So when can I expect my kid to start shooting?

Your child is old enough when YOU as his father decide he is old enough.

I know that's not what you wanted to read, but, only you know your child.

I started my daughter at around fiveish, BUT, I felt she was ready and I felt she was responsible enough to shoot under MY DIRECT supervision, meaning when she shot, I didn't, NO EXCEPTIONS.

When you and your child feels they are ready. My kid is 5, is well versed in firearm safety for their age, I feel totally comfortable that they are ready to shoot. My child however, while understanding a gun, safety and it's intended purpose has no interest in actually shouldering a .22lr and actually firing. My kid is still perfectly content with continuing to "practice" with the cap gun and helping pick up brass when were done. They'll let you know when they're ready and you as their father will know if they actually are.

This is very different for every child. It's the same as reading or speech, each kid grasps certain concepts differentlly. I don't think you can put a number on it. I see it from my own 4 grandaughters. Unfortunatelly their parents, "not my blood" are against firearms period. They al know I am an enthusiast and accept that, but their kids will never have the oppertunity to be allowed to touch a gun. But some have good eye/hand, and others don't. The age isn't much of a factor as their individual ability to process rational thought, and right and wrong.

I felt my two boys were ready for a 22 rifle of their own at 6. I took them prior to that and taught them safety and familiarity.

There have been some really good threads on this before. Worth a search.

There are many ways to expose your kids to shooting and many levels of involvement they could be ready or not ready for.

My kids have all been eager to start pulling triggers at 3-4. That means sitting in Dad's lap with Dad's hands on the gun at all times. As they've gotten older their level of involvement and responsibility has increased. My 8-year-old is trusted to plink with a .22 single-shot rifle on the adjacent bay while I work with his sister next door. She, my 11-year-old, carries an xDM 9mm around the range and is practicing up to join IDPA next year. All that trust comes from many hours of observed responsibility and primo gun handling practices on their part.

None of my kids has unsupervised access to any firearms.

Can't really add to the excellent advise already given, but when I saw the header on the post this mental image of a dad punching the button on a pact timer by his toddlers head popped into my head.

This is a very serious topic and one that in the end, only you are going to be able to decide. As you mentioned, every child is different.

I grew up in western Montana in a small rural town that afforded me plenty of early exposure to firearms and hunting. I was also raised in a strict Christian household where I learned the meaning of "no" and how to distinguish between reality and fiction at an early age. I saw deer hanging on a chain between two trees on my grandpa's property every fall. I knew that I was expected to obey adults even if I didn't understand them and that failure to do so carried consequences. And I could run around in the yard with a cap gun playing with my brother or friends all morning, come in for a sandwhich at lunch, and immediately grasp the concept that the Win M63 my grandpa took me out to the back yard with directly after lunch was not a toy and different, very serious rules applied to it. So my grandpa taught my brother and I each how to shoot a rifle around age 4, and it has been an undying passion of mine ever since. Several generations of men in my family have been raised this way without incident, but it relies on your child exhibiting a certain level of maturity. Your kid could be ready for it at age 4, or he still may not be ready for it at age 14.

You and only you will determine when its right, because it will be you that is responsible for any potential consequences. Don't be pressured by others to move forward at a pace you are not comfortable with. Also note that there is a big difference between introducing a youngster to a 22 while sitting / lying at a bench rest AND letting him squeeze off a round and hanging that gun his grandfather gave him on his bedroom wall.

Had a tragic event here just a couple months ago. A five year old shot and killed his 2 year old sister with a 22 cricket he got as a birthday or christmas present. It was left loaded and where the little boy grabbed it and without any malice he killed her. When the right time comes I urge you to use the safety / shoot / lock up afterwards approach. Kids can do something physically long before they can digest the consequences.

Mine was 4. He is now 8 and is a fantastic shot with many guns.

Only you know when they are ready. As for expecting them to? Mine could care less. I even get the early-teen girl eye roll when I pull into the LGS (same look her mom gives me when I bring new gun stuff home) lol. She does know the rules and is safe with them but she has no interest at all.

