What age do you think kids should start shooting?

[Possum Cop]

I wish my son could have started that soon. He wasn't even supposed to be in the woods with me til age 11 during deer season. He was but it was a big fine if he was caught. When he got his 1st deer it was a nice 22" heavy racked 9 point and he literally had to sit on my lap to take his shot.

It's hard to live and raise kids in states with commie gun laws.

 

[Panteradave]

My son is only 3months old but I find myself day dreaming of the days he will start shooting with me. I don't want to start any kind of moral debate here. I'd probably start him with a pellet gun and then move on to 22lr. Of course he would learn all about proper gun safety and such. Just curious what you all think is an appropriate age?

I think it depends on the personality of the kid. Teach safety first, success 2nd. 4 h has great shooting programs and it brings kids together. My son was 6 with a BB gun then his next was a 410 shotgun. Then with 4 H he started trap and skeet with a 12 gauge at 10. First deer at 11 whith a 30-06. When he turned 14 he could shoot a 7mm mag and went elk hunting. Lead sleds are great to always use on medium or higher recoiling rifle. You never want to start out and scare them with too much. Now we shoot together and connect through shooting.

 

[gator378]

My son is only 3months old but I find myself day dreaming of the days he will start shooting with me. I don't want to start any kind of moral debate here. I'd probably start him with a pellet gun and then move on to 22lr. Of course he would learn all about proper gun safety and such. Just curious what you all think is an appropriate age?

I got my daisy rider when I was six it was Christmas 1953. Have not stopped since. I have the gun bug bad even at 72. I really enjoy shooting.Never too early to start

 

[Crusty Buck]

My son is only 3months old but I find myself day dreaming of the days he will start shooting with me. I don't want to start any kind of moral debate here. I'd probably start him with a pellet gun and then move on to 22lr. Of course he would learn all about proper gun safety and such. Just curious what you all think is an appropriate age?

 

[Crusty Buck]

That's an excellent question. My dad taught me to drive cars and tractors at age 9, but I also shot out a few barn windows with my be gun. Also shot my brother with it at the same age. Responsibility and Age don't always match. Don't get overly comfortable around firearms. Army Vet, NRA Shotgun Coach, and CCW Instructor.

 

[ARCaveman]

I started my boy and plan to start my girl at 3 with a single shot 22 shooting shorts, or calibre rounds. He's now 5 and can handle his BB gun by himself, but he's also had the rules of safety drilled into his head since he could understand the word No. Like it's been stated many times, it's all about the kid's maturity level and taking it slow with them. His next birthday I plan on handing down my break action 410 to him. And the rules will be simple, unless I tell you to close it, the action stays open at all times. That way there's no wondering if it's loaded/unloaded or otherwise.

 

[Possum Cop]

From a 73 year old Australian country person... I grew up with rifles and shotguns being used as daily tools on the farm, so nothing was new and scary. My father started to teach me about the safety aspects probably in my 4th year, and I was given a Daisy Air for 4th birthday. Did the right thing with that and got a single shot Lithgow 22 for 5th. Went on from there, and in turn used roughly the same timing and progression for my son and 2 daughters. Country children take a very practical approach to learning about safe handling, a bit like hopping on a big tractor for the first time, very exciting, but pay attention to what you are doing!!
Most like the thought of shooting more than a 22, though some of the hard-kickers are not really a good idea .... I have a quite heavy 416 Taylor and have given it to a 12 year-old to shoot.... He thought about it for a few seconds after firing, then looked around and asked if he could have another one...!!! Grin went twice around him!! It is nothing like my 300 Weatherby which can hurt if not well held, it pushes.... For what it is worth!! Below is my son with our special "pre Mk5 Weatherby" in 300Wby Mag, with his first Buffalo.

That's awesome.

 

[Possum Cop]

I could not imagine those rules. I don't even know what a cadet license is and please don't tell. I started shooting at about 7 years old and so have most of my kids. Glad to be livin' in the USA.

You got that right. We don't have the commie gun laws that a lot of countries have but we are the only country to have the 2nd amendment in our constitution. Gun laws will never stop crime.
IMHO

 

[MontanaJack]

