Shot
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