how young is too young

IIRC I was about 10 when I first started shooting my fathers 10/22 ruger. He let me shoot the "big" guns (30.06, 20gauge) when I was around 12. The kick from them kept me from doing it very often. I received my own .410 when I turned 15. It's been downhill from there...[smile]
 
I was 32 when I started shooting. [laugh]

Sadly, my dad (who owned guns when I was a baby and a toddler, but got rid of them before I ever even knew he had them) never took me shooting. My brother is big into guns, but also never took me shooting before he moved away. Of course, I never asked, either [thinking]

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread, though. Now that daddy's started to go shooting, my 7- and 12-year-old have both expressed interest. Maybe I haven't been doing such a bad job of raising them after all. [wink]
 
Catoperat said:
IIRC I was about 10 when I first started shooting my fathers 10/22 ruger. He let me shoot the "big" guns (30.06, 20gauge) when I was around 12. The kick from them kept me from doing it very often. I received my own .410 when I turned 15. It's been downhill from there...[smile]
Click to expand...

With my kids it's airsoft / BB guns at about 8, .22 rifles at about 10, and up from there. It really depends on the kid though.
 
JustEric said:
I was 32 when I started shooting. [laugh]

Sadly, my dad (who owned guns when I was a baby and a toddler, but got rid of them before I ever even knew he had them) never took me shooting. My brother is big into guns, but also never took me shooting before he moved away. Of course, I never asked, either [thinking]

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread, though. Now that daddy's started to go shooting, my 7- and 12-year-old have both expressed interest. Maybe I haven't been doing such a bad job of raising them after all. [wink]
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At 12 they can get into the .22 leagues. Mystic Valley Gun Club has a great one for 12 year olds.


And if your 7 year old is anything like my 8 year old, he can spend hours plinking at soda cans with an airsoft before he gets bored.
 
Maturity and ergonomics...

Maturity is the first gate... They need to be able to give the safety lecture back to you and know what it means and WHY you follow the safety rules... Did that for a couple of weeks with random pop-quizzing prior to going to the range...

Once you clear that you have to deal with whether and what they can control. 10/22 on a bi-pod/bags is pretty easy even for a small 8yo (and they make nice groups at 25 and 50 - hitting 10' targets through a scope at 100.

22 pistol is doable, but use common sense. I started with elbows/forearms on the bench and my hands around their hands until I could see what they were going to do with recoil and trigger discipline.

Then gradually moving my hands up their arms until I was comfortable with their control before/during/after firing...

So, they need to be able to physically handle the gun safely at every phase. Rifles are nice in that they can remain pointed in a safe direction the entire time. Default is to take your hands off and they are pointed downrange with no fingers on the trigger...
 
I think pistols are much more dangerous than rifles. My daughter started shooting a single shot bolt action youth rifle when she was about 8, and she prefers the Ruger 10/22 with a scope. I try to get
her to shoot a bolt action with open sights to increase her feel for each shot, but she likes to just shoot a magazine off pretty quickly, and then gets bored pretty fast unfortunately. I've tried to get some target games, like the 'dueling tree' to make it more fun.
 
This is my 6 year old shooting for his first time, 2 weeks ago. He's been practicing with a youth BB rifle for months and recites all the safety rules and explains what they mean. He went through 5 or 6 mags, but the front of the gun quickly got heavy for him and I helped him support it. I was impressed with how good of a shot he was and we both really enjoyed it.

It definitely depends on the kid though, I don't think his brother will be ready at 6.

7333_1176725416898_1190998439_30566243_1682257_n.jpg
 
cekim said:
Maturity and ergonomics...

Maturity is the first gate... They need to be able to give the safety lecture back to you and know what it means and WHY you follow the safety rules... Did that for a couple of weeks with random pop-quizzing prior to going to the range...
Click to expand...

That got me thinking of some of the range horror stories i have heard and how some adult types cant even use common sense when using fire arms... Pointing them at their own feet, at buildings and places other then down range.

I just want to second the fact that they should grasp and practice safe handling.
 
Depending on the kid, 7 or 8 try a B.B. gun, when he/she shows enough responsibility move on to a .22.
 
