j76

Thanks for all the replies guys, really appriciate it. The thing about keeping both eyes open is something i never thought about. I personally cant look thru a scope with both eyes open, never thought to see if they can. But even if they cant i would think keeping both open till lined up with the target may help. As far as iron sights go, i have a pellet gun and they both have the good ole Red riders, all with iron sights and they do pretty good with those also here in the yard. But where we deer hunt at its pretty hard to get deer within 50-75 yrds, usually its 100 plus. I know in the beginning we will have to let alot walk cause i dont want them shooting too far, but a scope is almost a necessity at that spot so was trying to just get them used to it now. I plan on practicing with them as much as possible this summer, as long as i can afford the ammo!
Oh and also my youngest in the profile pic doesn't wear glasses, he just like to dress up like a screwball for pictures somethime!

Mojotex

Bullcamp82834 hit on what my comment is ... fit.

I have come across so many kids' setups and short adults' that simply had way too long a length of pull long gun. If you can afford to, have a stock cut to fit the kids. They will grow like weeds, that is true, and soon need a longer LOP .... but the LOP is a big deal right now as far as comfort shooting. And if I am not wrong Savage offers a youth length stock for their Axis rifle at a reasonable price.

j76

The savage has the youth stock, and the 22 is really small, shorter than a cricket. They seem to not have any trouble simply seeing thru the scope and getting on the target(by target i mean a square piece of cardboard sitting in the wide open). When we shot the 243 this past winter, on the last shot i had my 7yr old take a 100 yrd shot, and he was dead on the money. So i dont think the problem is just seeing thru the scope, its being able to find random targets in the scope. Last fall i had one of them out squirrel hunting and we had a chipmunk about 15 ft in front of us. With the little 22 he couldn't find it in the scope, could see it with his eye but not find it in the scope. They can see a squirrel in a tree, bring up the gun and then you can watch them searching all around the tree with the scope trying to find it. This is what i'm trying to correct.

handles II

Sounds to me like the eye-relief of the scope is wrong for their eyes. I can very much remember doing the exact thing you said your kids are doing when my dad had me shoot his .22 which was plenty short for me. With my cheek in the correct position on the stock I often would only see black through the scope, or a small circle of the sight picture. Moving the scope back, and adjusting the eye-relief made all the difference.

Sheridan

First, the minute you close one eye you loose 50% of your vision !

Turn the power down as low as it can go on the scope.

Have them get a good mount and aim at the target looking over the top of the scope.

Slowly lower your head to the stock and adjust forward or back on the stock until the scope is "full".

handles II

Adjust the scope, both the eye relief (probably moving it back toward his face) and focus. Use the lowest power on the scope which gives the widest field of view to find movement.
Another thought, if they have a bit of colorblindness (most common in boys) finding brown among browns can be tough. And lastly, it might just take a year or two for things to all fit. That is sometimes a reality of us being too gung ho with our youth. Don't sweat it. Do other things and enjoy it.
As for the recommendations to go iron sights...I know your axis doesn't have them (I have an axis) and purchasing a new gun probably isn't a practical solution for you. It seems some people have more money or more guns available to them than others.

j76

I really didn't think that them seeing thru the scope was the problem, but from what a lot of you are saying its something i'll definately have to look into. I realize alot of it will come in time and with experience, was just trying to come up with some ways to help them out. Your suggestions are a big help, thanks guys!

Ridge Runner

they need to keep both eyes on the target, without taking them off raise the rifle, with practice and experience it will become normal for the crosshairs to fall where they are looking. work with them on small objects at close range with an unloaded rifle, even indoors will help them all the while stressing safety.
RR

Nomercy448

Like Ridge Runner described, "Co-witnessing" is what you should be teaching them. The human brain is an amazing image processing computer - it's processing the proper overlap for two images at all times when your eyes are open.

So even if you're looking through a scope, your brain will try to overlap the images. If you're focused on the target with your left eye, and the right eye is in the scope, if you bring the crosshairs in your right eye to point at the target image in your LEFT eye, you'll actually be moving the crosshairs onto the target through the scope also. Strange how it works out that way, but it DOES work. It's called "co-witnessing".

j76

RR and Nomercy, i really think thats a huge part of the problem. I've tried explaining to them, look at your target, keep your eyes on it and then just bring the scope up in between your eye and the target. I never even thought to look at what they are doing with the other eye while all that is going on. Between double checking the eye releif and making sure we have a full sight picture and the eye thing i think its going to definately help with the problem! I knew i could count on you all to help me out!!
Also i think what i'm going to do is when we fart around with the pellet gun in the backyard, instead of just setting a pop can or whatever in the middle of the yard on the ground i'll start getting a little more creative about where i place the targets. In the crotch of trees, half hidden behind stuff, etc. All woods behind the house so i should have no problem making a shootin gallery!