How old should he be?

[RainDodger]

My dad started me with a wooden Thompson sub-machine gun when I was about 4! I think I had a BB gun around 5. That graduated to heavily supervised shooting with a single shot Stevens .22 when I was 5 I think. Only at the bench though, and only with his help.

I think it depends on you and your son. I think you'll know when he's old enough to want to do it and old enough to concentrate and remember when you teach him.

I don't have kids, but I'll tell you two things - one I remember, and one I observed last weekend.... 1) your son WILL remember when he first learned to shoot. It will be a memory for him forever. He'll maybe remember the rifle, but he'll remember YOU always. My dad is no longer with me, but I remember that clear as day and it's a memory I treasure. So... make it a special time for him and a good time! 2) Teach him correctly. I watched a friend teach his 6th grade (how old is that?) daughter to shoot a .22 last weekend at the range. It was her first time shooting a rifle and he spent little time with her. Her posture wasn't correct and he had her set up at the bench incorrectly, with sand bags way up in the air and the rifle butt not tucked into her shoulder. I could barely keep from saying anything, but it wasn't my place. Then he had her shooting at the wrong targets. All I'm saying is, spend the time with him and impart your knowledge to him slowly and correctly the first time. He'll remember the time and he'll remember your patience! I STILL remember the instructions my dad gave me from the early 1960s. Just maybe those instructions are why I love shooting so much to this day. Have fun!

 

[osteodoc08]

I teach my 3 year old son now. When at home I clean my guns in front of him. He knows not to touch. He will point at it and say "We don't touch daddy's guns..." and he will ask and I will handle it with him. Haven't shot with him, but when I let him handle my smaller guns he says "point it at the ground..." and so on. He is learning the basics right now. I think he'll be ready to shoot in another year or two. I've usually heard around 4-5 so now is as good a time as any.

 

[CZ223]

My daughter shot from the bench at

age 5. She was hooked immediately. At age 9 she started competing in Cowboy action matches. The first handgun she fired was my Ruger Vaquero 45 Colt, downloaded to be sure. At age 10 she claimed my 97 12 gague for her own. At one of her first big matches an RO picked her up and put her on a table in front of everybody and declared her to be the safest shooter there. He applauded me for teaching her to be safe. It was a very proud moment. She was 11 or so at the time.

 

[bear375]

start him now while he's interested. It's a great way for you 2 to spend time together.

 

[rugerman]

I got my kids a chipmunk 22 when the oldest was 5 and the other was 3. The oldest didn't take to it much the youngest did, he killed his first deer with my 270 when he was 7 the next year he used my 7mm mag to kill his first buck. Start the kid when he wants to try it, get good eye & ear protection and fun targets (cans filled with water for 22, frisbee for shotgun) make it fun, stop when they get tired, let them be kids , take snacks and plenty of drinks and most of all enjoy it with them.

 

[Sniper X]

I got a BB gun at 4, my first rifle at 9, and my first pistol at 10. My youngest som is 4 and it is already time to buy him a small BB gun.

 

[sonier]

I shot first bb gun at 5 .22lr at 6 and .44magnum at 9 kinda just pulled the trigger lol. Im 19 years old i reload my own ammo and i have numerous times chewed people out left and right for gun safety im serious as it gets. I think at early age learning safety and responsibility has made it impossible to forget it. If he is ready let him make sure you teach him well have fun

 

[-eaux-]

Some great responses here.
Know your child, know his/her capabilities and level of responsibility/attention span.
If in doubt, DAISY. (also agree with the "get two" idea)
SUPERVISE, TEACH, and above all listen to the clues that your child gives you that they are ready to advance.
And have fun! One of the greatest true-isms I've ever heard was, "When you have young children, the days are long but the years are short."

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I started at 7. My daughter got a .22 Cricket on her 6th birthday. She had already been interested in guns for a couple of years. It's my main thing, so she's been around it literally her entire life. We started talking about it as soon as she wanted to. It goes without saying that when we go shoot, it is under VERY strict supervision. I also make her recite the four rules every time before we start shooting. She's getting better at it too. She turns 7 in may and she wants a scope for her Cricket. Man, you wouldn't believe how excited I was to hear her ask for something gun related for her birthday.