What age is appropriate to you to start a kid shooting?

[Drilldo]

My nephew just turned 5 this December. I mentioned buying him a bb gun, which I would keep at my house, to teach him how to shoot safely.
His mother is a nobama supporter, exactly why she supports him she has yet to be able to articulate. She is anti-gun as well. We don't get along very well. lol
My brother is a lost cause as he chooses to follow whatever the wife says, I guess to make his life easier.
I was met with some fierce resistance to the idea by a lot of my family. Which is why I am shopping for a bbgun that would fit him now. The kid turns everything into a gun now, loves the full auto nerf gun I have, he is very smart and more than capable of understanding how a gun works and how careful he must be with one.

What age do you think is appropriate to start a child out shooting? 5 is reasonable to me, as long as he is taught how to safely handle firearms.

[newracer]

I think it is different for every kid. I started both of my sons at 5 and bought them there own .22lr rifles at 7. They are now 8 and 11 and I trust them with firearms more than I trust some adults. They also have friends that I will not take shooting because I just don't think they will listen and be careful enough.

[esaabye]

I think it is a personal question and very dependant on the kid. I started mine between 5 and 6 with the BB guns. At 7 and 9 they both shoot with me often using a 10/22.

I also think it is the parents choice and no one elses.

[Drilldo]

I think it is a personal question and very dependant on the kid. I started mine between 5 and 6 with the BB guns. At 7 and 9 they both shoot with me often using a 10/22.

I also think it is the parents choice and no one elses.

I do agree with you on the parent's choice. One caveat though. Even though she is anti gun, she has said she will let me teach him shoot. With his growing interest in guns, I see it as a very important issue to teach him to shoot safely and respect the power of guns as early as possible. Who is to say when he will be over at a friend's house, whose parents are less than responsible with firearms and the kids find one?

[GoldFinger]

Who is to say when he will be over at a friend's house, whose parents are less than responsible with firearms and the kids find one?[/quote]


+1 - That's one of my biggest fears and why I have always let my kids be around firearms, with me present of course, it takes the "mystique" out of it and will hopefully allow their terrible curiosity to leave it alone. I ask them all the time "what do you do if you see a gun somewhere". The answer is always to tell an adult if your at someone elses house and then tell me. They also know if they ever want to look at a gun that I will happily ablidge, after the standard lecture preceding each time of course.

[esaabye]

Who is to say when he will be over at a friend's house, whose parents are less than responsible with firearms and the kids find one?

Agreed, one of the reasons I started my kids off early. Also nice to have a shooting buddy.

[theGinsue]

My kids are now 17 and 20 so I no longer have to worry about what will happen if they are at a friends house and find a gun. I started to introduce them to firearms when they were around 5yo as well. Before I had a change to get them a gun of their own to shoot, my dad got them a small framed .22lr single shot bolt action.

With that said, I used to worry about it. From the time I thought they could clearly understand what I was telling them, I taught them that I had guns and offered to let them look at them all they wanted - with me right there; all they had to do was ask. Several times through the years they asked to see them. I pulled them out, reminded them that they could be very dangerous and required a lot of care and respect when handling, and let them have at it. I'd show them how the guns worked and let they try things out (empty of ammo; of course). I'd always take the time to go over the 10 Commandments of firearms safety too. I think it sunk home. I look back on things and wish I'd taken them to the range more though.

I also taught them that if they were ever at a friends house and saw a gun in that home, or outside, even if they weren't sure that it was real or not, to immediately leave the area and to tell an adult.

Again, now they are 17 and 20 (18 & 21 in one month). They both have handguns - of course, my 17yo son won't officially own his 1911 (.45ACP) until next month. My daughter is looking to move into an apartment with her boyfriend (yeah, it's killing dear old dad) and she has already made comments about taking her XD9 with her.

[car-15]

below is my son at 4 with help and at 5 on his own. he is now 8 we shoot all the time, I could lay 100 loaded weapons on the floor and he will walk by, and not even look twice at them. try that with a kid who never was allowed to touch, or been taught about gun safety, and we will be reading about a tragedy in the newspaper.

[SA Friday]

There are benefits in desensitizing kids to the allure of playing with guns. I saw similar results with kids and alcohol when I lived in Europe. Alcohol isn't treated like some mysterious taboo over there, and many countries don't have a minimum drinking age. The results are teens don't get this desire to sneak a drink or go out partying with alcohol to extremes. For them, it's just alcohol...

I agree with the others, age isn't the best measurement tool to use to determine when a kid is ready to shoot. All three of my kids started at different ages based on their mental and physical capabilities. The litmus test I used was when they were responsible enough to actually follow through with tasks around the house. If they can't get a bowl out of the cubbard without closing the door afterward, they were not ready. Shooting requires follow-through after the bang to be safe.

[KFinn]

below is my son at 5 on his own.

HAhahaha.... I love it. just cracks me up for some reason. Awesome!