I took my 10 year old to the gun range the other day--he shot a 9 mill and a 45 cal.

[trumad]

He absolutely loved it....

Are we going to make it a hobby? Probably not--- to dang expensive... plus I don't own a gun or a rifle so we have to rent.

Thing is, I see nothing wrong with this and I think it helped my kid understand the dangers of a real gun.

Say what you want---but shooting a gun or a rifle is pretty dang fun.

[lame54]

1. Of course it's fun...

and that's the scariest part

[Subdivisions]

2. trumad, trumad, trumad....

While it's not my place to question how you raise your young'uns, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081027/ap_on_re_us/boy_shoots_himself">accidents can and do happen.

Please, be careful and I know you'll teach your child to also always be careful when handling firearms.

Peace.

[derby378]

19. The gun in that article was a fully-automatic Micro Uzi

I think trumad has the situation under control. :hi:

[Ioo]

3. I have been shooting from age 7... I own many guns now at 34

[JeanGrey]

30. IMPOSSIBLE. You simply would have had to either shoot

yourself and someone else by accident, or gone berserk by now and killed at least twelve people. Impossible.

:-)

[Ioo]

53. LOL - I did, 9 people were dead... I have worked to forget *CRY*

Why why did you bring up the memories!!!

KIDDING, No one killed, lots of Coke cans and bottles wounded...

[JeanGrey]

64. Ah, memories...........

[Fumesucker]

4. 22 cal ammo is still pretty cheap...

And you can learn to shoot just fine with a 22..

I taught my daughter to shoot at about 12 with a Ruger single action 22 revolver, now she has a Team Glock sticker on the back of the car she rides my grandkids in..

I think kids should be taught to shoot because you teach gun safety at the same time and it helps keep them from thinking of guns as "forbidden fruit" which they then want to play with.

Given the number of guns in the US, it is a statistical virtual certainty that your kid is going to come in contact with a gun sooner or later, I'd rather mine knew how to handle themselves with it when they do.

Edited to add: We trained with BB guns in the Marines sometimes, shooting is shooting is shooting, sight picture, sight picture and sight alignment are exactly the same.

[RedLetterRev]

22. Cheap and cheery

I just got a Smith & Wesson 22A Bull semi-auto pistol for target. I can get a box of 1000 rounds of 22LR for what a box of 50 for my 380 semi-auto costs. The S&W pistol also cost a little more than half of what the Bersa 380 did and the maintenance is about the same. What's t'know? I love the thing. It's accurate enough to drive tacks with, but it is a bit bigger and heavier than my 380. But it's a really good one to learn on, or if you've already got the basics, it's perfectly fine (and inexpensive) to poke holes in paper to refine your marksmanship.

That's also my choice to carry at night when I'm out with my dogs for their last night-night tinkle-time. I live way-way out in the country where wild critters come out at night. Lately, there's been a fox running around, trying to get at my neighbor's chickens. My dogs are indoor dogs; although their 50-55 lbs apiece, they've been trained and socialized for assistance. They've been taught to be gentle from puppyhood. (I use all-positive, no-aversive methods.) I don't need a fox or anything else possibly aggressive (like a raccoon) coming after them; so it's my job to look after them. I'm not much scared of any human walking. But I'm wary of anything that might attack my babies and I am totally shit-scared of rabies. I'd rather pop something at a distance than have it get close to my furkids.

[Shardik]

52. Although I am an anti-gun person, my experience is that a 22 may not do what you want.

I grew up in the country and ran into a pup with either rabies or distemper. Either way it was foaming at the mouth and there were other pets and animals there that were at risk.

I went and got a 22 and shot the pup in the crown of its head and it didn't phase it. It took three shots to put it down.

Wow. I haven't thought about that moment in years.

