When is someone old enough to shoot a firearm on their own?

M

Mosin-Marauder

New member
I'm really starting to get better at shooting, I feel, but I don't feel like I get enough practice in. 5-6 rounds a week 10-12 on occasion. My dad let's me handle my guns on my own, clean them, maintain them, disassemble them, etc. I'm not allowed to take my 10/22 or my Mosin-Nagant or my K-31 outside to shoot. I respect my parent's decision but I think I'm capable enough and safe enough to practice on my own. When is a good age to let a young person practice on their own? What could I do to prove to my parents I'm safe enough with firearms? When were you allowed to shoot on your own? I appreciate any advice and opinions you can offer, thanks in advance.
 
If I may ask, how old are you? Your parent will know better than we do whether or not you're ready to go practice on your own. As a parent, I will tell you that the manner in which my daughter handles the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining firearms, as well as how she handles them when she's out shooting with me, will do much to inform my decision as to when she's allowed to take them out without me.

I was hunting by about age 10, but that always involved some parental supervision. I was allowed to go shoot with my buddies by about 16 or 17. Perhaps my parents would have let me go before that, but I wasn't allowed to take the car on my own until I had my DL.
 
I received a .22lr rifle when I was about eleven, but I always had to shoot under supervision until I was in my late teens. If I had to place a specific age on it I would say about 17, but obviously that varies from person to person. Also, we shot on a large piece of property that my grandparents owned, so it was pretty isolated.

I guess a lot might depend on where you shoot and what the risk might be. Also, there may be some legal considerations, but I’m not really sure what the NC laws are. The best advice is to simply act in a mature responsible manner in all areas of your life. Have an adult like discussion with your parents and see what they say. If they still are hesitant don’t pout, but ask what steps you might take to prove you’re ready.
 
"When is a good age to let a young person practice on their own?"

When overall behavior shows enough of a sense of responsibility, plus a knowledge of safe handling/shooting.

I guess it's less about guns than it is about overall "grown-upness".

Just off the cuff, and this is not "advice for your folks", from your posts here I'd not worry about you. But they know a lot more about your daily behavior around the house than I do. :)
 
Spats, I'm 14, I should really put that in my sig so people would know.

I live on a semi isolated plot of land my grandparents own. A several acres I think. We have a small 100 yard range set up below our house, anything less than that we do in our yard.

Heck, I'd be glad if I only got to shoot my 10/22. Practice with that is better than nothing.
 
Thanks, MM. I *might* have been allowed to shoot a .22 at the house at that age, had we lived far enough out in the country to allow it. However, we lived just outside of town, with houses nearby, so nobody was allowed to shoot at my parents' house.

As Art noted, your parents know much more about your day-to-day activities, and how mature you act than we do, and it is about more than just gun handling.
 
I got my first shotgun - Winchester Model 24, 20ga- as a Christmas gift when I was 12. We lived across the street from my grandparents farm and had a couple hundred acres to roam. Bought a .22 semi auto rifle with money from my paper routes about the same time. By age 14 I was allowed to go down into the woods to shoot. Couldn't legally hunt without adult supervision until age 16.

Times have changed significantly since those times.

When a person is old enough depends upon where they live, how mature they are, and state and local laws. Only the parents can sift through the variable to arrive at the appropriate age.
 
Be glad that you have parents that care about your well being even if you don't always agree with them. It could be worse. You could be treated like I treated my nieces and nephews when they were little and they visited the farm. I'd say to them, "Kid, here's a single shot rifle and a cartridge. If you miss, come dark, don't be asking me what's for supper?":D:D:D
 
Maturity does not need to co-relate to age. Some youths grow up faster and can understand the gravity of their actions, and be able to diffrentiate between goofing off and taking something serious.
Even though target shooting is fun and enjoyable, it still has parameters that responsible gun owners stay within.

Continue being respectful to your parents. Thats the best advice I can give you. I may not have grown up in a household that owned guns, but my freedoms to go out unsupervised came from how well I acted and behaved. When I proved to my mother that I could be trusted to follow her directions she rewarded me with more freedom.
 
It all depends on your parents. Have you taken hunters safety or similar classes besides appleseed?

I lived in the woods on 60 acres with no houses for what seemed like 10 miles in one direction and maybe 40 in another. I wasn't allowed to take guns out by myself till around 14ish when I started deer hunting. If geese were flying over it was fair game to take a few shots from the yard and take the gun back in.

Besides that if I wanted to go out by myself I could only use a Daisy or Crossman air rifle.

It all depends on what your parents think and what they think about you. They might even designate days when you're ready that you can take your rifles out to the yard by yourself. I had Thursdays and Sundays with my uncle where we would practice 22 for 4h shooting.
 
Personally, I was able to go squirrel hunting on my own or with a friend around 12, after I had passed hunter's ed.
 
Regardless of what age I might think appropriate, I *know* I would not contradict an apparently reasoned decision made by any child's parents. Parents can raise their children as they see fit.

