What age do you think kids should start shooting?

Both my boys when they were each around 3 with a cricket and 22 shorts. I had my hand on the rifle at all times through about 5 bricks of ammo each, And recited gun safe handling the entire time every time. I never let them have "toy" guns, just me, but I never wanted them to think that a gun is a toy. One boy is 21 now and an excellent hunter and shooter, The other is 7 and is well on his way. Both have a great deal of respect for firearms. When I was a boy we had a .22 and a 410 shotgun both loaded and next to the front door at the ranch for skunks and raccoons and such.
 
Started both my girls at around 5 years old with BB guns first, followed shortly after with .22s. But they have been going hunting with me as early as 3 months (my wife went and stayed at camp with my younger daughter).
 
Killed my first deer at 8 years old with a fully custom 300 win mag. I got my first gun at 4. A ruger 10-22 stainless in a walnut stock. I don't feel like either of those where poor choices.
 
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?
Get a pop gun and start teaching him now.. Ethics, manners, gun handling, never to early to learn safety.
 
From a 73 year old Australian country person... I grew up with rifles and shotguns being used as daily tools on the farm, so nothing was new and scary. My father started to teach me about the safety aspects probably in my 4th year, and I was given a Daisy Air for 4th birthday. Did the right thing with that and got a single shot Lithgow 22 for 5th. Went on from there, and in turn used roughly the same timing and progression for my son and 2 daughters. Country children take a very practical approach to learning about safe handling, a bit like hopping on a big tractor for the first time, very exciting, but pay attention to what you are doing!!
Most like the thought of shooting more than a 22, though some of the hard-kickers are not really a good idea .... I have a quite heavy 416 Taylor and have given it to a 12 year-old to shoot.... He thought about it for a few seconds after firing, then looked around and asked if he could have another one...!!! Grin went twice around him!! It is nothing like my 300 Weatherby which can hurt if not well held, it pushes.... For what it is worth!! Below is my son with our special "pre Mk5 Weatherby" in 300Wby Mag, with his first Buffalo.
 

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Started my son at 5 with BB gun open sights then moved to 22. After much practice with a scope, I converted to a borrowed 243 at age 6. Let him take shot on last day of hunting season, he missed. At 7 I bought him 7-08, he practiced a lot. Got his first doe that season. He was hooked...he is now 26 and never misses a season. My daughter is 2 years older and she got her first deer after lots of practice at age 9. The most important thing we learned, use a heavy "adult" gun for your child when you go to higher power than 22. Youth guns are light and short and in 243, 7-08, 260, or 308 all kick horrible for a young person. I got rid of my 7-08 youth asap and bought a full size weatherby accumark in 7-08. It's heavy and long. My kids didn't believe it was 7-08 like the little youth gun. we bought a second stock and cut it down. After age 11 we put original stock back on...just some learned suggestions
 
I started both of my kids shooting bows at around 4-5 years of age. We did this as a family during summer months and went to some archery clubs camping overnight shoots on weekends. This progressed into pellet guns during winter months and eventually. 22 rifles made by Daisy. My daughter didn't want to hunt anymore after shooting a deer with her bow at 12 years of age but my son fell in love with the sport and love for eating wild game like his fathers.
I think teaching children about gun safety is paramount and keeping their access away from your children is a huge must. Even the best teacher can not stem curiosity in kids. An acquaintance of mine thought after he taught his children firearm safety and not to touch his guns without his permission learned a hard lesson when his 8 year old son shot a neighbor friend of his. This ruined his life as a gun owner and hunter as he sold his guns shortly after.
I took my children hunting with me at 10 but didn't let them hunt until 12 years of age when it was legal in my state. Now, I believe that they can hunt on a supervised basis with a licensed adult from 10-12 years of age and on their own after 12 years with a Hunter Education Program certificate. But, I think that you as a parent needs to realize the level of maturity they show before letting them carry a deadly weapon.
 
I started my three boys at 10 yrs old. Two shoot competitions. Trap & Sporting Clays.
My eldest granddaughter started shooting on a club at 9 yrs old. She's fairly tall for her age so she did just fine. She placed 3 rd place in prone 22lr 100meter at state last year she had turned 10yrs old by then. Every kid is different! She has a younger sister that is not calm and a bit rambunctious. Not as patient. Most likely won't be on a shooting team. I'll take her to a range after we have gone over multiple items which muzzle control will be paramount. The main objective is they need to be mature enough to understand the safety aspects and the firearm is not a toy. It's up to the adult to make it fun and enjoyable for them.
 
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?

After they ask 3 times.
 
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?
I got my first BB Gun at 5 years old. Shot my first deer at 9 years. Have pictures of my pop and I cleaning guns when I was wearing diapers. My dad told me every time he pulled his guns out to clean or shoot or work on them he made sure I was there. My older brother got his first BB gun at age 8. We got our guns at the same time. He has never shot any animals though. Dad said my brother didn't show any interest so he didn't push him. My pop said the thing that impressed him most is when I had a toy dart gun at age 4 and told my brother that there is no such thang as a unloaded gun. That's why he got me my first BB gun at such a young age and made my brother wait. Stay focused on safety for now. It's never to early.
 
There is a Netflix series called "Fortitude" available now. The setting for this detective series is an Arctic community just coming out of the long dark period when Polar Bears are dam hungry and expected everywhere. I have watched several episodes and I was very interested to note that in the very first scenes there is a young girl, perhaps 12 years old but, maybe less, and her friend out goofing off alone along the shore. She has a rifle slung over her shoulder and the butt stock is about level with her knees and the barrel extends past the top of her head. She looks as familiar with it as if it were a Barbie doll. I assume that it must be, at a minimum, 30-06. No one gives her a second glance. You see her later in a grocery store with a shopping cart and the rifle is thrown in there with the milk. A new visitor coming to the town is told to buy his own rifle. A cop stops two snowmobiles and sends them back to town because they don't have a rifle for protection. So, the answer to your question is dependent on the age of the child, the threat environment, their maturity, and your ability to protect them every second.
I saw that episode and agree with you. I also believe that it depends on if you live in a communist gun state like Pennsylvania, California, New York, etc.
We don't have all of the commie gun laws in my state and we can start letting our kids hunt as soon as they are mature enough.
I've been teaching hunters education for over 25 years now and I have had "adults" come through the class that couldn't pass the written safety class and I've had 10 year old "kids" make 100% on the test. Younger kids can take the course but they can only be issued a certificate of completion if they are 10 or older but we often have kids from 7-9 years old ace the test and have to come back when they are 10 and take the course again.
With that being said I believe that opinions on the age are all relative to where you grow up and the mindset of the people that live in that area.
It isn't uncommon to see kids deer and hog hunting on their own at 10 years old.
If you grow up with hunting and shooting as a way of life, it's different than a kid that takes a gun out a few times a year to learn about them. When you do it as a way of life, a gun is no different than a chain saw, a 4 Wheeler, a tractor, a car, or anything else that may be dangerous if used improperly.
You often see "kids" running a tractor on a farm plowing fields, hauling grain or cotton in a tractor trailer rig (without a CDL), so as stated many times in this thread, it depends on the kid.
 
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