Anybody's kids shoot? Yes guns. No not a debate

[jillian]

Hey all, just wondering if anyone's kids shoot, competitively. When did they start? How did you decide it was okay for them to start?

 

Please this is not a gun debate about right or wrong letting your child(ren) shoot or use a gun for competitive shooting.

[MtnMama]

My son shoots both bow and gun, but not competitively. He was 4 or 5 when he started, and this is the norm where I grew up. I'm interested in seeing what others say about competitive shooting, as this my be something that would interest him in the future.

[Gentlemommy]

Mine haven't yet, but dh showed them a video of a 13 year old girl doing a 4 weapon gun competition (I have NO clue if that's the right term lol) and my 7 year old said she would like to learn how to do that. I'm all for them learning how to respect and handle a gun, in a controlled setting. Both dh and I grew up with unlocked guns in the house and we both have a very healthy fear/respect for them. I'd love for her to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow.

[MomtoCandJ]

All ears here as well, well maybe not competitive but hunting. Dd wants to hunt like dh's side of the family. I have no problem with hunting its self but just can't bring myself to shoot an animal. But I sure like eating them :)

[jillian]

I would love to have dh take dd hunting, great bonding for them. We are always on the lookout for networking through others who have walked the path before us. Dd is 5 now and we think we are going to look into getting a beginners now for her since dh has one he shoots targets with.

[Heather in Neverland]

My ds shot competitively through the NRA program. He was 10yo when he started and they used BB rifles because you have to be a certain age before you can use a real gun. Then we moved here and guns are illegal so no more shooting.

[jillian]

Heather where are you?

[higginszoo]

My older two were 10 or 11 or so before they had the opportunity. My third was about 9 (he has made shots that have completely bowled over my Marine brother). My last one will likely be more like 11 at the rate things are going. The biggest thing for us is that they are at the point where they have outgrown the impulsiveness and distractibility enough to follow gun safety rules at ALL times -- no hearing something interesting behind them and swinging around with the gun. We're not hunters, so for us this is only range shooting, but I would probably test this at a range before taking them out in an open, less structured environment. So many firearms accidents are a result of the gun handler just not paying attention, so that's what we focus on for readiness.

[Remudamom]

Mine have been to a couple of competitions.

[hillfarm]

I agree with higginszoo. It should be more about maturity than actual age. However, my dd began archery when she was 8 and added rifle when she was 9 through our 4-H shooting sports program. She is now 14 and has taken training in archery, rifle, pistol, and shotgun. She is very trustworthy around guns, not to mention very critical of those who aren't.

 

I think important skills for beginners are: ability to pay attention during instruction, ability to recall material taught and apply it, physical ability to draw the bow or hold the gun properly, enough self control to think things through before acting, abilty to subjugate their own desires in response to directives from an instructor, zero tolerance in self or others for disobeying "gun rules".

 

I totally believe that frequent, properly supervised access to weapons is the best thing to take away the mystery. I grew up in a home where I could ask my Dad at any time to take me shooting and he would. There were loaded guns in several rooms. My brother and I joked that we knew that if you touched a loaded gun without Dad present, you would die. Either you would accidentally shoot yourself, or Mom and Dad would find out and they would kill you. But seriously, we had little interest in the guns because they were common, kind of like crescent wrenches. I imagine it might have been vastly different if we had been banned from ever touching or looking at them. This is why I am such a fan of the various shooting sports activities for youth. It takes the mystery out of the equasion.

[momofkhm]

I agree about the maturity thing. We've taken all three shooting but it's on an interest level. Oldest dd isn't interested. Middle only mildly so. Youngest goes with us often. DS has been hunting with dh. DH, DS and I have been to a rimfire competition as well. LOTS of fun. There was a kid there who was about 8. I'd hate to shot against him when he's 12!

 

We approached guns as "These are our guns. They will be locked up in a safe. If you ever want to touch one, ask and we'll make it happen. If you ever, EVER, see a gun and it's not in someone's hand, then get an adult."

[Kathy in Richmond]

My daughter shot competitively in high school (rifle, shotgun, archery) through a 4H shooting club. Teams are co-ed with junior and senior divisions, starting at age 9 and continuing through age 19. It's so popular around here that you have to put the kid's name on a waiting list and hope for a spot on the team within a year or two! My husband is a certified NRA rifle instructor, so he volunteered to coach dd's team. It gave them a regular father-daughter bonding activity that they both greatly enjoyed. State shooting meets were held at 4H camps throughout the state & so were inexpensive to attend and in pretty locales. 4H is very safe (thorough instruction on gun safety) & well-organized!

 

ETA: She did start target shooting around age 8, but just one-on-one with her Dad at his shooting range.

[sparrow]

We're currently switching 4-H clubs and are going to be visiting a shooting sports club soon. My kids have had BB guns since they were 8 or 9 years old, for target shooting only. We have pretty responsible kids and they've always been very good about wearing safety glasses, etc.

 

Dh and I are not "into" guns, nor do we own any, but we're thinking of taking a class, just for fun.

[TravelingChris]

Yes, all my kids shot, at different times. DS got a shooting merit badge, I believe, with BSA. But that was all he did until he was an adult. Both dd's did 4H shooting when we lived in Florida. Then in VA, one of them did target shooting with Venture Scouts. So far, the youngest hasn't shot any since Florida but we are probably going to take her skeet shooting soon. Her sister was very, very good at that and would be trying to become a competitor if she wasn't having the medical problems she has. Both girls did very well in the 4H shooting program.

