At What Age Should You Start Teaching Your Kids to Handle Guns

[bassjam]

I let my stepdaughter first shoot a .22 at 5, and my oldest biological daughter at 4. My other two kids are 2 and 1 and its hard to know when they'll be ready. I don't know that I'd take them to a public range at that age, but I decided they were mature enough to shoot in my side yard with me supporting and pointing the gun for them and instructing them when to put their finger on the trigger and when to pull the trigger.

 

[labnoti]

All I can say to labnoti's post is there are a tremendous number of shooters that learned with the 22 and seem to have suffered no ill effects including me, my children, their children, and now the fourth generation.

I did too, and I started my kids on 22LR as well. I'm not trying to villify the 22LR. I just came to realize that there is a better way and actually how ill-suited 22LR is for the role of starting kids. Just because we've been always done it that way doesn't mean we had it right all along and that there can't be a better way. I pointed out serious shortcomings of 22LR. Some of them can be solved, though the solutions are not presently available, and some of the problems are inherent. I also pointed out alternatives that are clearly superior.

 

[Bronco72]

I had shot a 22 earlier, with dads help. But my first "gun" was a Daisy BB gun at age 7. Not saying that is recommended , but that was my history!

 

[herrwalther]

My son just turned 7 and is autistic. I just showed him how to load an AR magazine the other night. By comparison, he might be a "late bloomer." But he still insists on calling rounds "darts." He has some more learning to go before he gets the Red Ryder BB gun I learned on at 16.

 

[doubleh]

I did too, and I started my kids on 22LR as well. I'm not trying to villify the 22LR. I just came to realize that there is a better way and actually how ill-suited 22LR is for the role of starting kids. Just because we've been always done it that way doesn't mean we had it right all along and that there can't be a better way. I pointed out serious shortcomings of 22LR. Some of them can be solved, though the solutions are not presently available, and some of the problems are inherent. I also pointed out alternatives that are clearly superior.

First off, everyone is entitled to their opinion and please do as you wish. My opinion just differs from yours and I don't see the problems with 22LR as you do. Your alternatives are superior in your thinking but not mine. If you hadn't come down so hard on the 22 and adopted the superior attitude I would have kept my mouth shut. Now let's move on to another subject as neither of our minds are going to change.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

They should be taught caution/safety from the earliest age. This is because children are inherently curious and exploratory creatures.

While doing this, it should be remembered by us adults that children are to be trusted to be true to their nature...and that is, in fact, to be inherently curious and exploratory. Which means you cannot tell them ANYTHING and expect them to automatically remember and understand any of it. They WILL be curious and they WILL explore.

So, it's a repetitive lesson that requires much patience.

As for handling, they can be taught anything having to do with handling as soon as they're old enough and big enough to actually handle a firearm.

This doesn't mean they can pick up a rifle and shoulder it...it means they are physically capable of handling a firearm to the extent of pointing and ability to pull the trigger.

They may require some assistance...such as doing this from a bench rest or with adult help. But that's the basic physical requirement.

Other than that, it's up to the adults and how they view the abilities and readiness of their children.

 

[John Joseph]

A matter of maturity more than chronology.
There are some 5 year olds more mature than some 19 year olds

 

[GooseGestapo]

My oldest granddaughter started with an air rifle at 4. I held the gun, she laid beside me (shooting prone).
I let her pull the trigger, and load the pellets.
I never allowed “toy guns” in the house.


However, I trained (rather, tried to) L.E. recruits 21yrs+ who didn’t need to have a gun with ammo, UNDER SUPERVISION!!! Not to mention unsupervised.
They didn’t remain employed long....

 

[tws3b2]

I let my stepdaughter first shoot a .22 at 5, and my oldest biological daughter at 4. My other two kids are 2 and 1 and its hard to know when they'll be ready. I don't know that I'd take them to a public range at that age, but I decided they were mature enough to shoot in my side yard with me supporting and pointing the gun for them and instructing them when to put their finger on the trigger and when to pull the trigger.

