What age to get them into more power?

[silvrjeepr]

My son started out at around 10 with reduced recoil ammo in a heavy 30 06. He wasn't terribly fond of it, but it was what we had at the time. He now shoots a 243 incredibly well, and has taken up shotguns (20 ga) and pistols (357 mag) at age 12. He's large and responsible for his age which is the deciding factor for dad's approval so far. Oh, he's grouping 2" at 20 yards with that 357 mag.

 

[1tfl]

I received a lot of guns from my parents when I was growing up.
We could go out to back yard and shoot anytime as we had a large berm built for back stop. We hunted on our property too.

I got a Redrider BB gun when I was 5 y/o.
I got a 22lr rifle for my 6th b-day
I got a 410G shotgun for my 8th b-day
I got a 22lr semiauto rifle for my 10th b-day
I got a 22lr revolver for my 12th b-day
I got a 243 bolt gun for my 14th b-day
I got a 12G shotgun for my 16th b-day
I got a 308 bolt gun for my 18th b-day

In each case I had to show that I was safe and knowledgable with each gun before moving up to the next one. When I turned 12 y/o I was allowed to take out my guns by myself to target shoot, plink or hunt.

I pretty much followed this schedule with my kids too except I added Airsoft to the mix when kids were 4 or 5 y/o. I never pushed them to guns but they all had attraction to it.

 

[aarondhgraham]

It's not age but maturity,,,

Can your son recite and explain the 4-rules of Gun Safety?

Does he display the intent and spirit of the rules?

If he's responsible with the BB rifle,,,
It could be time to upgrade to a .22 rifle.

Calendar age has little to do with it,,,
It's how well he has learned and accepted your training that counts.

Good luck and happy shooting with your son.

Aarond

.

 

[KevK.]

I just bought my son a Henry .22 youth lever action (that thing is tiny!). He's 9 and short for his age. He doesn't know about it, birthday gift later this summer. I can't wait to see the look on his face.

Over this past spring I tried to let him shoot my Marlin 25mn (.22WMR). It was just too long and bulky for him. Added to the fact that he's left handed and had a rough time working the bolt. We set him up on a bench and he handled it just fine despite having to reach over to work the bolt.

He's been shooting archery for about a year and don't want to mix up his sight adjustments switching from lefty to righty.

IMHO.
Depends on his/her size and comfort level. Smaller child might not do as well with larger calibers, rifles.

Then again my cousin dropped his first deer with a 12 gauge at 9.

 

[willmc33]

.22 rifle when I was 8 and moved to a 12 gauge single shot at 10 and was given my first pump when I was 12. 15th birthday was a lever action 30-30.

 

[bamaranger]

bamaboy

The boy started with a .22 Cricket at age 7, (I think), highly supervised by me. We used CCI CB long ammo, hardly louder than a pellet rifle if that, so that I could coach easily and he would not struggle with muff's.

We moved to .22lr with the same rifle in about 6-9 months,and started using muffs too. One of the big issues with yougtsters is having the strength and ability to manage the rifle, and the Cricket/Chipmunk clan ease that issue considerably. The other is the seriousness of what a real firearm is capable of when mishandled.

Boys first centerfire experience was age 9-10 w/ single loaded, single shots with a Marlin .357, loaded with .38 wadcutters. But the external hammer was a hassle, as the guy cold not safely, easily lower the hammer on a live round. So again, highly supervised, we shot everyround he loaded on the spot. A practice only type experience.

I bought a .223 Mini Mauser 2 yrs later, and he shot it very well, taking 2 (3 maybe ?) whitetails with it and bonded bullets. Stepped up to a 7.62x39 bolt rifle (Ruger) at age 13,and .243 next season.

At 16 now, he shoots what he wants. His latest was 8 rds from the Garand sitting, with 8 hits on a pie plate at 100, and a respectable 188-7x at 600 with my F-T/R rifle in March. He also outshot me last month at the local IDPA match (but I got even this month)! Pretty proud papa as you will note.

Last thought, all those early years, he was not really on fire to shoot, he sort of just went through the motions, though very well. We would shoot, and he'd shoot a little, and seemed to loose interest. I had to remind myself that the attention span of youngsters can be very short, despite the subject.

But the last year or so he's really been intrigued, rooting through my stack of old magazines (the kind you read!), watching shooting shows, etc. and wanting me to buy him his own IDPA pistol. Guess he's hooked.

Good luck w/ your boy and you're doing right starting him out as a shooter. Start'em safe and slow and they'll have skill and ability that others do not more and more frequently in todays world.

 

[publius]

Yes, it's time for a .22. I don't see a problem with a repeater but I would go w/a bolt gun. You need to hammer into his head that the .22 is lethal a long way off and you should always be sure of your backstop. I disagree with others about the 410. it really teaches you proper form and not to shoot at things too far away.I got a single shot 410 when I was @ 7 and shot it every weekend at our farm. If it wasn't hunting season I hunted blackbirds. I got really good until I discovered beer and girls in high school. I realize that many people do not have the opportunity to shoot that often so a .20 ga. might be better but he is probably too young for a .20.

 

[deepcore]

My girls never "out grew" our 22 LR rifle or our 9mm pistols. My youngest (boy) went BB gun at 8, 22 LR at 9, and .223 bolt action at 10. He's now 11 and yesterday he did this (and others like it) at 100 yds.

