RiverRaider

just wondering what ages did you let your kids start shooting

bd chambers

7 and 8 years

CBM SC

I am working with mine right now and he's 5.5 !! He get's impatient with it so I am going slow !!

bigpapa

My son shot another 10 point buck last night! He's gonna be 4 next month. I said itwas only8 points but he said I had to count my thumbs. That little convenience store gun has killed must be over 100 bucks in my house the last month alone. Always remember it's not the amount of time you spend it's the quality of time. Seriously, He's gonna go tree ratin' (squirrel) with me next year just to watch and point them out. Then at 7 I'll get him a bb gun and he can go on a duck hunt with me. Deer? hmmmm probably 10 or 11.

kodiakemt414

I was 8 with a 22 bolt. Worked well for me so that is what I'm planing for mine. My daugther was good to go (8last month) until something made her back out. Still haven't found out what so I'm going to wait a few more years on her. She'll have to learn sooner or later cause that is my rule. Don't have to like it but while guns are in the house you will know how to safely use it just cause you never know. My son (5 last month) can't wait till he can go shooting with dad. If he calms down a little I may take him at 7.

Pawildman

I guess I was about 9 or 10 when I first started with an old Win. 22 bolt. The very first thing I got, tho, was a schooling on gun safety and proper usage. Muzzle direction, backround, loading & unloading, and learning to treat a firearm wiyh respect. If you always consider a gun to be loaded, you will be much more careful with it.
My grandson is 6, and I'm going to start him with a BB gun this summer. A few years of schooling and grasshopper hunting with that, and I'll consider moving him up to a .22. I bought a "Chipmunk" .22 rifle years ago, just anticipating this to come along. I think proceeding rather slowly and reinforcing the principals and ideas you wish to instill in them is very important.

jeepkid

I was young, probably around 5 or so. License at 10 and first buck at 12(first year I could legally deer hunt). No kids of my own, so I don't know what age I would teach my own kids. My buddies daughter is 4 and she called the other day saying how she wants to go huntin with us guys, so we'll teach her with a BB gun before long.

mauser06

started shootin a BB gun at 4 or so. dad would load in a specific count of BBs..toss a can in the yard and count how many hits i got out of how many BBs were in the gun. funny how i remember that. then at 5 or so we would walk down in the woods with the 22. hed always find a can or something someone left behind and let me blast away at it. around the same time he let me shoot a 357 revolver with a 38 special in it..i remember i about dropped it..dad was behind me and made sure i didnt. he was always right there behind me guiding me and watchin. shot the 22 and bb gun till i was about 10. then i got into everything else from shotguns to pistols to legally owned sub machine guns and full machine guns...even a belt fed 1919. i was lucky to grow up and be best friends with a pretty large gun dealer in the areas son. my dad was also friends with the dad. so id go to their camp every weekend with them and burn up ammo from the time i was 10 on.

Maine Shooter

My son's only 5 now and hasn't shot yet. I'm taken him and he handled the noise ok. I don't think it's a matter of age of when to start them but rather an issue of maturity. They've got to be able to understand what's going on and the dangers involved. Drive the safety into them until they're telling you safety measures. When they can show the level of understanding and maturity to deserve to be shooting , it's time. For some that's 6 or 8 for others... heck I know grown adults that aren't mature enough to bring to the range. It's not a question of age.

strutnbuck

I started taking my son turkey hunting when he was 4 (me shooting), but started him with a BB gun at 4 too. He had to learn and show me safety before we ever put BB's in it. He upgraded at 6 to a .223 and went deer hunting for the first time. Shot his first deer at 7. He's 10 now and shooting a 7mm-08. There's no set age, when they are ready, they are ready....Just don't ever make him, let it be fun!