Age to start shooting?

[FrankOceanXray]

Definitely maturity is the deciding factor. I know "adults" I wouldn't want holding a gun.

I expect 5 or 6 will be my son's first gun. Before then responsible, safe handling of nerf/BB/pellet/airsoft....

 

[fivepointstar]

absolutely.....my kids were 8 and 6 when they started. My daughter has a Cricket and my son has a Cub...they have their own rifles

 

[Ganegrei]

I started shooting BB guns in the cub scouts at like 8 or 9 years old. I think supervision is more important then age.

 

[Trbo6gn]

Birth...

 

[marko12]

I was fortunate to have been the RSO at the Elk Neck State Forest shooting range last Father's Day and was amazed at how many Fathers brought their young sons/daughters out to shoot, many for the first time. I congratulated them on their foresight and good parenting skills, the kids were so happy to be treated like young adults. Not one of those kids left without a huge smile on their face.

As for your question, I think the answer lies with you. You know the maturity and the training level of your child and you know your child much better than anyone else.

 

[highwayheat]

Get him a Savage Rascal. Its a much better gun and no plunger to decock the weapon.

 

[jvegas]

for what its worth, i feel that it depends on the kid. i say that as soon as a kid can focus and follow directions long enough to be taught. it just so happens that MOST kids fall into this category around 6...some maybe sooner, some a year or two later.

 

[wilcam47]

Definitely maturity is the deciding factor. I know "adults" I wouldn't want holding a gun.

I expect 5 or 6 will be my son's first gun. Before then responsible, safe handling of nerf/BB/pellet/airsoft....

for what its worth, i feel that it depends on the kid. i say that as soon as a kid can focus and follow directions long enough to be taught. it just so happens that MOST kids fall into this category around 6...some maybe sooner, some a year or two later.

Some "kids" much later...

 

[Citizen]

... as soon as a kid can focus and follow directions long enough to be taught.

Bingo!

I have a 16 year old grandson that I wouldn't trust with a piece of gravel. I have a 12 year on granddaughter that I'm taking to get her MD Hunter certification so she can shoot on the range.

 

[capman98]

My oldest son has been shooting for the last couple years. he is 11 now. he started with a .22. now he shoots my AR. he wants to try trap so maby next year he will get a youth 20ga and I'll let him try that. Gotta come up with the money to renew my membership at the IWLA though. lol.

 

[BeRight]

I have relatives in KY - most start their kids shooting at 5 or 6 years old.

I get the local paper and they recently had a picture of a 5 YRO next to 8 point deer he killed - did not show firearm used.

 

[trickg]

I have a 16 year old grandson that I wouldn't trust with a piece of gravel.

That made me actually laugh out loud, but I know exactly what you mean.

I started off pretty young. I remember taking my first few shots - all supervised - at around 4ish. By the time I was in 4th grade I had my own BB gun and me and a friend spent hours every day after school "hunting" sparrows and black birds. That was with my trusty....(wait for it)....OfficialRedRyderCarbine-ActionTwo-Hundred-ShotRangeModelAirRifle!

Sometime around 7th or 8th grade I graduated to a Daisy 880 Powerline. That was all on my own, doing the BB gun thing with my buddies. I was shooting pretty much everything (and by "everything" I mean everything from heavy handguns, to larger caliber rifles (30-30/30-06) to a full-auto Thompson) with supervision of my Dad much earlier than that, and there came a time when the supervision factor melted away and it was just two guys going out to shoot.

I've started both of my kids shooting, and they started off at about 10 years old each - not that I wouldn't have started them earlier, but things are different here than in small-town rural Nebraska where I grew up. Oddly enough, my daughter takes more of an interest than my son - he'd rather do his shooting playing Halo.

Like others have said, each kid is a bit different, but if they are ready for it, you'll know, and it could be anywhere between 4 and 14 (or older) depending on the kid.

 

[3rd-go-around]

Thanks guys for all the input. Taking my son up the York show next month and get him a Crickett.

 

[carpoor]

My daughter has been asking me to take her shooting she is 4 and I was thinking of starting her on a pellet gun or air soft. Might buy her one for her 5th birthday.

 

[45CalFan]

I was given a Daisy BB at about 7, upgraded to pellet at 8 and was allowed (supervised) to fire my father's Ruger .22 at about 10. My own daughter showed no real interest coming up and I didn't press her on it. She's 18 now and has been asking me to take her shooting lately. I am taking her to FL with me at the end of this week and I am taking her to shoot for the first time while we're there.

I think any age at or north of 5 is fine as long as the child is interested, can understand/follow safety rules, is 100% supervised at all times and is 100% supervised at all times. Did I mention you need to supervise?

Congratulations on the decision to go get the Crickett and the beginning of a wonderful way to spend quality time with the boy. You're giving him much more than a Crickett in the long run.

 

[NakedSnowman]

I like the idea of airsoft/bb gun as an introduction. Train with it the same way you would train with a real gun and make your decision on when to move onto the 20g or .22 based on what you learn from that training. Also, make the targets reactive such as paper cups, etc so the child will know immediately they made a good shot.

Keep shooting sessions short, and 100% about the child. Also try to group it into personal time where you go out for breakfast, lunch, etc with just them. Remember, you want to attach positive memories to the sport.

Just a side note, we don't have toy guns as I don't believe in using guns as toys. Guns are a tool, with a purpose, and breaking "toy" habits is difficult once they have set in. Airsoft guns are treated with the same respect as a full bore rifle from day one; they are locked away, and we follow the same safety rules.

 

[mshilto89]

I remember my father had me shooting a .22 and 410 when I was about 8. For my 12th birthday he bought me my first 12ga. Still have it in my closet.

 

[Shutterbug]

I like the idea of airsoft/bb gun as an introduction. Train with it the same way you would train with a real gun and make your decision on when to move onto the 20g or .22 based on what you learn from that training. Also, make the targets reactive such as paper cups, etc so the child will know immediately they made a good shot.

Same here - my kids were introduced to my old BB gun, and we always set up old plastic cup/plates the wife wants to throw out. They see the plastic bits shatter and get excited, but at the same time I stress they don't want to point the gun in an unsafe direction since they know how much lower and responsibility they have.

 

[Deer Slayer!!!]

I started using a BB gun maybe around that age. Gun safety is a HUGE thing to pass along so the foundation is set. See how a smaller gun works and adjust accordingly. Being a big redneck myself, we were bird hunting by 8-9 years old with a single shot 20 gauge. Good luck! Let us know how it works for you.

 

[Major03]

I think it really depends on the kid and their level of maturity. 7 and 8 for my kids.

For me, I wanted to introduce firearms to my kids when they started showing interest, and when they were mature enough to realize that they must be respected.

I had a listing of the four basic safety rules, and a description of what they mean, printed out for them. When they could repeat the four rules, and put what they mean into their own words, I was ready to teach them.

The next step is keeping it fun for them! I've found that if you try to cover too much stuff too quickly, they get bored and start to see it as a chore.

Stressed the safety stuff - that they had to know cold...but I go light on the "how to shoot" instruction such as npa, breath control, trigger control, etc...until they want to start learning how to shoot better.

They love to shoot reactive targets like clay pigeons or balloons. Eggs are fun too as they get better.