Kids and Guns

[bacon#1]

How old were your kids when they first shot a firearm?

 

[ilcaveman]

My son fired his first shot a 5 years old, started with a 38spl. He started gun safety at 4 years old.

 

[Tuesday Shooter]

Our kids get to pull the trigger of the kid's .22 cricket while sitting on my lap starting at about 2. I won't let them hold the rifle by themselves until about 6, even then they get 1 round at a time.
The 4H shooting sports club I work with requires that the kids be 9. We shoot mainly air pistol and air rifle, except for the occasional "Live Range" trips.

 

[Jeremy1066]

As soon as they were old enough to:
1) recite and demonstrate an understanding of the 4 firearm safety rules
2) pull the trigger

 

[3badkids]

I would say there's no set age but depends greatly on the maturity and ability to listen. I started my son at 6 and my daughter was 8. My youngest is yet to touch one. He would pick one up and think he's playing Black ops or something - not ready! Gun safety always comes first. Once you feel they can be safe then its time.

 

[tenring]

3

 

[level0]

11 & 8, same day for both.

They did really well with the 22 pump action rifle, and I thought they'd prefer the 410. Most accurate shooting for them was at ground targets, and I recall when I was their age I was pretty tough on ground targets too.

 

[throttletony]

I plan on letting my boy first shoot air rifles at about 4-5, then own one at 7-8.
22s with dad he can shoot also around 7 or 8, he can "own" one around 12 y.o., maybe a hunting rifle at 14 or 15.
This of course is after he can demonstrate safety and sufficient ability (safe manipulation) with firearms in general. Even a pellet gun in the hands of an unsafe kids is a bigger risk than I'd wanna take.
We'll see if this changes as he grows, he's just a toddler now.
And of course always stored.in safe.

 

[Tnichols00]

My son is 2 and has not yet fired a gun. He is to the point now that I can have a very light conversation with him.

Once he can fully understand things I tell him and recite back to me what I said and why I said it he will start off with his Red Rider I got him for his first bday. I think it will be within the next year but we will see.

from there once he has shown responsibility with the Red Rider he will graduate to a bolt action .22 (This was my first gun and will be his first gun)

 

[Mark 1911]

My only child, a daughter, will be 36 this year. She has never been interested in firearms. Not that she didn't have opportunities when she was younger, but she just wasn't interested. My son-in-law has a very nice collection going, but so far he has not sparked her interest either. She is happy being mommy. She is not necessarily negative about it, but whenever my son-in-law or I have broached the topic of guns with her, she has never wanted any part of it. She's been like that since she was little.

As an interesting side-note, when they were first married by son-in-law expressed an interest in purchasing a Belgium made Browning BAR I had in 7mm rem mag. She was the one who came to me on his behalf. I told her I would think it over. Later on at a family Christmas gathering I told her that I had thought about it and there was just no way I would sell that rifle to my son-in-law. She was a little crestfallen until I pulled the wrapped Christmas gift out from behind the couch. I ended up giving that rifle to him as a Christmas gift that year. I can't say that I don't miss it, but lets just say he inherited it a little earlier than originally planned.

 

[Bfish]

I don't have kids but my dad gave me a bb gun at 3 for Christmas. And he bought me a lever action Marlin 22 for my 7th birthday but was so excited he gave it to me at age 6! I have a good dad!

 

[rbMPSH12]

I have helped my 3 year old shoot a Daisy Red Rider BB gun a few times. He can't really hold it up too well on his own as the stock was too long for him to do so. But he enjoyed it. I was able to go over the 4 rules with him multiple times. His memory is a vault, so I go on the assumption that he can remember things well. I go over them with him occasionally. As for shooting real guns, 7 or so like a good time to start 22s and such. Guess I gotta get a .22 first...and then find some ammo for it. It'll probably take till he's 7 to find the ammo at a reasonable price so I'm good for now

 

[Drotis]

I waited until both kids were 13.

 

[BuckCreek]

