Shaun ONeill Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 hi my freind has recently asked me if i could teach his 7 year old son to shoot do you think this is to young or is he the right age to start shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 i was 6 or 7 when i started - mentioned that to my FLO when i was applying for my FAC, he said "i'll put down 10, as below that it's deemed too young!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Fudd Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 shot my first air rifle when i was bout 7 and my first shotgun when i was about 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jntree Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 hey there my grandad started to teach me to shoot when i was six, he started me with his 22 rifle and then moved me to a 410 and then on to the 12g, but he also taught me if i killed it i had to get it ready for the pot. i think its something all youngsters should learn my daughter will be taught the same way i was and i can only hope she enjoy's doing it as i have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowboy1403 Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 hi my freind has recently asked me if i could teach his 7 year old son to shoot do you think this is to young or is he the right age to start shooting. do you think he is old enough to handle a gun of any type. if it was your son do you think he was responsible enough to be trusted win a gun. be honest with your self if he had an accident could you live with it. you can tell them what to do and how to do it but when i was 7 all i wanted to do was play cowboys and indians and shoot at anything that moved. if you are happy he is mature enough to learn then teach even if it means starting spud gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz2202 Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 hi my freind has recently asked me if i could teach his 7 year old son to shoot do you think this is to young or is he the right age to start shooting. A very open statement/question. Nothing wrong with a bit of supervised air rifle target shooting, and teaching the dangers of shooting and all the responsibilty and safety aspects of it. I was shooting air rifles at the shed door with paper targets on by this age, but never alone and i reckon i was about 9 when i got taken to clays for the 1st time with a little .410 fold up. Dad used to let me have a pair on each of his stands as we went round. Still not sure about teaching someone else's 7 year old though, maybe only if his dad was present too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saunders.shoots Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 i got my shotgun certificate when i was eleven and got my first gun at 12, a 20 beretta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz2202 Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 i got my shotgun certificate when i was elevenand got my first gun at 12, a 20 beretta Ok so you got your ticket young. But the questions we are trying to answer are Do you honestly think this is correct? Do you feel that at age 7 you are responsible enough for 12ft lb air rifle? At 11 should you be allowed a ticket and more to the point is it neccesary? Not having a gob but i think this is a really good thread and will raise very different opinions Daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowboy1403 Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 i got my shotgun certificate when i was elevenand got my first gun at 12, a 20 beretta how long ago was this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseaDavid Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 I started shooting when I was 5 with a 177 air rifle just finnishing off wounded birds in the pattern etc. I was given a single shot 410 when I was 6 and when I was 7 I was given a pump action 410. I dont think that 7 is too young, as long as you teach him to be safe then he should be ok.I was brought up round guns so I got to know all the safety bits and bobs from my dad and grandad. Has he been round guns before or not? But as long as you are happy I would take him and train him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Started my son shooting when he was 6, walked him with a cut down unloaded air rifle to learn field craft for months, gave him plinking and target lesson to get him proficient before he took at shot at anything live, only when he was competent enough with safety accuracy and field craft did i let him shot his 1st rabbit, which he downed at about 7 years of age,turned 12 onto his 1st shotgun and pigeon shooting, he turned into a very good shot and knew his fieldcraft, im proud of his skills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 I started using an air rifle at about 7 years, a .410 at 10 years and a 12bore at 14 years, always accompanied by my grandfather, until I was 16 years of age. By then I had been well schooled in gun safety and all other aspects, I was deemed safe to be out on my own. The biggest criteria in the age/starting shooting debate is "interest" IMO. The child has to be very interested, that way they are keen to learn and persevere when things don't work out. Being taken out with "my" gun by my grandfather was a treat, a reward, a wage and always a much anticipated event. Thats the way it should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillaroo Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 Kids mature differently both mentally and physically and some are more responsible than others. My lad got his ticket last year aged 9 and shoots a 20 bore but is perfectly capable of shooting safely with a 12. He works at weekends on a local clay shoot and has been taught every safety aspect involved and more. He is also a strong lad for his age but he has some friends at school who I am unlikely to ever to take out - they just aren't shooters and never will be but I think that's down to their parents. You must make the decision based on all these factors and not on age. Why can't his dad teach him? Cheers Gillaroo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker3 Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 my son started shooting when he was 5 years old with a 410 single barrel .he first had to prove he was safe with an empty gun . the most important thing is (for me anyway )1 is he willing to listen and learn 2 can he handle the gun being used 3 is he mature enough yes he only 7 but he has to be to anextent .its a hard thing to judge if its not ur own son or daughter. but 6 7 is ok to start shooting many have before good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Sometimes people are ready for shooting at 6 years sometiems they have to wait until they are 18 to shoot since they are not mature enough. I don't beleive there should be an age for when kids should start shooting, let's take each case by its own merit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJL Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 My young un Alex is sat here next to me as I type this. He started at 8 and got his SGC at 8, the clay ground preferred he had one and were keen that he did a basic safety tuition before shooting on the ground. Makes a lot of sense. They also said that the younger they start the more you can drill the safety aspect into them which is not a bad point. Anyway, he started on .410, now has 20g. Shot his first pigeon last year and rabbits. Got his first flighting duck a few weeks ago and tonight we went roosting when he got his first one. I have spent money buying guns to cut down to fit. I dont mind doing this as long as he wants to go. If he doesnt then he doesnt go and we do something else. As someone said they all mature at different ages, if they want to go and can handle it safely then fine, let them go for it. Alastair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiff-TRG Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 (edited) I started at 6 with an old Diana. Used to cut out wooden tank silhouettes and shoot at them at 15 yards. Not that many years later (compared to some) I now shoot at real tanks on the ranges out to 1 1/2 miles Who says you have to grow up ! Edited February 20, 2009 by Tiff-BBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonboy1 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 have just read march edition of sporting shooter and there is a picture in the 'young shots' section of two 4 year old lads on their first shoot, one holding a pheasant the other holding a woody, although admittedly the guns the little fellas are holding do look like toys. I think 7 years old is a good age to start shooting, my daughter started at 8 using a 410, but i certainly would'nt want my 4 year old boy even witnessing something being killed let alone firing a gun, still, each to their own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 With close supervision and as long as they are strong enough and interested I think that's fine. I know people in their 40s that I wouldn't trust with a spud gun, so age has little to do with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stamford Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 My son ( 8 ) went to cubs last night and they did air rifle plinking, he came home and was chuffed to bits because he hit the target.. Not once has he mentioned shooting to me before and now wants to come with me next time I go out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 (edited) i started shooting with a air gun when i was 7 didnt shoot out but ferral pigeons Back then Edited March 3, 2009 by hiho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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