Probably as effective as anything would be either wooden cut outs--what we got when going through hunter safety and one other school-forget which---OR you could go to a toy store and buy cheap toy guns (if you can find them)-Cabela's has a gun, called the Silverado I think, it's a SxS shotgun made so you can actually load it, it's kinda pricey though...as far as teaching muzzle control and safe gun handling, a simple painted up wood cut out would do as well as anything, and be a lot cheaper than buying a "prop gun".