Or mine...Originally Posted by RoyGBiv
Or mine...
Ignore Alien Orders
Santa brought my son one of the refurb'd Daisy competition air rifles you can get through the CMP when he was 5 (6 now). He doesn't touch the gun while not with me (kept out of his hands). Took a while to figure out he's cross-eye dominant, but he's getting to be a good shot, all things considered. He has a great handle on the four rules and seems to be pretty conscientious about it.
I'll probably wait until he can go to the range with me (age 7) before having him fire any rimfire/centerfire gun. His younger brother likes to sit with us during our backyard range sessions but he seems too little to shoot now (aged 3).
I'd love to get my older boy into competitive shooting but it's hard to find good info on getting started.
I have never denied ammo to anyone in need............
I even use it as payment instead of cash. Bribed Fred M with .22lr and 9mm to help me move the MD house last year.
And if you feel the need to occupy my garage, I am sure I still have a couple of Che shirts I can spread around so no one feels left out.
I'd have helped you for free.
Of course........because that is the kind of guy you are.I'd have helped you for free.
I threw some .22lr and 9mm at you, because that is how I roll...........
Back on topic, my son got his first .22lr when he was 4 days old. Went ahead and had the barrel threaded because kids are notorious for removing ear pro. As a single shot, it should feed the Super Colibri's just fine, and keep noise to acceptable child levels. I suspect we will begin formal training by year 2.
Right age, wrong age? I don't know. But I know that he will likely know more, and be safer than 99% of current gun owners by the time he is 5.
Much will depend on the individual maturity of the child. Obviously people mature at different rates and some of us are still maturing to this day.
For my Kids I started them off at around 2-3 years old with Eddie the Eagle which may sound cliche but they thoroughly enjoyed the short cartoon and the message was just the bonus. This video was very helpful believe it or not in their overall "orientation" about firearms. Of course the fact that daddy always has weapons around in the shop or wearing one has contributed, but the cartoon aspect held their attention at a young age.
From there my son started getting Nerf guns at around 3-4 years old. Before handling them, we made a bit of a game or father son play or bonding time by learning correct skill sets. At that age what you teach them is normal and if he is hanging out with pops and he is interested, he will enjoy even the tedious stuff, like learning safety rules etc. At age 3-4 my son clearly understood trigger finger and muzzle discipline. Maybe not the complete ramifications of how a weapon can truly devastate living tissue, but he understood the base concept that it was bad to point the nerf gun at someone and trigger finger discipline. At around 6 years old he could clear a room or the house like a champ with his nerf pistols and rifles. Control and discipline was natural and spot on. Kids are like sponges without any BS in their head.
When he hit 6 years old I transitioned him into Airsoft. I spent the money and got the all steel Sig Sauer P226 pistols authorized by Sig Sauer. High quality Airsoft pistols. He already knew his basic safety rules and before firing the airsoft he needed to be able to do a couple more things. 1 he need to be able to recite his marksmanship fundamentals and be able to demonstrate them correctly. 2 he needed to be able to properly field strip / function check the pistol and know its nomenclature. I used the same process as I use with my adult students. The biggest difference is he learned the quicker and with more precision. Again like a sponge. He had done a ton of dry manipulations, dry fire, draw, etc and his accuracy was amazing from the very first shots fired.
At 8 years old I transitioned him to .22 pistols and rifles. Now at 10 years old he is going into 9mm and .223 / 5.56. Of course like any proud papa I purchase or built his rifles when he was a baby but I definitely took a deliberate route in his grooming. My daughter at 7 is also solid, but her interest isn't as strong as my sons. He takes to shooting extremely well and I will see where we go from here.
"Did you see him clear that hallway T-intersection, then the stairwell? That's my boy!"
Surf, that is awesome. I always appreciate your posts, and I always learn something from them.
Reply With Quote
