Age to start shooting

jimboman2000 · Jan 17, 2017

Thanks for starting this thread. My son just turned 2 and I have been thinking about this topic. I think he will have to be old enough to understand the consequences of his actions. I agree with what most people have said in that 5 or 6 area. A coworker's husband is a K-9 officer and they started their daughter around 6 because she could understand what shooting a gun really was. I figure if it worked for LEO that rule would work well for me.

ClutchyMcClutcherson · Jan 17, 2017

So along the lines of knowing that it's not a toy, since my sons started walking they have been there everyday I get ready for work, watching me open my gun safe, holster ingredients my gun, and sliding it in my pants. Every day I've told them the rules. They hear it's not a toy, never touch one without mom or dad, and if the safe is open to tell one of us. Of course I'd never put any of that to test because that would be asinine, however they even repeat it when I'm getting ready and say those things. I don't think it's to early for me to teach them about guns, and taking the curiosity away as much as possible by letting them see and touch, as long as it's not to much and they know that it's not a game.

knastera · Jan 17, 2017

I started my grandkids with nerf guns at 3, but the challenge is that they shouldn't be encouraged to shoot them at people. As others have said, that creates a dichotomy that little kids can't comprehend. We graduated to a BB gun at 6, a pellet rifle at 7, and a 22 rifle at 8. At 11, we'll be going to a 22 SA revolver with a safety.

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esrepairman · Jan 17, 2017

Only the parent can know when their own child is old enough. Please heavily supervise for years as others have noted. My grandsons (5 & 6) went to Cub Scout day camp for a week this summer for a week, and by far their favorite activities were Shooting (with BB guns) and Archery. Of course they were heavily supervised. I don't think they have the maturity quite yet to let them start with my .22 bolt action Savage, which I learned on almost 50 years ago in the Boy Scouts. Maybe this summer. Start with a BB gun, then you will know when it is time for a .22. I also say start old school with a bolt action.

Good Luck and BE SAFE

This kid is 6 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd539p1DCTk
9 year old girl - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvRmFuuB8uM
Teaching Your Kids to Shoot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTdqbKta8pE

photoracer · Jan 18, 2017

Ron Oliver, one of the top shooters in the US, a Volquartsen Shooting Team member, and a good friend started his daughter Venice shooting very early because she wanted to. At 6 years old last year she shot the 2016 NSSF Rimfire World Championship and her first Steel Challenge match. I have seen a video of Venice shooting a 10/22 rifle and hitting targets placed at 200 yards off a bench. At dinner during an shooting event weekend he told me he did not plan on having her start competition until she was 12 also. A video of her was on Shooting USA during the NSSF Rimfire World Championship. Video is called "how fast can a 6-year-old shoot?"

tallen702 · Jan 20, 2017

When it does come time to train them to shoot with real firearms, I highly recommend older single-shot .22 youth model rifles like the Remington Model 33. The 33 has a good length of pull for kids (it was made to be a boy's rifle), is single shot only, and requires manual cocking of the hammer so the opportunity for accidental discharge is greatly reduced. It's also a heavy enough spring that it's tough for little kids to pull back on their own which gives a little extra lee-way to learning safe handling. Got mine for $60 shipped via my C&R.

ClutchyMcClutcherson · Jan 20, 2017

Thanks for the tips everyone

lazarus · Jan 20, 2017

It is an age thing and a maturity thing. My almost 9 year old is at the age where I am now thinking this fall i'll take him out to green ridge and let him shoot my 10/22 at the range and get a B.B. Gun he can use with supervision till he proves he can be safe with it. My almost 7 year old is as mature as his older brother and I'll probably start him out soon after his older brother. My almost 5 year old daughter has at least another couple of years.

If my oldest continues to show some interest I will probably take him to get his hunters ed class taken in another year or so, but it is going to be strictly smothering supervision that first year or two I take him hunting squirrels and stuff with him as a shooter. Probably the same thing his first couple of seasons deer hunting maybe starting that when he is 12 or so.

Right now he can almost shoulder my youth 20ga single shot. He's got at least another year of growth on him to manage it okay and he is big for his age.

Jmorrismetal · Jan 21, 2017

Mine started at two, maybe 5 minutes before she wanted to play in the dirt again. I never set out to make "lessons" out of it rather keep it simple. Things are done for reasons of safety just like you teach them to not stick things into electric outlets or smother themselves with plastic bags.

