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Posted: 3/5/2006 6:48:43 AM EDT
[#1]
Teach 'em to shoot a BB gun real early, like at 3 or 4 YO. Shoot with them (they'll probably need your help to support the rifle), then I'd move 'em up to a single shot .22lr rifle when they're ready. When they know and can demonstrate proper safety and marksmanship, they'll be ready for bigger stuff like ARs.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 6:49:53 AM EDT
[#2]
It's probably different for every kid and it depends on how mature they are about the subject of guns. I personally waited until they can memorize and understand the hows and whys of the 4 safety rules.
I'm currently going through the bb gun and .22 training with my own kids.  |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 6:54:29 AM EDT
[#3]
Airsoft AR at age 4.
 Then he moved on to a Red Ryder BB. Now I've added a Remington 22lr into the mix. He's 5 btw, and had such a blast with the 22, he was beaming when we left.  Poor critter:   |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 6:55:12 AM EDT
[#4]
when you feel that they are ready.
a friends son is shooting the ar's already at 6 |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 6:56:55 AM EDT
[#5]
When they are old enough to understand the safety rules AND the consequences of not following them. My almost 7 year old is not ready yet. My 14 year old has been shooting for about 6 years.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 6:56:58 AM EDT
[#6]
I was skeet shooting with my mossberg youth model 20G at 12. My brother was 10.
Before that our family didn't really do that much in terms of shooting. |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 7:01:01 AM EDT
[#7]
wow, what a blast! i hope i have a son... |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 7:01:29 AM EDT
[#8]
Both of my boys had a BB gun at 4. Then a Chipmunk 22 and much gun safety training. By 6 both had progressed to a Winchester model 67 single shot 22. At 12 each had fired my M-16s, and since I was competing for the 63rd ARCOM in light machine gun competition both had fired the M-60. Both were lucky enough to have Rex Powers who now teaches the Rifle Competion team at Wickenberg High School as a friend and instructor. At 12 both had 22 Ruger Single Six handguns. At 16 both got their first 1911s.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 8:32:27 AM EDT
[#9]
As Yojimbo says, when they are mature enough. Mature enough for a suction dart gun was about 3 with my son. We never went through the BB stage with him-too much going on to break down and buy a BB gun. So instead, at about 6, I taught him to shoot a .22 after lots of safety and mechanical training (mostly with a Nerf dart gun-really!). It worked great; he's 18 and exceptionally safe. He even gets the willies at the same time I do when idiots at gun shows do stupid stuff with guns.
Now, if I can get him to start practicing on his own, he'll feel better about his (not too shabby) accuracy with a rifle and maybe even start liking pistols, too. |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 9:56:02 AM EDT
[#11]
I agree with the consensus that it varies with each kid. Being able to listen and follow directions is the biggest factor. Even if you are standing next to them at the shooting bench, you have to be confident that they will not do anything stupid. If they are comfortable with the noise and recoil with the larger rifles and competent with the smaller ones, then it is time to move up. I do not believe in a general age restriction. My daughter was a decent shot with a .22 open sights when she was 10 years old, but didn't like the noise and fire of my AR, so I didn't push it after having her shoot it once..
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Posted: 3/5/2006 9:56:10 AM EDT
[#12]
Once you go black, you never come back.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 10:08:45 AM EDT
[#13]
I would say it varies with the maturity of each kid. I would say that a responsible kid should start shooting at 10. That's when I started anyway...
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Posted: 3/5/2006 10:18:10 AM EDT
[#14]
I started on a nylon 66 .22 at 4, then at 6 I bumped to an M1 Carbine, and at about 7 I shot everything but magnum shotguns.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 10:26:12 AM EDT
[#15]
First Rifle I fired was around 6/7 and It was a Colt SP1... It was all down hill after that
 . Thinking back makes me want to build a retro A1  .Nathan |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 10:46:09 AM EDT
[#16]
I have 3 sons (9,5,3) when the oldest was 4 I bought him a BB gun and let him practice in my bonus room upstairs... Then we moved up to the Savage .22 youth model at 6! In the 6-7 time frame I moved him up to the AR when we went out camping.... the other 2 are on the same program and it seems to be working! You haven't lived until you've overheard your kids correct the neighborhood kids when they say something about a "Machine Gun" on TV, and your kid replies "that's an AK-47!"
