> At what age you get your first rifle?
Have never owned one, but shot my Dad's at 14
> At what age was your child when you purchased them their first rifle?
Boy on the Left was 11 and the other 12. This is their second year hunting.
> Type of rifle?
Both 308s
> (An concise comments about what your experience was good or bad is requested as well.)
Michigan DNR has a great 2 day long hunter safty class. I think the class and your personal knowledge of the child is more important than age. I have a few other kids that should never handle a gun.
Air rifle-6ish
Shotgun-8yrs old
Made him read, answer, and sign a couple of pages of test questions to drive the safety aspect in to his head. Then took him out quite a bit the first year or two driving many points home. I had to make up my own test/talking points for an 8yr old. There isn't any hunter safetly in Iowa til they're 11.
I started early becuase a younger kid is more eager to please Dad and, only gave him a single shot so Dad only had to make him miss once!
I didn't let him shoot real rifles (.22s or bigger) or shotguns unattended til this year- 11yrs old. Then, only by himself so there's no distractions or other un-holy influences that come with groups of kids.
I had to work hard on keeping my cool when he screwed up. Quitely putting everything away for a day or two to drive the point home. I'm a yeller, just like my Dad, and he can wilt when that happens. All my kids are that way.
Steve
Roger that Jud
I don't think I shot another gun besides the BB gun until I moved back with my Dad some almost 10 years later. I was 16 or early 17 then. My younger brother by 2 years had already been given his first gun - a 410 bolt action, single shot, shot gun. Dad had no problem with us going out somewhere to blast away. About a year or so later after I moved back, Dad bought us 2 Remington shotguns. I got the 1100 12ga semi-auto and Bill got the 870 20ga pump.
Far as know, Bill has given up hunting with rifles or shotguns. He thinks it's almost like cheating so now he only hunts with a bow. I think he also told me you can't use a high-powered rifle in the flatlands of south-central IL anymore because of their range.
I never was much of a hunter so it doesn't matter to me. I just like shooting anything and everything these days.
I don't think I'll go for that 30-30 handgun again though. Golly mercy. That thing about took my head off. A friend of mine handed it to me saying it was hot and the safety was off. He didn't tell me what barrel or load he had in it.
Benjamin pump .177 pellet gun at age 6
Stevens Model 66-B bolt action .22 at age 12. Grandfather traded a dog for it at Canton, Texas. My Dad traded him a piglet. I raked hay for it.
😉
Didn't want no stinkin rifle
Get her a Ruger SR22P, great all around handgun for first time shooters. Not too big, not too small, doesn't seem to be susceptible to 'girlie wrist' as is the case with a lot of semi-automatic handguns. My wife loves her's, and am considering getting one myself. It shoots as well as my Buckmark and will shoot pretty much any .22lr, where the Buckmark is picky and only likes the high dollar CCI Mini Mags. The Ruger does just fine with Remington bulk Golden Bullet hollow points.
On topic, my first gun was a Colt Mustang .380 at 28 years old. None of my kids are ready for their own weapon at this point, shudder to think of any of them with something other than a game controller.
Didn't want no stinkin rifle
Don't remember when I got my first air rifle. Got a single shot 20ga when I was 11. I earned the money to pay for it.
Hear ya, remember shooting my grandfather's Stevens 10 gauge goose gun at about 11 or 12, had pretty much the same effect. He got a heck of a laugh at my reaction to the point he said I could have it if I wanted it. I immediately took him up on it, never happened. After his death I asked about it, got a lot of vague looks and shuffling of feet, suspect one of my cousins got it. Never mind, all the Canadian geese in South Alabama (and there are a lot more than you might think) are protected waterfowl and cannot be hunted.
never had a gun
For Me,
1968: 7 years old-My dad bought me a Daisy air rifle. Moved to Tomball TX and proceeded to shoot out every light strung from the rent house to the horse barn and back; about 40 if I remember right, 'cause my dad beat me with the BB-gun 1 stroke for every light I shot out. Lucky for me, the handle broke before I got my full tally.
1969: Grandfather bought me a Benjamin .177 pump. I could barely pump more than 3 times. My grandfather had taken me hunting since I was 7, shooting shotguns, rifles, pistols, etc.
