How young is too young to shoot?

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Z_Man

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I realize every youngster is different so putting a number on it is difficult. Some play the piano at four years of age, some start swinging a golf club at six years old and so on. I have been shooting for some time now and most of the time, I go to the range with a friend or the wife to practice and have some fun. Lately I have been thinking more and more about my five year old son. Up until now he and my three year old daughter know NOT to touch a fire arm of any sort, EVER. They have been drilled this concept repeatedly so they know how important it is. They know if they see a gun and if my wife and I are not around, they are to RUN to an adult and immediately tell them. I do give them my guns to hold sometimes just to satisfy their curiosity. Of course they’re not loaded at that time. I hope our rules pay off in the real world but as with anything there are no guarantees. But that’s a different topic all together. My boy shows a lot of interest in guns but I think most of it is driven from TV or because Daddy and Mommy does it.

On the other hand I ask myself if preaching this “hands off” “run away” approach is really the right thing to do. It almost puts a bad taste in their mouth. Inevitably at some point, every child will become responsible enough to make their own choices. My father didn’t have guns when I was growing up so it wasn’t really talked about in my household. Though I have been hunting/shooting since I was 16. And that only happened because of an older brother-in-law with a passion for white tails.

I would love to take my boy to the range or out in the woods and have him actually shoot. I have taken him to the range with me but it’s just to watch. We have gone deer hunting a couple of times but only brought a camera in tow.

So, back to my question. I don’t want to have my kids to think guns are bad but at the same time I want them to somehow know that they are dangerous and can do great bodily harm. Of course, guns can also save lives as is the primary reason why I carry. At what point do you start to change their view or approach when it comes to guns and how young is too young to shoot?
 
That's old enough IMO. If you've got a BB-gun or airsoft gun I'd start him off on that, then move to a .22 after he's demonstrated he can be trusted with the basic rules (treat as loaded, muzzle control, finger off trigger until ready to fire, etc). At that age you may have to load it and cock it for him, and hover close at first. Once he starts punching holes through cans (paper gets really boring when young) he'll realize they are capable of damage if not respected, if he doesn't already know that from watching you shoot.

I'd just repeatedly emphasize that while shooting is fun, it's also very serious business because once that trigger is pulled there's no calling back that bb/bullet and it's going to destroy whatever it's pointed at.
 
My 4 year old just started shooting a bb gun, under direct supervision of course. I may try a .22 next year,probably will wait until he is 6 though.
 
I don't even know when I shot my first air gun but I was probably six of so when I shot my first .22. My little brother was only 5 when he shot his first gun. I am 18 years older than him and I was the gun nut in the family by the time he came around. There are firearms all over the place in my house but he knew from the time he could talk that he was never to mess with any of them with out me or my dad around to help. At times we would show him that they were not loaded and let him hold them. He started shooting BB guns when he was probably too young to remember and that was when we started really teaching him gun safety. When he shot his first real gun, a Sears .22lr, it was no big deal to him. He was safe and not a bad shot either. He also got to shoot a mini 14 and AK 47.

My point is if you teach them about guns and gun safety from the time that they are able to speak, you will know when they are ready to shoot their first real gun. This age will vary for every kid.
 
In my opinion, if he is too young to understand and take heed of the four rules, he is too young to be in sole control of a firearm.
 
It's never about a number age, it depends on maturity. I was shootin BB guns at 4, .410 at 5 and duck hunting/shootin skeet at 5 1/2. It all depends. I've met 17 year olds that I wouldn't let shoot my guns under direct supervision.
 
My boys have been shooting a modified JC Higgins .22 single shot since they were five. With heavy supervision, of course. They are 10 and 11 now. I still watch them but, not right over their shoulders. They heave learned the safety lessons very well. They even point out othetr safety gaffes at the range.
 
On average, most children are able to shoot starting at age 6. This is the age I started and fully understood the rules. Rule No. 1. Guns are not toys!
 