My daughters were 5 and 6 when they 1st shot a BB gun. They had both expressed some interest/curiosity by this point. They were sitting on my lap , and I held the BB gun with them. This was after going over the 4+1 rules until they could recite them and follow them during the process. The +1 rule being never to touch or go near a firearm without 1st getting permission from Mommy, Daddy, or Grandpa, and then only while Mommy, Daddy, or Grandpa are helping you. Basically I sat there with one of them on my lap at a time 1st with a stick and then with the BB gun. The process we went over was that you treat all guns as if they are loaded at all times, how to keep it pointed in a safe direction (with a safe direction being down range) and never point it at something you are not willing to destroy, keep fingers off the trigger until you are on target and ready to shoot, how the firearm worked, how to check if it is loaded, how to check the safety to see if it is on or off, how to line up the sights, get sight picture on the target and hold it, to be sure of your target and what is beyond it, turn off the safety, finger on the trigger, squeeze the trigger, keep sight picture, finger off the trigger, safety back on, keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, check to make sure it is unloaded. I let them go at their own pace through this one step at a time not moving on to the next until they were ready, and with each step we went over the why. When looking at it there seem to be a lot of steps for a child that age, but they were interested in learning each step and rule. We let them both shoot once or twice each this way, then they were satisfied and ready to go do something else. We didn't press it any further, when they were ready to be done it was time to be done. They have since shot the BB gun with my father-in-law and myself on several other occasions, and have wanted to do it a little longer each time. They especially liked shooting at empty coke cans.

When they were 6 and 7 they got to shoot the .22 Cricket rifle my father-in-law has. They were sitting on my father-in-law's lap or mine, and we went through the same process as with the BB gun. This was again after going over the 4+1 rules until they could recite them and follow them during the process. My eldest was a little more timid after shooting the .22 the 1st time, but has since warmed up to it. The youngest said "Again" after the 1st time and has really liked it. In both their cases as soon as they are ready to be done with it we quit.

The 1st time they shot the .22 we used ear plugs, which they were not keen on. After that I l got them each pink ear muffs rated for 32 decibels of noise reduction in their size, and they really like wearing them. The eye protection was something we had already in their size.

As soon as they are old enough each will be enrolled in 4-H shooting sports. They have some older cousins and family friends with kids already in, so they are looking forward to it.

All guns are always loaded.
Never let the muzzle cross anything you are not willing to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.
Be sure of your target and beyond.
Never to touch or go near a firearm/gun without 1st getting permission from Mommy, Daddy, or Grandpa, and then only while Mommy, Daddy, or Grandpa are helping you.

 

[copo]

8, she shot my .22 mesqito. She loves shooting it. But I started talking to her about guns as soon as she was able to listen.

 

[Number9xd]

Let both of my boys start shooting .22 rifles and AR's from a rest when they were around 4. Nearly every time I go shoot they are with me. They can both ring a 12" steel plate at 50yd with my AR with Aimpoint red dot or their 10/22 with open sights regularly. They are both really good shots when they take their time and squeeze the trigger.

This year was their first year hunting. BCM 16" Midlength with an old Bushnell 3-9 scope. Both taken with Federal Fusion 62gr. And YES, they both done it all on their own.

6yr old - about 35-40yds, dropped in it's tracks

8yr old - about 65-70yds, made it about 10 feet

 

[88GT]

Older one was 4 or just turned 5. Younger one was 3. Older one will be 8 in a few months and can almost operate appropriately sized rifles completely independently. He can shoot the SR22 without assistance...and fairly well, I might add. Gun safety began the day they were born. Firearms have always been present in this house, and unlike most families, we don't hide them. The rule was DON'T TOUCH* and contrary to the oft-repeated claim that you can't stop children from touching, they never have. But then allowing them to handle with supervision whenever they wanted and seeing them daily has much to do with that, IMO. Firearms might as well be a piece of furniture in the house for all the attention the kids pay to them.

*The rule allowed for handling (and shooting as it were) with permission and supervision. Only mom and dad are allowed to provide this supervision at this time. They learned the DON'T TOUCH rule so well that they would apologize profusely, and not without a little bit of fear of the consequences, for even accidentally bumping into the one that was holstered on my hip.

I waited until both kids were 13.

This sounds like there was opportunity before that age. Is there a reason you chose to wait until they were so much older?

 

[ThatOneKid]

Let both of my boys start shooting .22 rifles and AR's from a rest when they were around 4. Nearly every time I go shoot they are with me. They can both ring a 12" steel plate at 50yd with my AR with Aimpoint red dot or their 10/22 with open sights regularly. They are both really good shots when they take their time and squeeze the trigger.

This year was their first year hunting. BCM 16" Midlength with an old Bushnell 3-9 scope. Both taken with Federal Fusion 62gr. And YES, they both done it all on their own.

6yr old - about 35-40yds, dropped in it's tracks

8yr old - about 65-70yds, made it about 10 feet

similar deal with me. Both my mom and dad grew up shooting/being around guns on the farm. I think I first started shooting at 5-6? Got my first gun Christmas Day when I was 10, a 870 express magnum in 20. Started hunting a few years later. Been going strong ever since! My kids will shoot as soon as they safely can, even if they don't have an interest (like my brothers), it's just valuable stuff to know

 

[ilcaveman]

Congrats on a nice deer, that beats mine.