I took my 2 sons to the range with me and decided to let my 9 year old shoot my g23. He did pretty good with it. I don't quite think my 5 year old is quite ready yet. He did enjoy shooting my brothers 22 though. Just wanted to see what everyone else thought about this.
I'm sure my wife won't be to thrilled but I think they old enough. My wife is starting to come around though with the whole gun idea. She didn't want them in the house to begin with but she is starting to accept it. I was raised around guns and shot a lot growing up. She on the other hand had never seen a gun shot until she took me to the shooting range for my birthday present.
I have three sons, with one still at home. I started them on BB/Pellet guns very young. With the introduction to BB guns, also came the introduction to gun safety. Gun safety has been drilled into their heads over and over again. We moved from BB guns to 22s and so on. I think if you are going to have your kids around guns and eventually teach them to shoot you must start them early. As far as what age to let them shoot the "big guns", I think that's a judgement call made by the responsible parent being able to recognize when they can handle it. This method may be controversial and not the way the know-it-alls do it but that's the way I was taught so that's the way I did it. I got my first gun, which I still have, at 9 years old...a .410 single shot and was dove hunting with my dad and granddaddy at that age (well supervised, of course).
I also started them out with bb guns and they have worked there way up. I was quite proud to see my 9 year old handle the gun as well as he did. I also have drilled them with gun safety since I first showed them a gun. I feel that they need to show me that they were responsible enough to shoot and understand the danger if not done properly and with safety always on there minds. I by no means want any thing to happen to them and that is why I have stressed safety to them as much as I have. I feel that they are proving that they can be safe and responsible with guns. I was raised that way and I never disrespected a gun. I hope that value is being passed on to them as well.