I bought my first shotgun, rifle and pistol in my early twenties. Have added many more since.
For my son: Daisy air rifle @ 8 years of age. Daughter (2 years younger) would shoot it also. Took my son out for the first time for shooting last weekend. Fired my new poodle shooter (AR) and my 27 year old Ruger Ranch rifle last weekend.
BB gun at 6ish .... Single shot .22 Stevens @ 8 or 9. Dad had me try out his .44 Mag Blackhawk when I was 10 or so, 6 stitches in the forehead, from then on I only got to shoot the.22 pistol! Bought a .44 mag Marlin 1894 lever @ 16, inherited Dad's reloading gear for it. Gave my youngest boy his first rifle, Ruger 10-22, when he was 9, the other kids weren't in my custody, so no chance to teach them anything. Bought SWMBO a Ruger Security Six .357 revolver a few years back. Took her out to shoot the thing, bought a box of .38's and a box of .357. She didn't like the .38's, but loved the .357's! Guess who got to shoot up the box of .38's??!!
-JD-
Got a BB gun around age 9. Got in a lot of trouble with it. Showed up to 4-H a few years later for Shooting Club and got laughed at because I brought a BB gun and all the other kids had .22's. I was very upset. As my dad and I were getting ready to go to the second meeting, he busted out a brand new semi-automatic Marlin .22 rifle. I remember it to this day, 26 years later, because we grew up with no money (dad was a surveyor) and I knew that it was something he did just for me.
I still have that .22 and my son loves to shoot it. I've put thousands of rounds through it and plan on many more with my son and daughter. It doesn't have much value but it's priceless to my family now...that's a good thing about firearms, but maybe I'm just the sentimental type.
Good poll!
Me:
1st squirt gun, about 18 mo.
1st cap gun, about 3 yrs
1st BB/pellet gun, Crossman 760, 11 years
1st handgun (BB), Daisy Peacemaker, 12 years
1st rifle, Remington 760 pump action .30-06, 13 years
Oldest daughter:
1st pellet gun, Beeman .177/.22, 10 yrs
it was too big so I got her another that fit her better, Daisy Powerline 880, 10 yrs
1st handgun (BB), 12 yrs
She's 14 now and not much interest in shooting unless I happen to be going when she doesn't have a swim meet, soccer game, or shopping trip planned.
Middle daughter: not much interest in shooting. Has gone with me and the other kids a few times and had fun, but both girls are far more interested in their Ipods an such.
Youngest son:
Several squirt guns and cap guns but he gets into too much trouble with things that aren't designed to launch projectiles to trust him with even the soft air gun I've been keeping for hiim for 3 years (he turns 11 in 2 weeks). He's been shooting .22s with me since he was 6, a .44 rifle since 8, and a 9mm since last year and does fine under full and constant supervision.
62 and counting
Children and rifles, not necessarily in that order
ME:
First air rifle = 9yo - Benjamin 22
First shotgun = 12yo - Winchester 12ga pump
First rifle = 18yo - Marlin 44mag lever action
Still have all three
SON:
first air rifle = 6yo - Red Rider BB gun this Christmas.
> At what age you get your first rifle?
>
> At what age was your child when you purchased them their first rifle?
>
> Type of rifle?
>
> If it was an air rifle, when did you get/give a cartridge rifle?
>
>
>
> (An concise comments about what your experience was good or bad is requested as well.)
I received my first rifle, a .243 WIN Savage Model 99 that was my Grandfathers, handed to my father, then handed to me, at the ripe old age of 10. It has killed more deer than all of my other rifles, to date, combined. I gave it to my son when he was 12 and he killed his first deer with it also, although it wasn't his first rifle. His first rifle was a .17HRM in a Savage Model 10. I had been firing .22's and other guns for 5 years though.
I got my first bb gun when I was 5. Pellet guns are pointless and we use .22's around the house for that type of work.
My son was shooting my .22 when he was 4 till today. Begin early with good firearm training and safety and you will never worry about them around others as they will be hyper-aware of the firearms if you start early enough.
> never had a gun
You have my condolences.
If I had the need I would have a gun.