Too young for BB gun?

[mctowalot]

On the way home from our first ultrasound (it's a boy!!!) we stopped and got our still-in-the -womb son a Red Ryder bb gun.

Classic case of jumping the gun, I know (pun intended).

Well my boy is three now, and he's seen his older cousins (and his parents for that matter) knocking cans over a few times. He is now expressing intrest in "the sport".

I'm thinking of starting him off with a
nerf gun. I'm hoping my fellow board members will share your opinions/ideas.

My parents are screaming the classic "he'll shoot his eye out!", my response is "he'll be wearing eye protection!"
Thanks in advance - mctowalot.

[MadMonkey]

It's never too early to start drilling gun safety into them...

[mctowalot]

It's never too early to start drilling gun safety into them...

I'm with you on that one MadMonkey. By the way, he's already getting bunny headshots with a plunger from halfway across the living room!

I am a proud father.

[USA1]

If he can lift it , he can shoot it. With parental supervision of coarse.

[srothstein]

I would let him start using the BB gun while under parental supervision. I would also get him a nerf gun and start using it to drill gun safety rules into him. He gets to keep it and play with it, but it gets taken away when he violates the gun rules.

I started my kids on .22's when they were young, then gave them their own on their 10th birthday. But I know some friends have had a lot of success with the toy gun to demonstrate safety process too.

[Oldgringo]

I bought a Red Ryder and took it over to BHM last month for the grandkids, their Dad and us to enjoy in their other Granny's backyard. The oldest boy (10) has earned a BB marksmanship badge in Webelos and the youngest is in Cub Scouts. After a review of gun safety rules, gun operation, etc., we proceeded to take turns shooting a paper target.

After a couple of shots each, it turned into a total disaster, the boys wouldn't mind either their Dad or us and flagrantly waved the gun in all directions and fought over it, etc., etc. I took the gun away and put it back in our car and said NEVERMORE.

I hope you exercise a lot more discipline over your offspring and y'all have a better experience with the BB gun than these grandparents did.

BTW, these ill-mannered kids are not welcome in our house this Christmas and we're not going back to BHM! We'll send them a check.

Merry Christmas to all!

[joe817]

Wow! Sorry to hear Oldgringo. I know how disappointed you all were.

IMO I think 3 is a little young. I think 5 is the perfect age to start a youngster out. They are mentally mature enough to be able to absorb the lessons you give them in gun safety.

I like Steve's suggestion of starting them out with a nerf gun, and go from there.

[Zee]

This is the time when you can lean on safety while he still believes you know what you're talking about.

[RocTrac]

What is a BHM? I taught my sons on a air rifle. I let them see what the .22 on air can do to a phone book and it seemed to help. We have a small trap in the back yard and shot for groups at about 25-30 yds. I like the idea of the nerf gun, I will be starting my Daughter Alyssa in the next 8 months or so.

[HankB]

If Junior is interested, there's no such thing as "too young" to go shooting with Dad.

I was about 4 when I started with a Daisy BB gun; I don't remember the model, but it was styled like a pump shotgun, held 50 rounds in a magazine tube that was loaded at the muzzle, and cocking it was accomplished by pumping the front slide; a toggle that looked vaguely like an inverted Luger toggle folded downward during cocking.

When I first got "my" BB gun, I was too little to reach the trigger if I held the stock against my shoulder, so I had to tuck it under my armpit and bend my head down to see the sights. And of course my little arms weren't strong enough to cock the gun at first.

It worked that way, and I had a LOT of fun shooting it with Dad. I grew into it pretty darn quick, too.

(I absolutely WOULD get the kid eye protection - I was lucky back then, but I wouldn't count on luck to preserve eyesight if I were teaching a youngster to shoot today.)

. . . the boys wouldn't mind either their Dad or us and flagrantly waved the gun in all directions and fought over it, etc., etc.

Dad was pretty lenient in a lot of ways - he didn't micromanage me - but there was a line you just didn't cross with him. He absolutely WOULD NOT have tolerated this behavior in me - the loss of the BB gun would have been the least of the unpleasant consequences that followed.

[Lodge2004]

When I first got "my" BB gun, I was too little to reach the trigger if I held the stock against my shoulder, so I had to tuck it under my armpit and bend my head down to see the sights. And of course my little arms weren't strong enough to cock the gun at first.

Recently ran into that problem with the Red Ryder we purchased for my daughter's 6th birthday. Went back to the store and picked up the Daisy Buck and it fit's just fine. Looks a little different from the Red Ryder and is about 30% smaller. She never noticed I'd switched them out and the second shooting session went much better because she was able to hit the targets. The Red Ryder will stay in the closet for a future birthday.

[smyrna]

I would let him start using the BB gun while under parental supervision. I would also get him a nerf gun and start using it to drill gun safety rules into him. He gets to keep it and play with it, but it gets taken away when he violates the gun rules.

Great advice! This is exactly the approach that I used with my son and he is now soon to be 7. BTW he has a Red Rider too.

I constantly "drilled" him on the "rules" even as we began playing with toy guns. We also talked about the difference between make believe and the "real deal". Even to this day, he gets a verbal quiz on the "rules" before handling a real gun and he usually begins to tell them to me before I even ask.

The Rules
1. Never point the muzzle at anything that could be harmed or killed.
2. Finger off the trigger until target aquired and ready to make the shot.
3. Know what is behind the target.
4. Handle every gun as if it is loaded.
5. You own the consequences of every bullet that leaves the barrel.

[lawrnk]

Wow! Sorry to hear Oldgringo. I know how disappointed you all were.

IMO I think 3 is a little young. I think 5 is the perfect age to start a youngster out. They are mentally mature enough to be able to absorb the lessons you give them in gun safety.

I like Steve's suggestion of starting them out with a nerf gun, and go from there.

Agreed. I also have a 3 year old boy, who has a ruger air gun I bought him and doesnt know it yet. I'd say 5, but really more like 7 or probably better.That gives 2 or 3 years to get ready for that .22 at 9 or 10. I know it hard to get the kids grown up enough to shoot, I'm there with you.

[timdsmith72]

I think it depends on the kid. Some will be ready at 3....Others will not. My Dad gave me a Daisy BB gun when I was 3 and by the time I was 5 I had my own single shot .410 and was dove hunting with my Dad and his friends. Dad was VERY strict on gun safety and the rules were drilled into me from the very beginning.

My brother, on the other hand, wasn't ready until he was a teen ager. Dad didn't feel like he was....I guess mature enough to handle the responsibility until he got older. IMO, It's up to you to determine whether he's ready or not.

[karder]

It's never too early as long as the supervision is there. BB guns are great for teaching safety, marksmanship, and general gun handling skills. More important than that, the time the 3 year-old spends with his Dad, and probably Mom too, involved in a healthy family activity will create memories that will last a lifetime. I would vote for unplugging this nations video games and replacing them with Daisy rifles. BTW, you never out grow BB guns, I may dust mine off and go can hunting tonight!