I think there is a strong case for skipping the BB gun and going straight to a .22. A BB gun carries with it a strong "toy" connotation, an "I can shoot it in the house (or garage, or backyard, or basement, or...) because it's not a 'real' gun" undertone. With that comes all kinds of safety and discipline concerns that just are not there with a .22, a "real" gun that you have to go somewhere to shoot.

I took that approach with both of my sons, giving them each a Chipmunk rifle (single shot .22) for their sixth Christmases. It was very easy to impress upon them that these were not "toys" in any way, and that was reinforced by all the pomp and circumstance of going to the range. Adding to all of that was the notion that they were at an "adult" facility, where many of the adults felt such small kids had no business. Having to earn the trust and respect of the adults at the range was another hurdle, one that could only be overcome by demonstrating impeccable gun handling discipline at all times. It was a challenge they gleefully accepted, since it meant they got to participate in such a "grown up" endeavor. They knew not just any kid could do it.

I think those early years paid off in what has proven to be a couple of very thoughtful, very careful shooters with a great deal of respect for firearms. At 24 and 21 years old, now is the time to start looking at "BB" guns, or air rifles, now that they have the discipline such a "toy" requires.

Er...girl wants a BB gun. Get one! and find a way to get her shooting it. That is a no brainer at this point.

All of the rules for safe firearm use can be taught with an air rifle, in the basement if necessary...it is up to the adult supervision to make that happen. There should be no compromise, right from the very beginning, and with practice those safety skills will become habitual, which is the goal. You will say "Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot" many, many times.

In addition, get a CZ 452 Scout, which is the nicest kid size .22 available. Perfect for a kid her age (or older)...and you will really like it too. Be careful not to get hooked on CZ .22s.

ALSO if you get a .22, shoot CB longs or other subsonic ammunition - it is much quieter. Young kids are more sensitive to the noise - even with hearing protection. That is the nice thing about air rifles - very quiet, less stress, makes instruction a lot easier.

Good luck!

Dave

I was raised on a ranch - started with a bb gun, by the time I was 11 or 12, had a .22, but only a lot of careful schooling from the older guys around the place. I would suggest such a progression for your daughter, complete with the schooling. Worked for me - these days I shoot a Browning 525 at those evil clay targets. Sometimes I even hit a few.

FWIW, I purchased my daughters each a BB/.177 pellet rifle for them to use on their own after I taught them about shooting safety. Mostly they would shoot paper targets with them. At the same time, I purchased them each a single shot bolt action .22 and single shot break open .410 shotgun. These they could only use while hunting and with my supervision. Their respective ages at this time was 4 and 8yrs old. What I found as a useful tool at the time because we were surrounded by groves at the time was to sit a grapefruit out about 15yds in front of us. I let the oldest shoot her .410 for the first time and the grapefruit exploded. I explained to them to imagine what it would do to a human body. I never had to correct their posture when carrying or handling a weapon after that demonstration. They both got it and understood what the importance of what I was trying to teach them was...

Funny. I just went "Man Camping" with my 10 year old boy and three of his friends with their dads. The crossman 760 shot a lot of bb's - maybe over 1000 between the four boys. There was also a 22/410 combo. It was a hit.

I have maintained that if the kid is too small to cock the bb gun, they can't shoot it. Kind of gives them motivation. My boy is super responsible and I don't have an issue with the 22 at age 10. I think 8 may be a little young. At least for my boy. BB guns? 8 is fine.

Have fun.

Larry

PS - I am a big fan of single shot 22's. Either bolts or break actions.

My son has had a bb gun since he was 5. We treat it like a real gun, he is only allowed to shoot it when I am supervising. NEVER allowed to shoot it alone. I enforce the same rules as if he was shooting a .22. As a result he is equally safe with a .22 when visiting his grandparent's house in the country. He does very well with a small single shot .22 that they have, again under full supervision. He's been hunting and target shooting with me, he is fully aware of the damage that guns can cause and does well at showing them respect. I'll probably get him his own .22 for Christmas or his 9th birthday, I'm still contemplating that one. I think the absolute key is early exposure, removing the novelty, and reinforcing safe handling practices.

When I was about 8 or 9 my dad took his .22 rifle and a 4' log and shot one .22 into the log. He then took a axe and split the log to show me how far in the .22 went. He then asked me if I was tougher than the log. Of course I said no I wasn't. He then told me real guns were not toys and explained all the gun rules to me.

I did the same when my son was about 8.....

I built him a BB target trap out of a carboard box and some tin for the backstop. Him and his buddys had hours of fun shooting in the house.

heed this warning, believe me it's true ;-)

one more thought here from me. I have been around guns all my life and love them (yes my username alludes to this), and I have a son about to turn 8, so i contemplate the same thing.

