I started my son off with a bb gun around 4 years old. Around 5 years old, got him a pellet rifle with open sights. Around 6 years old I put a scope on the pellet rifle & gave him just a little bit( not much) instruction on how to look through the scope and he figured it out on his own. Then let him start shooting a 22lr. At age 7 he was shooting a 35 Remington with 150 gr bullets. I believe this gradually stepping up through increasing recoil rifles is crucial with a child, or else they may very well be gun-shy or have a bad flinch.
What age do you think kids should start shooting?
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milo-2
Well-Known Member
I agree to a point, being I did not have single shot 22's to offer up, if the kids want to burn ammo and not pay attention, they can sit in the truck or go home, 10 min alone while others are having fun seems to bring them back to your way of reasoning, lol
I started my grandson out at 5 years old with a 22 Chipmunk. Worked him up to a 17 HMR at about 8 and then had him shooting a 243 WSSM at 12 when he could legally start hunting in Montana. Great comment from CVCOBRA on the hearing protection, it is a must for everyone shooting.
ptsdvet
Well-Known Member
I was taken out at 4 and my dad and uncle showed me each gun and shot it the most serious part of the first lesson was dad shot a rabbit and said when you shoot something it is dead guns are not toys! The Swiss require Gun safety training for all children between 8 and 9.
Yes...slow...make it fun...bb gun pellet gun first ...22.....slowly move up. If they get scared early, they may never want to shoot....patience...slow...see what they like girl or boy...you WANT them to like it and have fun safely. Teach safety always.....
Mike Matteson
Well-Known Member
I was started a age 5, but didn't really follow up until I was 9. I got a smaller rifle for my sons and started them at about 7 or 8 years old. I took them hunting with me at age 5 and then have been with me ever since. Now my grand children started at age 6, and I got them a both a rifle at age 7, and both are shooting at the range almost weekly. One has shot a 22 pistol and a 220 swift, both were to big them, but they fun to do so. The one grandson is now shooting at 100 yds, and doing very good.
When my sons were in high school and working trying kept them between the lines. I would go hunting on the weekends. I would tell them I am going hunting on Thursday evening. They were home early in both nights during high school. We had great fun during those time. Also let them drive the 4x4 out in the off road areas. We all hand load too. Remember firearm safety, and hearing protection a must. Make it fun and don't try to get them beyond what is fun. Make sure you have lots of 22 ammo and single shots. They will be there for your life time.
When my sons were in high school and working trying kept them between the lines. I would go hunting on the weekends. I would tell them I am going hunting on Thursday evening. They were home early in both nights during high school. We had great fun during those time. Also let them drive the 4x4 out in the off road areas. We all hand load too. Remember firearm safety, and hearing protection a must. Make it fun and don't try to get them beyond what is fun. Make sure you have lots of 22 ammo and single shots. They will be there for your life time.
Ben Gallardy
Well-Known Member
This is a fun topic. My father in law showed up at the birth center 15 minutes after my son was born with his first gun....a red Ryder. What a one upper!
I started educating my son early on, building excitement for shooting and hunting. These books helped a lot! https://www.keystonesportingarmsllc.com/product/story-books/
Once I realized he was hooked, and understanding basic gun safety, I introduced him to his BB gun around 3. He started shooting it well around 4. Since then, he has moved onto a Savage Rascal .22, and a single shot .410 which we took turkey hunting this spring. He shoots both well....and the best part...safely. I never pushed him to do it, just took him with me to the range, and then hunting at an early age and let him decide he wanted to be involved. He turns 6 next week and I trust him to shoot his bow on his own now...as long as me or mom is outside. Pretty cool watching the progression. He has to stay on the ball...he has 3 sisters following in his footseps!
I started educating my son early on, building excitement for shooting and hunting. These books helped a lot! https://www.keystonesportingarmsllc.com/product/story-books/
Once I realized he was hooked, and understanding basic gun safety, I introduced him to his BB gun around 3. He started shooting it well around 4. Since then, he has moved onto a Savage Rascal .22, and a single shot .410 which we took turkey hunting this spring. He shoots both well....and the best part...safely. I never pushed him to do it, just took him with me to the range, and then hunting at an early age and let him decide he wanted to be involved. He turns 6 next week and I trust him to shoot his bow on his own now...as long as me or mom is outside. Pretty cool watching the progression. He has to stay on the ball...he has 3 sisters following in his footseps!
tony d willIiams
Well-Known Member
Leave it a bit long. My dad did and it was exciting when I grew into it and then outgrew it.
