Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting Kids and Guns

[JConley]

I have a 5 year old son, and I was wondering what is a good age to introduce him to target shooting. So far, I havent shown him what I have, and I dont talk about guns or shooting around the house. I have shot competition for years, and his 8 year old cousin is starting to shoot skeet with 4H. I looked at the NRA website, and the Eddie Eagle program is good, but it doesnt tell me when to start teaching him correctly. I am in no hurry to take him out shooting, but he is growing up pretty fast, and starting to ask questions.

Any advice??? I knew this day would come eventually...

BTW, YES the guns and ammo are seperate, and the floor standing safe will be arriving shortly.



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[Justbeamn]

Conleyjo, I have been around guns my whole life. My father shot state comp trap and retired as a police officer. I started shooting when I was around 7 or eight. My dads philosophy on guns and children was teach them how to respect guns. If a child doesn't know and is courious they will seek out their own information, that's where they get hurt. IMHO I was never allowed to touch a gun without my dad being there with me. He would always pull it from the cabinet, make sure the chamber was clear, then hand it to me. When I was done I would do the same in reverse and that was just our ritual. If I ever had a question or wanted to see one I would "always" wait for him. It's never to late/early to teach gun safety. You need to use your own judgement when YOU feel he is ready for the next stage (actual shooting).

This is just my own experience. But I can say that we never had a problem and he never had to worry about me showing my friends what neat guns my dad had.

We still have his gun collection (around 50) but he can lo longer hold one. He fell ill to a muscle disease and can't hold objects and has to walk with the use of a cane. I use his teachings wwith my sons.

As always IMHO

Devon

 

[drawson]

Conleyjo, I was also raised with guns around and was taught really young to respect and safety. I have raised my three kids the same way. I taught then from the beginning the basic 4 safety rules. And taken them shooting as soon as they where able to pull the trigger. I have vedio of my daught (#2 child) at the age of three pulling the trigger on my 357 as I help her hold it and she is smiling ear to ear. I alway double them up with ear muffs, let them at first just spray rounds down range then teach them how to sight. Each of them got there own BB guns at about 4 and even to this day it's part of our camping when ever possible shooting can around the camp sight. My oldest (14 year old boy) has his own shotgun and 30-30 already bought with his own lawn mowing money. My daughter has shoot in two IPSC matchs this year using a 1911 45 load down.

Teach them young to respect guns and and the 4 safety rules and you soon have a shoot'n buddy to go with you.

 

[rich m]

Got my first ( had been Dad's old one! ) Daisy BB gun when I was 7. Firearm safety is all about rules and respect for the damage potential, as you already know. Both of my kids (Becky, 12 and Rich Junior, 8)are armed (Hers Marlin Model 60 . 22LR semi-auto/ His, old . 22LR bolt-action repeater) and safe, not so much because they KNOW the rules, but because they FOLLOW the rules.

If your 5-y/o can follow serious rules, IMHO, he can be taught safe handling. I also think that the mental focus necessary for good target shooting can carry over to good focus for other tasks as well, like school performance, etc.

Supporting the Constitutional right to arm and keep bears.

 

[csutton7]

let my oldest boy shoot a 22 last year--he was 7---teach 'em the right way now and you won't be worrying about 'em later----chris

 

[Dreher]

I agree with the above replies. As close as I can remember, my dad began teaching me to shoot at around 3 or 4. He talked the NRA instructor into letting me take gun safety classes when I was nine (I think the minimum age at that time was 12) due to my prior training, though in todays society I doubt that would happen. Since I was born, firearms were just a part of life around the house, like any other tool or appliance. Since I already knew what they did and what they were used for, I didn't need to experiment to find out. I think every child is different, but in most cases the sooner they learn, the better. Dad also taught me to drive when I was six, so in case something happened to him while we were on a fishing/hunting trip in remote backcountry, I could get out. Something to consider if you take your kids into the woods.

Bob

 

[Sled Puller]

It is all in the child and your trust, when YOU think he is ready.
Does he follow instructions?
Does he have an attention span
longer than a gnat?
Can you turn your back on him and know your house isn't being burned down behind you?

I made a 12 year old memorize a list of shooting rules, go to hunter safety class, and I still did not think she was ready for shooting. No trust. Any time I had trusted her on anything, she burned me. It was all a game, could not get it to sink in that this is DANGEROUS, not just a good time.
Hope your son is not like that.
Gene

 

[Champane Flight]

Some kids will never be ready for a weapon. And some learn well. I was started with my uncle(my father was always on the road). He was a master machinist and we built my first rifle together. An homebuilt breachload 22. All the while he was teaching me about theory,muzzle velocity,siteing,etc. When the 22 was done,we went out to the local prarie Range. I was all excited and thought this was going to be so cool.

