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Message
What age to buy sons a gun
Posted on 10/17/10 at 9:42 pm
Posted on 10/17/10 at 9:42 pm
So the 410 thread gets me thinking
We have 2 sons only 15 months apart.
The eldest will be 4 soon. I however, did not have a father that hunted and didnt get into hunting until my late 20's.
Since we have real guns in the house and we plan to raise the boys to both enjoy shooting we decided to not have any toy guns in an effort to reinforce that a real gun is serious business.
This of course does not stop them from turning any 2ft long object into a "pretend toy gun".
I think we are going to get him a BB gun for his fourth bday. Assuming they continue to be interested in the sport, we will let him shot my .22 from a bench and take him on a hog hunt at 5 to see one get shot and killed. Then planning at 6 to take him deer hunting with me and let him shot a centerfire, and shotgun from a bench. Age 7 will transition to going on hunts as a shooter for squirrel, and hogs. And at some point ducks and doves when he can handle the shotgun well enough. Think I will let him take a deer at age 10.
Both boys will be shown entrance and exit wounds on animals to reinforce the cause effect relationship of firearms. They will of course also need to demonstrate safe and proficent use of fierarms prior to hunting with them. I am also planning on requiring them to eat what they kill.
Does this seem like a normal progression?
We have 2 sons only 15 months apart.
The eldest will be 4 soon. I however, did not have a father that hunted and didnt get into hunting until my late 20's.
Since we have real guns in the house and we plan to raise the boys to both enjoy shooting we decided to not have any toy guns in an effort to reinforce that a real gun is serious business.
This of course does not stop them from turning any 2ft long object into a "pretend toy gun".
I think we are going to get him a BB gun for his fourth bday. Assuming they continue to be interested in the sport, we will let him shot my .22 from a bench and take him on a hog hunt at 5 to see one get shot and killed. Then planning at 6 to take him deer hunting with me and let him shot a centerfire, and shotgun from a bench. Age 7 will transition to going on hunts as a shooter for squirrel, and hogs. And at some point ducks and doves when he can handle the shotgun well enough. Think I will let him take a deer at age 10.
Both boys will be shown entrance and exit wounds on animals to reinforce the cause effect relationship of firearms. They will of course also need to demonstrate safe and proficent use of fierarms prior to hunting with them. I am also planning on requiring them to eat what they kill.
Does this seem like a normal progression?
11
Posted on 10/17/10 at 9:51 pm to Bleeding purple
I agree a BB should be the first step, followed by the 22 and possibly a 410 in the same year.
You know your kids better than anybody, can he handle the BB gun at 4 or maybe he needs to wait until he is 5.
Your second child will be differnt than your first, maybe he will be ready sooner or maybe it will take him a little longer.
Also look at taking them hunting sooner than later, make a few afternoon hunts with your son at possibly 4, but by 5 for sure, thats just my opinion here again its something you will have to judge for each one of your boys.
There is no magic table when it comes to kids, but I think your game plan is good, but just like life, you will get thrown a curve every now and then. Just go with the flow and enjoy the time with your kids in the outdoors
You know your kids better than anybody, can he handle the BB gun at 4 or maybe he needs to wait until he is 5.
Your second child will be differnt than your first, maybe he will be ready sooner or maybe it will take him a little longer.
Also look at taking them hunting sooner than later, make a few afternoon hunts with your son at possibly 4, but by 5 for sure, thats just my opinion here again its something you will have to judge for each one of your boys.
There is no magic table when it comes to kids, but I think your game plan is good, but just like life, you will get thrown a curve every now and then. Just go with the flow and enjoy the time with your kids in the outdoors
Posted on 10/17/10 at 9:51 pm to Bleeding purple
seems reasonable...though maybe a bit too structured to be workable....your two sons may have a wildly different levels of maturity at a given age, so you will have to be willing to flex a bit to make it work...
