MC1 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I have a 6 year old boy and a 3 year old girl. My son is ok with safety with his air soft pistol ( still needs work). Any thoughts on when / how to get them going? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Sorry, but I am not among those that think 6 is old enough to get started shooting real guns. I think I was 10 or so when I got my first shotgun and I was brought up from day one around guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hello: I started my boys when they were 8 with steel matches with no movement. Starting from low ready makes things better for them. Look at the Ruger Rimfire matches for lots of fun/safe shooting. My older boy was 10 before he could start shooting a 9mm with me ROing him and still starting from low ready. He shot an IDPA match that way and did quite well a while back. He is now 14 and will be hopefully shooting with me more this coming year. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agney5 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 At about 5-6 my farther gave me a little 410 cap shotgun. I was young and gullible and he told me it was real so I believed him. It was an excelent opertunity to work on gun saftey without risking the saftey of everyone around me. I believe two hunting seasons later I was told the truth and awarded with my first real firearm a youth .22. So somewhere around 7-8 I was trusted with a firearm of course still under close supervision and with plenty more to learn. As far as pistols go my family never really shot pistols, we always just used guns for hunting so pistols were never really around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heckler Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Sorry, but I am not among those that think 6 is old enough to get started shooting real guns. I think I was 10 or so when I got my first shotgun and I was brought up from day one around guns. Getting "started shooting real guns" and getting "your first gun" are two different things. I can still remember my grandfather holding his .22 rifle and letting me aim the sights and pull the trigger when I was 4 or 5. I did not get my first gun until I was 9 or so. When is a youngster ready? It depends on their individual maturity level. Just keep working with them on safety until they ARE ready. I have shot with a 10 year old that far surpassed many adult shooters with his safety awareness and maturity level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC1 Posted November 7, 2012 Author Share Posted November 7, 2012 Thanks for the feedback everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarnburg Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I think it depends on the kid and their temperament. My kids have shot from the bench, with lots of supervision. However they are no where near ready for anything beyond that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbbean Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 After standby and the start signal, when else? BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcs Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I believe you start the Firearm Education Process as soon as you can. Kids need to understand and respect real firearms. Actually shooting depends on the level of maturity of the kid. I'v seen 14 yr olds who I would not let them around airsoft guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Phil Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 I started both my sons around age 6... red dot sights on a Ruger Mk2. Plate racks at about 10 yd, lots of supervision. About the same time, started with .22 rifles. Learned the positions, etc. Always were very safe handlers, and the younger one (now 18) is a great steel shooter! He moved up to a 1911 9mm about age 12 or so and loves the sport. Start young, teach safety, have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawboy Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Started my daughter at age 10 with CO2 pistols. Progressed to 22 pistols and then centerfire pistols. Never allowed her to take guns out without my direct supervision until she was in her early 20s. Now she has guns of her own and shoots USPSA with me when she is in town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxshooter Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 (edited) I have always based that decision on the maturity of the child. Some may be able to start at 6 and others not until 60 if then. I started my son shooting skeet from Stations 1 and 7 when he was 8. We started with hand guns (S&W .22 revolver) at 10. I have a grandson that I started at 7 shooting a .22 Marlin 39 A and a S&W .22 revolver with a C-More at 8 years old. He did not show an interest in competing due to baseball and soccer. We still shoot together when his schedule allows it. Edited November 8, 2012 by Jaxshooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudden Death Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I think they will let you know when they are ready, as for my girl, she was around guns from day one, and she knew she was not to touch them, and she never did, but one day she and I was in the garage with my new 17 HMR, the over head door was open and I had a table set up in there more than 2/3 of the way back into the garage, she was sitting beside me, while I was shooting black birds out of the trees in the back yard, she stoped me after about 7 or 8 and asked me... daddy why do there wings keep falling off... I told her why, then were and she replied it was her turn so she sat there and shot the rest of the 50 round box, she never hit one but in her mind she did. So that kinda told me she was interested in shooting, so we got some bowling pins and other stuff to shoot and she will shoot all your ammo to this day and she is 17 now, and all this started when she was 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkCorey Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) My son is 14 now and he has no I interest in guns. When he was younger around 5 I had taken him to shoot BB guns 8-10 we shot .22's. When we would go it was about him shooting as opposed to him watching me. From age 2-5 he would ask to look in safe & knew not to touch the trigger. I always felt if I left a gun out he would never touch it at a very early age. I have a nephew a year younger he was a bird killing machine at 8 with a pellet gun, at ten I could trust him walking behind me with a firearm. My son loves sports baseball basketball & modern warfare on PlayStation. I will ask you wanna go shoot he replies no but we can play catch. I always wonder if there was something I could of done different. Then again my dad was a car person who didn't care for guns & I have never had much interest in cars. Lol Edited November 12, 2012 by OkCorey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellymc Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Started my daughter shooting IDPA at 9. Major uspsa matchs a couple of months after she turned 10.Now that she's 11 were going to try 3 gun.hopfully a major match by April Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creativebill Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 