It might be worth noting my son has already shot a .22 WITH ME IN TOTAL CONTROL when he was 6, in an effort to start the education process. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1345729180.jpg
But of course he knows not to even come close to it if i'm not around. It is important to teach children to respect not only guns but many other things. I started him with a slingshot, and he now can use it without me being around as he has learned to respect it and what it can do.

He has also shot my pellet gun, but he will only do that when i'm around for a few years. I will likely get him an airsoft gun in a month or two, and at some point in the near future let him use it by himself, then he will likely move to a Red Ryder soon, then a pellet gun probably when he is 9 or 10...all along with me working with him and only letting him use it by himself when his is fully ready...

he will not get his own 22 until he is 10 or 11, although from time to time he will continue to shoot mine with me in increasingly steps of responsibility....and he won't get to use it by himself for a little while after that (we just don't live anywhere that is possible).

some may ask why this approach? a 22lr can kill someone, the rest won't. An airsoft might sting a bit or hurt an eye, but won't kill you. a redryder about the same but a bit worse, and pellet gun is the next step...

so i will teach my son the proper way to use and enjoy guns of all types, but he will learn this by working up the chain....it just makes sense to me.

I started my daughter off with my Ruger Single Six .22 revolver when she was 7.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1190600568.jpg

Then got her a Savage Cub bolt action .22

http://www.gunshopfinder.com/savage/cub_lg.jpg

I just thought the single shot weapons made her think more about the entire shooting process.

I also got her a BB gun just because its fun to shoot at targets in the back yard.

^this.

i know this because my parents did the complete opposite. they bought me a .22 when i was eleven, and got my younger brother a bb gun at the same time. he was 7. we shot the BB gun all the time..in the backyard, unsupervised..

one word..MAYHEM!

we would partially hammer in nails and try to knock them down with the bb gun!! ricochet city! song birds? big game at the time! squirrels? exotic game!!

if i had kids..i would do the exact opposite. my parents were insane.

MAYHEM.

first day that my dad took me to shoot my .22. i hit a jackrabbit that was running at full speed. my dad had this worried look on his face..like "oh, schit, what did we create?" bb gun time paid off.

Hey, it's only .22 caliber! :D

Started at 7 with a single shot, thumb trigger .22 under dad's supervision and training. He was 2x All Army .45 champion, yet made us attend hunters safety courses also.

Our daughter started with a rifle that connected to the TV. We worked on gun safety with that and progressed up to her first Red Ryder when she was 7, but only after she could recite 4 rules of gun safety without thinking about it. She and the dog and I would have a contest on who could ge the most ground squirrels as well as hitting targets hanging. She does well with the bb gun but has a terrible time keeping track of her shooting glasses. She is 10 now and has shot our single shot .22 a few times. She wants to be in the mentor program this year for deer season but I haven't found a rifle capable of taking down deer that works with her petite frame that we can afford. Dad has a really nice 6mm that doesn't kick much but it is HEAVY. It was a custom varmint shooter and he got it from a guy that ran out of money and had to part with it.

She also thinks she is ready to go play airsoft and does pretty well on the few times we have played at the house together. She can hit a pigeon at 15 yards with the airsoft pistol.

Our son is about to turn 3 and Ihave had many talks with him about gun safety. We don't allow him to point even toy guns at a person, though he sees sissy and her freinds with Nerf guns so that makes it hard. I have let him shoot a cheap AEG airsoft rifle (210 fps enough that it would let him know it hurts if it hits someone) at larger targets and he can hit them looking through the red dot sight. The nice thing on those is I can pull the battery. Another 3 or more years and he might be ready for supervised use of the bb gun, but he doesn't pay attention like she did at that age and is better coordinated so he could really hurt someone. He wants to do everything himself.

Every child is different and it really comes down to the parent to know what their child is ready for.

Gave the thread a 5 star rating, good read.

Bozo's had voted it with one star ratings for some reason when I came here.

No kids ATM, but a good read for the future.

My dad taught me basic gun safety at an early age, but my eyesight was so poor, guns never caught on. Without glasses, I can't see the sight at the end of the barrel, let alone a target beyond that...

My parents basically told me that "guns are bad". Of course as a kid that only increases the appeal. I remember going through a friend's father's gun case as a kid when we were home along, talk about scary. Guns had a real novelty because my parents refused to expose me to them, it was the forbidden fruit element. I've chosen to do the exact opposite and it seems to be working much better, my kids have a healthy respect for guns.

BB gun @ 8. Then .22 by 10.

+1 to skipping the BB gun and going straight to a .22. It gives instant respect for the device.

fwiw, I was about that age, or younger, when my dad started me w/ a .22 rifle.

AR15. That way she might be "geandfathered n " before the ban. Plus a daisy red rider