When is/was it time for your kids?

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Harry Callahan

New member
To first go shooting with you? My grandfather took my brother and I when I was around 7(1968). My brother is 3 years younger than I am. We would always look forward to going to Arkansas so we could go shooting with Gramps. That planted the seed for me and my love of firearms and I was hoping my kids would be interested also. My wife and I decided not to push the subject on them and let them decide for themselves if it was something they might want to look into further. I told my son, now 12, that he would have to wait until he was 10 before he could go to the range for the first time. I also impressed upon him the importance of safe gun handling habits-all of which he has mastered long before firing that first shot. Of course, there's no substitute for adult supervision which I happily provide. I got him started on my .22 rifle, an absolutely perfect gun to get started on. Not much recoil, not overly intimidating, just right. He then graduated to my .22 revolver, then 9mm,.357, all the way up to the holy grail as far as a 12 year old is concerned, the .44 Magnum. After he got over the bang and got comfortable with the recoil he at least started hitting the target and I could see the look of satisfaction and pride in his eye. Now he picks the guns we shoot. His favorite is my Colt HBAR .223. Now my daughter is about to turn 10 and seems to be getting interested. Hmmm....
 
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hIPSHOT33

New member
way to go harry . Its grate to get the kids started on the right path . I have two Grandsons 11 and 9 and they can both shoot well . The oldes one picked up my 1187 last week for the first time and broke 5 out of 6 straght away clays with it . He got his hunting license this year and beat his dad in the Dove fields with a little 20 gage 870 wingmaster that I cut down for him .
 
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Peeweester40

New member
"To first go shooting with you? My grandfather took my brother and I when I was around 7(1968)."

I don't have kids but credit my dad for my love and interest in firearms. As a kid I grew up in Georgia, close to the Okeefenokee (sp?) Swamp. I remember my dad and I going to the swamp with his Winchester .22 model 69 and shooting at snakes and beer cans. Safety was always stressed, and nothing ever was shot that I didn't think needing shooting. :D
 
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Lebben-B

New member
I waited for my son to say the magic words, "Teach me." Being a military family, my son was exposed to small arms at an early age (meeting Dad at the company as he comes home from exercises/deployments, static displays during All-American Week/Week of Eagles, driving past hot ranges, etc) so I waited to see if he would take more than a passing interest in firearms.

We were at a mall waiting on the wife to buy something and we wandered into an arcade. My son wanted to play one of those zombie killing games. One of those games that have the plastic pistols attached. So I fished in my pocket for some quarters and we cranked it up. Mindless fun. The family that slays together stays together, right?

Afterward, with the world saved from zombification, he looked up at me and asked how I got so good at shooting. I told him that his great-grandfather taught me (with a little help from a rich uncle). He then asked if I could teach him. I immediately scooped up the wife and went to the local gunshop and bought a used .22. He was 10 at the time and now at 13 is a pretty decent shot with a rifle and is itching to try a pistol.

Mike
 
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kingudaroad

New member
The biggest thing for my boys was making the adjustment from toy guns to real. That started with bb guns at age 7 and a lot of teaching , yelling, and occasional ducking until he learned how serious the muzzle of that gun was compared to the toys that he was used to pointing at anything he wanted for the last 6 years. 1 year later he is an accomplished safe shooter, listens intently to instruction, and never touches a gun without my permission. Here's a picture of him shooting our 17 hmr. http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=16391&d=1135059619
 
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Average Joe

New member
Depends on how mature they are. I took my sons when they were around 10 to shoot .22's. At 12 they were shooting shotguns and hi power rifles.
 
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Wisby

New member
I don't have kids but I was 6 or 7 and I think it was the most fun and first thing me and my Dad really did together. Well my first memory anyway
 
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Chris Phelps

New member
I started at 5 with air rifles. Got my first .22cal for my bday when I was 8. My grandfather gave me a 257 when I was 12. Im only 24, so I dont have kids.
 
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