The determining factor is maturity level, both mental and physical. I started my kids when they were about 12. My daughters preferred small caliber handguns, my son preferred rifles and still does.



Dmac82 said:
That got me thinking of some of the range horror stories i have heard and how some adult types cant even use common sense when using fire arms... Pointing them at their own feet, at buildings and places other then down range.

I just want to second the fact that they should grasp and practice safe handling.
Click to expand...

Many years ago I was at a range. There was a father and son to my right on the line. The boy looked to be about 12. We were all shooting handguns. The boy was shooting a .22 revolver. The father was standing directly behind his son with his arms stretched forward to guide his son's arms and hands. Good practice to follow with a young shooter.

Something must have distracted the father. He stood up and looked away for a moment. The kid fired and nothing happened. No report, no discharge, nothing. The kid turned to his left to ask his father what happened. His arms, locked straight out with the gun still in hand, naturally turned with him....which left the gun pointing at my gut from about twelve inches away.

The father reacted in a split-second and pivoted the kid's arms back downrange. The father's complexion got two shades lighter. He apologized profusely for what had happened. I still have no idea if the hammer had fallen on an empty chamber, a spent cartridge, or if it was misfire. I couldn't really blame the kid, but clearly he needed more instruction from the adult in charge.

Don't assume that safety rules, which may be second nature to you, will be ingrained in any new shooter regardless of age. Safety rules can be taught in minutes, having them become ingrained takes years.

After that incident I had to consider whether I should make a change of underwear part of my range equipment. [wink]
 
center442 said:
Don't assume that safety rules, which may be second nature to you, will be ingrained in any new shooter regardless of age. Safety rules can be taught in minutes, having them become ingrained takes years.
Click to expand...
True of all trainees regardless of age...

The "It didn't fire what now?" (while pointing it at you and repeatedly pulling the trigger) seems to be an unfortunately common behavior of new shooters experiencing their first malfunction...

Gaining confidence in your new shooter is a process not an event...
 
i started with airsoft rifle when i was 8 then i was introduced to .22 rifle at my school when i was 12 then at 1 years of age 15 i was very much familiar with full auto AK-47 , thanks to my school again. at age of 18 AKS and SVD were my best friends and my most favorites till these days.
 
It depends on the maturity of the kid.. My son is 9, and has air soft, and he has also shot dad's Ruger Mk III, better than me, I hate to admit..[shocked]
 
We have discussed this all many times before. For me, it was 5 or 6 when I shot my first rifle. Probably around 7 with my first handgun (.22). On my 10th birthday, I had my own rifle on the wall in my bedroom.

My kids both had rifles given to them at 10, but with today's laws, I had to keep them locked up when we were not at the range/woods.
 
Well back in the days of open spaces and lower public sensitivites....I got my first crossman .177, I think I was 6? things are a little foggy. A little later, as soon as I had passed pop's safety checks and could pump it myself, I was out in the woods plinking away. By the time I was in high school I was duck hunting with my friends before classes. Now I'm thinking bout these same questions as my boy celebrates his 1st birthday this weekend.

Every child is their own case study. I'm sorry to say that even though Both my brother and I were hardcore into the JR leagues, My brother's kids are definitly NOT! on the same track, and might not ever be suitable for this hobby.

Good luck and listen to your instincts, there is no regret in playing it safe.
 
I started @ 8 with 22lr bolt action. I highly think it depends on the kids. Do they listen?
I seen a father say. DO NOT touch anything unless I tell you. 10 secounds later the kid is loading a magazine. 10 secounds later the kid is in the car and father gathers his things and leaves. My dad would do the same thing. As soon as I or my brother where not interested or goofing around packed up and moved out.
 
Maturity and size are the deciding factors.

My 10- year-old has his NRA Trap Qualification Distinguished Expert rating, and went 49 / 50 at Crushing Clays, using a 12 ga autoloader.

A kid in his grade came to Field Day, and needed help to support a .410.

