I started my son out with a chipmunk when he was 5 or 6 don't remember exactly and had to cut the stock 2" or so .
Bought him a 410 shotgun when he was 10 years old .



I bought him a 20 gauge semi when he was 12.

He has a Tikka 308 at his disposal whenever he wants to go deer hunting


It all depends on the maturity level of the kid and his/her physical size. I am around whenever he shoots something anyway until he gets a little older .

I started shooting a daisy red ryder in 7th grade and have never looked back. No one in my family owned guns or hunted so I was pretty much on my own.