2 of 5 Actions Tested... Student's Choice?

[hare_assassin]

All 5 actions will be there to practice with (even during course breaks) and the instructor will go over each action. Are you concerned about your daughter's size and strength or why would not she be able to learn all 5 actions if she can learn 2??

The strength required to work a bolt or break-action is far less, and they make kid-sized guns in these actions. Pretty straight-forward.

She's very small for her age, despite being very, very strong. It is a matter of proportion. Even "youth" guns are on the big side, for her.

Despite that, I know a lot of other 10-year-olds and I can't think of one of them who has the size and strength to be able to work a full-sized pump shotgun or lever action in a safe manner.

Which actions will be on the practical exam depends on the instructor completely. They might even ask her conversationally what game she wants to hunt and with what gun, and then might ask her to pick up that gun/action for the exam from the 5 that will be on the table.

If that's the case she would choose bolt and break, and be done with it. Based on this thread, that's not the case.

[Barracuda]

kid sizes most likely wont be used in a test so getting them might not be the best way to go.
A semi auto , pump , break , bolt action and a lever of some type shouldn't be that hard to find and when she takes the CORE she will have access to them in the course so she can practice with them. on a side note I have had break actions where you would need a Wrestlers thumb to open them

[snow]

The strength required to work a bolt or break-action is far less, and they make kid-sized guns in these actions. Pretty straight-forward.

She's very small for her age, despite being very, very strong. It is a matter of proportion. Even "youth" guns are on the big side, for her.

Despite that, I know a lot of other 10-year-olds and I can't think of one of them who has the size and strength to be able to work a full-sized pump shotgun or lever action in a safe manner.



If that's the case she would choose bolt and break, and be done with it. Based on this thread, that's not the case.

During the exam they asked me what kind of gun I would get/purchase for hunting, and I said bolt, so then they asked me to pick up a bolt from there a prove it... but that was in my case. Same thing could happen to your daughter, but you can't rely on that, in any case she must know all 5 and she cannot choose which ones she would be asked to prove during the exam.

[Barracuda]

by that an examiner can also ask what type of action you are used to and if you say bolt and pump they could choose break open and lever.

you could always ask your examiner what firearms they use for the testing that way you know if its a full size or small frame youth firearms

[hare_assassin]

I'll simply have to tell her that she'll need to wait a few years.

Thanks all.

[kurtl]

I just did my CORE in February and the instructor picked the action for you to handle and be tested on, although you will need some knowledge of all action types and the different ammunitions. You can ask the instructor questions about handling a firearm safely, just as if you are hunting with a friend and they handed a firearm to you that you weren't familiar with. This is showing that you are safe and cautious and are asking for help to be safe and that's what they are looking for (pretty much what our instructor told us). If for some reason she can't actually operate the action I don't think it would matter as long as she could explain how to ACTS and PROVE the firearm and carry it safely, because they do quiz you on that too (i.e. fence crossing).

I did the CORE first and challenged the PAL after, but that was backwards. If I was to recommend anything it would be to do the firearms safety course first, and then do the CORE after that way you only have to do the gun handling once. If you do the CORE first like I did, you have to do the gun handling at the CORE course and then again at the Firearms course (and I had the same instructor and it was only a couple of days later). She would have to apply for the minors license. It says on the RCMP site: "Generally, the minimum age is 12 years, but exceptions may be made for younger people who need to hunt to sustain themselves and their families. Applicants must have taken the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and passed the test."

At least if she had the same instructor for this course and the CORE class they might not re-test as she's already shown competence with firearms. The people at my CORE course that got to skip the gun handling part actually had to show their PAL, so you might be have to check with an instructor about this in case she doesn't actually get her minors license.

[Ozone]

I'll simply have to tell her that she'll need to wait a few years.

Thanks all.

Its better to try and fail, than never try at all. You seem to have it predetermined which action the tester will choose.

Personally I don't understand why the handling part is on the test. Isn't that for the firearms safety course?

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I'll simply have to tell her that she'll need to wait a few years.

Thanks all.

My daughter passed at 10 and I'm sure yours can too!

SSS

[hare_assassin]

I just did my CORE in February and the instructor picked the action for you to handle and be tested on, although you will need some knowledge of all action types and the different ammunitions. You can ask the instructor questions about handling a firearm safely, just as if you are hunting with a friend and they handed a firearm to you that you weren't familiar with. This is showing that you are safe and cautious and are asking for help to be safe and that's what they are looking for (pretty much what our instructor told us). If for some reason she can't actually operate the action I don't think it would matter as long as she could explain how to ACTS and PROVE the firearm and carry it safely, because they do quiz you on that too (i.e. fence crossing).

I did the CORE first and challenged the PAL after, but that was backwards. If I was to recommend anything it would be to do the firearms safety course first, and then do the CORE after that way you only have to do the gun handling once. If you do the CORE first like I did, you have to do the gun handling at the CORE course and then again at the Firearms course (and I had the same instructor and it was only a couple of days later). She would have to apply for the minors license. It says on the RCMP site: "Generally, the minimum age is 12 years, but exceptions may be made for younger people who need to hunt to sustain themselves and their families. Applicants must have taken the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and passed the test."

At least if she had the same instructor for this course and the CORE class they might not re-test as she's already shown competence with firearms. The people at my CORE course that got to skip the gun handling part actually had to show their PAL, so you might be have to check with an instructor about this in case she doesn't actually get her minors license.

Thanks for the feedback. I was aware that a PAL covers the gun handling requirements of CORE, but I am also aware that good working knowledge and physical ability to operate all actions is necessary for PAL. I do not think all of that should be necessary for a kid to go shoot their own bag limit of hares with a .22 bolt or take their first deer with a single-shot .243. I could have my daughter practice the entire summer with the .243, get her to the point where she is ready to nail anything within 100 yards, but then have her denied hunting opportunities because she can't load/unload/PROVE a 12GA pump and/or an SKS.

Seems out of touch with reality. But perhaps it's just me.

[hare_assassin]

Its better to try and fail, than never try at all. You seem to have it predetermined which action the tester will choose.

Personally I don't understand why the handling part is on the test. Isn't that for the firearms safety course?

Based on the vast majority of responses here, she is expected to know and be able to operate all 5 actions. It will take quite some time before she is ready for that.

Encouraging a child is one thing; setting them up for failure is another.

It's no big deal. She'll just have to wait.