Ideal Shooting Age?

[KimoBBZ]

Sooo... How old were YOU when you 1st lit off a live round? Was it a memorable event (positive or other-wise), please share?

Daughter is turning 4 in November, and while I'm anxious to get her to the range for some prone .22LR sessions, I realize she's not there maturity-wise. Maybe @ 5 or 6.

She's great so far with understanding boundries concerning the big & small safes around the house and safety issues. But not quite there yet on patience and attention span.

She's quite comfortable with my airsoft and cardboard targets out back, but is only attentive for about 10 shots... when a butterfly or birdie distracts her.

[Sydwaiz]

2. That's how old I was. I don't remember. My dad said he helped me shoot a .22 Bearcat and my mom said she wasn't too amused! Been shooting ever since.

[USN CHIEF]

First time I fired a gun was back in Mexico. I was only like 13 years old. It was my dad's Colt .45 Government Model. I still remember the ringing in my ears, they did not wear hearing protection over there.

[Nodda Duma]

I don't remember how young I was, but it was a .30-06 and I was less than 10 yrs old. I remember the ringing, too.. they don't really use hearing protection in the Ozarks, either.

-Jason

[timmyb21]

When I was 6 I got my first BB gun. First live round was when I was 8, my dad gave me his handed down marlin .22, and I proceeded to shoot about 500 round through that thing in one afternoon. It was the most fun I'd ever had! IF your little girl is doing good with airsoft, let her try out the .22. Of course she'll be under direct supervision, and if she doesn't do as well as you like, give it another 6 months and try again. Good luck!

[Guntech]

Don't start too early if she isn't ready, heard about that kid who shot the RO times because he was startled after the first shot.

[Jpach]

When I was 6 or 7 or so and visiting my family in New Mexico, we all went out to the desert to hunt rabbit,quail, and anything else that moved. I probably started with a .22 and then after that trip I was shooting my dads .30-40 Krag. Its been on ever since. When you feel that shes ready, let her have a go at the .22. Hope shes ready soon!

[elsolo]

Ideal age to get started, about 7-10 yrs old.
If they aren't getting into it as you had hoped, try another shooting sport before they burn out.

[SJgunguy24]

I started shooting when I was 7. My Mother is a huge lefty and still thinks that guns are evil. My uncle was the guy who too me shooting. I started ny son at 7, but before I ever let him fire a shot he had to learn to clean the rifle. I belive if the mystery of firearms is removed than the accident rate will decrease. Just be careful when she starts school, we were called in for a confrence with my sons teacher. She found it "disturbing" that I was teaching my son how to "murder" and that guns are "killing machines" that have no place in the world.

I hate hippies

[tombinghamthegreat]

I was 11 years old when i started, that seems like a decent age IMO.

[KimoBBZ]

...I started ny son at 7, but before I ever let him fire a shot he had to learn to clean the rifle. I belive if the mystery of firearms is removed than the accident rate will decrease...

I will have to concur, as I have a parallel experience:

An uncle of mine began taking his sons shooting at ages 6 and 8, part of the deal was that they were involved from "soup to nuts". From preparing range gear, checking weapons/equipment/ammo to cleaning & put away. Soon after they started, almost daily they would ask to see and handle the firearms and his response was that they could see/handle any thing they wanted, but had to disassemble and clean it.

My uncle had his hands full for a little while, as I was living with them at the time I saw all of this 1st hand. But soon, a bonus of the boys knowing how to handle all of his firearms safely, was that the "mystery" of having them in the house was GONE. Additionally, they eventually stopped wanting to "see/handle" firearms, except when going shooting... cause they knew they'd have to CLEAN 'EM. He started ASKING them all the time if they wanted to handle the firearms, they of couse refused... I remember once we had gone shooting during the day, picked the boys up afterwards, and "tricked" them in to getting a free cleaning job!

The "boys" now 22 and 27 are level headed - Both received their 1st handguns from me... a Norinco 1911 (should've stocked up on this when I had the chance) and a Glock 21 respectively. You know Filipinos and their .45's :D

[CSACANNONEER]

I believe that age has little to do with when someone is ready to learn to shoot. Well, they need to have the strength and motor skills needed so they have to be a few years old. But, maturity level is much more important! I know or have seen a lot of +40 year olds as well as many 20 somethings who, IMHO, are not mature enough to be handling firearms.

[KimoBBZ]

...I was only like 13 years old. It was my dad's Colt .45 Government Model...
I bet those weren't lite handloaded wadcutters either!


I don't remember how young I was, but it was a .30-06 and I was less than 10 yrs old...
Yowza... I hope you had the rifle tucked in tight, .30-06 could bruise a 10 year old shoulder pretty good.


...when I was 8, my dad gave me his handed down marlin .22, and I proceeded to shoot about 500 round through that thing in one afternoon...
I can totally see that, I remmember pretty clearly my 1st handgun shoot (Ruger bull barrel .22) and I blew through a lot of ammo that afternoon.


...I probably started with a .22 and then after that trip I was shooting my dads .30-40 Krag...
How long a trip was it? Like a week or weekend? I'm a paper puncher mainly, but would love the chance to go for pig, I geared up w/ a 30-30 lever and a .44 mag sidearm, but never did do it.


...If they aren't getting into it as you had hoped, try another shooting sport before they burn out...
This got me thinking about getting NRA instructor certified and getting involved in shooting/training events for kids.

[tombinghamthegreat]

IThis got me thinking about getting NRA instructor certified and getting involved in shooting/training events for kids.

Boyscouts from my experence is a great place to learn about firearms and how to handle guns properly. I would assume if you did do that you would deal with a lot of boyscouts.

