There is a huge difference in teaching an adult to shoot and a kid. I'm retired Army and was a certified smal arms instructor, son of a 5th Army rifle team shooter. I'm also a father.
Mistakes my dad made when I was a kid.
1. Expecting me to hit a bull at age 5 and getting angry when I couldn't.
2. Placing a lot of pressure on me to perform.
3. Refusing to allow me ammo to practice with because it "was a waste of money".
4. Expecting a 5 year old to understand balistics.
5. Becoming angry when I started hunting when I missed (keep in mind the no practice thing)
Now I did learn to shoot and do it well. But that was after I was earning money for lawn mowing and such and giving mom money to buy me .22. And dad did learn that some people (most) can't just pick up a gun and shoot. He taught my BIL to shoot after I left home. He found that the more shooting the bil did the better he got. That was really amazing to dad.
The milk jug idea is great and kids love it. Another suggestion is to take an unopen can of pop (the cheap stuff) and shooting it so your son gets the idea of just how destructive a gun can be. Explain it at a level he can understand, remember he's 8, not 18.
Also don't stand there and let him shoot and you watch the target, Watch how he is on the trigger. See if he's jerking. Watch the muzzel and see if he has a lot of movement. Watch to see if he's putting his shoulder into it as he's pulling the trigger. When he makes a mistake gently talk to him about what he did and what he should have done. Make sure he isn't taking too long with his shots with his breating, explain that if he needs to he can wait to fire until he has breathed again. All too often a coach on a military range is really acting as a spotter and calling out the shoots, not watching the shooter and pointing out errors.
Don't allow him to get discouraged both in practice and hunting. You can ruin a kid for life by starting em too early.
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Today's Featured Article - A Lifetime of Farm Machinery - by Joe Michaels. I am a mechanical engineer by profession, specializing in powerplant work. I worked as a machinist and engine erector, with time spent overseas. I have always had a love for machinery, and an appreciation for farming and farm machinery. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Not a place one would associate with farms or farm machinery. I credit my parents for instilling a lot of good values, a respect for learning, a knowledge of various skills and a little knowledge of farming in me, amo
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