Before I ask this I must say that in NO WAY [/u] do I think that it is wrong, and that I am only asking because it was somewhat out of the norm to me.  I went to a public DNR range in ohio sunday, when I got their, a cease (sp?) fire was going on.  I picked a bench a began to set up, when I looked over a little girl was shooting a .22 rifle, her father was standing next to her.  When I say little i mean 41/2 yrs old.  I watched her for about 5 mins. the recoil was pretty wild for her but she seemed to know what she was doing, and was having a ball.  I talked to the father and he told me that she had been shooting for about 1 year and has her own rifle, the one she was using.  She had trouble closing the bolt by herself and had to sit on a 50 cal. ammo can to sit high enought to use the shooting bench.  I have no children, I am 22 and was raised nowhere around guns exept during summer at my grandpas farm where I caught the shooting bug at 12 years old, and my mom fliped out on poor pappy.  Is this normal to start shooting at 3 1/2, I wish I did.
Thanks for any replies
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start'em early!

that way they will know what not to do, when their untrained pos friends say something like.  "check out this, my dads gun!"  

 My daughter started getting an interest around 11 and recieved her own .22 rifle at age 12. Some start a lot earlier, but I would say it depends on the interest of the child. Mine started asking questions and then asked if she could go along with me to shoot. Soon after she asked if she could learn to shoot, so we started in with safty and gun handling. She used an old single shot .22 for about a year then moved to her own 10/22. I had to shorten the stock as her arms were a little short, but she has caught the Black rifle plague. Her first time out with her own rifle, she comented that she needed more hi-cap mags.(she had the factory 10rnd and 1 25rnd buttler creek) I think children are never "too" young, provided they have the correct supervision, guidance and can saftly hold the weapon. There are a LOT worse things you can teach them.

 

depends on each child... I can't remember when I got my daughter started, but it was pretty early (started with BB gun and working up)

Mine each had a Ruger 10/22 at the age of 5. Both lost interest after a year so I let it drop. They just weren't interested anymore.

I've been shooting since I was 8...

I was three when I first started shooting with my dad.  My daughter is going to be three in a couple of weeks.  She is contantly asking me "when can I shoot your rifle?"  She will start her firearms education in march / april '06.  

I started shooting whe i was about 12 or so.  I think 5 years old is a little to young for a kid to understand gun safety.  That is the only reason i would not let my kid shoot that young.

My son is 3 his birthday was at the end of July.

 We have shot my his .22 Ithaca single shot with Calibra's twice shooting 20 rounds or so each time.

 He can load and eject but cannot pull back the hammer. I help him support the rifle and he pulls the trigger.

 He plays with toy guns also and knows the difference between the two and I don't leave guns or ammo laying around just in case.

 He has also been riding a PW50 motorcycle since he was 2.

My friends have kids the same age and cannot believe how much smarter my kid is than theirs.

I say 8. I'd rather my child be accustomed to firearms befor they hit their "teenage wasteland" phase. Younger than that, I wouldn't let them hold and fire the gun themselves, but that's just one mans opinion.

I took my little girl out to the local range last week for the 1st time.  She is 5 years and 3 months.  I chose to go on a week day, early morning so the range would not be crowded.  She shot at a archery deer target at 25 yards.  She was shooting a Savage youth .22 with 22 shorts.  We both had fun, and stopped for ice cream on the way home.  She wants to go again.

Start them young and teach them correctly, whether it be work or play.  Someday they are going to be taking care of me.

My son started shooting two years ago, at age 9. He enjoys the .223 ...ALOT !!!!!
http://www.pbuzz.com/data/01eee509ee2f68dc6014898c309e86bf/2366_p23764.jpeg

If they are old enough to go visit at a friend's house, then they are old enough to learn to shoot and about gun safety. You may have your guns locked away, but the household where your child visits may not. Better he/she be taught gun safety before an accident occurs.

My son started at 3 with a bb rifle, by 5 had his first 22 now at 7 shoots regularly with me. my daughter who is 10 also has been shooting for yrs. my son has shot my AR and is now building an AK with me. Education is the first step. I would rather be in the woods hunting with my son than most adults!

I think 5 years old is a little to young for a kid to understand gun safety. That is the only reason i would not let my kid shoot that young.

Kids are learning sponges and your the programmer. You should start teaching them as soon as they are born. Both our boys had Chipmunks before they were born and were shooting them by 4. They had all the safety stuff down and tons of dry fire and position shooting down long before they ever fired a live round. I was pretty heavy into high power shooting at the time and was practicing on the floor in the living room just about every night and they practiced right along with me.

When they went shooting for the first time, the only thing really "first time" was a live round in the gun, and both were putting almost all their rounds into a 3" bull at 10 yards shooting offhand while standing on a chair so they could see over the counter at the range. By the time they were 5 they were shooting my MP5 with no problems and could easily put controlled 2-3 round bursts into COM on a standard IPSC target at 10 yards. If you take the time to work with them at a young age, you will be rewarded with safe, knowledgeable, and skilled shooters and range buddys, at least till they discover girls.  