View attachment 921328 View attachment 921329

I don't really think a gun range is the best place to start a kid learning how to handle a gun but I don't have much choice. The neighborhood I live is not for shooting. The range I go to is in the country and all outdoors. Run by country people on a hundred acre farm with three shooting areas. One for handguns, one for big rifles, one for rimfire rifles, shotguns and handguns. I'm retired so I only go during the week when there are very few if any others there. By the way, It's great seeing the photos of you out with yours kids teaching them to shoot. Believe me, when you get old like me those memories will come back now and then and bring a little smile to your heart.

 

[swagbrdr]

View attachment 921188

One's age doesn't determine maturity or responsibility......more dependent on maturity of the parents and how well they raise the kids. Grandson got his first turkey before he was 5, he had good instruction and training. Even with that there are physical limitations, youngsters will struggle with trying to handle guns that are too large for their body size. No one answer for all situations.

This

 

[Dudedog]

Shot Jr Rifle club (small bore rifle)when my dad was in the Army (he was in 30 years, Korea, 3 tours of Nam) at Ft Lewis Washington when I was 9.

Managed to make Sharpshooter as I recall.
I also seem to be able to remember being able to see back then

BB guns before then.

I think a lot of it depends on the child, you can't just say at age X.
Some adults I have seen are not old enough and may never be, to be safe.......

 

[Zippy_the_slug]

I was around 12 when I was given my first gun for hunting, a .410 single shot H&R. I took my oldest son out shooting a Browning Buckmark last year when he was 12 for the first time. He did well but hasn't really expressed much interest since. No hurry.

 

[TonyAngel]

It isn't a matter of the age of the kid. It's a matter of the kids responsibility.

I've never allowed toy guns or BB guns.

I started all of my boys out on .22s when I felt that they were mature enough. That ranged from about 8 to 10 years old and I started them out on rifles and didn't do handguns until the were 13 and over. I did this because there are somethings that can't be taught and must be learned. Like, not to grab for a firearm if you drop it. You can tell a kid (or an adult for that matter) not to try to grab for a weapon if you drop it, but reflexes and instincts kicks in and if it happens, it's a much more dangerous situation with a handgun.

 

[theotherwaldo]

But, it is NEVER to early to start teaching them safety.

I had found five functional, loaded firearms and two BB guns before I turned six.
No parental supervision or training.
I'm still amazed that I didn't hurt anyone.

 

[Malibu2020]

At the range today, The Man was giving his usual lecture on safety and range rules. I've heard it many times but this time part of it caught my ear. (Kids 5 to 15 shoot free). I have a 5 year old Great Granddaughter and I would love to introduce her to shooting. But, Is 5 years to early? I was looking at a Sig 22lr that she May be able to handle in her small hands. What you think? That's her on the left. My pride and joy.

 

[Ernie Bass]

I think there is a whole lot of learning to be done on this issue and a gun forum may not be the best place to ask this question and find information. When to start teaching Gun Safety and when to start handling guns are two different things. I would bet that many that log to this forum, do not have good safety skills themselves or qualified to teach firearm safety. I have seen this many times. Just watched a Parent teaching his young 6 yr. old daughter how to shoot. And the whole time both he and the young girl kept their finger on the trigger. It was scary. Go to any range and watch some of this nonsense.

Example.

"Gun safety education has value, but parents should not be complacent and feel comfortable that skills training alone will truly prevent their child from handling a gun," Porter said. "Parents often overestimate their children's cognitive abilities and underestimate their physical abilities. T


The report, published recently in Health Promotion Practice, reviewed 10 studies on the effectiveness of strategies for teaching gun safety to children ages 4 to 9. The researchers found such programs do not reduce the likelihood that children will handle guns when they are unsupervised, that boys are more likely than girls to ignore gun-safety rules and that few studies exist of gun-safety programs for children beyond the fourth grade.

I am not saying when or what age, because I do not know. Certainly gun safety at a young age but it would be a on going teaching.


