How young is too young to shoot?

[ATOMonkey]

My 3 y/o nephew just had his intro to air rifles yesterday.

A gun is a tool, just like a knife or a hammer or a shovel, all of which can be used to hurt and/or kill people to a varying degree if used improperly.

Why we teach kids about the proper use of other lethal tools and exclude firearms is beyond me.

 

[usermax2000]

I sarted my boy out shooting at 5 now he's and loves to go shooting. HE HAS SHOT bb guns 410 ,22,45acp,44rifle 12ga with some help and is a very good shot. I put some nail clippers on a log and he shot them off at 30 yards with a 22 first shot. I think its when ever there ready and you know there ready.

 

[b j]

My friend austin is 12 he started shooting 22 pistol and rifel about feb.,he came in 6th at FNS the last two monthes with 75 to 80 shooters.

 

[indyrun]

My Grandson is 5 1/2. He has been shooting pellet pistols and rifles since he was 3. He graduated to a pump action .22 Short last year. Early this summer he had a ball with a S&W Mdl. 41 .22 LR. A few weeks ago he asked if he could shoot my S&W Mdl. 36 snub-nose .38 Spl. I taught him the basics of a revolver and though he could not fire it double action (and I wouldn't want him to) he was able to cock and fire it. So the next time out to the range we loaded 1 round of an extra light .38 target wadcutter to see if he could handle the recoil. To my amazement and satisfaction he not only handled the recoil he hit the 7 ring at about 15 ft. He ended up shooting a box of 50 always with the muzzle downrange and in control of the gun.

But not all kids are the same, he has been riding a two wheel bike (without training wheels) since he was 2 1/2. The mental capacity has to be there too. He is obviously physically capable, but he has been learning safe gun handling since he was old enough to know what a gun is. And he spent more than a few hours learning and demonstrating gun handling skills with an empty gun. I'd rather they learn from me and not only be told of the dangers, but experience the power of a weapon so they know the right thing to do and have the proper respect for a gun if they ever are in a situation where gun knowledge may prevent them from harm.

 

[yotebutcher90]

never too young to shoot a gun, but truthfully its up to you when you feel that your child will be responsible enough to actually fire the gun safely, start off with a pellet/bb gun and work them up once they learn the basics

 

[rfontes]

yea, i started out with a bb gun, then my dad got me shootin .22's around 10yrs old. i remember going to a hunter safety course with my dad and brother

 

[Iceandfire]

My little girl is now 10 and starting her 2nd year in 4-H shooting club. They really stress safty safty safty and she loves it you might check your local 4-H and see if they have a shooting club. The best way to prevent a child from drowning is to teach them water safty and how to swim so why not teach a child gun safty and how to shoot

You beat me to it! I'm the coordinator for our local 4-H Shooting Sports Club. 4-H requirements are that the kids should be in the third grade to participate in shooting sports, and I've found that younger ones lack the concentration and safety rules retention that we need. Again, it depends on the individual child, their interest and willingness to learn. (P,S, Girls seem to be better learners than boys.)

 

[Sigblaster]

"You can't child-proof your guns, but you CAN gun-proof your kids."

I don't know recall where I first heard that, but I've used it for years when teaching gun safety at some units I've been in, and when discussing gun safety with friends. Taking the mystery out of guns and teaching your kids about the reality of them will go a long way toward providing them with the ability to do the right thing when they are around guns.

I have 4 kids, and they all started out with BB guns at 3 or 4 years old. Reactive targets like balloons or full cans of the cheapest pop on sale at Walmart work well, as they get instant gratification when their aim is true.

Age 5 is a good time to transition to firearms, as long as your kids are good listeners and obedient. By that age, you should have no problem finding eye and ear protection that fits them, and they will be able to tell you that their hearing protection is working correctly.

Another important point I'd like to make is that you should do your best to make your child's early range experiences positive ones. Letting a kid fire a gun that is WAY too powerful for them might get you some laughs, but it may put your kid off guns for good. Start them off with a .22 and move up as they grow in stature and ability.

By way of example, it was just a few weeks ago that I was at a range with some friends, and there was a guy there with his 8 or 10 year old son on what I'm guessing was his first range trip. The father was berating his son for not being able to hold his .22 rifle up unsupported at the bench, and the kid was becoming upset. I could see the gun was too heavy for the kid, so I politely offered them the use of my rifle rest. Soon enough, the kid was happily squirting lead downrange. His dad's lack of patience could really have made this kids first range experience a negative one.