How old were you when you first started shooting?

[Supertac916]

I'm curious to see how old some of you guys were, when you first started shooting. I have a 5 and 3 year old sons that would like to learn how to shoot. The local range I used to work at will allow me to take them before or after normal range hours, so I could teach them proper safety and handling.

I have a few bb, pellet, and .22 rifles that I'd like to teach them on, but do you guys think they're too young?

I started shooting bb guns and .22 rifles, when I was 6 on my family's ranch. Unfortunately, housing developments and estate taxes took that opportunity away from my kids. I remember shooting my first shotgun at 8 years old and handguns at 10.

Those of you with young kids. Have you taken them out shooting and how old are they or were they when you did?

[CDFingers]

8 years old on an 8x50r Budapest Mannlicher. I still have it.

CDFingers

[AK all day]

I was about four. I stuck with .22s until I was about 8 years old. Maturity level, and safety are key. You can never learn safety too early in life.

[Exile Machine]

Real guns? Teenage years. Back in the 70's I used to just grab Dad's .22 rifle and a pocketful of ammo and walk out into the local woods to shoot up tin cans. I didn't case the gun (didn't even have a case for it if I recall correctly) and the sight of a local boy shouldering a rifle walking down the street didn't cause a panic among the locals. This was in suburban Pittsburgh. Of course back then kids played with lever action pop guns, cap guns, and bb guns, and none of them had that ridiculous safety orange plastic thing at the muzzle. Oh and Dad bought that .22 rifle at a hardware store in the mid 60's and I'm pretty sure he just paid cash and walked out with it, like buying any other tool. We've got to get back to those days.

-Mark

[Supertac916]

8 years old on an 8x50r Budapest Mannlicher. I still have it.

CDFingers

Nice, I still have the old Winchester bolt action .22, 20 gauge pump, and 16gauge Winchester my Grandpa gave me when I was a kid. Also, still have the Sig 226 9mm my Dad gave me when I was 15.

Having two young boys I still can't believe my Dad trusted me enough to have a 9mm in my room at 15. Locked up in a small safe of course and I never showed my friends, unless we were headed to the range with my Dad.

[Supertac916]

Real guns? Teenage years. Back in the 70's I used to just grab Dad's .22 rifle and a pocketful of ammo and walk out into the local woods to shoot up tin cans. I didn't case the gun (didn't even have a case for it if I recall correctly) and the sight of a local boy shouldering a rifle walking down the street didn't cause a panic among the locals. This was in suburban Pittsburgh. Of course back then kids played with lever action pop guns, cap guns, and bb guns, and none of them had that ridiculous safety orange plastic thing at the muzzle. Oh and Dad bought that .22 rifle at a hardware store in the mid 60's and I'm pretty sure he just paid cash and walked out with it, like buying any other tool. We've got to get back to those days.

-Mark

LOL.. Yeah, those were the days before my time My Grandpa's told me they used to just walk into the local store and buy their guns, ammo, and walk out. I remember going thru my Grandpa's closet years ago and he had several old rifles, shotguns, and handguns laying around that he acquired back when he used to hunt for his family's food. Things have definitely changed, since then at least here in Cali..

[haole_50]

I was about 12, when I got to shoot my younger brothers 22. I was DEAD afraid to shoot it, until I pulled the trigger; and then the "disease" caught me; the Army made me worse with all the weapons to "play with", and make things blow up.

[Supertac916]

I was about 12, when I got to shoot my younger brothers 22. I was DEAD afraid to shoot it, until I pulled the trigger; and then the "disease" caught me; the Army made me worse with all the weapons to "play with", and make things blow up.

That's exactly what my wife's afraid of because my boys already run around the house playing soldier. I'll teach them how to shoot and if they decide when they're adults that they want to join the military, then that's their decision. However, if they're going to risk sacrificing their lives, it better be for protecting our freedoms here in the US. Not being sent to fight someone elses war with ridiculous rules of engagement and to line the pockets of the politicians and their cronies. By the way, thank you for your service and sacrifices.