I truly mean no offense, young man, I have greatly enjoyed reading your posts and watching you grow in experience and knowledge but your parents have infinitely more experience and wisdom than you do at age 14.

I know how it feels to be your age... remember, we were all there once. It wasn't so long ago that I forget what it's like. I know one thing for sure... I thought I knew a lot more than I did... long past your age.
 
You know, I certainly shouldn't have been trusted at 14. Not even 24. I am 44 soon and just last December bought my 1st gun in 20 years. This question is best answered between you and your parents. I am still young enough to remember wanting to be a bit crazy. Heck, I still have those moments.

Set rules you and your parents can agree upon.

Don't break them

Set time frames for if you do to just set the guns down.

You will break them of course

Punishing yourself with time away, is the most adult thing you can do. No one else even needs to know.

We are all different and I could be wrong.



Man 14 was tough. Just saying.

You know, you will treasure this point in life forever.
 
My parents trusted me to small game hunt without supervision starting at around 14-15. I was not allowed to go with anyone else. While that may seem odd, I understand why. My folks figured one of us was more likely to do something stupid with 2 or more than me alone. Georgia has the same requirement for new drivers. No passengers except for parents for the 1st 6 months.

But it is not 1972 anymore, parents today are held to a much higher standard of accountability than my parents were. My son is 25, I probably wouldn't have felt comfortable with him going solo until he was at least 18. My daughter is 29, I still don't think she is responsible enough to use a gun unsupervised. She is a fine young lady with lots of positive traits. Responsibility with a gun is not one of them.
 
When is someone old enough to shoot a firearm on their own?
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I repeatedly begged my Dad to take me shooting but he never got around to it. So one day I took his S&W pre-Model 10 out in the woods behind our house and shot at a bunch of tin cans. Came back and put the revolver back in its box. Never thought about cleaning it so he figured it out. I got in a lot of trouble. I was 10! I never gave it a thought that something might go wrong and fortunately it didn't.

You're much older than I was but this happened back in 1958, things are much different today. Be mature, be responsible and it will be noticed. And of course go by the house rules, even if your shooting must be supervised.
 
Mosin, I was 10 when I got my first gun, and like you, was allowed to handle and clean it, but not to shoot unsupervised, for several years. Like you, I yearned for it, and snuck a couple of sessions in on hooky days, but they were right to have me wait a bit longer than I felt should have been.

Don't fret about it, your Dad will come to that decision, it's his to make, not yours, and certainly not ours.

Your parents are legally and morally responsible for everything their kids do. You are not legally responsible, as a minor. They are. Their home, possessions, savings, retirement, your college fund, all of that, is potentially at risk. So is the health or life of another person, perhaps, as well as the well-being of yourself, should an accident happen. I'm not saying you are a risk, but the risk does exist, and your parents should not let you use a weapon unsupervised until they feel those risks are non-existent.

Let them make that decision when the time comes.
 
Disappointment.Where does it come from?Expectation.

Expectation .We can get power over our disappointments if we get power over our expectations.You will be happier if you do not dwell on the expectation of shooting on your own.

Trust.Its a big deal for a parent to Trust a young man with a gun.Its the kind of trust that ought not come too easy.It must have the value greater than Gold.That sort of trust takes time...and one more thing about Trust.

Would you advise me to trust someone who does not trust me?Think about that.

See,part of the Trust transaction,you have to trust your parents.Trust them to know the time.And be a Gentleman about it.

Now,how many other things might they be trusting you to do?Like feed the dog,if you have one,or,mow the lawn,or do dishes,or study?If you have a chore,or other responsibility,do you do it without being asked?

Freedom is made out of stuff like Trust and Responsibility.

Before they let you go off with a firearm,their hearts have to know how you will do when no one is watching.

Doing chores without being asked helps....but I caution,still,control your expectations,and trust your parents.

See if,in the library or local bookstore,Amazon if necessary,you can find a copy of "The Old Man and the Boy" by Robert Ruark.It will pass some time.

Offer it to your Dad when you are done.Hang in there!You are lucky,you know.
 
One more thing.
Many years ago,I read an article by a man named Ross Seifred.He lived in South Africa at the time.He aspired to become good with a 1911 handgun.A problem he had was ammunition.It was hard to come by.As I recall,he said a practice session might only be 10 rounds...one magazine,a reload,a few more rounds.

There were no rounds to be a little sloppy with.He had to shoot each round as perfectly as possible.

He became a world champion.Look him up.

Six rounds a week,might keep you hungry for more...but try to shoot six perfect shots.Some might advise you keep a little book,and write something about each shot.
 
old enough

12th birthday 22 and couple of boxes of shells. after that had to buy my own ammo but could go when i wished. 1000 plus acres that everyone in the area used behind my dads property
 
Art says it for me in his post 4

FWIW, I started with handguns at age 3, rifles age 4 and shotguns age 5.

Then again I was born and raised in the South :D
 
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