What age do you think a boy should get his first rifle?

I started shooting a cut down single shot .22 at age 6, but had to earn 'my' first .22 through proficiency at age 10, first .22 pistol at 13, as well as my .410...

I think it all depends on the willingness of the child to learn, under strict supervision, and demonstrate self discipline..My grandfather started me out with ten rounds and only when he was there to supervise...My goal was to light 9 of 10 wooden kitchen matches with the ten shots given and I could only shoot when he had time away from his boot making/shoe repair shop and the weather was good..Took me four years to do it....Fortunately the pistol and shotgun didn't require the same test...
 
That depends a lot on the boy. Responsible?? ethical? Has he hunted with dad since he was 2??
10-12 sounds good. But??
My grandkids have hunted since they were 4-5. They have all shot rabbits. The oldest is going to be 12 this year and hunt big game. I have rifles for them but have not "given" them to them.
 
My boy has had a single shot .22 Rascal since he was 6. He is almost 11 now and is always supervised, has always been really safe with it and has been hunting with me for a few years. I got his is first center-fire rifle yesterday as I want it to practice with it this summer before youth deer season in the fall. I think he is good but I'm not getting much approval from fellow family members.
 
My dad didn't let me buy my own .22 Marlin bolt action till I was 13, and only let me get the model he approved. I always felt like it was a little late, but he didn't hunt. I wasn't able to get my first centerfire or even shoot one till I was 18 and able to buy it myself.
 
Its not like you are handing him a rifle unsupervised and telling him to go have fun but be safe. So long as he's under close adult supervision, then I say go for it so long as he's not developing a flinch or bad habits from to much recoil or an ill fitted rifle.
 
We all know each is different.
I believe 10-12 is when most will respect right from wrong.
At 6 I got to plink with direction and supervision.
From 6 up was tagging along or helping butcher.
At 12 I passed Hunter Ed.
With summer work changing sprinklers/bucking hay/herding My first Winchester .243 and a GMC pickup purchase with my money at 13.
Some things naturally aren't the same today however I think it would still fit the same mold for most in the same age category.
 
As OT said, it all depends upon the youngster.

I'm not sure when I started to teach my son how to shoot a .22, but I built him his first center fire (6mm Rem.) when he was 8 and got his first coyote at 123 yds with it that first deer season and his first buck the next. Careful supervision was, of course, a requirement.

I got my first single shot .22 @ 9 but was some time before I was allowed to shoot it without adult supervision.

My main concern would be the child's attention span and ability to follow instructions; some kids mature a lot sooner than others.

Regards,
hm
 
Well that won't be an issue. I think its the type of rifle more than anything, I decided to get him an AR for his first. Some will think this unorthodox... But in my opinion, its light, with its 6 position stock it will fit him now and grow with him and recoil won't be an issue. I'm going to load up some 62 grain Barnes X bullets for his first Deer season. Being my stand is set up for archery, the targets will be less than 50 yards away so I think the 5.56 will dispatch a doe without issue. He will still be only able to use it under supervision. It will be locked up in my safe till we go out and shoot together.
 
A couple years with a bb/pellet gun to establish safety will be the requirements for my grandson. Even though his dad shoots I don't think it will be addressed in his home. The boy is five. For him maybe 8. He just isn't far enough along to even consider it at this time.

I got a 410 when I was 8 and a 20 at 9. I got a bb gun at 5 and a pellet gun at 6. My dad was a hunter but not many farmers would let you use rifles. I got my first rifle, 10-22, when I was 14.

Greg
 
When should he get his 1st rifle or start shooting. Many different questions with many different answers

As far as shooting for me the younger the better. The more they learn about weapons and how to treat them and handle them the better. My kids all started shooting the 22 at age 4/5 depending on their birthday (summer). They all have loved shooting. I try and make it a game as much as possible. 25cents for each shot in the orange. My kids loved competing against each other and taking money from me. I started them on a really heavy 223 around 6 years old and all have done well with it. My daughter can shoot MOA at a 100 with it and she just turned 10. Her twin brother was ringing steel at 300-400 yards this weekend with the 204.

Now as far as their own gun only they can determine that. I am getting my 10 year old his 1st gun this week. He has shown a very strong interest in hunting. We have shot 40-50 rabbits over the last couple years. I have been with him every time he has pulled a trigger. He is a straight A student and has been on every hunt with me the last couple of years and has never slowed me down. We will be going to Idaho this coming year for his 1st deer hunt. I am not sure when I will give him the freedom to go on his own. Only time will tell.

