Your first time shooting

[pepsi2451]

I don't remember how old I was. I know I got my first deer rifle for my 11th birthday and I had already been shooting for years before that. My first memories of shooting was shooting a pellet gun in my back yard. I remember I was to small to pump the rifle so my dad would pump it and I would rest it on a picnic table and shoot cans.

[NapaCountyShooter]

I was 7 I believe. My mom and stepdad took care of a ranch in rural Napa County. They took me to hunters' safety first. My stepdad had a 25 yd. range set up in the woods and I learned on a Marlin Lil Buckaroo single shot .22 (which I've now passed on to my son.) Within the year, I was competing in the local turkey shoot in the childs' .22 competitions with my stepdad's AR-7. They let me get into semi autos too early. Ever since then I've loved guns and here I am.

[BayAreaShooter]

I was 7 or 8 I cant exactly remember. I started with a pellet gun shooting apples at my uncles house. Then he let me shoot the .22 and thats when it all started. I was hooked for life.

[norcal.xd]

when i was 10 my stepdad got me a 20 ga. for christmas. that was the first gun i shot..

[Steyrlp10]

How old were you when you shot a firearm for the first time and who taught you how to handle a firearm? I was 14 and my dad taught me. My son is gonna be 11 in Jan. I'm teaching him the basics in firearm safety trying to burn that into his fresh mind. Wife isn't too comfortable with it or ready for him to go shooting even though he really wants too. She is afraid of firearms and won't even touch one.

I can understand your wife's anxiety. It's ok for her to have a healthy respect for firearms, but she should try to trust your judgment also.

In my former life, I knew nothing about firearms, but decided that it would be smart to learn since they were in the house. I had a rough start trying to get info since Calguns and other Lady Calgunners didn't exist then. (I didn't have the support I have now in my former life.)

So, when both my boys were tiny, I taught them basic pistol -- first with the .177 to understand the sights and trigger control -- then onto live fire.

It might help your wife to understand that if boys satisfy their curiosity in a safe manner with firearms under the watchful eye of a parent, the kids will understand that guns are not toys. No one wants a tragedy to happen, and I think education is a key factor to that when they're young.

You're a good dad for being a postive influence in your son's life.

[peopleofthesun]

I can understand your wife's anxiety. It's ok for her to have a healthy respect for firearms, but she should try to trust your judgment also.

In my former life, I knew nothing about firearms, but decided that it would be smart to learn since they were in the house. I had a rough start trying to get info since Calguns and other Lady Calgunners didn't exist then. (I didn't have the support I have now in my former life.)

So, when both my boys were tiny, I taught them basic pistol -- first with the .177 to understand the sights and trigger control -- then onto live fire.

It might help your wife to understand that if boys satisfy their curiosity in a safe manner with firearms under the watchful eye of a parent, the kids will understand that guns are not toys. No one wants a tragedy to happen, and I think education is a key factor to that when they're young.

You're a good dad for being a postive influence in your son's life.

Well thank you for the kinda words . That was my feeling and my point that I made was that I want him to be educated in them and what they're are capable of. I want him to respect them and understand that they're not toys but at the same time that they can be fun and life saving. I rather him learn the correct way to handle them from me than from his friends or worse try to learn on his own and we know how that could end. She is warming up to it and I'm being patient because I know how hard it is for her.

[Steyrlp10]

Well thank you for the kinda words . That was my feeling and my point that I made was that I want him to be educated in them and what they're are capable of. I want him to respect them and understand that they're not toys but at the same time that they can be fun and life saving. I rather him learn the correct way to handle them from me than from his friends or worse try to learn on his own and we know how that could end. She is warming up to it and I'm being patient because I know how hard it is for her.

Best of luck to you... all moms tend to worry, so I understand. In that regard, I'm a real girl - lol - but I'm confident that my kids will not aim the pointy end of the gun at themselves

Besides, your son is the next generation of Calgunner

[peopleofthesun]

Best of luck to you... all moms tend to worry, so I understand. In that regard, I'm a real girl - lol - but I'm confident that my kids will not aim the pointy end of the gun at themselves

Besides, your son is the next generation of Calgunner

Yeah I believe he will be after his first time. The way he grips the gun already looks natural and confident..lol

[MaHoTex]

I was 7. I am teachning my 2 boys now: 11 and 5.

[sniper5]

6. Grandfather took me shooting with a Remington 12 pump .22 and a High Standard Sentinel .22 revolver.

[smle-man]

About 10 at the amusement park shooting gallery. 50 cents got you a magazine tube of .22 shorts out of either a Marlin 39 carbine or Winchester 62 rifle. I liked the Marlin because it looked like the carbine the Rifleman used on TV. After the shooting gallery we would drop the fired cases on visitors from the ferris wheel.

[Bukowski]

I was 8 years old at a YMCA summer camp. They had beat up bolt action .22's. For some reason I remember being far more excited about archery and rocketry.

Man, the kids today are missing out. We used to play "archery golf" with the targets flat on the ground best round won a candy bar. Kind of like officially sanctioned lawn darts with bows and arrows...

Funny thing is, nobody got killed/ maimed and everyone had a great time. I guess orange nerf guns will have to do for my kids as long as we stay in California.

[westcoast362]

Probably about 1955, I would have been eight. I had a Winchester M-67 youth rifle. That is a single shot .22 bolt action. We shot .22 shorts because they were cheaper than LRs.
Walking across the desert, plinking at whatever. It was great. I still have that gun.

[Freagan]

Probably 9 or 10 shooting my grandfathers Remington Nylon semi-auto .22lr

[Sajedene]

I was about four when my dad introduced me to his revolver. Then at seven my mom took me to the range to shoot rifles. Long hiatus after that and then Calguns taught me everything else.