 

None of my kids started very early. I think my youngest started the soonest, at age 10, I think.

[Mommyof4ks]

My dd started with archery when she was 9 through 4-H, and she does not like the kick that competitive guns have so she has tried but not followed through. 4-H has a whole list of safety things for the kids to learn, so we felt it was safe fore her to learn there.

 

My ds started shooting guns at 8 through 4-H for the same reason, safety classes. He is a bit unfocused and I did worry about that, but he can stay focused and safe during practice. The instructors, my dh is one of the instructors which makes me feel better, watch them closely to be sure they are keeping everyone safe. 4-H shooting sports has never had a reportable incident in their shooting sports history (beginning in the 70s), so apparently they are doing something right. :)

[jillian]

Oh yes we do the gun rules. Dd has lost her nerf gun for pointing it at people for crying out loud. We take it very very seriously. I love reading the posts :)

[hillfarm]

I don't know if all 4-H shooting sports programs are the same, but in Ohio, the club provides all the equipment - including guns - for the beginning and introductory levels. Only at the advanced level in our club can the kids bring their own guns to shoot. This enables kids from families that don't own guns to participate. If they show significant aptitude and interest, even though they can still use club equipment at the upper levels, there is usually a coach who will loan a kid a very nice gun for serious competition. If you don't have equipment, check with your local club.

[swellmomma]

not competitively. But they do shoot in cadets. Before xmas there was more range days than there has been since hopefully there will be more soon. I decided they were ready once they were in cadets, under strong leadership and supervison. Supervision that didn't include me because I would be constantly worried. Since they are teens, are learning the proper usage and handling of guns etc I am fine with it.

[mamajudy]

My 17-year-old DS has been shooting skeet at the local shooting range for maybe 5 years. They have a youth team that meets every week, and they are quite good! Some of these kids, including DS, can hit 98 out of 100 skeet on a regular basis. They even beat the local sheriff's team at a charity tournament! :thumbup1:

[jillian]

The closest 4h shooting club is in Clemson, a good distance from us, we are in the Charleston, SC area

[KRG]

My oldest does--is in the 4H Rifle club. He's been in the club for a few years. I think they can join this club as young as 7 or 8 years old...not sure though.

[Word Nerd]

The 4-H shooting sports program is quite popular in our area, and one of the local teams did well in the national competition last year. The minimum age for the state match is 9 (4-H age), but I'm not sure if that applies to all the qualifier meets.

[Erica in OR]

Our nearly 13 y.o. DD just started shooting competitively through the local gun & pistol club. 11 y.o. DD went to a few practices but didn't have the arm and hand strength yet to reliably aim the pistol one-handed with the arm extended. I think the age for the juniors team for this particular arrangement is at least 11. They're doing it as a postal match, where they send in the scores every week for several weeks.

 

Erica in OR

[Kaleidoscope]

Mine do. They started around 8. Still haven't entered tactical matches but they will soon.

 

For me it was about knowing they understood death and had a little realistic fear about the gun in their Hands.

 

Personally I don't love that they shoot.

[jhschool]

1. DC did it through the NRA program. Great program, NRA qualified instructors, nice to kids,

VERY safety-oriented. 22 rifles, 22 hand pistols, and pellet rifles

2. Also through a 4H club. pellet airguns and rifles.

3. And there is a Venture Crew around for shooting sports. They do everything, including

archery.

All three programs are great.

The 4H clubs all get together once a year for a state competition. They have

all the shooting sports.

These programs were all excellent.

Oh, I forgot: also did Boy Scout Rifle Merit Badge (I think that's what it's called).

[higginszoo]

The closest 4h shooting club is in Clemson, a good distance from us, we are in the Charleston, SC area

 

I think that they have summer camps open to Charleston kids in the summer. That's where I learned to shoot 30 years ago ... I was in 4-H through a school club at Hunley Park Elementary, just off of the Air Force Base.

[jillian]

Oh thank you, I'll check that out when she gets a bit older, she's still young right now.

[Amy in NH]

Mine do. In 4-H. But not competitively.

 

As a pacifist, I was anti-gun when I first had kids. I didn't allow my oldest ds to play with gun-toys. He pretended sticks were guns. Then, when he was 3yo, he came home from a birthday party with a dart-gun. That prompted ex to go out and start buying every nerf gun ever made. I figured that if we were going to go down that path, we should learn gun safety.

[Swimtaxi234]

My husband did an entire gun safety program with our children at home before we went to the range. He did another gun safety protocol before they started shooting. Both children loved target practice.

 

These days, our children are crazy about archery and we visit the range weekly.

[jillian]

Mine do. In 4-H. But not competitively.

 

As a pacifist, I was anti-gun when I first had kids. I didn't allow my oldest ds to play with gun-toys. He pretended sticks were guns. Then, when he was 3yo, he came home from a birthday party with a dart-gun. That prompted ex to go out and start buying every nerf gun ever made. I figured that if we were going to go down that path, we should learn gun safety.

We require dd with her toy nerf gun to use proper safety procedures, figure they will be ingrained before she ever fires a real weapon. We have also told her that any time she wants to see daddy's bow or the shotgun all she ahs to do is ask and we will make it safe for her to do so. DD has lost her nerf gun for pointing it at people not even loaded. We also require her to never look at the firing end of the nerf gun. To not put her finger on the trigger until she's ready to shoot and to not point at anything unless she wants to shoot it.