Sam1911 said:

My kids have all been eager to start pulling triggers at 3-4. That means sitting in Dad's lap with Dad's hands on the gun at all times. As they've gotten older their level of involvement and responsibility has increased.

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Same here, basically. I let my kids' interest set the pace. They were interested, but hesitated to try shooting. When they decided to try it, they loved it.

My advice, be patient and don't push it.

^^^^
exactly, pushing kids into ANY hobby/sport/pasttime when they aren't ready or fully interested is guaranteed to turn them off

The Henry is a great rifle, but it will be many a year before it fits your child.

Something like a Crickett is a great first choice - kid sized and single shot. Having a shorter length of pull, lighter weight and shorter overall length all help a kid handle the rifle safely and have fun while doing so. As an Appleseed instructor, I can tell you firsthand how handing a kid a rifle with 2" lopped off the stock and a short 16" barrel will help even a 10 year old take off. Having a rifle that actually, really fits the shooter makes a great difference. Group sizes drop, interest increases and everybody wins.

My first.... I also bought a henry. Then I realized it would be a long time for that rifle and got a savage cub. He started shooting a few shots at 5. but really liked it and is much better at 6, 7 and now going on 8. He's big for his age and still uses the CUB. So it will be a while on that henry.

I still have the Marlin 15YN, aka "Lil Buckaroo" a small single shot bolt action that I used to teach my two boys and my grandson with. It is scary accurate with iron sights on paper or can targets, and you control the ammo feed by handing them one shot at a time - they learn to make that count for them

all of my kids satrted around 4 to 5 years old

and good for them they are still shooting often too

Same here, basically. I let my kids' interest set the pace.

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This can't be stressed enough. We want them to enjoy our hobbies (obsessions?), but if we push it won't work. My son was interested kind of early (6 ish?), but then got into archery and didn't want to shoot firearms so much. As he got old enough to hunt, he got back into guns.

My daughter didn't really express an interest until she was 6. I told her I'd take her out when the snow melted, just to ask when she felt like it. She didn't ask again for awhile, but when she finally asked she couldn't get enough. I expected boredom after 15 minutes or so, but I think we shot for about three hours. I had to make her quit when it was getting dark.

Obviously, their interest isn't enough--they also need to be mature enough to be safe. However, the interest encourages them to learn the rules (both to recite and to practice the rules).

I agree with all of the above. One word of caution though, I have seen more than 1 jackwagon ruin a kid for life by handing them a gun that is way too big. (recoil that is).

I started my daughter at 6 with a .22 Cricket. Now she couldn't care less about guns, but loves to shoot my crossbow, which is cool too. She wants to deer hunt with it this year.

I bought a youth sized Henry 22 last year to introduce my oldest Grand [age 8] to shooting. I do not like Crickets [see my last post] because I think a gun should look an feel like a gun. IMHO the cricket looks too much like a toy [even comes in pink for girls]. For sure it fits a small kid better than my youth Henry, but the Henry is fun to shoot even for me. Nice little rifle to pack in the RV. Too many kids grow up on video games and toy guns [which I'm ok with] and when they take that BIG step up to a real firearm, I think it should look and feel like one. That extra heft and maybe a little awkward hold makes them realize they aren't shooting murf foam darts.

i started both my kids at age 5. not exactly on their birthday, but at that age, when the weather was nice and shooting would be comfortable. a big thing is making it fun for them. safety, and responsibility, is YOUR gig. no child, until they actually know what they are doing, will ever be responsible enough to shoot a firearm on their own. heck, most adults, until they have been properly "schooled", are responsible enough to shoot. my son is almost 12, i bought him his first rifle of his own when he was 7. it has now been passed down to his little sister, who is 8. this past Christmas, he got a Marlin 60. even with almost 7 years of training, i would not let him go shooting on his own, and ESPECIALLY NOT with buddies, even if it were legal. he participated in the youth hunt last fall for firearm deer, and shot a nice doe, straight thru the heat @65 yards, with my old 30-30. he has shot any gun i own, including full power 300 win mag, that he has wanted to shoot. the only 2 guns he does not want to shoot yet, is the 44 magnum pistol, and the 45-70. i do not, or will not push them into anything. but if they ask, i will let them. i hope this helps.