When did you start your kids shooting?

**alaskabushman** · 08-20-2014, 12:21 PM

My oldest kid is 3, I am planning on waiting another year before introducing her to shooting. I picked up a chipmunk rifle for $80 with this in mind, but after shooting it a bit I decided I didn't like it for a training gun. Trigger pull way too heavy, manual cocking bolt, no safety. After trying a friends Savage Rascal I think I'll be picking up one of these for the kids. I was handed a BB gun at around 5 years old and then graduated to pellet gun by 8. I didn't get my own .22 till I was 14, however I had access to my dads old Remington single shot for quite a while before then. When did you start shooting? When did you introduce your children to the activity? Any suggestions for making sure no bad habits (beyond the obvious) are acquired? Any good guns for starting youngsters that you have experience with? Obviously I'm talking about very closely supervised target shooting, I'm not turning my 4 year old loose with a gun...

**1stimestar** · 08-20-2014, 02:09 PM

I bought my kids Crickets for Christmas last year. My son had shot before, my guns and friends, but my they were too big for my daughter. Now my kids are 12 and 16. The Cricket is too small for my son (who is over 6') but a great starter gun for my daughter. I think I will graduate them up to full sized guns when I am able to though. So yea, Cricket would be a good starter gun for a little one. Want to buy one from me? I have black and pink lol.

**alaskabushman** · 08-20-2014, 06:36 PM

The Chipmunk rifle is very similar to the Cricket. The Cricket seems to be well made but I don't care for the manual bolt cock, it's rather stiff. I cringe at the thought of my little girl putting the gun between her knees to get enough leverage to cock it. Also, I really want a manual safety, I honestly can't remember, but I don't think the Cricket had one, just like the chipmunk. I'm 6' myself but I actually kind of enjoy shooting the little gun, it's pretty darned accurate. You have to kind of "absorb" the gun to shoot it well, but it can be done.

**hunter63** · 08-20-2014, 08:51 PM

Kids started out with BB guns kept in cabinet with all the others...must have been 6 or maybe 7.
Shot with supervision.
Don't remember the exact age....but my kids and most all the neighbor kids all shot my olds.22 SS....let them loose with a brick till the got tired of it.
Then on to muzzleloaders, pistols and rifles....and throwing knives and hawks....and girls should be able to throw and stick a knife and hawk before dating.

**tundrabadger** · 08-20-2014, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by hunter63

Kids started out with BB guns kept in cabinet with all the others...must have been 6 or maybe 7.
Shot with supervision.
Don't remember the exact age....but my kids and most all the neighbor kids all shot my olds.22 SS....let them loose with a brick till the got tired of it.
Then on to muzzleloaders, pistols and rifles....and throwing knives and hawks....and girls should be able to throw and stick a knife and hawk before dating.

I'm now picturing sending a teenage girl out the door "Now, remember, you have to be home by 10. You said you're going to the movies, and I expect you to call if there's a change of plans. Here's a tomahawk. I just sharpened it. No, don't put it in your purse! hang it from your belt. You know what to do with it"

**hunter63** · 08-20-2014, 10:29 PM

That was kinda the way it was.....she would bring in her dates...to meet the DAD...as I was cleaning the Ruger .44 mag on the coffee table, explaining the besides that, I had 16 acres, a 12 ga and a backhoe.....
Have a good time.

She uses a .270 now....carries a pink something 9mm.

**Tokwan** · 08-20-2014, 10:46 PM

Malaysia have a very strict gun control here and only a small % of the population have firearms. My eldest son started shooting at the age of 6. My youngest son at the age of 6 too. Part of their 6th birthday present. They are now 22 and 19 respectively. The eldest does not have a gun but he can use mine as he holds a Carry and Use permit. The younger one will need to wait until he is 21.
They learn to shoot at a local gun club. They have been shooting 9mm and .45 handguns. As for rifles, we are only allowed to shoot .22s. Sometimes they would use over under shotguns which belong to the club.
Bullets are fairly expensive here...so not much shooting for us.
However we frequently shoot arrows and the younger one seems to be doing well than his older brother....