[RedLetterRev]

59. Good advice and appreciated

There's no report of rabies in the county and I'm more interested in running something off than killing it if I can. If I do have to put something down, I've got much more lethal things in the house. The eldest of the three dogs doesn't like even the sight of a gun -- she's a very, very gentle soul, so I don't subject her to anything she doesn't like. She's my partner's service dog, very sensitive, so we do everything in our power to keep her at the top of her game. The youngest doesn't mind the sight of one, but she doesn't like the bang, so I don't subject her either. The middle one (my hangin' bud) doesn't mind anything so long as dad's close.

I'm hoping the racket alone is enough to ward off anything that would hurt my furkids. If I see that fox out, though, instead of just hearing it or hearing my neighbor go after it, the 380 goes in my holster instead of the 22. If he keeps his distance, I'll keep mine. I think I'll post a question in the Rural/Farm and OL forums, now that the subject has come up.

I'm sorry about the bad memories. Nobody likes to think of death, especially a traumatic one. I'm a very gentle being under all but the direst of circumstances, so I understand more than you know. :hug:

[Shardik]

63. Thank you. It was traumatic in a sort of way.

It's part of what has made my opinion if guns what it is today. If I had been a "man" I would have simply crushed the pup's head with my heel. As it was, I went for the John Wayne persona to put it out of its misery with a gun.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

5. my cousins and I were exposed to guns from a very young age

it was nothing to come in from playing to find a shotgun or rifle sitting on the kitchen table. we were taught to shoot, be safe and respect the power that firearms can unleash. we never thought of them as 'forbidden fruit' as one poster so aptly put it. we did not think of them as toys so it never would have crossed our minds to 'play' with them. they were tools...plus, we had to pay for the ammo we would blow through.

teaching kids about guns is the best way to keep them safe...

sP

[here_is_to_hope]

11. I think the poster meant

that kids tend to want the things they cant have.
I grew up around drugs, lots of drugs and when I hit high school, those kids who thought they were cool because they had 'forbidden fruit', hell, I showed my Father had better pot!

[ThomWV]

6. Reloading will save you a lot of money

And you might even get hooked on doing it. I have to tell you, being able to develop a round for a rifle that would then shoot 3 out of 5 through the same hole at 200 yards is an accomplishment you can take some pride in. Of course that is with a rifle but even with a pistol or shotgun reloading still saves an awful lot of money.

By the way, my son and grandchildren all began shooting at a young age too. They all now have tremendous respect for firearms but more importantly they do not have that morbid curiosity about firearms that so many gun-deprived TV-watching children seem to suffer from.

[ogneopasno]

7. I've heard that some elementary/jr. hi schools offer gun use and safety classes; I wish ours did.

I'd sign my kids up in a hot minute.

[Fumesucker]

10. We had a rifle team when I was in HS..

The only "sport" I was worth a crap at..

[JeanGrey]

31. So did we and kids kept their rifles in their LOCKERS.

Compare that to the absolute panic of today................

[soothsayer]

8. I'm afraid of guns but love love love skeet shooting and would love paintballing

I guess if I took some gun safety courses I might feel better about the whole gun ownership prospect. I'm just afraid of accidentally shooting myself when trying to clean the thing.

[Greyhound]

14. If you follow the rules you cannot.

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded. Always. Every single time.

Never, ever, point the weapon at anything you don't intend to shoot.

Be certain of your target AND WHAT IS BEYOND IT!

Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready take your shot.

Always clear your weapon and remove the magazine before handing it to another person.

I would personally like to make the whole "I was cleaning it when it went off" argument specifically excluded as an extenuating circumstance in any case of accidental shooting. A person has to ignore three of the basic safety rules in order to have a gun 'go off' while cleaning.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

32. With those rules . . .

. . . it's easy to see why (a) Richard B-Dick "Bigtime" Cheney shot a guy in the face, and (b) Richard B-Dick "Bigtime" Cheney should never be allowed around a firearm.

