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

[Drilldo]

Thank you all for your insight. I will take to heart everything you have said.

[StagLefty]

My son's introduction to guns was also about 5 yrs old. My being an NRA Instructor and his exposure to guns on ranges I was running made him probably more safe than a lot of adults I know. It is a judgement call as to whether the youth is ready and mature enough but getting rid of the curiousity factor has always been on the top of my safety concerns with youth. JMHO

[Troublco]

I wholeheartedly agree with those who say that you can't base it on age, but on the kid individually. I have always been very careful that when they ask to look at one I show them how to handle it safely, and let them see it. But each kid is different, and I think you have to gauge it differently for each one.

[Irving]

Geez car-15, get some eye protection on that kid.

[Ed_S]

My son has been shooting with me since he was 7 1/2. I too wanted to remove the 'gun mystery'. He's very safe when he's with me.

[GreenScoutII]

I was started out shooting when I was about 6. From that day on, I was at the range almost every weekend with my dad. Those days are some of my fondest childhood memories.

I started my oldest daughter shooting a pellet gun at 7 and a .22 at eight. Often in the summer we have tons of huge grasshoppers out behind the house. She will amuse herself for hours shooting them with the pellet gun. She has demonstrated safe gun handling skills and so I trust her to shoot the airgun by herself, but I still actively supervise shooting sessions with the .22.

[gnihcraes]

start with an airsoft gun and work your way into the bb/pellet guns and regular guns. See if you can work with the mother at the same time just a little at a time... hopefully it will turn out to be positive all the way.

as others have indicated of their children, started with mine about 5 or so and have progressed into regular 22's and such without much trouble. They do as the should most of the time when handling the weapons... just watch and correct as needed. I usually don't have any bad feelings when letting my kids handle the bb and pellet guns when I'm not right there with them... and have slowly been working with a friend of my sons to do the right thing too and he's learning. One down and 100's to go.

We've got to work on their terminology too though, the sons friend called them "aimers" not sights... so we had a quick little talk about all the parts of the gun.

[sniper7]

I don't have kids yet but my fiances little brother is 10, has never been around guns but they hate obama, they were just never brought up with them at all. I bought him his first BB gun and was told he shoots it pretty much daily. I took him out, showed him the rules, told him they must always be followed and need to build him a target to shoot at. It is a basic red ryder which is perfect because they are in a neighborhood with not much of a back yard.
I know he wants to go out and shoot the real guns. I have had mixed feelings on taking him but I think now that he has a BB gun and started getting some good experience with that then i will show him what a .22 can do.

I have friends that have their kids shooting at age 3-4 and give them the right training from the beginning. I will start my kids probably at that age as well and just get them used to being around guns at all times.

[HandKBRad]

I agree with the above posts about it being different for every kid. My kids were 8 and 6 when they started shooting. They are now 11 and 9.

[gnihcraes]