Thread: How young is to young?

I would like to know at what age other members started their kids shooting. I have taken my son shooting my .22 mag at targets and he loved it. His attention span is still short, so it was a quick outing. He is 4 in a few months and says he would like his own gun for his birthday. Obviously it would be my gun and he would only use it under my strict supervision. If he had his own gun it would encourage him to shoot more which i would like. But is 4 too young?

I started going spotlighting for rabbits and possums with Dad when I was about 6 or 7 and got to carry the Rabbits home.

I got a single shot Stevens .22 for my eighth birthday which dad taught me to shoot.

In turn I started to teach my Kids to shoot when they were about 8 as well.

I guess it all depends on the kid, their attention span and attitude.

Cheers
Pete

It's up to you. I don't reckon it is to young at all. Both my rat bags started around then and have been with me shooting well before.
My boy recites the 7 safety rules and marksmanship principles before he goes to do any shooting.
He can remember my pet loads for a couple cals and helps me in the reloading room.
He is a handy shot off a rest, better than I was at his age.
My daughter just loves tagging along more than the shooting so far. She never turns down firing a few rounds though.
I think it's just the time you give them, sharing something you love doing that is the most rewarding thing for them.



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All I know is my girl is TOO young! 3 1/2 months

Go for it and nurture your son in shooting skills and good firearms safety habits, which I wish my father had done all those years ago so I used to go and spend my pocket money at the Te Puke small bore club on range nights using old martini single shot rifles rested on an old wooden nail box and used to love it so I was taught to shoot by the former caretaker from Te Puke high school who was also the range officer for the te puke small bore club from the age of 10 as a result I was put on the shooting team for the te puke scouts at a later age.

I've been taking my little man on easy hunts for the last year, he turns four on 11 July, he has fired a .22 (suppressed) but his arms are too short to effectively use one. will make a special stock for a norinco .22 I got for him in the next year or two, there was an article in rod an rifle I think a few issues back titled how young is too young (if my memory serves well), it was quite a well written article. I think the more information about firearms safety you can instill in the youth of today the better also in my opinion if you allow them to touch and hold firearms under your supervision, rather than not letting them touch them, should mitigate the chance of them breaking into your gun cabinet and playing with them when you aren't around.

Originally Posted by Gibo

All I know is my girl is TOO young! 3 1/2 months

For standing unsupported maybe Gibo but for shooting prone off a rest .... well you never know until you try

POME with good attention to safety, I would think that your four year old would be fine. Make it fun though as that will increase his attention span.

Yep go for It.

Like others have said keep it fun to keep his attention.

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Fired my first .22 when I was 4, been shooting ever since.

I has been wondering at what age also.
i figured once he had the rules sorted I would take him.
When I took my 4 1/2 year old to the range a couple of weeks ago and shot my suppressed 10/22, he followed direction well and we both had fun.
My 6 1/2 yo daughter is now keen so I will go take her next

I'm going to go against the grain here, and say too young.

At four, he is not going to remember much in 6 years time. He will have a limited attention span and energy level for big walks.

By all means take him, but involve him in the other side of hunting, the things that are arguably more important than the shooting part. Things like picking up decoys, plucking ducks, looking for possum eyes in the light, carrying the rabbit in his special "hunting' pack. Teach him about the animals you hunt, the weather etc. Equip him with a usable skillset so when the time comes for him to shoot he will be keen as mustard, and the actual act of learning to shoot at the age of 7-8 is a formality because he has been technically 'hunting' since he could walk.

I think, whatever age they are introduced to the sport the better - to a fair point.. My 2yo is too young of course, but.... now having spent the better part of a year at home with her full time, its ridiculous on how much information she actually does soak up.. randomly, this information starts being regurgitated back to me... My point is, children absorb an incredible amount of data and store it.. You may think that you;re wasting your breath slowly telling / explaining to them the 7 basic rules, or why this is etc... they understand a shite load more than we think they do... Start young, even if reading a book is the Mountain Safety Council we all ensured we knew - it'll stick!
She likes watching daddy use the Big Green Press in the garage, though not entirely sure what it does, but I explain that this is a case, this is the powder, etc etc...

hell - the 1st day she was home, I was talking gently to her, explaining how a centrefire cartridge worked from the trigger pull to the bullet leaving the barrel.... LOL... ahh daddys soothing voice.. hee hee

Fair point Rushy....

My old man is a good stickler for the rules, and of course thats the way it has to be, though have to say - his demeanour is stiff and gruff... I can see my myself in my little brothers shoes all over when out with both at the range... I tend to then explain to, and ensure my brother knows WHY things are this way and make sure hes still involved... and stays interested..
I ended up selling a nice Israeli 308 Mauser because he got too carried away - I was 15 and had no income.. and wanted me to buy reloading gear, proj;s etc... He couldnt see it at the time.. pity, that 308 shot wonderfully...

Originally Posted by Rushy

POME with good attention to safety, I would think that your four year old would be fine. Make it fun though as that will increase his attention span.

Case by case basis I guess. I started on the air rifle when I was like five, and given unloaded rifles to play around with, set loose with the air rifle when I was like 8 or 9 after a few years of guidance from dad.