This is where I soon found out it wasn't that cool. He first told me that anything I pointed the weapon at was going to die!Death is permanent!All weapons are loaded and will be treated as such!A safety is only as good as the person who switchs it on. Do you really trust him/her?I then had lessons on siting in,shooting,and gun cleaning!We went deer hunting the next year,of course I was still to young according to law. But my uncle(after tracking for two days)let me make my first kill. It was a religous thing more than a celebration,I will never forget the silence after that shot. The caring and prossesing of the meat was just as important as the kill.

Do not take your dutys lightly parents,this is not just teaching your children how to shoot. It is one of the most important lessons of life they will ever have.

I think that children should learn as early as possible about any weapon in the home. It may save their life or someone elses.
And follow up on your lessons,spend time with your kids. Let them know that there are more important things in life than just shooting.

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95 Dodge 2500 Luverne grill guard,headache rack,running boards and Amzoiled. Soon to be mildly bombed. 84 Dodge d-150, 318 Hooker headers,Edelbrok intake,mallory ignition,Carter Afb,Accel coil,and Custom dual exhaust. Boat,fifthwheel,motorcycles,and shop. 72000 as of 3/1/01,not even broke in yet. Old Dodge 126000 miles and running better than new.

 

[Big MAK]

Ditto to a-lot of the above.

Didn't hunt with my first two boys until they were teenagers -- my first wife wouldn't allow guns in the house. Good thing too; but that's another story. No wonder we're divorced... a Marine w/o a gun in the house?

The good wife (2nd) has no problems with guns. Started my littlest hunting with his BB gun this year. He's 7. Amazing. We're talking a little guy that suits up in snow gear then walks the fence rows with me in 10 degree weather and 45 mph wind gusts. Crummy hunting weather since the birds are hunkered down but he loves it! Out of the rack at 4am to get to the field at first light. Dad! Get out of bed! On a school day you have to grab him and drag him out the door!

Good stuff. I feel better just remembering. Can't wait 'til next season.

A think a BB gun is a good weapon to start a little guy on. Learn gun safety but not life threatening.

And another thing; talk about facing some serious life questions. How do you explain about killing; that killing any living thing is not to be taken lightly? That the bird he's holding is a beautiful animal and that it is truly sad to have killed it? But it's part of the cycle of life that the animals are here to feed us? It's a lesson a-lot of today's kids have missed and it's showing in the contempt they have for all life.

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Big MAK
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[This message has been edited by Mark Kitchell (edited 05-17-2001). ]

 

[Bigsaint]

All of the above is good advice. If you do nothing else, as a gun owner with children, it's your responsabilty to teach them gun safety and respect for firearms. I think the biggest mistake made is that some gun owners keep their children sheltered and un-educated in regards to their weapons. Remeber, they are kids and are inquistive.

As for proper guns to start, I would go with a childs size . 22 single shot rifle or a very small framed . 22 pistol for the early learning years. Build a solid base of proper marksmanship skills and then advance from there. The worst thing that you could do to a first time shooter is to hand him/her a magnum. This will instill nothing but poor habits that, once ingrained, they will carry forever. I started with a Crosman 760 pump air rifle at the age of 8. Probably not the best, in hindsight, as the stock didn't fit that well for some time. The small rifles made by Marlin and better yet, Chipmunk, are really better suited to your needs. If a handgun is the way you want to start, check out the J frame . 22LR offerings by either Smith and Wesson or Ruger, all of the above are quality and will last a lifetime, if cared for.

Scott W.

 

[Timinator]

Remember to be a good role model. Set a good example in everything you do. Children pick up on inconsistencies in behavior very quickly. They see everything.
I can't wait until my daughter is old enough to take to the range. I hope she likes it, but if not, she will know how to properly handle firearms.

 

['956Wheel]

That safe should have come a few years ago, be CAREFUL until it does!

I took my older girl shooting at 8 years of age, I brought a variety of fruit and milk jugs full of water to show the devistating damage that a bullet can cause.

Lets face it the Coyote always gets up after a hit and the truth is this settles in a young mind as reality, now we, as parents, must erase years of "false truths". The truth about anything must be taught at a young age so it is never feared or mistaken, you hide it and a childs curiousity will lead them in the wrong direction in an effort to find it.

You can't hide anything from a kid, their curiousity drives them with unbelieveable force, that is why you can never hide a gun from them, you think they do not know where it is THINK AGAIN. My Dad had a small semi-auto hidden from my siblings and me... I knew how to take it apart and put it together before I was 9, and he did not know, cause it was always in the same hiding place.

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9535hundred

 

[JConley]

Thanks for all the great advice!! I like the idea of getting a BB gun, and starting there. This is something I can shoot in the back yard, and teach gun safety without live ammunition. In a year or so, we could work our way up to a . 22

I dont have a BB gun, so this would make a nice present for him. I need to get the floor mounted gun safe before I get him a gun. That way I can teach safe storage in addition to safe handling.

