What is too young?

[CSACANNONEER]

In my opinion again, 18 years of age is about right time to get to know weapons (guns).

There are things that kids can learn quickly; there are other things that requires very long time to learn. It is up to parents to set the priorities for their children. At the age of 18, they can pretty much decide what are the priorities in their lives and on their own. Let them take over from there.

By exposing the kids to weapons and Lead at early age is no good for their health either.

Fullfiling life itself is like filling a cup full of rocks, stones and sand. Let's fill it up with big rocks first, then comes smaller stones, and finally grains of sand.

WOW!! Are you kidding? How long have you known Sarah Brady? I think you have it totally backwards. Why would you want to keep firearms a mystery to kids? If they get to know how to properly handle and respect firearms at a young age, they will be a lot less likely to be invovled in a firearm related mishap.

[Seesm]

WOW!! Are you kidding? How long have you known Sarah Brady? I think you have it totally backwards. Why would you want to keep firearms a mystery to kids? If they get to know how to properly handle and respect firearms at a young age, they will be a lot less likely to be invovled in a firearm related mishap.

Here here +1000

[AlexBreya]

In my opinion, it is too young for get to learn how to use weapon before 18 years of age.

Are you serious? I'm 17 (got my first gun when i was 16) and I'm 100% positive that I know how to use all 7 of the guns that my family has. If you know anyone above the age of 15 who can't learn how to shoot/be familiar with any gun within 15 minutes, than that kid is just an idiot. btw, a knife is a weapon, so if you don't think that you should be allowed to use a knife until you're 18, you're just being ridiculous.

[CSACANNONEER]

Are you serious? .............If you know anyone above the age of 15 who can't learn how to shoot/be familiar with any gun within 15 minutes, than that kid is just an idiot.

If anyone thinks that 15 minutes is all it takes to properly and safely learn to handle/shoot a firearm then, they are an idiot! Maybe, after proper instuctions on the basics of firearms handling, 15 minutes per weapon could be concievable. But, if you (a 17 year old) think that 15 minutes of training is all someone needs to be safe and proficent with firearms, I'd have to side with gsusd and go further by saying that even 18 is too young. I really hope you just didn't comunicate your thoughts well.

[Justin562]

A single shot or a lever action repeater 22 lr would suit you children better than the battle guns they desire... Baby steps man!
I forget who makes it; I think savage made a survival o/u type .22lr over a 20 gauge. I "played" with one when I was 10 years old, I liked it alot.
I also had a single shot bolt action 22 lr. which I feel made me into a decent target shooter today. You tend to focus more on hitting the target knowing you only have one shot. On the plus side you'll save money on ammo
I wish my pops impared shooting with me at a younger age...instead my friends dad taught me. My Mother made my Father sell all his guns once My Sister and I was born It kinda bums me out knowing that

[PTMATTESON]

my grandson

[sorensen440]

I think someone is just jealous at the 15 yo's outshooting them

[Seesm]

I think someone is just jealous at the 15 yo's outshooting them

Yup

[CSACANNONEER]

I love it when new young shooters outshoot me. It's specially nice when I've been the one training them from the start.

[Seesm]

My 5 yr old is deadly with his "Red Rider"... He plink cans like a mad man and just giggles when he hits stuff he hits more than his 8 yr old brother...

[SMP2010]

If anyone thinks that 15 minutes is all it takes to properly and safely learn to handle/shoot a firearm then, they are an idiot! Maybe, after proper instuctions on the basics of firearms handling, 15 minutes per weapon could be concievable. But, if you (a 17 year old) think that 15 minutes of training is all someone needs to be safe and proficent with firearms, I'd have to side with gsusd and go further by saying that even 18 is too young. I really hope you just didn't comunicate your thoughts well.

I disagree. I think teaching your children about guns at an early age is good. It is up to the parent. I would not let my 11 year old go shooting without me, but he has learned to respect and handle guns and that I think will help prevent any gun related mishaps that might come up without me being there. IE; a friends house or other situation. I think waiting until 18 is odd to me, what is magical about the age of 18? I think back to my youth, and I was more mature at 16 than my older brother was at 19. And to this day he still lacks certain traits that I can attribute to my father taking me shooting at an early age. My older brother went too, but he never got from it what I did. Anyhow it is really up to the parent to make that call, and I think it is never too early to teach them safety and responsibility, if you wait they may never really learn it.

[CSACANNONEER]

I disagree. I think teaching your children about guns at an early age is good. It is up to the parent. I would not let my 11 year old go shooting without me, but he has learned to respect and handle guns and that I think will help prevent any gun related mishaps that might come up without me being there. IE; a friends house or other situation. I think waiting until 18 is odd to me, what is magical about the age of 18? I think back to my youth, and I was more mature at 16 than my older brother was at 19. And to this day he still lacks certain traits that I can attribute to my father taking me shooting at an early age. My older brother went too, but he never got from it what I did. Anyhow it is really up to the parent to make that call, and I think it is never too early to teach them safety and responsibility, if you wait they may never really learn it.

Reread the thread. I agree with you. The post you qouted was my responce to a 17 year old stating that almost any 15 year old can learn how to properly and safely handle a firearm in 15 minutes. I was calling BS since, I don't believe 15 minutes is long enough to train anyone, of any age, properly. Also, go back and look at some of the pictures I've posted in this thread and others. I have introduced many minors to all kinds of firearms including, muzzleloaders, beltfed guns, 50BMG rifles, as well as the standard long guns and handguns in a multitude of calibers. But, I would never feel comfortable teaching any new shooter for 15 minutes and then thinking that they "could shoot" as the young new shooter had implied.

[1mean76]

i started shootin guns as soon as i was strong enough to hold the gun up and fire it at the same time and i think im ok lol but id tell your kids that if you shoot someone its not like the movies and they wont come back alive

[TregoMark]

Here's my 8 year old at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center the other day. I started her out when she was 7 on bolt action .22s and just recently got her the pink 10/22.

[freonr22]

my 2 1/2 year old says to me this weekend... "what's this poppa?" i say thats a bullet (.22 sub) so then i realize, lets have her pull the trigger once, aimed @ a hillside 25' in front of us, so i put her finger on the trigger ( i was holding the pistol) and pulled it back , "pop" and she got the biggest smile on her face i;ve ever seen