Explain how to look through a scope

[jon lynn]

This is actually a two issue question:

FIRST ISSUE;
My niece is getting .22LR from Uncle Jon in March for the big one-oh. Either Cricket, Plinkster 801 Half-Pint, or a Savage Cadet youth. She always hints that a scope is a must, and who am I to disagree. But I am not sure how to explain what the view should be.

We (her father and I) usually prop up one of our rimfires, with a bi-pod and sand bags, and she scoots her head around as best she can on a full sized stock and shoots. I am proud to report 12 of 12 eggs at 50 yards her first outing!

But since she will finally get a rifle that fits, I want to be sure she has the optimum use of her optics. She is far from dumb, but I do not know the best or simplest terminology to use explain how the view should be.

ISSUE TWO;
I can not find a youth lefty (well one I can afford). Should I just have her shoot left on the right hand design, or shoot right hand style?
I see a .223 or .243 for her 11th birthday, so I do not want to mess with her technique for shooting.
Do I keep her a lefty, or see how she does on the right.

[fabsroman]

Simple way to explain it is that she needs to move her head forward or backward until she does not see any black around the outside edges of the scope circle. When she looks through the scope, there should be no black at all in the field of view.

That is how it was explained to me and it has worked. However, I have busted my head once or twice from putting my head too close to the scope since scopes have 2 relief positions. Tell her to pick the one furthest back from the scope. It will be better for her in the long run.

[skeet]

This is actually a two issue question:

.

ISSUE TWO;
I can not find a youth lefty (well one I can afford). Should I just have her shoot left on the right hand design, or shoot right hand style?
I see a .223 or .243 for her 11th birthday, so I do not want to mess with her technique for shooting.
Do I keep her a lefty, or see how she does on the right.

Easy cure for issue 2. Get one of the single bbl rifles that has interchangeable bbls. That way she can upgrade to a 223 with the same rifle next year..and you can buy the whole thing now and no future expences...well minimal anyway..another scope and mount should do it for next year. later get the 243 bbl

[wrenchman]

If she is lefty leave her alone dont worry about it being a right hand gun most left hand shooters never shoot a left hand gun.
most leftys are left eye domenint as most rightys are right it is ok take it frome a guy that is left eye domenint and shoots right hand some times it could it could lead to problims.
my son is left handed and didnt know there was a diff in guns till the other day when we were at a gun shop and i handed him a left handed bolt gun.
when guying guns look for guns with tang saftys it helps.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

I like a scope with a wide field of view. My favorite and it seems a way of the past is the TV view scope. I put these on all my daughters rifles and do have a few on mine. I just like the view and ease of target aquisition. I taught them also to view their intended target with both eyes open when mounting the gun. It just falls right where you are looking and can find the target quick without having to swing the thing around looking for your target. Then you can take the time to concentrate on what you see in the scope. Works for me and all the beginner shooters I deal with.