 

[Utah Willie]

My grand sons are "city" kids from California, so they have a lot of liberal "guns kill" B. S. ingrained in their skulls full of mush so I had them up here in Color Country and shooting a BB/pellet gun to teach the gun safety rules and sighting, etc. From there I went to a 10/22 and a . 22 handgun, but first, I showed them what damage even a small caliber bullet can do by firing through a can of water! From the . 22, I assisted the eldest in firing a . 357 S&W revolver to let him experience the power and it put the fear and respect in him and his brother. They were very satisfied as to their curiosity about weapons and turned their attentions to the ATVs and racing around the 40 acres of trails. I had done a similar thing with my daughters years ago with a 2" . 38 and they too were never again curious about guns, nor did they fear them. It was a "Been there, done that" for them.

 

[The patriot]

A lot of good advice.
I'd like to suggest to get a single shot . 22 rifle with GOOD ADJUSTABLE SIGHTS. I started shooting when I was about 4-5,(they were never locked up, but we NEVER went out w/o supervision) but dad was the kind to use/encourage "kentucky windage" instead of adjusting the sights properly. Old habits die hard, I find myself doing this on occasion, and stop myself. #ad

Also shooting a . 22 wont bust the budjet if much practice is needed. #ad

Eric



[This message has been edited by The patriot (edited 05-20-2001). ]

 

[Neal Cassady]

Conleyjo,

I started off with my first BB gun when I was 7. Practiced with an unloaded gun until I had learned all of the rules of firearm safety, then my dad started target practice loading one BB at a time.

I have a four year son who will be starting his training this summer. Kids need to learn about guns, as well as everything else, at home before they are exposed to them somewhere else. We just had another incident around here of a young child being shot to death at the home of a friend while playing with a firearm. I encountered similar situations while growing up and told my friends to put away the guns and left the scene. I had seen enough bullet damage to targets and animals by the time I was 8 to realize that firearms were serious tools and not toys.

Dave

 

[Straight6Jeff]

Starting out witha . 22 is a good idea no matter how old or big the child/adult. You learn to shoot accurately with small calibers. Here the fine points of breathing, trigger control, backstops and beyond, and the rest are learned. at least once a week I put on the . 22 conversion on my 1911 Colt. Gets me back to the basics after shooting the cannons. safety is everyone resonsibility. Yesterday while at the range, a newbie to the club decided to go down range without abtaining a clear line. Luckily I was the only one else there at the time.

 

[Skydiver]

Conleyjo
Your Question has been answered by some people who know that training a child instills safety in their mind.
We live 50 feet from a pistol range(noisy).
I moved here 9 years ago. At first my 2 boys wanted to shoot the rifles and pistols about every week. Now they ask me to shoot about 2 or 3 times a year. They are now 13 and 16. My point is they are no longer courious about firearms. They never pick up one of my always loaded firearms. My oldest son goes to a christian school that teaches gun safety.
Use your own judgement about your children you know if they can be trusted.
One mistake that is hard to remember. After the "KILL" a person is charged with adrenaline and will forget to put the safety in the on position.
On a personal note,I never purchased firearms untill William Jefferson Clinton took office. Sure I had the firearms passed on from my parents.
Please think safety.
Guns causes crime like ?$@^ well I won't go there.
Tim

 

[TXRam]

All good advice.

I started my son at 5 with a BB gun. At 9, he got a Youth Model 870 (Remington pump) 20 gauge. Like everyone else, we did the gun safety/handling/storage training with the BB gun. He is very responsible with guns, and never touches one without myself or my wife with him. I'll probably buy him a . 243 for his birthday this summer (10 years old).

The other day, I was talking with a guy at work (raised in the country hunting and fishing all the time, just like me). He said, "You know, when I was a kid I had my own guns on a gun rack in my room, with shells in the dresser drawer - and the only time I ever took one to school, it was to hide it in the bushes so I could go hunting right after school. I never even thought about shooting anyone with it, much less my friends or the teachers. " I also had my own shotgun at 8, kept it with the shells in my room. I would NEVER let my son keep a gun in his room. Kinda shows the change that has taken place over the last few years.

 

[Alan Reagan]

My daughter is six now and goes with me to shoot. I've offered to let her try a 22 rifle and she declines. I've taught her to respect weapons and that they are not toys. She even knows not to point her little popping cork gun at people when she's playing. The gun at this stage is like a knife on the dinner table to her..... if a knife is by her plate she will ask an adult to move it. That's what we taught her when she was very small. She will let me know when she is ready to shoot. We talk about safety and the do's and don'ts every time we go out. Last weekend I killed a 4' water moccassin for my liberal New York lake neighbors. Neither has ever fired a gun and abhor them. They were not so particular when it came time to dispatch the water moccassin that was under their jet ski cover when they pulled it off. Guns have a place and kids need to learn about them and how to use them so they will have respect for them as they grow up. Teach him right.