How old when you taught em' to shoot?

[fastfredracing]

Freddy IV has been shooting bb guns for the last two years in our back yard. He is 7. I have been pretty diligent about pounding gun safety into his head. He has really taken to it.
We were shooting clay pigeons a few weeks back, and we helped him take a few shots, and he was REALLY excited about it. Last night, I got out my old bolt action .22, and we were taking some target shots. He is hooked. Thinking about taking him to the range this weekend.
How old were you when you learned to shoot? I am thinking I was about 9-10.

[imcarthur]

I was around 9 as well. My father taught at the Royal Military College (Canada's West Point) & they had a range that they opened up every Saturday morning for 2 hours to teacher's kids & military brats from the local base. Cadets taught us safety & we used 22 LR bore Lee Enfields in an indoor range. With all modesty, I am a pretty good with a rifle.

Ian

[azasadny]

Our son was about 11 and our daughter was 14.

[Mike80911]

I was about 9 also. My father said he wanted to get the curiosity of the guns out of my system. I learned at an early age that they were not toys and having them around the house became routine. He always secured them when not in use but even if he had left one out which he never did I do not think I would have touched it. Hunting and target shooting with my dad will be life long memories. I have done the same with both of my sons since about the same age and they have the same respect for guns that I had growing up. They love to go to the range and I love to take them. Just do not post any pictures of it on facebook or they might try to take your children away.

[Rick V]

I was around nine-ish. My dad lived on an old plantation out in the country and I came down to spend the summer with him (divorced family)
It was an old H&R 422A pump .22 rifle.
Dad later gave me that old gun that I still have.
My kids were about the same age when I taught them to shot. After the whole BB gun thing they wanted to try daddy's pistols so they learned on my MKII. When they were comfortable with that I handed them my .45acp and it was a real eye opener for them that daddy's guns are NOT toys.
My son turned into a very avid hunter and my daughter scored very high in the army.

[fanaudical]

I was 9 or 10 and living in a rural town where hunting was a normal method of getting food. Before learning to shoot I got "volunteered" to help the neighbor dress and clean deer. I think that was an excellent lesson to have before learning how to handle a firearm; it certainly made the reasons for safety very clear.

[flatbutt]

Not until I was 14 and joined the high school rifle team. The wife (ex) never let me teach our kids to shoot.

[Seahawk]

My son was around seven. Like Rick I started them (my Daughter was nine) on .22's, first a bolt action rifle and then a Mk II Ruger.

Safety was paramount, of course.

The year after they both started to shoot clay targets with a single shot .410. They both got pretty good (I used a hand thrower and we always had an adult standing behind them).

My son is now a very good shot with all manner of guns, excellent as a matter of fact, better than I am. He is also an avid, respectful hunter.My daughter still shoots with us but never got the passion for it my son has.

One thing that worked for us was "visual" targets in the beginning, aluminum cans filled with water, etc. It gave them a sense of both accomplishment from hitting the can as well as some fun. It you teach them at the range there are target available that have a really good visual presentation of each hit. They are pricey but worth the cost in the beginning...immediate feedback.

The many days we put down both clay pigeon and aluminum cans rebellions on our farm remain some of my best memories, my children's as well.

[Jeff Higgins]

I don't actually remember the first time I went shooting. All I know is I was not yet in kindergarten. I got my own gun on my sixth birthday, a Daisy .177 pump up air rifle. My dad's reasoning for that was that I was simply unable to pump it without him.

Both of my sons were given Chipmunk single shot .22's for their sixth birthdays, although both had been shooting .22's for a couple of years by then already. My reasoning was that living in suburbia, I didn't want young boys with air rifles. Things have changed too much since I was that age. So, straight to .22's. The beauty of the Chipmunk rifle is that their little fingers were not strong enough to pull back the cocking piece until they were eight or nine, so while they could cycle the bolt themselves, I had to cock the rifles for them. Worked out pretty good.

[pwd72s]

I gave our daughter a rolling block action single shot .22 when she was 10. We'd head to our Rifle & Pistol Club's range often. Today she's a 42 year old RN wearing out her 2nd hubby. She's a concealed carry lady...

But on to doing a wee bit of begging...here's a local paper piece on a young local girl who is raising money to go to camp...camp Perry, that is. Send a check if you wish. It would probably blow her mind to get a donation or two from other parts of the country...

Aiming for the top : Oregon Outdoors



Helping Dusty get to nationals

Dusty Taylor has been doing a number of fundraisers to raise money to travel to national competition this summer at Camp Perry, Ohio.

She plans to enter small bore, high-power and long- range events.

Anyone wishing to help can send a check or money order to Dusty Taylor, P.O. Box 301, Albany, OR 97321.

ARPC Juniors Team

The Albany Rifle and Pistol Club has a competitive shooting team for juniors ages 8-20. The competitors use air rifles at 10 meters indoors and .22s at 50 feet indoors and 50 and 100 yards outdoors.Practices are on Saturdays at the ARPC range, 29999 Saddle Butte Road, east of Shedd. For more information, call coach Barbara Shew at 541-409-3357.

[Hads930]

This is right after her sixth birthday. She has her own single shot Cricket. Perfect for young shooters.

[matt f]

I was 8 and was taught on a single shot, thumb trigger .22.

[RWebb]

BB gun first - admonitions

later, a pellet gun - repeat admonitions; emphasize that you think they are ready for the increased responsibility

later still .22 - repeat above

[pwd72s]

Nope...straight to .22. That's what my dad did as well. BB guns are too often treated as toys. Guns are serious stuff and I wanted Dee-Dee to know that right off the bat!

[RWebb]

that is WHY you start them off with a BB gun - you tell them it is NOT a toy; take it away and delay the whole thing if they do treat it as a toy

if they eff up and don't hit an eyeball with a BB gun, it's all ok - if they eff up anywhere with a .22 it is not

[Rick V]

I still like my BB guns

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by RWebb

that is WHY you start them off with a BB gun - you tell them it is NOT a toy; take it away and delay the whole thing if they do treat it as a toy

if they eff up and don't hit an eyeball with a BB gun, it's all ok - if they eff up anywhere with a .22 it is not

Gee, I guess I raised my daughter poorly...at least the gun education part. So, you started your child (or children) out with BB guns?

[gamin]

Grand kids 12 ga at 8.

[Instrument 41]

all 4 boys started at 5 with Red Riders. Only one still shoots, the other do when we get together. When they were 10 they all got their first single shot 22. The following year they got 20 gauge pumps.

[GWN7]

BB gun when he was about 7. It was a old gun that would hardly break paper at 20'.