I was a little different than him. My grandpa started me out with a pellet gun around 6 and had to shoot 1000's of pellets in the back yard. By the time I was 10 I had my own shotgun and 22 and hunted on my own. He pointed me in 1 direction and he went the other. I loved being alone to hunt on my own. I got my 1st deer rifle at 12 and killed my 1st deer by myself that year. I don't know when my son will get that kind of freedom

I guess the best answer would be when I start to see him getting closer to a man and not a little boy. age is just a number
 
That's good advice. My boy has straight A's in school and is more mature at 10 than my wife's boy at 17. My boy has really shown me he can handle his .22 well and always with great care for safety. I asked the older boy if since we was gonna be 17 he wanted his first rifle for Christmas last year. I had my eye on a nice Henry .22 lr lever for him. He basically laughed at me and said, "Why would I want a rifle?.." Then proceeded to turn around and say he wouldn't mind a samurai sword... Needless to say he got neither...
 
I think you're on the right track. Though I think there's no reason to rush, I also think it's important to get today's youth "hooked" on shooting as early as possible. There's a lot of other activities out there competing for their interest. Like you, my kids started shooting .22s early on, and got their own Rascals when they 6 or 7. Both the older two got their first big game rifles when they were 10, and have been putting them to good use since. I think the eldest, who just turned 14, is mature and responsible enough to get cut loose, the opportunity just hasn't arisen yet. Close supervision and good training in the early years will pay off. Based on your accounts of his maturity level, I bet within a couple years he'll be out there stalking on his own.
 
There's a lot of good responses above.

I started out with BB and Pellet guns (although, the Red Ryder, and 10 pump guns can't compare to today's pellet guns). My dad did let me shoot .22's and his .357 revolver, supervised, when I was around 8-10. I didn't get my first shotgun OR rifle until I was 12, which was the legal hunting age.

However, for some odd reason PA went to a youth hunt...so basically kids can hunt at any age now as long as they're with an adult. So. Judge character and make a decision from there, I guess.
 
For those of you with young ones remeber the supervision. When I was about five I was shooting my Red Ryder unsupervised. Took a couple shots and nothing came out(was cocking it with the barrel down,BBs all up front) so to prove this I put my thumb over the muzzle and pulled the trigger. Mistake! That time I had cocked it with the barrel up. We can be pretty stupid in our youth.
 
My parents let me pay for a win 243 when I turned 14. Christmas for several years there was a box of shells. I started hunting at 8 for pheasant, firearms safety at 11. In the 70's, before earning driving privileges, I rode the school bus with shotgun/shells and camo for duck hunting on weekends with my snow family. Bussed kids had to have a snow storm family to stay with if unable to get home. Man how things have changed,snowflakes would never understand.
 
Originally Posted By: MPFDTitle says it all. Opinions?
Whenever he is mature/competent enough to shoot whatever you are going to start him on.
Every kid is different.
I started one on a 22 Chimpmunk (Daughter 6-7 years old), and the other I started with a 260 Remington (Son 9 years old).
On the second day of shooting my son was grouping at 548 yards on steel with a 14" MOA Maximum specialty pistol using 120 NBT's. He had never shot a BB gun or a 22lr before.

Both are competent shooters and hunters.
Erik just wasn't interested until he got a little older.
Kristen's first deer was a 285 yards in low light with the same specialty pistol.
 
IMO, for what its worth, being able to shoot a good group has nothing to do with safety whether you are 8 or 88. We have grown men that come to our club and still shot holes in the roof. How a person/child handles a weapon while its unloaded can tell you what you need to know. I read some of posts like this and often wonder if your getting a rifle for your children or for yourself. A few years ago, I did a custom paint job on a guys son's rifle. His son was six months old. Go figure.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogIMO, for what its worth, being able to shoot a good group has nothing to do with safety whether you are 8 or 88. We have grown men that come to our club and still shot holes in the roof. How a person/child handles a weapon while its unloaded can tell you what you need to know.

Good point, Bill. When my son was about 5, he started showing interest in my guns when I would come in from hunting or shooting. Guns were locked in a cabinet as soon as they were cleaned, but I always told my son that any time he wanted to look at or hold a particular firearm, just tell me and always made time to do so. That satisfied his natural curiosity regarding firearms. I would intentionally leave the guns out and watch him to see if he tried to handle without asking first, and he never did. Of course, he was taught the safety aspects every time he handled one and was always under my critical eye whenever he used a firearm until I was satisfied that he could safely handle a gun on his own.

Regards,
hm
 
Thanks hm1996. You CAN"T stress safety enough. Once they learn safety, the rest is gravy. I'm the grounds manager at our gun club. Fancy name for lawn boy. But.....I'm at the club a lot. Every day, I remind people to use the safety lights before going down range. I see people messing with their rifles while others are down range hanging targets. I see people sweep their rifles and point them in unsafe directions. Every time I'm at the club it seems like I have to remind people of safety rules. Guys thats some scary poop. Once a bullet leaves the barrel, its your responsibility as to where it goes. Just make sure when you hand your child a loaded weapon the they know what to do with it. Safely!! OK, I'm off my soap box.
 
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