My 7 year old wants a shotgun for deer hunting. - Page 3

hogdogs · March 20, 2009, 09:59 PM

TxGun... Spot on! Give yerself a pat on the back for saying what I could not figger out how to say!
Brent

lipadj46 · March 20, 2009, 11:22 PM

I think we all understand that, but man 7 is just really young. I think of that poor kid who shot himself in the head with an Uzi with his dad and an instructor standing just feet away from him.

Just for grins I asked my mother who has been a kindergarten / 1st grade teacher for going on 25 years if she ever had a student that she thought was mature enough to handle a shotgun and hunting and she said no never. Mind you she is pro hunting and let me grow up around firearms and hunting. Just thought she would have good perspective that none of us have.

hogdogs · March 20, 2009, 11:27 PM

I was told at 6 what gun to grab to protect my sisters from a bad person. I have been shooting routinely since 7-8 and had OPEN permission to hunt safely at 10 with other safe kids. I didn't need permission. just leave momma a note of where I was hunting and who with... and I better be home before dark or the wooden spoon would rewind my clock!

Brent

tjtim · March 21, 2009, 10:05 AM

Well Hmmmm. I agree with most of what everyone said as far as chosing the correct size and weight that he can safely handle, but must also consider he is growing and don't want him to out grow it too quikly. I started my son out with a simple daisy bb-gun teaching him respect and saftey, both for himself and others, as well as how to care fore, clean etc. at about age 7, mid way age 8 I then got him into a higher grade pellet only C02 rifle, then at age 9 on his B-day got him a Savage .22lr this was his first real firing weapon which he learned to target shoot as well as shoot small game with, by this time he already new of the respect and safty concerns as well as developed the body strength to hold and fire something with minimal recoil, at age 10 I got a youth style 20 gauge shot gun for him and he did not fire this shot gun til about age 12 and that was his choice not mine, he just was not ready for the recoil, I think it kind of scarred him but one day he asked if he go out with me and try it out, and we did, it is a great memory for both of us. he is now 21 years old and probably has a nicer collection of arms than I ever thought of having, and he also works with the mentored youth program teaching safe hunting practices and fire arms safety. It's all in bringing them up at a leavel in which they can handle at the rate they are growing, so that they both mentally and physically can handle the respect and saftey of it all, mix it up and or start out too soon or too late can turn them away from the sport very easy.

mrray13 · March 21, 2009, 10:37 AM

wow...i could type up a huge reply, but i think woodland nailed it pretty damn good. TxGun even said it as well....it's on the parent's, plain and simple.no getting over it or around it.

in my case, my son has owned his own firearms since about 6, a marlin modle 60 .22lr. and it's gone downhill ever since, at 15 he owns that same marlin, a yugo sks, a mk44 (i think) mosin-nagant, a remington model 11 and a s&w model 27. early on the training started and it goes on to this day. we shoot together all the time, even get the wifey out to play. safety is always number one on the list, and yes, he knows where the loaded guns are in case i'm not home.

too many folks want others to take the responsiblity for their kids and then cry when they won't. and when that happens, they just give the kid ridilan (spelling?).

anyway...i like the mossberg 20g youth/bantam model. with mild loads, recoil isn't bad, it is easy to grow into as full size stocks will fit it and it's an inexpensive way to get the child out and shoot.

March 21, 2009, 10:05 AM	#54
tjtim Member Join Date: January 15, 2009 Posts: 16	Hmmmmmm Well Hmmmm. I agree with most of what everyone said as far as chosing the correct size and weight that he can safely handle, but must also consider he is growing and don't want him to out grow it too quikly. I started my son out with a simple daisy bb-gun teaching him respect and saftey, both for himself and others, as well as how to care fore, clean etc. at about age 7, mid way age 8 I then got him into a higher grade pellet only C02 rifle, then at age 9 on his B-day got him a Savage .22lr this was his first real firing weapon which he learned to target shoot as well as shoot small game with, by this time he already new of the respect and safty concerns as well as developed the body strength to hold and fire something with minimal recoil, at age 10 I got a youth style 20 gauge shot gun for him and he did not fire this shot gun til about age 12 and that was his choice not mine, he just was not ready for the recoil, I think it kind of scarred him but one day he asked if he go out with me and try it out, and we did, it is a great memory for both of us. he is now 21 years old and probably has a nicer collection of arms than I ever thought of having, and he also works with the mentored youth program teaching safe hunting practices and fire arms safety. It's all in bringing them up at a leavel in which they can handle at the rate they are growing, so that they both mentally and physically can handle the respect and saftey of it all, mix it up and or start out too soon or too late can turn them away from the sport very easy.

March 20, 2009, 09:59 PM	#51
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	TxGun... Spot on! Give yerself a pat on the back for saying what I could not figger out how to say! Brent

March 20, 2009, 11:22 PM	#52
lipadj46 Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2009 Posts: 494	I think we all understand that, but man 7 is just really young. I think of that poor kid who shot himself in the head with an Uzi with his dad and an instructor standing just feet away from him. Just for grins I asked my mother who has been a kindergarten / 1st grade teacher for going on 25 years if she ever had a student that she thought was mature enough to handle a shotgun and hunting and she said no never. Mind you she is pro hunting and let me grow up around firearms and hunting. Just thought she would have good perspective that none of us have.

March 20, 2009, 11:27 PM	#53
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	I was told at 6 what gun to grab to protect my sisters from a bad person. I have been shooting routinely since 7-8 and had OPEN permission to hunt safely at 10 with other safe kids. I didn't need permission. just leave momma a note of where I was hunting and who with... and I better be home before dark or the wooden spoon would rewind my clock! Brent

March 21, 2009, 10:37 AM	#55
mrray13 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 911	wow...i could type up a huge reply, but i think woodland nailed it pretty damn good. TxGun even said it as well....it's on the parent's, plain and simple.no getting over it or around it. in my case, my son has owned his own firearms since about 6, a marlin modle 60 .22lr. and it's gone downhill ever since, at 15 he owns that same marlin, a yugo sks, a mk44 (i think) mosin-nagant, a remington model 11 and a s&w model 27. early on the training started and it goes on to this day. we shoot together all the time, even get the wifey out to play. safety is always number one on the list, and yes, he knows where the loaded guns are in case i'm not home. too many folks want others to take the responsiblity for their kids and then cry when they won't. and when that happens, they just give the kid ridilan (spelling?). anyway...i like the mossberg 20g youth/bantam model. with mild loads, recoil isn't bad, it is easy to grow into as full size stocks will fit it and it's an inexpensive way to get the child out and shoot.