Any advice to Introducing firearms to young children ?

[xcrunner805]

Personally I grew up in a no gun/no hunter household. Being like most boys, I always had toy guns and BB guns etc, can’t remember my age though. I got my first .22 when I was about 10 years old. My interest in firearms came from being in the Boy Scouts and also having lots of farmer friends. The rest is history as shooting and hunting are the hobbies I decided to stick with for the remainder of my lifetime. I had many other hobbies (dirt bikes, boats etc) until I started a family and have very little free time for anything anymore. I figured hunting and shooting was the best way to develop a good relationship with my kids, teach responsibility and enjoy the outdoors together. Plus I’m just addicted to it like the rest of you !

My son is going to be 3 years old in April. He is very smart and very aware that I hunt and when I leave he always says he wants to go with me when he’s older. He understands a lot and communicates well, watches hunting shows with me etc .

I have taken him shooting with me a few times, just as a bystander, mommy holding him. I’m looking for some advice at how to introduce a BB gun gun to him. Is he too young ? Is it better to wait another year or two ? I know every kid is different but maybe one of you have been through the same dilema. I am a farmer and have plenty of places to shoot firearms at my disposal. We could make it a Sunday morning routine if he is ready. My friend has a 4 year old but he’s not emotionally able nor does he respect authority enough to introduce firearms yet. My son is light years ahead of him as far that goes. He listens and respects us really well.

thanks in advance !

 

[Desk Jockey]

I started at 8 but to each there own. I wante the kids to have a good understanding of danger and right and wrong as well as be able to listen to instruction.

Red Ryder BB gun to a pellet gun. Working up to 22 and 20 gauge.

 

[Timeee123]

Every child is different. At about 5 dad put a 30-30 in my hand and said pull the trigger. Then when I pointed the gun the wrong way or forgot the safety he whacked the side of my head. I learned quick.

With my daughter it started way before pulling the trigger. She watched hunting shows with me which constantly talk gun safety and ethics. Which I pointed out and reinforced. This worked well and she was very intune by the time I let her pull the trigger. I also put one bullet in at a time. When the trigger was pulled it sllowed a safe environment if there was muzzle waiving or forgetting the safety etc....

 

[bbell]

I started at 4. Getting held by my grandpa shooting sage rats with a .22. Then a BB gun at 6. Safety was always stressed. It was a really good start for me. Got tons of trigger time. I am going to try and do more small game hunting with my kids.

 

[Guy]

Take your time. Don't rush it. Be safe.

And enjoy. All of you. I'd not be in any hurry, he's only three. You have much time.

My sons grew up shooting, both still do. One hunts, one doesn't. We shot 22's together a lot. They were always around guns. I don't remember for sure when they took their first shots with the 22, young, but not toddlers. It's worked out great. As adults, they're vey safety conscious, and both are excellent shots.

Enjoy - kids grow up so quickly. I'm glad my "boys" still like to hang out with dad, shooting, hunting, and just being around.

Regards, Guy

 

[Soj51hopeful]

I set my boys in my lap at about 4 with my 10-22 and just let them pull the trigger as I hold. They were able to watch the target and dirt fly. They loved that. BUT the transition to the red Ryder was a little let down for them.

 

[hunterjmj]

I bought my daughter a crickett and took her shooting for the first time at 3. We practice aiming, running the bolt and safety at home. It stays in the safe with all the rifles so she knows it's not a toy. When we shoot she sits on my lap and we go through all the steps and make one shot at a time, it's a single shot anyhow. She loves it and we save the targets.

 

[gbflyer]

Age depends on maturity. I have a 12 year old boy that still isn’t ready to be cut loose.

The air rifle is a good idea. The springer like the red rider is so inaccurate though. Daisy Avanti Champion 499 is way, way better. Plus it’s a single shot. Perfect in my opinion. You’ll have to help cock it until the young one is a little bigger. Not super cheap but they last for several kids. Also, use some sort of reactive target. Punching paper will get boring right away for most of them.

Good job getting into this. We need more responsible shooters, and this is where it starts.

 

[Mountainman3]

3 seems pretty young but I also know kids that grow up in farm country have a lil more common sense than most. I personally started at 4 with a red Ryder and grew up in that kind of environment. What’s good about starting a kid with a red rider it lets them see the flight of the BB. By doing this it helps teach them how to lead an object-which helps later on with a shot gun. And also helps them with sighting a rifle by shooting at variable distances and watching projectile drop. You aim a rifle and point a shotgun. The red Ryder helps train both at an early age. I am a certified hunter Ed instructor. I’d recommend you join him around 7 years of age to attend a class. Most states require it for hunting and you can go ahead and get it out of the way for the child. As mentioned before, shooting at targets that show an instant result gets kids more excited thus more eager to want to participate again in the future. Keep it fun.

Good luck and have fun!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AKDoc]

This will be a topic with many differing perspectives and experiences. However, I think we all would agree...safety first, always and forever (regardless of age). Firearm safety requires first learning the rules and then following the rules...always.

