What age to start kids shooting

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nwb01

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At what age did you start your kids shooting?? My daughter is 7, goes to the range with me and is now wanting to shoot. Her mother says NO WAY (its her baby) !!!

What do you guys think ?? What is a good age to get them started ?

Thanks,
 
early

as soon as your kids understand and practice the four safety rules.

For my own practice:

1. a firearm is always loaded

(so always handle it as if it will hurt someone. Check the chamber even if you _think_ it is unloaded and especially if someone hands one to you and says "it's unloaded." Check again.)


2. know your back stop

(what's behind your target? That's what you'll hit if you miss or shoot through. Consider that bullets can easily go through drywall. What's in your wall? :banghead: )

3. point your firearm in a safe direction

(so an accidental discharge will only hit things that are safe to hit. this means watch for ricochets, splash, and fragments in addition to targets. Ask if you're not sure. :uhoh: )


4. finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

(destroy your firearm if it can shoot without your finger on the trigger. It's possessed. :evil: )
 
As soon as the interest is there. If you don't show them the right way and the safety and responsibility behind it, they may just do it by themselves.
 
You're the only one here who knows your kid(s). It's pretty much up to your family, but it sounds like you might want to wait so you don't end up in the doghouse:) .
 
my son was diligent enough to let shoot at age 8 daughter was not interested till she w as 11
 
I think I was around 8 or 10. Somewhere in that area is good, but as YY posted, not until you can be certain they understand and remember the four basic rules.
 
others start earlier, but my reccomendations:

Pellet/bb's at 8
.22's at 12
everything under the sun at 15.
 
First time my Dad let me shoot his 22, I was 6 or 7. Gun safety lessons started at the same time. Then he gave me a .410 for my 12th birthday. I don't think I was harmed.

You'll have to make your own decision about when to let your own kids start shooting. The safety lessons can start at any age.
 
Krenn said:
others start earlier, but my reccomendations:

Pellet/bb's at 8
.22's at 12
everything under the sun at 15.
Click to expand...

+1. Except my girls shoot my 9mm carbine (3 rounds at a time) and they are 12. They've also sat through several of my classes so they know what I expect and have followed along in the books and participated. I think that helped immensely. Maybe find an instructor willing to let them sit in, even if they cannot get their certificate. I know I and my partner have done it...

Berek
 
This is my first post so I hope I get it right.
I started my boys early. This is the youngest one at five years old, although picture is a toy they started with BB guns. Then at nineteen reserve training and then at 21 on top of building at Abu Ghraib, Iraq. My how time flies.
 
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I dont think seven is too young. My little sister wasn't interested until she was about eleven, but I offered to take her shooting long before that.

Now she's twelve and no longer interested. Go figure.

[edit] Well, it would appear she's interested again, go figure. She asked to go to the range with me tomorrow. Of course, my answer was "of course!" She'll probably change her mind again by then though...[/edit]
 
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My daughter is eight and show a huge interest in shooting. We started with the pellet gun this fall. I think it depends on the child. I would make sure they can keep their mind on one thing more then five minute. Each kid matures at a different rate. I have seen kids shooting at 5 or 6 and know others that are teenagers that are not ready yet.
 
My daughter is 8 and just went through a shooting safety course. Did pretty well on the rifle, not so good on the pistol.

She has been cleaning my weapons since she was 5, and while doing so, has gotten many an hour of indoctrination into our world.

I would start them cleaning at a young age (the cylinder pin on my 22 revo is cleaned by my 4 year old.).
 
I can't remember a time when I wasn't shooting. I have a picture of me somewhere, I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5, the BB Gun is about as tall as me.

If there is an interest, and they are old enough to be responsible, take them.

And do cater to their interests, too. All my shooting before I was 18 was hunting-type shooting. My dad was never a big target shooter, so we didn't go much. Now, I'm wishing I had started earlier.
 
I started with a BB gun at age 4 - I wasn't strong enough to cock it, and had to tuck the stock under my armpit to shoot, otherwise I couldn't reach the trigger.

I got a .22 rifle at 7, air pistol at 11 or 12, and my Dad bought me a .22 revolver at age 13 when I graduated from 8th grade. (I wish I still had the .22 revolver . . . it was a Colt Diamondback with a 2 1/2" barrel which got traded off a long time ago . . . :banghead: )
 
5 or 6 with close supervision. I set up my VZ52 on a sandbag and let them use it like a crew served weapon - Little kids don't see very good but are thrilled watching the sand fly so that's why I like to start them on 30 cal first. They like blowing up clay pidgeons and seeing the flourescent chips fly. You need to talk safety, but they need a lot of repetition to learn anything so expect it to take a couple years to sink in.

After their eyes mature, and they grow big enough to actually hold a youth 22LR - work on aiming - bullet drop - windage.

11 or 12 they should pretty much have everything down and be able to manage themselves. My 12 year old shoots great - He still needs ghillis and work on field craft, but he can pretty much nail the target.
 
Example More Important

I would preface any discussion with the concept of the parent being the example, prior to ANY child touching ANY firearm/projectile-propelling instrument.

If the child is raised to the age of 6 by a parent that ALWAYS is anal about firearms safety, and is allowed to clean the firearm after its use, they will start off on better ground than a child who has to learn the whole schpeel all at once. Thus, a 6-year-old who has been steeped in firearms safety and care for most of their young life, will be a better candidate for introduction to shooting, than an older one that has had NO example to follow.

You lead better from the front, beforehand, than you do from the rear reactively. :eek:
 
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