One time we went to the "Rambo Range" out of town. We walked up to the firing line and I handed my M4 with 40 round mag in it to my (then) 7 YO and he slaps the bolt release and pops off all 40. Then he drops the mag and raised his right hand while supporting the weapon with his left. I handed him another 40 and he slapped it in and hits the bolt release again and blazes through another 40, the whole time picking targets and hitting them. Right next to us was a father and son (age 10) with a ruger 10/22 and an M1 Carbine. The dad asks the kid if he wanted to shoot "daddy's gun" and the kid says "no daddy" and he tells him to look at my son shooting, and tries to convince him to shoot the M1! The kid just started getting frantic and saying "NO Daddy I don't want to," I guess some kids are ready at different ages..... - Clint |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 11:45:10 AM EDT
[#17]
I started to teach my two boys when they were 4 y/o with airsoft and they started with .22 after a year.
I myself started to shoot at 5 y/o with a .22 and also with .177 air rifles until I was about 12. My father tought me how to shoot and he was in the US Army Airborne in WWII. He was also shooting air rifles and .22s as a kid. I plan on starting my kids with ARs when they are about 12-13 and after they take a formal firearms safety class. |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 12:25:05 PM EDT
[#18]
More pics of the daughter?  I started on single shot .22 rifles and a .22 revolver when I was about 7. Kindegarten was when I was in the Indian Y-guides (which I believe in the PC world of today are called "Adventure Guides"  )and we learned to shoot at one of the camps we went to.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 12:44:15 PM EDT
[#19]
I got a BB gun for my little cousin when she was 7 or 8. She has become very good with it.
She is 10 now and the next time I'm in town to see her we will do th 22lr thing. I had a 22lr at 9 and shot my first hog at 11 with my .308. It depends on the kid. Some can handle it some need a few years. start them off with some thing that ( for the most part ) kind of safe. Low powered BB gun, or an airsoft gun. see how they do. and take it from there. if they do well move them up to a 22 and then up from there. Invisiblesoul |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 1:19:00 PM EDT
[#20]
Teach thm when you feel comfortable enough that you can trust them to follow the rules of safe shooting . I taught mine when he was four he has progressed very nicely .
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/jronio/PA160176.jpg |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 1:31:30 PM EDT
[#21]
I was introduced to shooting when I was 4, however, my 2 younger brothers weren't allowed until they were 9 or 10. It depends on the kids temperment and willingness to learn the rules and respect both the rules and the weapons. Some kids I am more than happy to teach while others should definitley not ever be allowed to even handle a firearm and I won't even allow in my area while I am shooting. Definitely start them off with a low powered bb gun though. Let em play with that for a while and se how they do.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 1:35:18 PM EDT
[#22]
I think the way this gentleman has started his son is the way to go. Airsoft rifles are light weight, compact, and are forgiving if they make a mistake. I started my son on the mini Styr Aug at age 3. |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 2:34:24 PM EDT
[#23]
Every kid will be different but I'd hope by the time my son is 4 he's shot a .22 before.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 3:22:03 PM EDT
[#24]
I'm an NRA safety instructor, but I took my kids to someone else (qualified) so that I wouldn't be a "Dad" and ruin anything for them. Both of my DAUGHTERS learned to shoot when they were 8, but they have been raised with the Eddie the Eagle program to be gun safe children. My girls are now 9 and 13, both good shooters. At 12, my oldest graduated to shooting centerfire, mostly 22 hornet and 17 and 223 Remington.
Tom 
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Posted: 3/5/2006 5:00:37 PM EDT
[#25]
My son is 6 and has been shooting an AR for a few months now. To be honest, he barely shot his BB gun before that, and now, unless I can put a CAR stock on it, he really has no interest in it. He is BRD all the way. I am currently putting together a LW carbine that he and his 12 y/o stepbrother will be sharing. The HBAR carbine will finally be the old man's again!
The 12 y/o has been shooting for a number of years (hunting guns only) and has his own 20 gauge pump, .22 Savage bolt action and a .243 Savage bolt action, both lefties. He can really give me a run for my money with his shooting skills. Both boys want an airsoft AR for plinking, so they can get practice in without all of the noise. LOL |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 5:12:06 PM EDT
[#26]
We started with a BB gun at 5. 22s by 6. No hurry to get to .223, although they like the 22LR AR.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 5:27:28 PM EDT
[#27]
When the recoil will not knock him over.
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Posted: 3/5/2006 5:34:31 PM EDT
[#28]
My son is 6 and he's fast as lightning doing mag change drills with his Walther P-22.