[gcvt]

I think I was about 8 or 9 when I started shooting .22. We were on my Grandparent's property in Austin. We were resting the rifle across the hood of our Olds Delta 88....I ended shooting into the hood. Oops.

[MrCody]

I learned to shoot rifle at age 7 when we were still living in Arkansas.My uncle taught me with a bolt action .22.It was on his farm outside Clarksville.After I got good at it he graduated me to shooting the feral cats that always came around his chicken coups.Prior to that I had only been nailing the cats and various other critters with a slingshot.

[AdamM]

I was 11 when i first shot a live round. It was a .22lr. before that it was all BB's and pellets

[5968]

I started shooting when I was 5 with my father. I started my daughter at 7. I don't think it matters so much how old a kid is, as much as how responsible they are and how good they listen. Heck, I go to range and see 40 year olds that I don't think are responsible enough to be shooting.

[jumbopanda]

A couple months before I turned 17, I went to the LAX range with my dad and shot a SW 1911 and a Glock 17. I didn't own any guns then, but shortly after I bought a Mosin M44, which I didn't shoot until almost a year later I believe.

[sorensen440]

I was probably 8
I think alot depends on the child
dont start till you can hold there attention

[cactus]

Ah now this is a thread I can relate to. My earliest childhood memory is me sitting on a abandoned rail road bridge with my dad at 3 years old shooting his colt woodsman; Acording to him I was 2. Thanks to the all the great guys here at Calguns at the Area 52 shoot my 6 year old son got to shoot a f/a mp-5 and he is still talking about it! In my opinion it all depends on there maturity not so much the age. At age 3 I gave my son a visual example of what guns can do alla a 10 gauge versus a pumpkin; the lesson stuck. Im proud to hear him yell "finger off the trigger" prior to him touching any gun im allowing him to shoot. We started him with a Ithica single shot lever action 22 at age 4. It taught him to open the breach load a round cock the hammer turn off the safety and safely shoot it. Ive bee transitioning him to a Walther G-22 with extremely close supervision im always his shadow. Now my daughter I love her fire cracker spirit but at 3 shes not ready. I teach her gun safety but we havent shot yet. My avatar is me and my son son shooting a 22 luger I think he was 5 and each round was loaded individually. Personally the best memories I have of my dad are hunting or shooting with him, I hope to do the same with all my kids. It puts the biggest smile on my face when my boy says " dad do you remember when we went camping and I got to shoot that MP-5? It was AWSOME!". By the way in case I didnt get to say this before a personal thank you to all the guys at the Area -52 shoot for being so great to my boy! PS had to add this pic. I was taking a picture of the gun table and he put his head in the picture with that huge smile he wore all weekend!

[KimoBBZ]

...We were resting the rifle across the hood of our Olds Delta 88....I ended shooting into the hood. Oops...
:eek: What was that a V8 305 ? I bet you tell that story a lot!!


... After I got good at it he graduated me to shooting the feral cats that always came around his chicken coups...
I don't have chicken coups, but the cats around here LOVE chiling out in my back yard/hillside hunting small birds, leaving nasty cat sh*t all over. I spank 'em with my airsoft rifle -when lit up by a dozen or so pellets, they tend to stay away for awhile.


... my 6 year old son got to shoot a f/a mp-5 and he is still talking about it...
SWEET!!!:D I BET he'll be talking about that for years... until he finds girls anyway. Camping with a nearby place to shoot sounds like another winner, and more intimate that the range... Will have to reserch that.

[slick_711]

I started at 4, my grandfather had me shooting .22lr shot shells at soda cans on his ranch. It progressed from there. Good memories. :)

[AJAX22]

I started with match grade pellet guns around age 6 or so

first actual firearm was in boyscouts with a single shot .22LR around 11 ish... followed by some trap shooting with a 20 gauge and a 12 gauge. (maby 100-200 rounds, it was .50 cents a shell for the shotgun, and you had to wait in a long line for the .22) and at my age it was alot of money for the shotgun)

then I fired about 5 shotgun shells over the years (my family never had guns, but my dad would take me to the range sometimes so I could see the other guys shooting... and once in a while someone would let me shoot a round... He even took me shopping for a trap gun when he found out that I had scored a perfect on my boy scout merit badge test) But between my dad being one of the cheapest people on the planet and my mom not allowing guns in the house I never was able to actually get one or shoot one at length.

Then about 16 or so I got to shoot about 15 .22LR rounds through my buddies rifle at some milk jugs in the creek behind his grandparents house....

And at 19 I bought my first firearm, a J.C. higgans .22LR single shot bolt action rifle.... and burned through maby 10K or so rounds in the first year. and shortly afterwards bought a Ithaca 37 and an M1 carbine.

I had wanted to buy a gun ever since I first shot one, but my parents stuck to the 'not under our roof' line so I would go to gun shows and gun stores and swap meets and buy accessories, but I wasn't able to get a firearm until I was out of my parents house and out of the dorms at school...

The number years between when I first started wanting a gun and when I finally got one I stockpiled everything gun related that they would sell me... which really amounted to magazines, scopes, cleaning kit stuff and other misc parts.

To this day I've only gone shooting with my dad once and it was with my first rifle..

[gcvt]

:eek: What was that a V8 305 ? I bet you tell that story a lot!!

Nope...it was the big block 455! We ended up putting that motor in our jet boat :D It wasn't my fault though...Oldsmobile didn't have to put a raised lip on the front quarter panels. Damn them! LOL. Tough cars back then...the bullet barely made a dent. They sure don't make 'em like they used to.