Sharing my own parental experience as a former Marine, very active Alaskan hunter, and reloader of my own ammunition, my first safety rule as a parent was to always keep my firearms locked in the safe...even the BB and pellet rifles. I did not want my children to fear firearms, but I did want them to respect safety first. Therefore, I didn't even introduce my son or daughter to a firearm until they first understood the concept of some general, every day (non-firearm) child-safety rules around the house and followed those rules. BTW, the first firearm rule that they did learn as children was to NEVER even touch a firearm without my permission and me standing right there...and that rule was taught much prior to firearm introduction and with my firearms locked away...just in case they were at someone else's house and there was a firearm that wasn't locked-up. My kids were definitely not toddlers, but they were in early grade school when their mom and I agreed that they were ready to be introduced to firearms...and at the same time the rules of safe gun handling. We started with a BB gun, which was labeled a firearm. We progressively moved to .22's, and then they each were shooting a 30-06 by the end of grade school. Hand guns were much later.

The above are just my experiences and judgements. My children are now adults, and they still enjoy hunting and shooting with their dad and with others (...they can now touch firearms without my permission and me standing right there...LOL!)...my daughter got her first Dall's ram last year and my son got his first brown bear with me this fall.

 

[MeatBuck]

Aside from making the judgement on timing/safety, make sure that when it comes time to start shooting the guns he will be hunting with, that they aren't too much to handle.
Some of those little youth model guns like the Rossi 3-1 barrel exchanger (.22 20g and .243)are made to fit a youth and be lightweight but at the cost of extreme recoil. Don't let the recoil ruin a kids shoulder or pop his eyebrow with the scope. Even if he does continue wanting to shoot, he'll probably end up with a flinch or a shotgunners trigger pull instead of a nice easy squeeze.

 

[mlgc20]

I started each my daughters shooting at 5. At that point they were shooting a 22 in a shooting tripod. They weren’t really doing anything more than pulling the trigger. The shooting pod was really holding the gun. Then they progressed to shooting my AR15 in 300 blackout. Now they are 10 and 12 and they shoot a 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 respectively.

Of course, every kid is different. But, I really wouldn’t have felt comfortable starting them any earlier. I just don’t think they really could have grasped the immense responsibility that goes with handling a gun. Don’t be in a hurry.

My two pieces of advice would be:
1) Make it fun. We would go out in the National forest and shoot gallon jugs or water, tannerite, cans of coke, etc. Always a great time.
2) Invest in the electronic ear protection with the microphones. That allows you to talk very clearly to your little one. Makes a world of difference when you can easily communicate back and forth with one another.

 

[xcrunner805]

Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts, one thing I love about the hunting/shooting community is all the exchange of personal experiences. I feel much better in making my decision and I think we are still far from BB gun days... I’m totally ok with that. I felt a little lost since I had a much later childhood introduction than most on this forum. I will start with talking to him more about firearms and safety. I appreciate all the feedback, my wife was reading over my shoulder on all your responses so it helps her and I be on the same page.

 

[AKDoc]

Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts, one thing I love about the hunting/shooting community is all the exchange of personal experiences. I feel much better in making my decision and I think we are still far from BB gun days... I’m totally ok with that. I felt a little lost since I had a much later childhood introduction than most on this forum. I will start with talking to him more after firearms and safety. I appreciate all the feedback, my wife was reading over my shoulder on all your responses so it helps her and I be on the same page.

Extremely well said sir!

 

[Grumman]

Electronic ear muffs are a great recommendation. My son thinks they are cool and as such wants to wear them. It definitely helps him hear my coaching.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Felix40]

I think a .22 is too much for even a smart 3 year old. Seems you would be doing almost everything for him. To me there is a lot of ground work to be laid before they should just be out there pulling a trigger.

I got my son his bb gun at 3 and he had to learn how to load it, cock it, carry it, and aim it before we ever really did any shooting. I think you will find the average 3 year old wont even be able to cock a bb gun and I think working the gun is way more important than shooting it. He is 4 now and I can pretty well trust him to to turned loose with it as long as I can see him. Once he proves he can be responsible with it we will move up to a .22.

The way I see it there is no reason to rush.

 

[Garshark]

Bb gun for as long as I can remember then 22 and at 10 I got my first shotgun then 7mm at 18

 

[CiK01]

Teaching muzzle control during nerf wars helpsl.

The 4 rules of firearm safety started with their toy guns, grew to their BB guns and is now a foundational part of their .22lr use. Every once in a while they need coaching, but they get it.

 

[xcrunner805]

Teaching muzzle control during nerf wars helpsl.

The 4 rules of firearm safety started with their toy guns, grew to their BB guns and is now a foundational part of their .22lr use. Every once in a while they need coaching, but they get it.

Interesting you brought this topic up because one my concerns is toy guns in general. We have never bought any for him for that reason, but all the kids have water guns and nerf guns. Good idea to teach them with those first, trains good habits. Might be a bit harder than I think but I love the idea. Thanks !

 

[RichP]

I started my kids with a BB gun first, then when I felt they were ready a single shot 22 (cricket)