How old were you when you first started shooting?

[Rule .308]

My kids have always known that they could look at any of my guns they want to, they just need to ask. As they got older the rule changed to you cannot look at anything that you cannot physically check to make sure it is unloaded. The look on my middle child's face when she finally mustered the muscle and technique to pull the slide back and lock it open on my Colt Officer's model was priceless. All of my stuff has always been locked up and the kids have always been able to see anything they wanted to, they just have to ask.

[wjc]

Boy Scouts at 11 or 12.

Rifle and Shotgun Shooting was my first merit badge.

[fighterpilot562]

I have similar fond memories of shooting with my Dad and Grandpa at the family ranch. I caught the bug early on and my Dad allow me to spend my money on handguns at the age of 17. He bought a S&W 629, HK USP 9mm, and I had the Sig 226 he gave me. On my 18th birthday I went to a gunshow and bought my first AR. On my 21st birthday I bought my first 1911 and my Dad transferred all of my handguns to my name. Worked at the shooting range and gun store, where I picked up most of my collection because I'd get used guns from customers or buy new ones at dealer cost.

I'm envisioning my boys to be the same, especially my youngest. Good memories of quality time spent with my Dad and Grandpa have kept me in the hobby for a long time

Nice, my dad's not into shooting anymore, but i always was grateful he raised me up around guns and not to be scared around guns. I plan to do the same with my kids as well.

[RandyD]

I am 53 years old and one important lesson that I have learned in life is that people and kids will act like they are treated. If you treat someone as if they are competent and mature, that person will act competent and mature. The same can be said of treating someone as if they are incompetent, immature, untrustworthy, ect.

I was introduced to shooting a 22 at age 5. All the boys in my neighborhood, in Phoenix, Arizona, had bb guns, by the time we were in first and second grade, and our parents allowed us to get together, wander through the neighborhood and desert with them and shoot them unsupervised. One time, we were caught shooting Christmas lights, and all of us lost our bb guns for a couple of weeks. When we reached the age of 12 our parents allowed us to go shooting with 22s unsupervised. Keep in mind that shooting bb guns or 22s was almost a daily event for us as we grew up, and our fathers routinely took us shooting on the weekends. When we were in high school, during dove and quail season, my friends and I went hunting before and after school, and took our shotguns to school locked behind the seat of one of our trucks.

[RobinGoodfellow]

I was 12; maybe 13. Bolt action .22.

[RandyD]

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.

I am raising my daughter in a similar manner. I told her that I will let her hold any gun anytime if she asks me. I have also done the same thing you did; I left an unloaded gun on a table where she plays and watched her reaction. Upon seeing the gun, she immediately yelled to me that a gun was on her table. That gave me some reassurance that she will do the same thing if she ever encounters a firearm when I am not around.

I think the anti-gun culture in California coupled with the way TV and movies present firearms will lead to more negligent shootings. One of my techniques in educating my daughter is to eliminate the curiousity factor. I have also taught her that if any kid starts handling a firearm, when she is over at a friend's house, without adult supervision, she is to immediately leave the house.

[Twystd1]

I started in 1958.

HOLY CRAP... I'm old.

[Supertac916]

I started in 1958.

HOLY CRAP... I'm old.

LOL... Nah, your just a seasoned veteran

It's nice to see a variety of ages on this thread from 17 years old to guys who learned how to shoot in the 1940's. Just shows us the diverse demographic of Calgunners. Interesting how no matter how old we are the fond memories we had a youngsters that got us into this hobby.

Hope I will do the same for my kids...

[Supertac916]

I am raising my daughter in a similar manner. I told her that I will let her hold any gun anytime if she asks me. I have also done the same thing you did; I left an unloaded gun on a table where she plays and watched her reaction. Upon seeing the gun, she immediately yelled to me that a gun was on her table. That gave me some reassurance that she will do the same thing if she ever encounters a firearm when I am not around.

I think the anti-gun culture in California coupled with the way TV and movies present firearms will lead to more negligent shootings. One of my techniques in educating my daughter is to eliminate the curiousity factor. I have also taught her that if any kid starts handling a firearm, when she is over at a friend's house, without adult supervision, she is to immediately leave the house.

I agree that eliminating the curiosity factor makes a huge difference. When a first showed my guns to my boys last year they were all over them. Wanting to hold them, play with them, learn how to use the optics, etc. Now, I come home from the range and they just ask me how shooting was and when can they come.

Kids will be kids and what do they do when you tell them something is off limits? They find a way and figure out what they can't do... I want to teach my kids to respect guns, let adults know if they come across one, and not to be afraid of them.

[Supertac916]

My kids have always known that they could look at any of my guns they want to, they just need to ask. As they got older the rule changed to you cannot look at anything that you cannot physically check to make sure it is unloaded. The look on my middle child's face when she finally mustered the muscle and technique to pull the slide back and lock it open on my Colt Officer's model was priceless. All of my stuff has always been locked up and the kids have always been able to see anything they wanted to, they just have to ask.

My boys aren't strong enough yet either to work the slide. It's funny seeing them cringe and strain while they are trying to check the chamber. When they can't open it they hand me the gun and say "Daddy could you make sure it's not loaded". My response is "The gun is always considered to be loaded, but I'll make sure there isn't a round in the chamber".

[Supertac916]

Nice, my dad's not into shooting anymore, but i always was grateful he raised me up around guns and not to be scared around guns. I plan to do the same with my kids as well.

My Dad took a 10 year break from shooting after he got into golf. The way I've been getting him out was setting up some Defensive Handgun courses with qualified instructors. He has his CCW interview in a few weeks for Sac County and now it's me teaching him for once

[gwanghoops]

First shot a handgun at 16 at UCLA when they still had an indoor pistol range!

[2shotjoe]

26.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[fighterpilot562]

My Dad took a 10 year break from shooting after he got into golf. The way I've been getting him out was setting up some Defensive Handgun courses with qualified instructors. He has his CCW interview in a few weeks for Sac County and now it's me teaching him for once

Haha nice, good luck to him with the CCW, sadly i live in LA county, so you no haha, i think i might take him to a range soon(more like make him). He was born and raised around guns, he hunted all the time back before me and my brother born. So now i gotta bring his love for guns back.

[latesvak]

33 . I just got into it a couple years ago but fell in head first .



Luke