How old is old enough to shoot?

[TexasComputerDude]

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[WildBill]

First, I appreciate all the responses. Do you think a .223 would be too much for him. I know he is going to WANT to shoot it but I think it may have too much of a kick for him.

It sounds like the kid has a great Uncle.

I know I am "old fashioned" when it comes to firearms education, but IMO he should master the basics on a bolt action 22LR before moving on to a semi-automatic or a larger caliber. I am not saying he shouldn't try the 223, but not as a steady diet. Over the years I have seen too many shooters think that filling the air with lead is an acceptable alternative to accuracy.

Give him a challenge. Have him try the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and tell him he can move up to centerfire rifles when he achieves the Sharpshooter level. By that time he will have a good foundation of the basics of safety and marksmanship. It worked for me.

[dukalmighty]

As long as they are potty trained,if you ever got hot brass down you're shirt imagine how much a diaper could catch

[Liberty]

I won't knock the .22. They are cheap to shoot, fun and a good gun to learn the basics. However the .223 caliber AR15s or medium to full sized 9MM handguns have very little perceived recoil and can be handled by almost anyone. There can be no harm done by letting a newbie fire these weapons with proper ear protection. I have let folks fire a Browning sweet 16 and they wondered "Why all the fuss was about shotgun kick?"

[Mike from Texas]

I think it depends on the kid and his exposure to guns throughout his life as well as his maturity level. My son is 7 years old and has been hunting with me since he was 4 so he's been around guns quite a bit. He, his sister & I went to the lease last weekend and he ripped off about 50 rounds with my AR15 and had a blast. The biggest thing is to teach them the safety rules.

[Chris]

My daughters have pink Crickett .22s. I started them out at 4 years old. The stock is a little bit long for them at that age, but they can learn the basics. They know how to operate every gun in the arsenal now at 5 and 6 years old. They aren't strong enough to work the actions on most of them, but they know more about how they work, and general safety, than most adults do.

[Daltex1]

Well tomorrow is the day I take my nephew out for our first "real" shoot! I will post the expierience on how everything went whether it was a ride in an ambulance or if I have a Marine Corp Sniper on my hands! Thanx again for everyones input and I am currently looking into the Program many of you mentioned.Take care all Yall and I will report back Sunday night.

[DParker]

I won't knock the .22. They are cheap to shoot, fun and a good gun to learn the basics. However the .223 caliber AR15s or medium to full sized 9MM handguns have very little perceived recoil and can be handled by almost anyone. There can be no harm done by letting a newbie fire these weapons with proper ear protection.

Provided that you only load a single round in the magazine at a time to start with. The last thing you want is to have ammo in the mag and find out that they react to the recoil by dropping the gun or squeezing the trigger again.