He can recite and understands the reasoning behind the four rules, and he's very conscious of gun safety. I was wondering if he'd be old enough to shoot the AR (which will be here tomorrow!), and based on the posts in this thread, I think we'll give it a shot and see how he likes it. I think it's really important to not push it if THEY don't think they're ready. The first time I took my son to the range, he was terrified of the sound and wouldn't actually go onto the range (we were in the "outer room" area where you can hang your jacket and stuff when the panic set in). I assured him that the noise was normal and he was safe, but that it was ok, we'd come back another day, then we left without ever firing a round. About a month later, he came to me and said "Dad, I'm ready to try the range again." We went back and asked the range officer to place us on the side with the least number of shooters (our local range has 2 rooms of 10 lanes each). We ended up on a side with one other shooter, and he was on the other side of the room from us. While we were shooting, more and more people came in and when we were ready to leave, probably 7 of the 10 lanes had shooters on them and my son hadn't even noticed. He was quite proud of his bravery. I make sure to mix a fair amount of "recreational shooting" in with the actual training and sight work. In summary (sorry for rambling), if they're not old enough to be safe AND think that shooting is fun, then they're not old enough. |
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Posted: 3/5/2006 5:37:38 PM EDT
[#29]
I think this REALLY depends on the temperment of the kid. My son started shooting at about 7 year old with a BB gun and a .22 rimfire. I had him shoot my AR at 10. He shoots pretty much everything I've got now that he's 12. He'll listen when you tell him something and is pretty darn good shot. SP |
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Posted: 3/6/2006 3:29:14 AM EDT
[#30]
The biggest thing I have noticed is that YOU must follow every safety standard, because they will mimic everything you do. My son has his own hearing protection (Browning muffs, courtesy of his grandfather) and when I am checking/setting targets, I slide my muffs up on my head just forward/above my ears. My son was helping me put up new clay pigeons (one of our favorite targets) and I saw that he was doing exactly the same thing. It made me proud as hell, but alos just a bit chagrined. I now have to stay on my toes that much harder so that I don't teach him any bad habits. the old "do as I say, not as I do" does NOT cut it here.
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Posted: 3/6/2006 6:18:30 AM EDT
[#31]
When to teach your kids to shoot:
1. Get them out of diapers 2. Make sure they understand how to be safe and that there is zero flexability when it comes to gun safety. First gun of any kind I fired was a .22 at age 4 (very closely supervised). First BB gun of my own at 7. First unsupervised hunting (rabbits) at 7. First competitive (adult level) pistol at 9 (first deer that year too). First competitive shotgun (trap and skeet) at 10 (first 25 straight at trap age 11). I hope to get my boys shooting about the same schedule, though I will start mine with a BB gun (already have a couple of NIB red riders). Not sure the first time I shot an AR, but I guarantee I could strip/clean it and reload ammo for it before I did. The downside for me is the lack of decent ranges nearby and the fact that we don't live in the country like I did growing up. Safety is of course always the first concern. No breach of rules is even close to being acceptable. If my boys can't understand this there will be no shooting time until they do. That's the way it was when I was young, and that's how I'll teach my spawn. Trying to teach my almost 2-year old how to put the BCG back into a black rifle, but he doesn't quite have it down yet, so we'll keep working. |
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Posted: 3/6/2006 7:11:43 AM EDT
[#32]
My father started me when I was 7. We used his duty Smith& Wesson .357 w/.38 ammo.
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Posted: 3/6/2006 7:32:21 AM EDT
[#33]
A few years to go yet.
However, he doesn't want to give the rifle or Q3131 up! 
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Posted: 3/6/2006 7:39:09 AM EDT
[#34]
I don't have any kids yet, but my cousin started his son on BB guns at 4 or so. Started on .22's at 6. Hes 7 now and has his own bolt action .22 (a 3 generation Mossberg .22). He knows all his saftey rules, and he loads his own magazines when we're all shooting. As a matter of fact, this past weekend, we discovered he can shoot my Bushy if the stock is collpased So definetly, start them as early as they can learn the fundamentals. Work with them, teach them the right way around things. Thats what got me so interested in guns. Had my own Daisy pump gun by 6, a .410 at 9, then a Marlin 60W at 12. The one thing I was taught, and knew to obey....I never touched my guns without my Dad around. They weren't locked in a safe, or high out of my reach. I just knew better, because he took the time to teach me. Thats the important part.
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Posted: 3/6/2006 8:53:01 AM EDT
[#35]
My son will be intruduced to shooting as soon as he can speak coherently, have the ability to reason, and can comprehend right from wrong. My biggest fear would having my son questioned by a teacher, doctor, parent, etc... about his dad's guns. If he can not provide mature answer, then he is not ready to be introduced to shooting. Unfortunately, this is what 21st century America has become.
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Posted: 3/6/2006 12:05:38 PM EDT
[#36]
I began shooting .22 rifles and pistols when I was three. Got my first real rifle...a mini-14 when I was six. My first real pistol, a Colt Combat Commander, when I was 9.
BC |
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