[Greyhound]

51. True. I was raised around firearms and one of the earliest lessons I got

was that they are not toys, they are lethal tools, their only purpose is to kill so the only time you ever touch one is to kill something (I don't hunt) or to stay in practice should you want to kill something.

A million years ago in a completely different America we had a firearms safety class in the 7th grade.

[TexasProgresive]

9. I would agree with most of the posters

Learning about firearms with a responsible parent is the number 1 way to encourage firearm safety. Learning to shoot accurately and safely with a BB gun or pellet gun will definitely translate to doing the same with firearms. 22 caliber ammo is much cheaper to use and easier on the shoulder and hand for a youngster.

He needs to learn the 10 commandments of shooting safety and, one other thing. The shooter needs to safely clean and maintain the firearm after each use.

And if the weapon is ever pointed at an inappropriate target the retribution must be severe.

[RollWithIt]

12. 10 year old can shoot those, he shouldn't be shooting a fully automatic....

That kid who died recently couldn't handle the continuous recoil of a full auto.

[trumad]

13. No auto...

Single shot. And I agree with what you say...

[Greyhound]

15. What? I must have missed that one. How in hell does a 10 year old

get a hand on a full-auto weapon?

[MissMarple]

23. Here you go greyhound1966. Eight year shoots self with uzi, dies. Tragic.

"WESTFIELD, Massachusetts (AP) -- An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair."




http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/27/boy.shoots.himself.ap/

[Greyhound]

26. Yes it is. After reading the story I would have to guess that he was shooting

the short barreled version.

The instructor was negligent, anyone in that position knows that a full auto machine-pistol will climb and should never have allowed an 8 year old to fire one. A kid that young simply doesn't have the strength or mass to control it.

As you said, tragic.

ETA: Thank you.

[Ishoutandscream2]

16. I was raised learning to shoot firearms

Had my first .22 automatic rifle at age 10. I didn't want it - I had to have it, according to my bastard of a step-dad. You know, real men shoot guns.

I never liked it. I don't own one now, nor will I ever. I guess it's an acquired taste. That's okay for some, but now for me. To each his own.

[JHB]

17. Here's the real trick (which you can't do because you rent)...

Make him take care of a gun (cleaning, periodic maintenance, the whole works).

Nothing tells them "it's not a toy" like emphasizing the "chore" aspects of good gun ownership.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[youthere]

20. Our kids have target shot since they were about 5 or 6...

and they have a blast with it. Of course, when they were that small my husband "held" the guns with them (does that make sense?)
Both our daughters and our son are enjoy target shooting. They've learned (and continue to learn) how to handle firearms and basic gun safety. My oldest daughter likes to target shoot, but not hunt (she's a vegetarian and says she's not about to kill something she won't eat which is cool with me), and my son and youngest daughter like to do both.

[1awake]

21. I've taken my three to the range afew times as well,

It becomes a family event.. one of teaching. I allow then to shoot my 22 ruger semi-auto rifle. I am always in physical contact with them when they shoot. The first time I took them, we shot at empty plastic containers. When we were done, we retrieved the containers and showed them the damage that was done. Then we talked about about it in reference to safety.

[slackmaster]

24. Thank you for teaching them responsible gun handling and gun safety

Better they learn it from you now than find themselves in the presence of an unsecured weapon with no idea what to do or what not to do.

I learned gun safety from my stepfather, who had been among other things a firearms instructor in the Mavy. I was 10, my brother was six.

[paparush]

25. Close Parental Supervision. Check. Appropriate Location. Check.

Your 10 year old must be pretty good size boy to feel ok with those calibers. I probably wouldn't allow my 13 year old (he's pretty small) to shoot anything larger than a .22.

Drill into him to KNOW exactly how many rounds are in the clip and to KNOW (count) exactly how many rounds he's let loose.