If you, as the parent, can take the time to teach them the basics ( e.g., it's ALWAYS loaded) then you can move on....and they will, too![grin]
 
I was 7 when I shot my first rifle (30-30). My son was 8 for a BB gun (we didn't have anything else) and 10 when he started with the .22, then the 9mm, then shotgun at 11.
 
My mother used to go shooting while she was pregnant with me. I was 10 or so when I started learning how to handle guns and 12 when I started using them.
 
Greetings all, my first post here.

My son was 6 when I bought him a Cricket. He is 9, will be 10 the end of this month and he just passed (all on his own) Hunter's Education and he will be hunting with me this year. Last Christmas I bought him a T/C Encore .223. He will be using my Fox Ridge Outfitters Custom .250 Savage barrel for deer season this year.

I had a rule in my house that my son would not own toy guns. And I enforced that rule until after I knew that he was going to be responsible with real firearms. He loves shooting my Single Six (both the 22 and the 32 H&R) and the .22 Auto pistols. And he is a truly good shot. With all of them.

Anyway, as I saw some people say it definitely has more to do with how a child acts than his age.

Sean
 
I was 37 when I got my LTC-A. Never had anything before that. It was shortly afterward that I bought my 642.

It was certainly not for lack of interest that I waited so long. It had more to do with it easily becoming an expensive hobby and I just didn't have the funds. I also never had a justifiable need to carry until later.

I had done things with shooting like the Rifle & Shotgun Merit Badge and went out with my friends' parents to go shooting as a youth.

My father had a couple guns but you just didn't talk about them. When I was maybe 12, he took me and my little brother out back and showed us how to handle, unload, and render safe(r?) a found handgun. This was just in case we happened to stumble across one. He just didn't want us acting like a couple of sh1thead kids and start screwing around with it until someone was hurt.

He also taught us the fundamentals of shooting stance, sighting, and trigger pulling. The Marine in him wanted us to at least have the essential basics.

Other than that, we had a pellet/BB gun that my brother and I shared.
 
ShootinFoodie said:
I was 37 when I got my LTC-A. Never had anything before that. It was shortly afterward that I bought my 642.

It was certainly not for lack of interest that I waited so long. It had more to do with it easily becoming an expensive hobby and I just didn't have the funds. I also never had a justifiable need to carry until later.

I had done things with shooting like the Rifle & Shotgun Merit Badge and went out with my friends' parents to go shooting as a youth.

My father had a couple guns but you just didn't talk about them. When I was maybe 12, he took me and my little brother out back and showed us how to handle, unload, and render safe(r?) a found handgun. This was just in case we happened to stumble across one. He just didn't want us acting like a couple of sh1thead kids and start screwing around with it until someone was hurt.

He also taught us the fundamentals of shooting stance, sighting, and trigger pulling. The Marine in him wanted us to at least have the essential basics.

Other than that, we had a pellet/BB gun that my brother and I shared.
Click to expand...

Not to diss your old man, but that is NOT the way to teach proper handling. Showing a pre-teen how to do something ONCE is going to go in one ear and out the other. And not letting him ever shoot is only going to make him more likely to grab the first chance he gets when his friends turn up a gun! You need to take your kids to the range or woods, teach them safe handling, and let the shoot--many times. All the time you are standing back a little and nonchalantly WATCHING HIM/HER like a hawk for bad habits! A kid can shoot for hours at the range, and then forgetfully turn around and sweep the crowd with his gun! Or start shooting in directions where he is unsure of his backstop. You have to be watching for that, be ready with time-outs and explanations!
 
[grin]The above post applies to ANY new shooter! (Though, yes, kids more so.)

When any new shooter begins, it's incumbent upon the instructor ( whether they're a "real" certified instructor, or just someone with more knowledge than the student), to watch them like a hawk until the propper procedures become ingrained. And then, when everyone knows all the rules, everyone should still keep an eye on everyone else, in case of a moment's carelessness.

( Years ago, my dad and I went to the range to shoot his 1911. We both knew that it was empty, but when we performed the "empty ritual" of checking the chamber, a live round popped out. Neither of us had any idea how it got there, but, by going back to the basics, there was no problem. And, despite it being 20 years ago, I wasn't a kid!) [grin]_
 

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