Age to introduce kid to shooting

[bbckfh]

All:

Given that I live in Metro Detroit, at what age would you take a kid to a DNR (or other) range?

My buddy's kid is 11, and mature enough that he follows all the proscribed rules of safety in theory and discussion. Excited about shooting, but not an "excitable" kid. Most ranges seem leery (justifably so, in my mind).

Your decision: wait the year or two before the ranges are all happy, or take now? Of course, dad will be with us, and we'll both watch. I won't shoot, merely there to teach. Of course, Hunter's Safety cert. will be taken.

I appreciate your thoughts.

[rjrivero]

It's a child dependant thing. My daugther was 9 when she took her first game. She's been shooting a good bit before that. She was ready. Able to focus, follow direction. Now she's 13 and shooting NRA Jr. Rifle once a week. Teach them when they're ready, IMVHO.

[Made_in_Michigan]

Spend some time with the kid in the kitchen teaching gun handling safety and how they work. By the end of the lesson, you should have a great feel if the kid is mature enough to take it seriously and learn. A relative just took her first deer at 11(had been shooting for almost 5 years) In the same family, a boy was given another year as his skill/attention span wasn't up to snuff when 11 (First started shooting at 10). It all depends on the kid.

[SomeGun]

All:

Given that I live in Metro Detroit, at what age would you take a kid to a DNR (or other) range?

My buddy's kid is 11, and mature enough that he follows all the proscribed rules of safety in theory and discussion. Excited about shooting, but not an "excitable" kid. Most ranges seem leery (justifably so, in my mind).

Your decision: wait the year or two before the ranges are all happy, or take now? Of course, dad will be with us, and we'll both watch. I won't shoot, merely there to teach. Of course, Hunter's Safety cert. will be taken.

I appreciate your thoughts.

My dad started me at 6 completely supervised until I was 10 and then limited to air guns and .22 rifle only with his knowledge and consent (grew up in W.VA.) Trained on a .22 Colt Woodsman pistol at 10 and supervised on handguns till 12.

Started hunting with him at 10 shooting small game, had gone hunting as a walk along at 8 and carrying unloaded firearms for him and a friend.
Moved up to larger game at 12

We had an area to shoot and practice behind our house. We had to hunt because we did not have much money and depended on game.

I was proficient in rifles and handguns by 12. Allowed to shoot in the backyard at 14 on my own after school and learned how to reload ammo.


I completely understood guns and potential danger by 10.

My dad was a WWII vet and a real outdoors man. Miss him a lot and all the trust and faith he had in me.

I don't know how young kids are today since mine are both grown and live elsewhere and have not started a family yet.

Chronological and mental age seem to be a bit askew these days but it totally depends on the kid.

[Shyster]

My daughter started at 8 and at 10 has her very own Marlin Papoose.

[who dat]

My daughter started at 8 and at 10 has her very own Marlin Papoose.One grand girl at 4, the other at 6.

4 was probably too early. She was more interested in picking up shiny brass, but that's not all bad either.

[Roundballer]

As all (most) of the others have said, it really depends on the kid. I have had as young as 8 in a smallbore program. Other than the issue of smaller ones not having the muscle tone to properly support the rifle, we notice that there is usually a large change in the attention span around the age of 10. You will have to make the judgement, but, start'em young.

I too started around the age of 8 with a BB gun. When I showed a diligence with both safety and marksmanship, I was allowed to shoot alone. Graduated to a .22 by the time I was 10, and carried a Czech made 7mm Mauser at the age of 14 the first time I went deer hunting. I was gifted a used Bolt-action 12ga (JC Higgens)sp? before deer season the next year. The BB gun was 1963, and I still have both the shotgun and the BB gun.

[RifleGuy]

My daughter expressed an interest when she was 6. She fired a few shots from a single shot .410 at a backyard skeet shoot.

She became an active shooter at 8, and for her 12th birthday I gave her a Browning Buckmark pistol that was custom engraved for her.

[shifty_85]

self tought at 17.

my nephew loves guns and shot my BB gun alot i tought him how to be safe with that the basic's before going to the range. he was 11 when i took him frist time and he did great. and rememberd all the safe stuff as well. didnt like the .357 and AR-15 going off next to him next time ill double him up on ears.

[bongi11]

If you wait a year or two the kid might not be intrested at all ever any easily persuaded to think antigun. My 2 cents. Just keep a close eye on everyone else also at the range.

[Mike in Michigan]

Ditto on the "child specific" comment. I have worked with kids as young as 5 who were genuinely interested, would listen, and obey instructions and they were a pleasure to coach. I have seen a 14 year old asked to leave a hunter safety class because they were not mature enough and ready to handle firearms. Remember that younger kids have very short attention spans. As soon as they appear to loose interest, stop and do something else. Being able to shoot in my back yard, I have worked with grandkids who would shoot for 5 minutes and then lose interest. We put the guns away and took up something else. They usually ask later in the day to shoot again, and we do. If you try to force a kid to do something they have lost interest in, you will alienate them. Be aware that boys are usually more difficult to coach than girls.

[tyler79durdan]

When my kids become curious, I will take the time to explain it all, step by step, in an orderly and educational format. Once they can tell me answers to questions i ask them at random times, in random places(McD's, grocery store), then I will take them out to prove themselves while actually holding the hardware. Unloaded first, then loaded next, then shooting finally. A little patience pays off in the future...

My family was instrumental in the weapon safety practices that are subconsciously ingrained today.

[TopNotch89]

When my kids become curious, I will take the time to explain it all, step by step, in an orderly and educational format. Once they can tell me answers to questions i ask them at random times, in random places(McD's, grocery store), then I will take them out to prove themselves while actually holding the hardware. Unloaded first, then loaded next, then shooting finally. A little patience pays off in the future...

My family was instrumental in the weapon safety practices that are subconsciously ingrained today.
How my dad taught me! I had a bbgun at a VERY young age and never once thought about neighbors cats windows or anything because I knew better.

[nitrous_bob]

I don't think they are ever too young. FYI he can legally hunt at 10

Anyways, pour on the knowledge, and see how he picks it up. Work at his pace no matter what that might be

Just my 2 cents

A nice bridge I like for handguns is 22mag, to graduate from LR to 9mm

Also throw some snap caps in the mags, and watch for mistakes

Good luck!

[GreaseMonkeySRT]

I vote child specific. Some kids can handle it younger, some can't. Some never will.

I started around 6 or 7 with BB guns, then to .22s and onwards from there.