It looks like he will be moving up in calibers when he's ready. He is also learning to reload. And yes, I agree keep everything locked up and gun safety training is job number one.

 

[USMCGrunt]

I am not a big proponent of having to be X years old to handle rifle Y. Instead I go by a structured training program based on performance that allows for a slow and natural progression of 6 steps for my son.

Step 1 has safety as the objective. Here I'm watching him with toy guns to see if he can keep his finger off the trigger, not point the muzzle at anything he doesn't want to shoot, etc.

Step 2 has safety and basic marksmanship as the primary objectives. Here we get into the Red Ryder. Here I work with basic marksmanship principles and keep enforcing safety standards. This is also the time that eye and ear protection are required, no exceptions! Granted hearing protection is not really needed with a BB gun, it does lay the foundation for good habits later on. True, it's not going to be the most accurate gun in the world I'm sure but the principles are all the same. And besides, if he shoots me in the butt, I'd rather take a welt from a BB gun than a second hole from a bullet!

Step 3 has the objective of being able to handle muzzle blast and further development of marksmanship fundamentals. Now comes the Cricket. By this time he should have a firm grasp on firearms safety and a basic understanding of marksmanship principles. Now we throw a more accurate rifle into the mix as well as the muzzle blast of a true firearm. This is where I'm watching for here are for better group size and if there is any development of flinching.

Step 4 is primarly focused on different style sights and fire discipline. This is where the automatics and an introduction to dot sights come into play. By now he should have a firm grasp of how to use iron sights and the discipline to make each shot count as a hit. Now we bring out the Sig 522 with an EOtech sight. Here I am broadening his world of sighting systems in addition to iron sights. I am going with the 522 because of the adjustable stock that can be shortened to meet body frame size requirements for him. The big thing I am looking for here in this stage is does he maintain fire discipline of making each shot count or does he simply start spraying the target area?

Step 5 has an objective of handling a little heavier recoil and muzzle blast without adverse reactions. In this case I have an M4/CAR-15 hybrid I built for him several years ago again with an adjustable length of pull on the stock and as light weight as I could make it. We are still using a Trijicon reflex sight with iron BUIS as well but the big change here is the larger caliber, more recoil and considerbly more muzzle blast. The objective here is much like the first time with the .22, how does he handle recoil and muzzle blast? Does he develop a flinch or can he deal with it with no problems popping up?

Step 6 has the same objective as Step 5 in the handling of heavier recoil and muzzle blast. In this case, the AR-10 carbine (I hope to have completed by then) or one of my other 7.62mm rifles. Now we are dealing with yet more recoil and muzzle blast. Once again, is there any adverse reaction to moving on to the larger caliber? By the end of Step 6, he should be able to handle most any firearm out there safely and proficently.

The thing about this training program is that nothing is based on age. If he takes to shooting and is performing a certain stage better than expected, it's time to be promoted to the next higher step. If however he gets to the next step and is not able to perform in a satisfactory manner, now we go back to the previous level. Say he gets to step 4 and begins to show problems in fire discipline spraying bullets all over the target area on a routine basis simply because he can, now it's back to the single shot to emphasize the need for accurate shot placement. Promotion and demotion are strictly based on performance here and not on age.

 

[bulldawg1024]

I was 10. My dad had a 45-70 that he loaded for. I had been shooting my 20 gauge and .243. I have begged him to let me shoot the 45-70. Thought it was so cool watching the bullet go down range. One day he finally did. He had several different loads, but I didnt know that at the time. He put a light load in the first time. I shot it and it kicked pretty good but nothing I couldnt handle. Then he put in a hot load. I thought I had died. Didnt shoot it again for a couple months.

 

[ben_raines]

Its all going to depend on your son. My dad would take me hunting with him and Grandpa before I was very big at all. They gave me my first .22, a sinlge shot Stevens Scout, when I was 5, the first semi-auto .22 came when i was 11 or 12, a Marlin 989M2 7 shot, and my first .410 about the same time.

My grandpa had my great granddads old .45-70 trapdoor, and I was always bugging them to let me shoot it from about 6 or so. They set me one rule for it, that I had to be taller than it before I would be allowed to shoot it. My dad went over all the safety rulles again and again every time I asked to shoot it, and when i was finally taller than that rifle, they took me out and let me try it. My dad caught me, and my granddad caught the rifle, it hurt like nothing before, and I didnt ask to shoot it again for about 5 yrs after that, but I had the best story to tell my friends and you couldnt wipe that smile off my face.

So, I would say, let him try a .22 single shot, see how he does and how he likes it, let him progress at his pace. Dont urge or push for him to try larger unless he asks, then use your judgement about him being physically able to handle it from previous experience with other firearms.

BR

 

[Hardbawl]

Shooting for a kid should be safe [your job] and it should also be fun. Air guns are great as are .22s.

When it comes to something bigger two issues must be addressed. These are recoil and the gun's physical size. Recoil can hurt and pain is not fun. My 308 is fun for me to shoot. My oldest grandson has trouble with it because he is smaller than I and the rifle doesn't fit him. A Winchester 94 carbine fits him better and he can handle it. It may not be my perfect choice, but he has his whole life to do better.

CZ makes a model 527 mini mauser in several calibers that weighs only 6 pounds. This rifle has been the favorite of my 7 grandkids. They are always asking to shoot it. Thankfully mine is chambered in 7.62x39 so ammo is cheap. The fact that the gun can be handled by small people makes it a real winner.