My son was (6) and my daughter (8) when they started shooting steel challenge. I spent a year prior in the garage with a bb gun working on fundamentals, safety etc. My kids are extremely well behaved and I don't recommend this based on age, but when they are ready. They shoot at the local range with me and come along to my USPSA matches. They paste, help record time, paint steel etc. It's really a judgement call, but you'll know when they are ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DialTone301 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) My 11yr old daughter started shooting Steel Challenge and Rimfire Madness matches last year(.22 rifle and pistol). She had only been shooting a little bit before that. She is now hooked and wanting to move up to 9mm. Next year she will be shooting a CZ in Steel Challenge and we will both be starting to shoot USPSA. I have been around kids her age that are very mature and safe and others that I don't want anywhere near a gun. I think the answer always will depend on the kid. Edited November 12, 2012 by DialTone301 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattYvip Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 My father started me out shooting at a very young age. I believe I was 4 or 5. But only with his undivided supervision and endless saftey lessons. I shot somewhat regularly until I was 13 and shot my first ipsc/uspsa match and it's been my addiction ever since. I do agree it depends on the child and their maturity/temperment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lef-t Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I don't have kids yet, but I hope that my future son/daughter can be this awesome. I believe he's 6 in this vid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulrick Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I was one of those kids that at 4 my dad bought me a 10/22, put a youth stock on it and started teaching me fundamentals and safety By 7 my dad trusted me to safely shoot my rifle without constant supervision. I think I went on my first whitetail hunt at 8. By 10 I had about 4 guns that were "mine." There was always a healthy respect in my family. I am so thankful for all the hard work that my dad put in at a young age. It is something I will pass to my kids one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) I don't have kids yet, but I hope that my future son/daughter can be this awesome. I believe he's 6 in this vid That is so cute! I'm going to send it to my wife. I started shooting 'real guns' at ten, by twelve I had a shoebox full of Junior Olymic/National metals in 14 & under, then by 14 I was on the Junior Olympic Development Team shooting internationally in 21 & under; my sons are three and eighteen months so naturally I already have a collection of little guns! Edited November 14, 2012 by kneelingatlas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyprant Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 My oldest is 3 and I hope I am dealing with this correctly... If she ever wants to see a gun, I get one out of the safe and show her. If she wants to touch it I will allow it, but she must ask. And she cannot hold it. Usually she just puts her finger on the barrel. I tell her every time its not a toy and they are dangerous if you dont know how to use it properly. I will not allow toy guns in the house, and try to get her away from the neighborhood kids when they have toy guns (this can be awkward with other parents). I wonder if it would be a good idea to demonstrate what a bullet could do to a watermelon to drive the point home what bullets will do. She knows if she sees a gun not to touch it and come find mom or dad and tell us. We told her she would get a "prize" if this ever have happens but I think i regret this. I dont want her looking for guns like an easter egg hunt. Im learning as I go. I want her to enjoy this sport with me when its time and I want to take the mystery out of guns while shes young so they seem less "cool" when shes older... Please let me know what you think...I need to know what Im doing right and wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old506 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 My girls are 7 and 4 now. I let them shoot a .22 at 4yo. I would help them hold it as best they could and I would help and they would pull the trigger. I just took them to the range with me and they wanted to shoot, I didn't make them shoot or tell them they could shoot, they wanted to so I let them. I have no problem with toy guns, growing up if I didn't have a real one, I had a toy one. They dry fire with me, they shoot the targets, they "draw" from inside their waistband. As far as guns in the house go. They are allowed to touch them any time they want, they just have to ask (they ask a lot). My wife and I never say no, that is kind of one of the rules that we made with each other when it comes to guns, never tell them "no". So, when they ask they get to hold it, aim it, whatever they want. I show them how I check to make sure it is clear and they learn gun safety at the same time. I have a sawed off shotgun in the corner of the bed room that they love to hold and also love to "rack". One of the unintended things that has happened is that I will give them a pistol/shotgun/rifle and I won't say anything anymore (after checking it for clear) and they will repeat to me the lessons of gun safety out loud without me prompting them. I really didn't mean for this to happen but now I kind of think it is drilled in, they pick one up and they will repeat what I have been telling them forever. Guns aren't "mysterious" in our home. I tell them "no" to things like scissors and sharpie markers more than our guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No.343 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I allowed my children and now my grandchildren access to my guns anytime they ask. It is a great opportunity to quiz them on gun safety. They learn fast because I emphasize the importance every time. When my son was around four years old I used to take him to my in-law's farm. We always had lots to do, but would take some time to hunt and fish. He wanted to hunt with us, so we let him come and he brought along his toy rifle. We used the opportunity to teach him gun safety fundamentals with that toy rifle. He was responsible for carrying that toy rifle in a safe manner. If he swept one of us with the muzzle of his toy rifle he got an earful. He learned quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 My son got his 1st .22 single shot at 6 for Christmas. @ 7 it was a youth 870 in a 20 ga 9 was his first 10/22 11 7mm08 for deer. @ 12 he used the money from a go cart sale to buy a 22/45. Christmas this year @ 13 is an XDM 9mm. He has been shooting a long time, will I let him go without me-not yet. He has shown great care for safety and discipline. This past year he started with the rimfire shoots and for 2013 wants to try USPSA/IDPA. You can never in this day and age start to early. Safety and respect will make a great shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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