[svandamme]

you don't have to shoot bears to familiarize them with weaponry
and 8 years is still very young for high powered rifles... what's wrong with a friggin BB gun ?

kids do not have the faculties , to cover all the angles of what a gun can do....i know i didn't at that age, if you think about how far a .22 remington long rifle can deliver a bullet... sure , stopping power is low , but it will take an eye out easely if somebody is in the wrong place at the wrong time...