Clay pigeons for kids

[remm]

What types of things have any of you guys done with kids to get them practicing at tracking and hitting flying targets. Kids are getting to the age of being able to shotgun, possibly pheasant and goose hunt this fall with a little practice first, however he's never shot at anything other than stationary targets as yet, so he needs to practice with leads and swinging and such. Should we just start out with traditional clays? My only thought is that may be difficult to start out with that small of a target and it may move a little fast to start out with, which may lead to some frustration. Is there any other option of possibly larger, slowing moving target to start out with that you've heard of or done?

 

[Deerwatcher]

I watched Tom Nap instruct 1st time women shooters throwing clays and he stood behind then and would just say boom when they had the proper target acquisition, did that a few times before they went live

 

[Kentucky Windage]

Yeah.........throw beach balls for the kid. Kid has to learn how to shoot some time, I started out shooting clays and I'm not too emotionally damaged from my experiences.........::

 

[huntorride365]

I started mine with clays. They will eventually get hits. Try to pay attention so you can advise what they are doing wrong when they miss, and what they did right when they hit. It will come. I would guess helium filled balloons could have some value.

 

[KDM]

Sunflower fields with blackbirds in'em are about the best training I can think of for target acquisition, tracking, and trigger discipline. Not to mention honing those all important gun safety practices. Just don't run out of ammo. Have Fun!!!

 

[guywhofishes]

Aren't blackbirds technically illegal - or are they fair game cuz they are depredating the flowers?

 

[Bed Wetter]

Pigeons (the bird, not the ceramic projectile) are plentiful and require no license to shoot. Just a thought. Let the breeze roll a few balloons around.

 

[greybeard]

Stick a piece of cardboard inside an old tire an roll it down a hill. Start gradual and work up to a steeper grade hill. Not how I learned but a guy I used to work with told me that's how he and his brothers learned to shoot at moving targets with rifle and shotgun. Seems like a pretty good idea, never would have thought of it. The tires big enough you should be able to tell where the shot hits or misses pretty easy.

 

[The Mantis]

Have them shoot the clays with .22's, if they ever hit one they'll sure be excited. I know, because I saw Tom Knapp do it and then my brothers and I all had to try it. Not easy but not impossible either.. Just make sure you have a good backstop.

 

[huntinforfish]

Clays should be fine. Start by throwing them straight out and upward so they hang for a while. It is about the slowest clay you will ever see. When they get that down, start turning the thrower and/or make them stand at a different angler. This is easy out of a cheap thrower like the ones that stick in the ground. Hand throwers can be fast and produce a decent curve which would be tough for a beginner. We use this method for the ladies and young ones at our family get togethers and they do just fine.

 

[remm]

I think this may be the way to go to start with. With the right upward angle they should be able to see most of the clay rather than just the side of it, and it should hang for a bit at the top. Easily repeatable trajectory out of a ground launcher rather than by hand as well. I'll give it a go. Thanks for the suggestion

 

[KDM]

Aren't blackbirds technically illegal - or are they fair game cuz they are depredating the flowers?

Depredation.

 

[Bird Brain]

Sign your kids up for the summer 4-H shotgun program. They have a whole bunch of talented instructors and coaches. They must have 40-50 kids up there shooting a couple nights a week. They win a bunch of titles every year. Everyone from around the state talks about Devils Lakes youth shooting program. They even are involved in the high school trap league that started this spring. They got a good thing going in Devils Lake for youth shooting.