What age do you teach your little one to shoot?

[repiv]

I learned at age 4 with a BB gun, at 5 I had a 22 and at 6 I had a .410 shot gun. Now in my case I had my grandfather teach me on his ranch where the closest neighbor is a over a mile away and I was taught gun safety before how the gun worked or how to hold it. My oldest is about to turn 6 and has never held a gun although he has seen mine and knows what they are. I still have access to the land where I learned but it is 250 miles away. We do shoot while there but don’t go very often.

I just wanted to get some input as to what age to start a little one and how did you do it or how are you planning on doing it? What gun and so on? My soon to be 6 year old is very mature for his age also, I know that matters.

 

[Maser]

Re: What age do you teach your little one to shoot?

First gun I shot was an SKS when I was only 3. As for my own son, he's 4 and has an airsoft gun for his training and I am 100% sure he's ready for my Daisy Legacy next year when he turns 5.

 

[Nachtadler]

Re: What age do you teach your little one to shoot?

I was about six when my dad started teaching me the basics with a 22 rifle. Safety was always the focus, but he always made it fun. He would gradually move me up in caliber as I got older and bigger. By age nine I had a BB gun, that same 22, and a .410 shotgun. I'd also sometimes get to shoot his .223 bolt rifle at milk jugs.

The thing I would recommend is to keep it fun for your kid while making sure he's learning all about safety. Set up really reactive targets like milk jugs, melons, steel, and other stuff that either makes noise or has chunks fly out of it when shot. That sure helped for me. I think shooting those milk jugs is what got me hooked on shooting.

 

[35WLN]

Re: What age do you teach your little one to shoot?

I started my son out with a single shot 22 at age 8. We went over safety and the ramifcations of it in depth before he was allowed to even touch the rifle. At the range everyone always commented on how safe he was. I think that age isn't the biggest factor but maturity.

 

[acpchuck]

Re: What age do you teach your little one to shoot?

My oldest son was almost 4 the first time he fired a gun. Kind of funny because I had just picked up my first 1911 and was at my parents to shoot it. Matt wanted to go, at least to watch. With help he shoot my Dan Wesson 22. Then he told me he wanted to shoot my "big gun". I figured one round would be enough for him. It wasn't. I think he fired about 10 to 12 rounds that day. It would have been more but I didn't have that much ammo.

With all my children, I made it very clear to them what the rules were. No handling of any gun without permission, the first thing to check is to make sure it was unloaded and then only point it in a safe direction, and all this while keeping their finger off the trigger.

My daughter and other two sons started shooting about age 5 or 6. Generally with a 22 rifle or an air gun. All are extremely safe around guns, are good shots and in the case of Matt, he owns more cool stuff now than I do.

One thing I encourage all parents to look for where they live is a local 4H Shooting Sports program. At age 8 they can can begin participating. There are several 'disciplines' they participate in including 22 rifles, handguns (generally air pistols), shotguns and archery. Best part is parents with appropriate training available through 4H programs can be instructors. I have done this and it is a great opportunity to share your knowledge and enjoyment of guns with others.

 

[Alaskaman11]

Re: What age do you teach your little one to shoot?

is this what you had in mind? Oh ya, thats all hers!

 

[chazwise]

Re: What age do you teach your little one to shoot?

Started my little boy off with a daisy BB gun when he started talking good and could understand that it wasn't a toy. He was about 2. I cut the stock down to fit him and we keep it in the gun cabinet with my guns. I started letting him shoot my AR with the 22 conversion in it a few months ago and he ate it up. He turns 3 on the 17th and I asked him what he wanted for his B-day and he said a camouflage bolt gun like daddies, so I got him a camouflage 22 cricket put up and can't wait....( I fill like its my damn birth day lol)I started hunting with my dad when I was about 3 we would go squirrel hunting and he would let me finish off the ones that were still kicking. From that day forward I was hooked... We like to start-em out early down here in the south....lol