BigHunter1978
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This is a great question and there is a lot of awesome feedback. Everyone is so supportive with the kids getting into hunting it is awesome to see. I am sort of passionate about this topic, being Canadian the Government is always threatening to take away our handguns and rifles, I know we will not even go there. From any age where their is understanding, teach them gun safety from day one. They need to understand once the trigger is pulled you cannot recall that bullet.
We started around 5 years old but did not do anything serious until the boy was 7 (attached photo's are the boy at 7), the daughter had an interest until she became older. Take them often as possible and do not discriminant between boy or girl (not that anyone would), they are equally important to the future hunting and outdoor community.
We started with a .22 rascal like many others, it is a great starting point. There is essentially no recoil and it will help with making them not experiencing large recoil and becoming gun shy. I still have vivid memories of my Dad getting me to shoot his old .30-06 and being scared to death of the recoil, not good!
I appreciate people sharing the pictures.
We started around 5 years old but did not do anything serious until the boy was 7 (attached photo's are the boy at 7), the daughter had an interest until she became older. Take them often as possible and do not discriminant between boy or girl (not that anyone would), they are equally important to the future hunting and outdoor community.
We started with a .22 rascal like many others, it is a great starting point. There is essentially no recoil and it will help with making them not experiencing large recoil and becoming gun shy. I still have vivid memories of my Dad getting me to shoot his old .30-06 and being scared to death of the recoil, not good!
I appreciate people sharing the pictures.
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Tex_Hunter
Well-Known Member
I waited until my son could recite Cooper's "4 Rules" with only minor prompting before I put him behind a real gun. He was around 6yrs old when he got that part down. To drive the point home I shot a water melon at close range with my AR to emphasize the "never point a gun at anything you dont want to destroy" rule.
From there we started with a suppressed 22lr so that all he had to focus on was listening to me and practicing fundamentals such as sight picture, trigger pull, and follow through (this was the hardest one to teach, every shot he wanted to pick his head up and see if he "got a bullseye"). I let him gain confidence with the 22 to the point he can reliably shoot clay pigeons standing off hand at 25-30yds consistently without missing.
Since then (he's 9 now) I have let him shoot my 556 AR, and my 6.5 Creedmoor match rifle, both are suppressed but still pretty loud. He's to the point where hitting 100yds with the 22lr is relatively easy with a front rest and if I give him a little help setting up, he has hit our 10" gong with the Creedmoor at 400yds a few times. Other than those few shots he has taken with fullsize rifles, he pretty much sticks with his 22, but whenever we shoot together I'll still have other guns out (some suppressed some unsuppressed) so that he gets used to the sounds and feeling of being around full power rounds. I picked up a really nasty flinch as a kid even though I started shooting when I was almost a teenager (Im talking to the point that I missed more than one deer inside of 100yds kinda flinch). My uncle took me to a crowded public range with a tin roof over the firing line, and had me touch off a few rounds with his Pre64 M70 in 270win as my first fullsize rifle larger than a 22. I probably didnt shake that flinch until well into my 20's.
The main problem for younger shooters is that most guns even if they are "youth" models, or have been adjusted for the correct length are still really heavy/long thanks to the ATF's arbitrary designation that a barrel shorter than 16" makes a gun into an evil deadly assault weapon machine. Theres only so much you can do to balance that when the gun is 3x longer than your arms. My son is solidly 50th percentile on height/weight for his age, and he has trouble with anything bigger than his 22 as far as being able to hold it steady off hand standing. So anything bigger we have to shoot prone or off a bench. Finding stocks that were short enough when he was younger was also a little bit of a chore. The magpul stock on his 22 was a touch long when he was 6, but I'm probably going to start adding spacers in soon for him now.
