What age do you think kids should start shooting?

[Bigeclipse]

My son is only 3months old but I find myself day dreaming of the days he will start shooting with me. I don't want to start any kind of moral debate here. I'd probably start him with a pellet gun and then move on to 22lr. Of course he would learn all about proper gun safety and such. Just curious what you all think is an appropriate age?

 

[Rick Richard]

I was hunting small game when I was 7 years old by myself, but that was a long time ago.

I suggest take them often whenever you got out and slowly introduce them to the idea. It does not matter at what age, what matters is your patience with them.

 

[Pulpwood]

Kids all mature and show interest at different ages . Do not rush them they will tell you when they are ready and interested to shoot with you . I have seen guys that thought their kid was ready when they were not and it can cause them to loose interest for ever .

 

[jimbires]

I'm starting to work with my grandson , he just turned 7 . I have him shooting a 22 from a tripod . I just got a youth stock for him . I'll have to measure him up before I put it on , if it needs cut down I will .
I forget how old he was at the time , maybe 3 ? I found a good deal on a 260 rem that I just had to have for him . I also bought a youth stock for it . something for him to grow into .

 

[ATH]

There is no one age. Some kids mature faster or learn focus and responsibility faster than others. I've seen kids learn to shoot 22's at five and others which lack the focus and respect to handle a gun at three times that age.

My kids all started on Savage Rascals at 5-6. Short, fun sessions busting clays on the berm, 10-20 shots. My oldest daughter preferred archery and went that way and rarely shoots now (13). My younger daughter transitioned to centerfire at age 7 and went on her first deer hunt at 9. My son is 8, he's going to try his sister's 6X45 for the first time tomorrow. But he's been slogging through the woods watching me turkey hunt the past two years without complaining about the 4:30am wakeup call.

With kids getting a gun that fits them well enough to avoid frustration can be an issue. For my daughter's 6X45, it was originally built for me, but I had to drop it into another stock and use a fairly radical scope mounting to get it set up in was usable for her due to her size. And a brake (!!!).

 

[blvette75]

Have a 12 year old daughter, started her shooting when she was 10, she was interested in going at a younger age, though 22 LR pistol and rifle bought her a 20 gauge shotgun for skeet/trap.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Started talking about the "rules" and application of the rules very early. Used a nerf rifle to ensure he could manipulate it safely. Once I saw him start moving his body around the rifle and not the rifle around his body, I knew it was time. He was nine when he started shooting a 22 and 243.

 

[FEENIX]

Chipmunk or Cricket when "you" see it fit in a controlled environment that is conducive to learning at his age!

 

[Tidus56]

I have 4 kids, I know thats a ton in modern society lol. We talk guns once a week, we talk safety and everything else. My 8 year old girl and my 6 year old son both go shooting with me every time they can, they love it. I think my daughter will get her first 22lr rifle at 10. I started my two older kids at six, they seemed ready with a lot of help of course.
Just realized my profile pic is my 6 year old son shooting a pellet gun, lol.

 

[CVCOBRA1]

If they shoot anything that goes "crack" don't forget hearing protection. From experience......

 

[adam32]

I started both my girls around 5, with pellet guns and now a Cricket.

 

[Tidus56]

If they shoot anything that goes "crack" don't forget hearing protection. From experience......

I was never going to shoot again after my dad had me shoot a 12 gauge shotgun without hearing protection at 8 years old. So good point!

 

[DNADave]

I started my daughter out with a nerf gun from Cabelas at 3. It had little cartridges you loaded the nerf bullet into, so I could teach her about loading and safety, in addition to how to shoot, in a way that mimicked a real gun. When she was 6, we bought her a Davey Crickett single shot 22lr. She's 9, now, and wants to go back home to Texas with me to help rid the state of pigs so I bought her a 270 WSM with a brake. I loaded some 110gr TTSX with reduced recoil powder levels. Hardly any recoil, but we do need to manage the noise. Once the lock down is lifted, we'll get back to the range for practice and wait for that trip to my parent's place in Pleasanton for some free range pork...

 

[CVCOBRA1]

Your state of Washington is so Blue it is turning Black......the point of no return.

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