Safety 1st, fun 2nd and when they are done, don't try and keep them going.

j_h_smith · Jan 22, 2017

My kids each started with a Cricket at the age of 5. But they were around the range earlier. It's a personal choice for each parent. The wife and I decided after having the first child that the age of 5 was the agreed upon age. They all love shooting today and the oldest is almost 31 and the youngest is 21.

The family that target shoots together, stays together.

Good luck!

ClutchyMcClutcherson · Jan 22, 2017

Very cool picture!

BDWMS · Jan 22, 2017

I have a three year old and have no plans to introduce a real firearm until he's 5 or 6. It's a big responsibility. You know your kid. Don't rush it. You guys will be fine.

I'm just now thinking about nerf guns and have no plans for shooting people or pets with it. I think that'll be harder to control when he hangs with buddies who may do otherwise but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Anyone notice how complicated nerf guns have gotten?

j_h_smith · Jan 22, 2017

BDWMS said:
I have a three year old and have no plans to introduce a real firearm until he's 5 or 6. It's a big responsibility. You know your kid. Don't rush it. You guys will be fine.

I'm just now thinking about nerf guns and have no plans for shooting people or pets with it. I think that'll be harder to control when he hangs with buddies who may do otherwise but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Anyone notice how complicated nerf guns have gotten?

When my kids were growing up (many moons ago), we also had a "No pointing at people or animals policy", when it came to non-lethal guns. Believe it or not, soon after the initial fun wore off, I was teaching them about trigger finger discipline. It was cute to see them with their outstretched index finger but it taught them a lesson, they still remember today.

It's never to early to teach them proper technique.

boothdoc · Jan 22, 2017

I learn when I was 4-5. My first rifle was a single shot 22 and my first shotgun was a skeletonized 410. We went to the range twice a weeks for the next few decades. Great times.
Now my son started at 5 and still shoots today at 21. And my daughter stared at 5-6. She wasn't interested on the first trip so I have it a few and tried again. She stated with a cricket 22 he started with charged air rifles.

Safety safety safety. But make it fun and they will love it.

3paul10 · Jan 23, 2017

My girls started shooting 22 single shots, which quickly progressed to 10-22s because they got bored. They were shooting ARs by 10......now they are teenagers and don't talk to me. I go shooting all by myself again.

j_h_smith · Jan 23, 2017

3paul10 said:
My girls started shooting 22 single shots, which quickly progressed to 10-22s because they got bored. They were shooting ARs by 10......now they are teenagers and don't talk to me. I go shooting all by myself again.

Ask them to bring a friend and you may get your daughters back. Make it a day about her and a friend. You may not shoot 1 round, but all will have a great time.

There were YEARS, where I shot maybe 1 round to my kid's 100 when at the range. Some days I didn't take a shot. But they would always come back. We all had a great time, during those teenage years. That's the one thing we did together.

Good Luck!

LargemouthAss · Jan 23, 2017

I have a 6 year old Daughter and a son who will be 3 in a month. My wife and I agreed that neither kid can start shooting bb guns or any type of gun until they can recite the 4 rules of gun safety and explain what they mean. My son cannot wait to start shooting and is obsessed with his toy guns but my Daughter only has a passing interest. We discuss the 4 rules often and they both help me clean my guns (they are essentially patch dispensers). When we go to our family's farm my Daughter will come with me when I shoot, lay down to my left and we discuss everything I am doing so she starts to understand. To keep her interested I make sure to shoot plastic bottles filled with colored water.
When she was 4 I made the mistake of buying her a gun that I planned to teach her on, a Ruger American bolt action 22 with a purple stock. I foolishly did not realize that there is 0.0% chance that she could hold that gun properly so now it sits in the safe waiting for her to grow. If you go out an buy a gun for your kids get a cricket.

siggirl1911 · Jan 23, 2017

My daughter was 3 the first time we let her shoot. Started with a pellet gun then a .22 bolt action with daddy's help. She loved it. My son is 3 now and I don't think he is ready yet. He definitely is interested but mental I don't think he's ready. I would say go with what you feel is right.

siggirl1911 · Jan 23, 2017

This is her now at 5 at Xmas time. She seems to be a natural and has only been shooting once at 3

Age to start shooting

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