From there we started with a suppressed 22lr so that all he had to focus on was listening to me and practicing fundamentals such as sight picture, trigger pull, and follow through (this was the hardest one to teach, every shot he wanted to pick his head up and see if he "got a bullseye"). I let him gain confidence with the 22 to the point he can reliably shoot clay pigeons standing off hand at 25-30yds consistently without missing.
Since then (he's 9 now) I have let him shoot my 556 AR, and my 6.5 Creedmoor match rifle, both are suppressed but still pretty loud. He's to the point where hitting 100yds with the 22lr is relatively easy with a front rest and if I give him a little help setting up, he has hit our 10" gong with the Creedmoor at 400yds a few times. Other than those few shots he has taken with fullsize rifles, he pretty much sticks with his 22, but whenever we shoot together I'll still have other guns out (some suppressed some unsuppressed) so that he gets used to the sounds and feeling of being around full power rounds. I picked up a really nasty flinch as a kid even though I started shooting when I was almost a teenager (Im talking to the point that I missed more than one deer inside of 100yds kinda flinch). My uncle took me to a crowded public range with a tin roof over the firing line, and had me touch off a few rounds with his Pre64 M70 in 270win as my first fullsize rifle larger than a 22. I probably didnt shake that flinch until well into my 20's.
The main problem for younger shooters is that most guns even if they are "youth" models, or have been adjusted for the correct length are still really heavy/long thanks to the ATF's arbitrary designation that a barrel shorter than 16" makes a gun into an evil deadly assault weapon machine. Theres only so much you can do to balance that when the gun is 3x longer than your arms. My son is solidly 50th percentile on height/weight for his age, and he has trouble with anything bigger than his 22 as far as being able to hold it steady off hand standing. So anything bigger we have to shoot prone or off a bench. Finding stocks that were short enough when he was younger was also a little bit of a chore. The magpul stock on his 22 was a touch long when he was 6, but I'm probably going to start adding spacers in soon for him now.
sunsetpalms
Member
The important thing is safety and respect for the weapon. I started mine out at around 5 years old. It is important to show them what a firearm is capable of doing and that this in no toy. The NRA has some great resources for youth training.
misterc01
Well-Known Member
Started with gun safety at 4-5, applied to "real" guns as well as nerf and later airsoft (no eye safety, no shoot). They would sometimes try out my .22 at the range or at Grandparents farm, but did not show a REAL interest until about 11-12 when they were in Scouts and found out they could get a shooting patch. Now they like skeet, and pistols, not so much rifles. My daughter also had to do whatever her brother did, and she is pretty good at skeet. They like it, but it is not something that is a "passion" - yet.
brettman
Well-Known Member
I think the biggest thing is how interested the kid is. My daughter is 8 and can hold her own as long as recoil is low but doesn't show as much interest as my son who's 6. I sat an old take off barrel on the bench the other week and my boy says "Dad, you just flagged me with that barrel". He soaks up anything gun or hunting like a sponge because he's interested.
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tony d willIiams
Well-Known Member
My dad talked to me about hunting, killing and gun safety when I was about 3. He put me on his lap and pulled the rifle into my shoulder backed by his shoulder. I lined up with the target and shot my first round. We did this a few times through the years.
At 5 I was given his BB gun he had as a child. At eight he gave my 20 gauge. At eleven he dropped me off at the sporting goods store. I had already been working and saving my money. I decided I wanted a hunting rifle and my new bicycle could wait. I purchased my Remington Mohawk 600, 308 bolt action for $104.00 including tax. I walked out with it and we headed to the range. 5 inch groups at 500 yards, open sights. Wish my eyes and muscles were that good now.
All children can understand safety and guns at different ages. If you are using them and being safe around your children they will probably be ready at a younger age.
Be safe, have fun, good shooting.
At 5 I was given his BB gun he had as a child. At eight he gave my 20 gauge. At eleven he dropped me off at the sporting goods store. I had already been working and saving my money. I decided I wanted a hunting rifle and my new bicycle could wait. I purchased my Remington Mohawk 600, 308 bolt action for $104.00 including tax. I walked out with it and we headed to the range. 5 inch groups at 500 yards, open sights. Wish my eyes and muscles were that good now.
All children can understand safety and guns at different ages. If you are using them and being safe around your children they will probably be ready at a younger age.
Be safe, have fun, good shooting.