Holy smokes!! Lots for feedback on this one. We love our children and expect them to be our legacy. Nurturing an appreciation for firearms was important to me. My dad had me learning to sight an old 25-20 on the living room floor when I was 4 or 5. He learned a sighting technique in the military. He made a black circle with a handle on it out of light cardboard and poked a hole in the center. He put the rifle in a cardboard box that he cut craddle notches into. The rifle stayed stationary. He'd get at the other end of the living room by another carbboard box with a white sheet of paper stapled to it, the target. He'd move the 2" black circle around as I told him where to move it so it lined up for a "sight picture". When I'd say stop, he'd take a pencil and mark a spot on the paper through the hole he punched in the middle of the black circle. We'd do that three times and then stop. He'd draw a triangle through the three dots. My dad was a competitive man. I can remember my mom giving him some lip when he seemed annoyed that my triangles were smaller than his!! Live fire 22 rifle at 6. Shooting competitive small bore by 8 or 9. Poping deer between the eyes at a 100 yards at twelve. Dad would rarely bring out a pistol. Said they were too dangerous and I needed to be older before I could shoot his Colt Woodsman Match Target. We loved to fish mountain streams for cutthroat trout in the early summer. Frequently hooked out flies in the trees along the creeks. Had a ton of fun shooting the branches with the Woodman to drop and recover our flies, probably at age 12. My two sons were exposed on a similar timeline. They're both crack shot, one shot kill, long range hunters now, taking game out to 900 yards. We all love our firearms and the the Second Ammendment!! We need young people, male and female enjoying our sport!!!

 

[Swiftkill]

When your child shows RESPECT and listens to what you say. I was fortunate, my son was very well behaved. I did not want him to be curious and try to get to my stuff without me. I took the "mystery" out of it and he knew there was a time and place for everything. He knew how loud guns were and I showed him how stuff blows up when you shoot them, like water bottles and melons. He started shooting with me before he was 5 years old! I got some flack from friends and relatives who only know the bad side of guns that are in the news. My son just turned 18 and he is nearly a pro shooter. He is a top action shooter in my club. He is a great student and on his way to Engineering School at Virgina Tech, if we get past this Covid 19 crap. I think proper education and training with guns develops great responsibility and character. He is around a lot of shooters and range officers that require rules to be followed and he sees the importance of following rules. He is safer with guns than ANY of the shooters and hunters I see and know. Including ME! Ok, I can't help bragging a little, but I am very proud of him.

 

[jbruehl]

My son is only 3months old but I find myself day dreaming of the days he will start shooting with me. I don't want to start any kind of moral debate here. I'd probably start him with a pellet gun and then move on to 22lr. Of course he would learn all about proper gun safety and such. Just curious what you all think is an appropriate age?

I started my son as soon as he could hold a rifle on his own. BB gun first but 22 rifle with my help

 

[manitou]

Does your content get monitored by everyone including law enforcement & legal officials like it does in our country??

All I will say is be careful what you post!

Obviously your laws are different to ours but pictures of underaged children holding guns is opening youself up for a whole lot of hurt, well at least in my country anyway.

You cannot even hold a firearm here unless you hold the appropriate licence.

Cadet licences differ state to state but its normally about 12 years of age.

Now if your going to ask me what is the right thing to do, well I would then say start the education & familiarity process as early as possible, but the age of comprehension is an individual thing so you cant put an age on it imo!

No laws against kids shooting with their parents at any age. Some states have a minimum hunting age (unsupervised) and some don't. I was hunting with Dad at (edit) 7-8 years of age and rabbit, squirrel hunting on by myself by 9 (parents must not have cared much for me, lol). On my own, I killed my first deer and dressed it at age 10... about four miles from the house. Waited until dark for mom to pick me up. Luckily another guy heard the shots and came over at dark to see if there was a deer killed. He helped me drag it to the road. Back then (early 70's) deer were scarce. That little 8 point was the only deer I saw in 9 days of hunting.
Kids are individuals. Some are ready early, and I have seen thirty-year-olds that have no business holding a gun! Much of this falls back on parenting, but some kids "just ain't got it", lol!

 

[Exarcher]

I started my grandson shooting very young,, he was shooting off a little "bench" when he was 5 (22 chipmunk). When he was 7, I started him on my low recoil centerfire rifles. One I built especially for the up and coming grandsons is a predator action, edge stocked, hart barreled, jewell triggered, 250 savage, which became his favorite.. He took his first deer on the young sportsman hunt last fall at age 8. Shooting off a rolled up towel dropped this 4point @ 25yds! My oldest grandson, now 20 took his first deer at 12.. I believe you just have to see how well they progress & let them figure it out as they grow.. ian has loved shooting & hunting since he was 4, spending many hours in the blind with me.. (My most memorable hunts no less, my best whitetail with him when he was 6, & him taking the 4pt when he was 8) now ian is going on 9 and I have 2 more younger grandsons I hope to hunt with in the future also. I had "girly girl" daughters, & now know why God gave me girls,, 4 grandsons to hunt (and shoot) with in the fall of my life!

 

[memtb]

This will be contrary to my early recommendation, but, I was very young and perhaps "not" the best of parents. I had a photo ( lost in a divorce) showing me sitting behind my son and helping him hold my S&W Model 28 ( using light load 38 Specials) while he was shooting. He was under 3 years old at the time. Do not take this as a endorsement! memtb