So long as they have the physical dexterity to manipulate a firearm safely, and the maturity to understand and abide by the 4 Rules as if they are the word of G*d, they're old enough to shoot.

Maybe start him off with a BB gun to see how he does - treat the BB gun exactly the same as you would a real gun. Don't let him think there's a difference - it's a gun, just different caliber of ammo. I'd even store it in your safe with your other guns.
 
My nephew is almost three, and I can't see him being responsible or calm enough to handle a gun (even a BB gun) until four or five.

He's smart as a whip, but still not really picking up the whole "listen to adults" thing. He's also fiercely independent, and will fight you tooth and nail if you don't let him "do it hisself". I don't like the idea of trying to grab back a loaded BB gun or .22 from him if he decides to wrestle me for it.
 
I really started shooting when I was about 10. I think this is about the optimum age. You can handle a proper gun in a serious hunting caliber (20 gauge, 243 etc.) Generally most adult or standard youth guns will fit children at this age as well.

Having worked in the firearms sales business for a time I realized that parents were starting their children out younger and younger every year it seemed. They were looking for youth 410s mostly of which there is not really many options. (Snakeslayer and Tuffy are the only ones that would fit the 3 yr olds) I tried to encourage the parents to wait a few years more but you know how you cannot convince some people that see through scope mounts are bad, well you know the type.

Basically you have to teach them to shoot when you feel it is the right time and when you can find and afford the right equipment.

Just so everyone knows I am not harping only on gun people, archery parents are the same way.
 
I was gonna say that if they couldn't stand they were too young. But there's always the sitting or kneeling positions. If they can't sit up, well start them off in prone position.

So I can gaurantee that if they're still in the womb, then they're too young.:neener:

It's all about their maturity. Only the parent can make that call.

Wyman
 
Wait until eight.
Click to expand...

That's been my experience with my kids. Eight's when they were ready to readily understand a sight-picture, and therefore not get frustrated with inability to "hit" the target. You don't want them to get frustrated with it, (obviously). It's "fun" when they can learn quickly to succeed at hitting a 8.5x11 target at fifteen or twenty feet with a bb gun. Around nine move to a .22 rifle on 50 foot targets. That's how I progressed as a kid too. Maybe it's genetic.

Les
 
my daughter and nephew both got cricket 22s for their 5th birthdays. they both had to memorize the 4 rules before they them. then they got to handle them with no ammo in the house for a few months to demonstrate gun handling skills. in the first range session, my daughter was hitting shotgun shells and coke cans at about 15 yrds with no problem.

they got semi-auto 22lrs at 8 yrs old (a volquartsen 10/22 and a walther G22). by that time, hitting a 1" target at 40 yrds was pretty easy.

she got a walther p22 pistol and suppressor for her 10th birthday.

she's getting a pink/purple duracoated AR15 for 12th birthday in about 2 months
 
I kind of figured it was going to be a matter of more soul searching on my part to answer the question.

Sam - nice youtube video. I haven't seen that one before. I can't believe he shoots a 45 in those videos.

Taliv - I like your approach and I think that's the way to go for me.

Please continue to post your opinions including when and how you handled it with your children.

Thanks.
 
Age has really has nothing to do with it. I know several middle aged men that have no business around fire arms what-so-ever.
 
Basically, the two times when it's too late/too early:

Age 15-21, or if they develop quicker, 15-18. This is when the part of the brain that uses logic to weigh actions against consequences is not catching up with the emotional part of the brain. If they show they can do so, go ahead.

It just comes down to whether or not they are mature enough to be able to learn, to understand, and to weigh decisions.
 
My grandad let me shoot his model 67 winchester .22 when I was six years old...my mom and dad found out about it after the fact. I assume it was OK with them, but this was 1956 and a whole different world then. It wasn't until i turned 10 that I was 'turned loose' to go hunting with a .22, the first animal I killed was a groundhog out in a field..I wasn't really too proud of it. Don't overanalyze, you know your own kids. Grandad shot a watermelon with a 12 gauge, a good object lesson in lethality.
 
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