BENOUTHUNTIN

I am really having a hard time to decide whether I should buy my seven year old a BB gun. She has been hunting with me since age two. I want to introduce her to shooting as soon as possible. But, I don't want her to get a lack of respect for them because of the introduction at an early age. She knows all about not touching guns and not to play with and point guns at people. I guess my point is, I want her to love guns and understand the responsibility that comes with them. But, I don't want her to get lax around guns because she was to young to grasp it all. Any comments would be wonderful.
Also what age would be good for a .22?

pharaoh2

Savage builds a really cute little CUB model single shot .22 just for little ones around that age. And what better age is there to really set the rules in stone? I think nows the perfect time. Good luck with your future huntress!

bigbulls

All kids are different so you have to make the final assessment.

I grew up around guns and so are my kids. I got my first real gun at the age of 11. A 12 gague M1300. Before that I used my grandfathers guns any time we went hunting and shooting and I was shooting bb guns and pellet guns since I could walk. I bought my son his first gun when he was 7 or 8 (my memory is lacking[8D]). His was a .410/ .22 combo. He too was shooting bb guns and pellet guns since he could walk

It has been my experience that kids that have been and are around guns since a very early age do not have that desire to just go play with them for no reason. My son and daughter both love guns but from the time they could walk they have been shooting and hunting with me so they have a good respect for them and what they can do but do not have the unhealthy type of fascination with them that too many kids today do.

IMO it is a LACK of access and famaliarity of firearms that cause most of the problems with firearms and kids today. Not the other way around.

Personally I would go ahead and buy her that first .22. Just keep it locked up and let her shoot as much as possible.

j3k2c1

I was given my first gun on my twelth birthday. It is a New England Firearms 20 ga. break-action. Since then I have won 2 more shotguns through trap competition prize money. I am unable to own my own rifle until I am 18.

I think that you should do whatever you honestly feel your daughter is ready for. A .22 at age seven could be great as long as she is heavily supervised for a couple of years. I got my first real compound bow at age 7. My dad supervised me constantly with that bow and still does with all my weapons. Supervision is the key.

Superpig

I began shooting a BB gun at age 5, with close supervision from my Father and Grandfather. At the age of 8 I was given a 410 pump shotgun. I was allowed to begin hunting deer with my dad at age 5 and I began to sit in a treestand alone with a 243 at the age of 9. I was big for my age and my dad boought me a gun that fit. I was not allowed to enter the stand without my dad being there and I brought the gun up and loaded the magazine once I had the rifle in the tree and I was buckled into my safety harness. I also took my first deer at age 9 with the 243. It was a small 9 point buck. I had to unload my rifle and wait on my dad before I could lower the gun and climb down to look at my deer.

My Father obviously thought I was mature enough to handle a firearm at this young age. It will be up to you to decide how mature and responsible your child is with a firearm. Most of my friends were not allowed to carry a firearm on the own until age 12. This excludes a BB gun.

soarkrebel

I started my oldest at 6 with a .22 in a marlin 15yn. i worked with him over time to get him comfortable with guns. now he's 14 and has his own remington 870 12 , h&r 410 single, and his marlin. he thinks my guns are his to . he seems to have a taste for my more expensive guns. i bought a new rem. 700 in 25-06 a couple of years ago and now i don't even get to hunt with it.

Gundigest

I had my firs bb gun about that age and i carried a 20 ga rabit hunting with my dad at about 10 years old. I got my first real gun at 12 which was a 20 ga and at 13 I got a Ruger #1 in 7x57 mauser. I was about 15 when I got my first 22 rifle and my first handgun which was a 22LR. You have to judge you kids ability to handle guns safely.

T/C fan!

Like others have said, its up to you to determine if she's ready for a real gun. Supervision and teaching the responsibilites that come with a firearm are the key. I grew up around guns and got my first bb gun at age five. Then for my 7th b-day, I got a Win model 37A .410 and a Remington 510 single shot 22lr. When you think she's ready, go with a single-shot. It teaches them the importance of shot-placement and to be efficient.

loner

i think that age is not the determining factor.if a youngster is taught the basics of gun safety and what the projectile is capable of doing if not released in the proper place,they can be started early.i started around 6-7 years old with BB guns and was taking squirrels with a single shot shotgun before age 8.i took my sons on their first squirrel hunt at age 8 and they both were responsible.

GooseHunter Jr.

We gave our son a single shot 20 gauge for his 11th birthday......I was 12 when I got mine....I think it has to do more with maturity than age though...I have met some 15 year olds I would not let use a gun yet...