**tundrabadger** · 08-20-2014, 10:52 PM

Heh....I need to get a 12 gauge, 16 acres and a backhoe before having a daughter. of course, the question of getting a really big gun when any potential daughters hit puberty is hotly debated in my household. My wife, for some reason, is opposed to intimidating teenage boys. I assume this is because she's never been a teenage boy.

**hunter63** · 08-21-2014, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by tundrabadger

Heh....I need to get a 12 gauge, 16 acres and a backhoe before having a daughter. of course, the question of getting a really big gun when any potential daughters hit puberty is hotly debated in my household. My wife, for some reason, is opposed to intimidating teenage boys. I assume this is because she's never been a teenage boy.

Trust me on this....If they(the guy) can get past that.....he is OK....My SIL and I get along waaaaay to good, good enough that both DW and DD get mad at both of us.

**tundrabadger** · 08-21-2014, 11:20 AM

Hey, young men have been subjected to tests of character since time immemorial. It's good. it's a valuable lesson. And quite probably the duty of fathers, uncles and brothers to enact.

**kyratshooter** · 08-21-2014, 11:52 AM

I had a different perspective on the teenage boy and firearms.

Living on a farm and being a hunter/shooter, with both my kids being the same, if the boy showed up he was taken out for a plinking session. If he could pass the kids self imposed safety standards and hit a tin can at a reasonable range the test was passed.

One day in his second year out of High School my son showed up with a drop dead gorgeous young woman who got out of the car with a 4" ported, S&W L frame strapped to her belt. He came into the gun room and scooped up a bucket full of .38 reloads and they disappeared over the hill toward the range. I knew instantly that boy was a gonner'!!

This October will be their 15th anniversary.

**ElevenBravo** · 08-21-2014, 08:35 PM

Bought my daughter a Heritage Rough Rider 22LR/MAG for her 12th birthday...

She has her own AK now, and working to get her a Sig since she can OC at 18 here in Va.
She shoots very well, still has more work to do but she shoots very well!

She has shot:
4" 357
22 revolver
22 rifle
AK
Mosin
Sig 9 and 40
1911 45
SKS
12 ga pump
20 ga pump
20 ga break action

The 12 ga with 00 and slug was a real eye opener for her, but true enough rang the bell! (10" AR500 target)

We LOVE to shoot, and LOVE shooting steel, the instant feedback is so rewarding and we NEVER have to go down range to service targets!

EB

**Tokwan** · 08-21-2014, 08:48 PM

Well the reason I thought my sons to shoot was simply to remove their curiosity about firearms. Kids are very curious, and they will try to find out. Once they know, it might spark an interest which might make them wanna learn the discipline which is always good, or they might just go about looking for something else.

**1stimestar** · 08-21-2014, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by kyratshooter

I had a different perspective on the teenage boy and firearms.

Living on a farm and being a hunter/shooter, with both my kids being the same, if the boy showed up he was taken out for a plinking session. If he could pass the kids self imposed safety standards and hit a tin can at a reasonable range the test was passed.

One day in his second year out of High School my son showed up with a drop dead gorgeous young woman who got out of the car with a 4" ported, S&W L frame strapped to her belt. He came into the gun room and scooped up a bucket full of .38 reloads and they disappeared over the hill toward the range. I knew instantly that boy was a gonner'!!

This October will be their 15th anniversary.

Hahha yep! Good story.

Originally Posted by Tokwan

Well the reason I thought my sons to shoot was simply to remove their curiosity about firearms. Kids are very curious, and they will try to find out. Once they know, it might spark an interest which might make them wanna learn the discipline which is always good, or they might just go about looking for something else.

Exactly. They are curious. Teach them about it so they will know, not only about guns, but about gun safety and responsibility.

**Tokwan** · 08-21-2014, 11:38 PM

Yep....safety is a must...it is the numero uno thing...which starts first before teaching kids on anything....I had a typo when I satted I thought...it shud have been I taught...