Posted on 10/17/10 at 9:59 pm to Spankum
The oldest is really seintimental so although I have brought them "hunting" with me already, there was never any intention of shooting anything. I dont think he is ready to see a living walking thing get shot yet.
Posted on 10/17/10 at 10:09 pm to Bleeding purple
Saw something awhile back that stated the best thing to do for a new shooter is to start him with a shotgun. They stated that trying to teach someone to shoot a shotgun is harder after they are introduced to aiming a rifle. If started with a shotgun they learn the pointing and motion of shotgunning much easier than if you start out aiming and have to break that habit to learn to lead and follow through
Something to consider? I was brought up on a bb gun and then a 22 and burn through a crap load of shotgun shells to get a limit in the dove field
Something to consider? I was brought up on a bb gun and then a 22 and burn through a crap load of shotgun shells to get a limit in the dove field
Posted on 10/18/10 at 7:54 am to Bleeding purple
Every kid is different. But sounds like a good plan.
I have three boys; 9 and twins 6. Started all with BB gun but soon went to the .22 Cricket. My 9 year old and one of the twins love to shoot while the other twin doesn't care for it.
You definately need to shoot at cans, ballons or spinning targets for the visual effect. Paper targets only go so far.
The 9 year old was hunting with a .243 Rossi, this year I moved him up to a 30.06 with Remington managed recoil loads. He dropped a pig at 114 yards during the youth hunt last week.
All in all it just depends on the maturity and progession of the individual kid.
I have three boys; 9 and twins 6. Started all with BB gun but soon went to the .22 Cricket. My 9 year old and one of the twins love to shoot while the other twin doesn't care for it.
You definately need to shoot at cans, ballons or spinning targets for the visual effect. Paper targets only go so far.
The 9 year old was hunting with a .243 Rossi, this year I moved him up to a 30.06 with Remington managed recoil loads. He dropped a pig at 114 yards during the youth hunt last week.
All in all it just depends on the maturity and progession of the individual kid.
Posted on 10/18/10 at 8:29 am to taurusjwf
all depends on them. I felt my son at age 5 was old enough for a BB gun. He got a pellet gun 6 months later. Then...... as u read a 410, at 6 1/2. A point I want to make is, he has friends that come over and naturally my son wants to shoot the pellet gun to show off. I never let him because u never know the upbringing on another child. I am certain that many of his friends have never been introduced to a guns and are not mature enough to be around firearms. So, make your own descions about your own kids because you know your kids best. A time table is great but may not always work the way you plan.
Posted on 10/18/10 at 10:38 am to Black and Gold 22
Be flexible and use your best judgement, boys mature at different rates, even among other boys. What you MUST consider in using your judgement as to the introduction, is firearm safety. Use the NRA's Eddie Eagle guidelines to teach gun safety. Set the example yourself and demand it with toy guns, BB guns, etc.
During horseplay, one of my cousin's shot his brother in the eye with a BB gun, and he lost his eye. Many of us have seen this before, but please be a black & white, gun safety nazi when it comes to your boys--it may save their life.
During horseplay, one of my cousin's shot his brother in the eye with a BB gun, and he lost his eye. Many of us have seen this before, but please be a black & white, gun safety nazi when it comes to your boys--it may save their life.
Posted on 10/18/10 at 10:45 am to Colonel Rebel
quote:
please be a black & white, gun safety nazi when it comes to your
NO AMMO FOR YOU!!!!!
Dont worry gun safety will be drilled into them before, during, and after every encounter with a weapon.
Posted on 10/18/10 at 11:28 am to Bleeding purple
IMO it all depends on the kid. My oldest brother, who is 4 years older than me, didn't start hunting until about 9 or 10. I started at about the same time he did, when I was 6. My other older brother, 15 months older than me, didn't start until he was in college.
I can't remember a time when I didn't have a BB gun. I was shooting birds and pine cones all the time when I was younger. My dad slowly upgraded me with shotguns and rifles as I was ready. He never pushed the issue with the other two. They started later than me and moved at their own pace.