Kids are a lot more sensitive to contaminants such as lead, and their hearing must also be more carefully protected, particularly since a lot of ear-protection is not designed with their small size in mind.  But other than that..

One of my earliest, and fondest, memories was shooting my Dad's .22 when we visited my grandparents. I don't know how young I was, but I do remember not being able to fully articulate what I wanted and having to take Dad to the closet where the guns were.

I bought our oldest daughter (now 7) her first gun when she was about 3.5 or 4. Our middle daughter is now 4 and telling me that I need to buy her a gun, which I will probably do in the next few months.

i began shoting in 2nd grade. the first gun i ever shot was my grandfaters goverment 1911 .45 acp.
me and my father were at my uncles house shortly after my gradfather has passed away. my father uncle and much older cousin were shooing it. i asked if i could try and after a good laugh a my expence they realized i was serious. i managed to get them to let me fire one shot wile my dad help me hold the weapon. i never stopped

I started shooting at the age of 5 with my dad and uncle.
Now at 36 with my 6 year old son who has been shooting since 5 go out with his own Ruger 10/22 and my Ar-15.  He always ends up going through 1 - 25 round mag with his and then fires 5 or 6 - 30 round mags through mine.  
At the age of 6 he can recite the 4 rules of firearms handling and practices them constantly.
Early the better, as long as they are taught the correct way.

my dad started me out at 3, I had my own 22 rifle at 5 a 10-22 and a 22 pistol at 6 or the pistol at 5 and the rifle at 6

I took my kid out for the first time when he was 4, he even came to an AR15.com shoot He's all about the 22's. I bought him a Savage Mark I for his 5th birthday but decided not to give it to him just yet. I might take him to the range in a couple of weeks and let him shoot it, but he doesn't even know I have it. I wish I could take him out more because it would get my wife off of my back about my gun habit.

Quoted: I say 8. I'd rather my child be accustomed to firearms befor they hit their "teenage wasteland" phase. Younger than that, I wouldn't let them hold and fire the gun themselves, but that's just one mans opinion.

I was around firearms all my life since I was born, yet never went shooting until I was 15 years old. The biggest thing you can teach your kid at an early age are the fundamentals. 8 seems the right age to take them physically shooting, until then teach him that the guns are daddy's and that he cant touch them. Worked for me.

I say 8. If your child is really interested and is mature for his/her age, you could start them younger. But I think 8 years old is a good general rule of thumb. Don't force it on your kids though and use some common sense. If you take them to the range to shoot your 12 gauge and the recoil makes them cry, that may make them afraid of guns and not want to ever shoot again.

....until then teach him that the guns are daddy's and that he cant touch them.

I think this is a mistake. By doing it, you will make it their goal in life to see what all the mystery is about and they will get to them, and most likely without you there.

Our kids were allowed to look at anything they wanted, whenever they wanted, as long as we were there. I actually encouraged it and would hand them whatever I was looking at if they were there and explained exactly what it was and how it worked.

The biggest thing is, you get to constantly reinforce the safety rules by constant handling and you also take all the magic out of them. If you show your kids early just what a bullet will actually do to something, they will understand, water jugs make a very good visual aide and leave a lasting impression.  

Your kids will be constantly bombarded by improper firearms use and handling by just watching TV and movies. They will mimic everything they see and if you dont teach them the difference between reality and fantasy, who will.

Teach your kids as early as you believe they can understand, better yet, do it before and just keep reinforcing it, over and over. Kids are a lot smarter than most give them credit. They are willing to learn and want you to teach them and make you happy. Cowboy up and do your job. You will be rewarded with good kids, that are firearm safe and savvy, and you'll have a couple of shooting buddies to boot. If you wait until they are 10 or 12, you both miss out and they will be getting dumber by the minute.

Quoted: start'em early! that way they will know what not to do, when their untrained pos friends say something like.  "check out this, my dads gun!"

VERY true!!!  That is why my children were taught about gun safety LONG before I actually let them start shooting with me.

I only wish that all parents would teach their kids firearm safety, even the parents who don't own guns.  It would surely prevent shooting accidents.


Balming

First gun I got used to was a 12 gauge. Ever since then nothing realy kicks hard.

I'd say I was 4ish if that old, I know I couldn't shoulder the rifle right and had to hold it under my arm.
Course it was a .22 so no big deal.

I shot to start out when I was 3. It was only once and a while but I got to do it. I shot a 22 revolver, 22 semi (plinker I think), single shot 22, and my favorite at the time a lever action 22. I also fired 22 magnums out of one of the revolvers. My father had a single barrel shotgun too that he wouldnt let me shoot.

I started the christmas just before my 5th birthday. with a marlin single shot .22 I could barely hold the thing hell I knew more about guns before I learned how to spell.

Quoted: If they are old enough to go visit at a friend's house, then they are old enough to learn to shoot and about gun safety. You may have your guns locked away, but the household where your child visits may not. Better he/she be taught gun safety before an accident occurs.

You sir bring up a superb point.  

Never too young.  Dad bought me my first .22 on my first birthday.  It's been downhill since then.