[fighterpilot562]

I was about 6 or 7 if i recall right. My family was at our cabin in the desert, my dad took us outside with his .22 set up some targets. And taught me and my brother gun safety and how to shoot. Got my bb gun at about age 13, kept them up at the cabin. Anytime we went to the desert, we got our bb guns and once we hit our teen years he let us go alone with the .22. anytime went to the desert, we always look forward to shooting. So when i finally got old enough i started to buy guns myself.

[Farva]

4 or 5 years old. Single shot lever action 22LR.

[Rule .308]

I was about 4. I distinctly remember shooting my old man in the rear end with my older brother's red ryder. You know it seemed like the thing to do at the time, in retrospect it was a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad idea, I think there are probably still slivers of that red ryder stock embedded in my backside. Once we got passed that minor bump in the road I progressed to the Ithaca single shot .22 that all 3 of us kids learned to shoot on.

Really though, it all depends upon the kid. Kind of like how old should they be for their first pocket knife. I just had this conversation with my 7 year old grandson and I told him that I have known youngsters that I had no problem with owning and carrying a knife at 7-8 years old and that in the same breath I know grown men that I would not trust with a pointed stick let alone a knife. All depends upon the kid, 4-5 is definitely not too young for most of them.

[General]

eight

[Vacaville]

Dad got me a Red Ryder when I was 8. Happy to say that a lot of my shooting skills and my love of shooting come from dragging my BB gun around the hills and fields of Dublin in the '60s and '70s (If you live there now most everywhere my friends and I went are now paved over or covered with buildings).

Didn't shoot a firearm until I was 19 and went into the military.

[XVIga_Rob]

I have 2 girls, 6 & 8. They have not asked, but if they do, I will gladly teach them.

My first experience was with a BB gun when I was about 4. My uncle would let me shoot it when we were camping. Received my own Crossman rifle as a Christmas present, when I was 10. That was the day my life changed!!
I honed skills over the next 5 ~ 6 years shooting anything & everything (milk cartons, to old chewed up army men, rattle snakes, etc). Got into trouble a few times too!
About 16, started shooting a Ruger 10/22, 20ga shotgun, & a black powder rifle. After High shool, I went into the Army, and life changed again!!

Got away from shooting for awhile (not really sure why). About 5 years ago, I started shooting & hunting again. Forgot how much I enjoy to shoot & hunt.

[Supertac916]

I definitely agree with you guys on how it depends on the maturity level of the kids.

My kids enjoy handling my firearms and I've been teaching them the basics.

1) Gun is always loaded
2) Never point the gun at anyone
3) Finger off the trigger

Most importantly do not ever handle Daddy's guns without my permission. I lock all of my guns up besides my carry gun, which is usually on me and if it's not it's in a Gun Vault.

I will leave a unloaded gun out every once and while to see what the kids will do. My oldest lectures me about how dangerous it is leaving a gun out where kids can get to it My youngest will come up to me and ask me if I could make sure it's not loaded, so he could look at it. I told both of them that they can only handle real guns, if I am standing right next to them and checked to make sure it's safe. So far they've been really good about proper safety, handling, and telling an adult when they see real guns. My threat is that if I ever see them handling guns without permission that they will not be able to shoot, until they're Daddy's age and I'm old

My youngest has the most interest in guns. He came with me to the LGS and gunsmith over the weekend, so I could drop off my Browning HP. The kid was talking so much I told him to go look at guns. He walks off with his teddy bear and proceeds to check out all of the handguns on display. Comes back a few minutes later to show me the revolvers that he wants, when he gets older. Asks me to pick him up so he could look at the shotguns and rifles on the wall. The kid asked for a double barrel shotgun and a sniper rifle from Santa at his older brothers pre-school Christmas party last year. My wife has it on video and when the room went silent when a 2 year old asks Santa for firearms. My wife was a little embarrassed because she told our oldest not to ask for the AK 47 he wanted, but forgot to tell our little guy...lol

I've noticed that since I allow them to handle my firearms under my supervision that they don't go around looking for them. Unlike, when I was growing up and one of my friends snuck into his Dad's rooms and got to his loaded .357, which he was told never to touch the gun.

What are your guys thoughts about how I'm teaching my kids? I want to teach my kids to respect firearms and not to be afraid of them as I was taught. I did catch my youngest picking up one of my AR's after I showed it to him, but after I lectured him for a few minutes he hasn't done it since. He comes and gets me all of the time now.