With youth in Utah able to hunt big game at 12 now, I’m trying to decide what age I should start my kids on their first guns so they are ready for a larger big game caliber at age 12. Was thinking of something along the lines below, but would like input from those that have been through this:
Age 9: BB or Pellet Gun
Age 11: .22 LR
Age 12: .270 or 7mm
*I will of course be supervising him closely anytime the rifle(s) is out of the safe and giving him plenty of time practicing at the range.
Just took my 7 year old on an iguana hunt in Florida using PCP Airguns. In my opinion, you can’t start too soon as long as you are able to make sure it’s safe.
The mistake I made was getting my kids shooting center fire too soon. The sound of the creedmooor was scary to them even though they had fun and liked it. Took me a couple YEARS with them to untrain the flinch. It’s sound more than recoil that scares them.
So as soon as you see a flinch, immediately back it down and give them plenty of dry fire practice or BB gun shooting.
Suppressors made a huge difference for my kids enjoyment of shooting with me.
They hunted Creedmoor until about 12 or 13. Now my 14 year old can shoot anything I can as long as I give him dry fire practice in between shots.
Also, we have a few guns that we designate as being “Cole’s gun” or whatever, but they are locked up and don’t have access to them unless I’m there. My kids are ridiculously good, but teenagers go through crazy emotions and I don’t want to increase any remote chance of suicide or accident. Red Ryder? That’s a different story. They SHOULD go get into trouble with those things shooting out in the desert and goofing off. That’s just part of growing up.
At least that is my experience.
I think it’s asinine that we literally have firearms baked into our constitution and more guns than citizens and we don’t do firearms safety training in the public education system. Missed opportunity. They’re so ubiquitous. As a citizen we should know what a firearm can and can’t do, and basic safety rules.
I think that depends on where you live and your child’s curriculum. When i was in JROTC in high school we did firearms training and basic marksmanship with air rifles.
To answer the question i think it depends on your kid and if they take an interest in firearms/shooting/hunting to begin with. There’s the law and there’s also what your kid can responsibly handle so you have to be honest with yourself about that. It’s like one of those things where just because your kid is old enough, that doesn’t automatically mean you allow them to be a motorized driver if they can’t handle things like their chores, doing homework without being told, etc.
I think familiarization is important and you can do that long before they can legally shoot… and I’d go from there based on their knowledge and safety practices from a younger age.
Great question. I think it depends somewhat on the kid. Only you can answer that part, but generally, I have three boys and started them shooting an air rifle around 7 or 8 years old. They had to memorize the 4 basic rules and be able to explain the “why”
behind them, not just rote memorization. We would review every time before they could touch a trigger. I moved them on to a single shot bolt 22lr around 9. My youngest took a little longer. I think he was more like 10. I graduated them to centerfire around 12-13, starting with .223, mainly because that’s what I had, but I think any mild recoiling cartridge would work. A bit of free advice, for what it’s worth 
It is important that they learn good habits, but I think it is also important for them to have fun.
When each of my three kids were born I bought them each a Savage Rascal single shot 22lr. I actually ended up buying a 4th one for myself too, because I like them so much. I put a little red dot on them with a custom 3D printed mount I designed as well as an adjustable comb I designed and 3D printed. My 8 year old (boy) and 6 year old (girl) love them! Especially with a suppressor! My 10 year old (girl) hasn’t ever even asked to shoot hers.
My son had a BB gun that I gave him from 6yrs old. On his 8th birthday, I gave him a Rossi single shot .22/.410. It has interchangeable barrels. He then started shooting my .243 at the range at age 8 and loved it. He took his first whitetail at age 10 with that .243. He is now approaching 12yrs old in Dec. He is on our gun club’s youth shooting team (shooting.22 bolt actions) and loves it. I take him on Thursday’s, after I pick him up from school, to shoot sporting clays with our club’s 20ga; again, he loves it. I’m considering giving him the .243 OR buying him a 708 for his birthday. I’ve even considered getting him a 6.8 Western because I am now handloading and I shoot .300WSM, which with some necking and trimming, is the same case as the 6.8 Western. If I could do anything over again, I would not have gotten him that Rossi at 8. Cocking the hammer for the .22/.410 was difficult for him until around age 10. Instead, I would have purchased him a bolt action .22. With everything else, I have been happy with the progression.
You should buy their first gun for them at birth. 
And they can start shooting it at 6 or 7 or 8 depending on their maturity level.