Olympic gold medallist Russell Mark has come under fire after a video emerged showing him helping his four-year-old son to shoot a shotgun.

The champion shooter can be seen in amateur video helping his son, Indie, fire a shotgun at Werribee Victorian Clay Target Club.

The youngster rubs his face after being jolted by the gun's recoil.

Child psychologist Dr Michael Gregg Carr says the video is disturbing and it's a dangerous act.

"The video is quite disturbing for a child pyschologist to see," Dr Carr told Seven News reporter Brendan Roberts.

"I think it's normalising, sanistising and perhaps glamourising weapons, and I'm not sure that's wise."

But Mark insists he is simply educating his son.

"My kids are exposed to firearms every day of their lives, I wouldn't be acting responsibly as a parent unless I made them aware of how to use a firearm safely," he said.

"I'm taking the recoil of the gun, there's only a slight smack on his shoulder and a slight smack on his face."

Mark says Indie, now five, and his seven-year-old sibling shoot guns unaided, but under his supervision when visiting the US, in accordance with their laws.

"It's no different to me than putting them on my lap and taking them for a drive on the farm tractor, you know, you can't let them drive a tractor but you can give them the sensation of sitting on your knee and holding the steering wheel, but I'm in control, I don't see any difference between the two," he said.