At what age did you allow your children to start shooting? I don't have kids yet, but i i will soon enough. I started shooting a .22 revolver at about 6 or so. I am such a gun advocate and so UN afraid of guns that i want to teach my children how to properly handle, shoot, clean...ect. as i was taught. As WE all here know that this is how to teach children to respect guns and not worry so much about them getting ahold of one...wish the libs felt the same way.

I started my son at age 3 (barely 3, not nearly 4) with a Chipmunk .22. It ony took him a few tries (CLOSELY SUPERVISED) to learn how to cycle the action, load, and pull the trigger. By age 4 1/2, he had the basics of open-sight alignment. By age 6, if he could see it then he could hit it. (And a 6 years old's eyes are as sharp as a hawk's.)

He's 11 now and regularly shoots his own 10/22, my M4 with Eotech 552.e (which he thinks is like playing Nintendo), my .308 SASS (golf balls at 100 yards) and has even shot FA (MP34 9mm WWII bring-back owned by a gun dealer here in town who often brings his class III stuff to our range.)

I didn't even get to shoot FA until I was 17 in BT.

Seven on the .22LR. He had to state the four rule of gun saftey before I'd take him.

When my daughter turned 5, a month ago, I got her  a BB gun which is treated as a REAL gun, not as a toy. The sound of a gun scares her, so I figure she can learn the basics and have fun with Dad until she gets a little older.  I bought her earmuff type hearing protection, but I would hate to scare her into not liking guns.

I'm gonna get the airsoft back out for my 2 later this afternoon.
My daughter is 7 my son is 6.
I made it clear to them if they shoot me or anything else they arn't supposed to I will shoot them 10 times with it.
So far so good, my son will let his attension wander and then I just reach over him and take it from him and tell him to pput the glasses back in  the box.
My daughter is better, not sweeping, trigger controll, that kind of thing.
Last time we were training with it the battery ran out too soon.

8yr. old son shot Ar15 this year. A .22 is in order for my 6yr. old daughter. We have yet to purchase a 10/22.

My 13 year-old is out turkey hunting with my dad this weekend.

wow, my dad started us way late in the game, I was 18 before I even knew he HAD any guns at all (10/22, Ruger Mk II, Browning Hi-Power, Marlin Model 60, I-J M1 carbine and Mini-14 all kept at my grandmothers house upon the firm request of my momhinking.gif...needless to say grandma was quite armed!).    However, we have since been shooting together from then on, and have taken my brother since he was 12.

My son has been shooting for a year now (since he was 5), and he's not only a very good shot, but he understands the safety aspects very well......which is key. I don't think age is such a big deal, more the maturity level of the child.

On a side note to all of those here with young children that shoot, how would you handle this situation. I tell my son not to discuss guns when he's at his Mom's house, in school, etc. because of how a lot of these people view guns (his mom lives in IL, need I say more!)

He see's a counseler for some sleep issues and such that he has at his mom's, and the other day she asked him what he did over the weekend. He tells her about going to the firing range and shooting his 10/22...............I'm sure many here can see the shitstorm that followed(keep in mind this was on Wed., only 2 days after the VT shooting).

So now this woman is talking about having the authorities up here get involved because it's "illegal" for a kid to shoot a gun, I'm a worthless parent, I should'nt have custody of my son etc., etc., etc.

How would you respond to this? My first instincts are to tell the DB how she should understand laws better before saying what they are or aren't, and then telling her to keep her liberal ass views to herself when it comes to how I raise my child. But we are talking about a state social worker, and while she has no authority in my state that doesn't mean she can't stir up shit here.

Any advice will be well appreciated