I can't remember a time when I didn't have a BB gun. I was shooting birds and pine cones all the time when I was younger. My dad slowly upgraded me with shotguns and rifles as I was ready. He never pushed the issue with the other two. They started later than me and moved at their own pace.
Posted on 10/18/10 at 11:42 am to Slickback
I bought my son a .22/410 combo when he was 4. He started shooting when he was 5 but he grew up in the country and we only had to walf onto the porch to shoot. I let him shoot the 410 too early and that put him off shotguns for awhile. start em young but don't expose them to heavy recoil.
Posted on 10/18/10 at 11:51 am to DanTiger
On a side note, with the cost of Archery, I dont plan to facilitate them getting into bow hunting until they can pull 40 lbs draw. However, they already have simple long bows and will progress to the kids style compounds soon (like 10 lb draw) and rubber tipped arrows.
Posted on 10/18/10 at 11:59 am to Bleeding purple
BB gun as soon as they are physically able to pump it and hold it up to aim.
Posted on 10/18/10 at 12:13 pm to UnevenElephant3
My dad started me out with a bb gun young in life. Around five or so, I couldn't pump it up but could hold it on my own. My FIL got my oldest a bb gun for his bday this year and he's 4 now. He's not quite big enough to hold it but we use it to plink at cans with my help. I'm taking him hunting this year but just as an observer. He's been running trap lines with me for two years and has seen many animal kills. It doesn't phase him. I think 9-10 is a better age for larger recoil guns like .410 and rifles bigger than .22. That's my plan anyway.
Posted on 10/19/10 at 5:32 pm to Bleeding purple
I had a bb gun at 9 and was shooting a 410 at 12.
Got my 13 year old learning to handle my 22 pistol. Since I dont hunt anymore, he is not as exposed to guns as I was as a boy.
Got my 13 year old learning to handle my 22 pistol. Since I dont hunt anymore, he is not as exposed to guns as I was as a boy.
Posted on 10/19/10 at 5:43 pm to Bleeding purple
my dad bought me and my older brother Browning .243 when we were 2/3 and didnt start hunting with them till we were around 10/11. bb guns when i could hold one then 22 and so forth...
Posted on 10/19/10 at 5:58 pm to Bleeding purple
quote:
Both boys will be shown entrance and exit wounds on animals to reinforce the cause effect relationship of firearms.
Funny but my gramps took us out one afternoon and dropped a few egrets flying back to their roost. Picked them up and said,..... Same principle.Posted on 10/19/10 at 9:39 pm to Geauxtiga
BB guns at 4-6, 410 or 20 at 8-10. Then they can take a hunters safety course. Pound it in there head that if they kill it, they must clean and eat it.
Posted on 10/19/10 at 10:08 pm to fishfighter
It really depends on when the kid can start to respect the firearm as both something to be taken care of and feared.
IMO kids shouldn't hunt unsupervised until they've taken the appropriate hunter's safety course. (I did it at like 10.) I'm not sure how a parent could live with themselves if they gave an untrained 7 year old a shotgun and they accidentally killed themselves or someone else.
That said, you could always get them a gun earlier and begin the process of training them up.
IMO kids shouldn't hunt unsupervised until they've taken the appropriate hunter's safety course. (I did it at like 10.) I'm not sure how a parent could live with themselves if they gave an untrained 7 year old a shotgun and they accidentally killed themselves or someone else.
That said, you could always get them a gun earlier and begin the process of training them up.
This post was edited on 10/19/10 at 10:09 pm
Posted on 10/20/10 at 8:50 am to jglass3lsu
I also recommend that you purchase a watermelon and have your sons watch as you blast it with buckshot. Children will respond to visual stimulation more so than verbal and this will bring the point home that weapons can kill. After shooting the melon have a talk with them about the importance of gun safety and I promise they will be extra cautious never to flag anyone with a rifle.
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