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180515113601.htm

 

[HOWARD J]

Started the 3 of mine @ 7 years----state ranger said kid too young for 22 rifle---we helped him move porto-johns & after that we were shooting---

 

[Dunross]

Eddie Eagle level of gun safety (stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult) as soon as they can possibly begin to learn it. My kids watched that video from the age of two onwards.

Anything more than that would be the age they begin to show any real interest and they are physically strong enough and big enough to handle a particular firearm.

 

[bihj]

See response #5

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I started my daughters o. .22rifles at about age 10.
At the time neither one had any interest in doing any shooting other than a couple of times. My oldest daughter eventually bought her first firearm a couple of years ago at age 45. She now owns three and is looking to acquire another. Youngest daughter has no interest...she just turned 43.
My son who is now 26 started shooting at 8-9 years old. He started with .22 rimfires and progressed to light loads in the .44Magnum in his first year of shooting and continues to shoot pretty much every weekend. He owns several firearms of his own and reloads his own ammunition.

 

[Weflyfast]

I started with grandpa at six-

....had a wonder time with him through the years and will never forget any of it....

 

[Starter52]

Eight years old, prone with bipod\rest or seated at a table rested, .22 rifle with red dot or low power scope, CCI Quiet ammo, Shoot-N-C targets 2" at fifty feet or 3" at twenty-five yards.

 

[Malibu2020]

It isn't a matter of the age of the kid. It's a matter of the kids responsibility.

I've never allowed toy guns or BB guns.

I started all of my boys out on .22s when I felt that they were mature enough. That ranged from about 8 to 10 years old and I started them out on rifles and didn't do handguns until the were 13 and over. I did this because there are somethings that can't be taught and must be learned. Like, not to grab for a firearm if you drop it. You can tell a kid (or an adult for that matter) not to try to grab for a weapon if you drop it, but reflexes and instincts kicks in and if it happens, it's a much more dangerous situation with a handgun.

Hi...
I started my daughters o. .22rifles at about age 10.
At the time neither one had any interest in doing any shooting other than a couple of times. My oldest daughter eventually bought her first firearm a couple of years ago at age 45. She now owns three and is looking to acquire another. Youngest daughter has no interest...she just turned 43.
My son who is now 26 started shooting at 8-9 years old. He started with .22 rimfires and progressed to light loads in the .44Magnum in his first year of shooting and continues to shoot pretty much every weekend. He owns several firearms of his own and reloads his own ammunition.

Once someone starts to shoot you never know where it will go. Guy I worked with his daughter started shooting air rifles, has won a lot of competitions. Her rifles are high $.
They travel all over.

 

[mokin]

Once someone starts to shoot you never know where it will go. Guy I worked with his daughter started shooting air rifles, has won a lot of competitions. Her rifles are high $.
They travel all over.

I've heard that story before. A couple of years ago there was a guy lamenting his daughter's trap habit.

 

[Malibu2020]

Hi...
I started my daughters o. .22rifles at about age 10.
At the time neither one had any interest in doing any shooting other than a couple of times. My oldest daughter eventually bought her first firearm a couple of years ago at age 45. She now owns three and is looking to acquire another. Youngest daughter has no interest...she just turned 43.
My son who is now 26 started shooting at 8-9 years old. He started with .22 rimfires and progressed to light loads in the .44Magnum in his first year of shooting and continues to shoot pretty much every weekend. He owns several firearms of his own and reloads his own ammunition.

Hi...
I started my daughters o. .22rifles at about age 10.
At the time neither one had any interest in doing any shooting other than a couple of times. My oldest daughter eventually bought her first firearm a couple of years ago at age 45. She now owns three and is looking to acquire another. Youngest daughter has no interest...she just turned 43.
My son who is now 26 started shooting at 8-9 years old. He started with .22 rimfires and progressed to light loads in the .44Magnum in his first year of shooting and continues to shoot pretty much every weekend. He owns several firearms of his own and reloads his own ammunition.

A friends daughter started shooting air rifles a few yrs ago. She went on to winning a lot of competitions traveling to different places.
She has the high $ rifles.