I used to be a parole officer. I was at an outdoor range with another PO. We were shooting 5 round clips. I always counted my shots and my partner's shots. During my partners' turn, he loosed 5 then turned. I noticed that his 9MM was not in the open breach (empty clip) position. I yelled and he noticed. He'd accidentally loaded six rounds into his clip. After that..we counted out loud to each other as we reloaded clips. I'd load..he'd watch and count. He'd load, and I'd watch and count.

[trumad]

61. I wanted him to try the mag....

Shcoked the hell out of him...LOL I stood behind him while he shot it.

[EnviroBat]

27. I shot my new Mossberg 500 for the first time two weeks ago.

A CCW instructor took me out to the local gun range. He brought along a small arsenal of interesting guns for me to shoot. A Mini 14, a Ruger M77 rifle (Very heavy gun), a 22Cal target pistol, a 9MM, and an AR-15, (Very frigging LOUD!) I saved the best for last. I was scared to shoot the shotgun, but it really wasn't that bad. I don't recommend making a habit of firing a pistol-grip 12 Ga. The first round cracks your wrist pretty good. I wanted to reinforce my healthy respect for firearms, and that's exactly what happened. To think very careful about what is on the receiving end of that barrel. What struck me about shooting is the awesome power, and instant finality of that trigger squeeze. The instant that thing goes off, there's a hole in something. It really is kinda fun too, but damn expensive!

It ain't like in the movies, that's for damn sure...

[boozepusher]

28. It's a great way

to spend an afternoon with your kids and they can learn something while having fun.

[mudesi]

29. What's fun about it?

This is how gun culture continues to permeate society. You ought to be teaching him that shooting is boring. Because it is.

[Raskolnik]

36. So someone else's kids should be taught what *you* find boring?

Do you have any other helpful advice for parents?

[jmg257]

56. Its a blast! Same as shooting baskets, archery, bowling or many other sports.

Easy to challenge yourself, easy to challenge others. Loved learning to shoot & going to the range with my Pop, and it was something he could still do even after a bad heart attack. Can't wait to spend more time at the range with my son; hopefully the 3 of us get the chance too.

Shooting is another interesting hobby that is a lot of fun to personally succeed at. And being good could also be a matter of life and death.

[skooooo]

33. I think guns suck. nt

[Raskolnik]

34. Then it's a good thing Trumad wasn't inviting you along, isn't it? n/t

[skooooo]

35. Quite good.

Guess you weren't there either, huh?

[Raskolnik]

37. I'm neither Trumad nor his kid, so no, I wasn't there either.

What does that have to do with anything?

[skooooo]

38. You're the one that brought it up..

...so you tell me!

[Raskolnik]

41. You posted without elaboration that you "think guns suck"

To which I pointed out it was a good thing no one was asking you to participate.

Do you have anything to add other than "I think guns suck?"

[skooooo]

44. I think guns suck a lot.

How's that?? How about they're destructive, used to commit a lot of crime, are stored and horded by redneck fanatics, and I don't like them. Is that enough for you?

Now you can respond with the fact that Trumad didn't invite me. And you're right. But he did post something about guns, and since this is an open forum I've expressed my opinion. Sorry if you don't agree, but I really don't care! :hi:

[Raskolnik]

46. Oh, you *really* don't like guns.

Now I understand. Thanks for clarifying.

[gratuitous]

40. Hey, whaddya think this is, a general discussion?

Check your forums, skooooo; gun threads are special and apparently don't admit to general discussion no matter where they're posted.

[skooooo]

42. My bad...thought this was an open forum..

:rofl:

[Bonobo]

39. Not against guns for self-defense. But as entertainment, it is fucked up.

The kid in Mass. (near me) died because of stupidity, negligence AND the glorification of guns and the sense that they exist for entertainment.

Do what you like. My opinion is that you should play sports for entertainment. You send the wrong message if you connect guns and fun IMO.

[boozepusher]

43. A kid near me

died on a football field this summer. He died because of stupidity, negligence, and the glorification of sports. What's your point?

[Bonobo]

47. That's a fair response.

Over doing anything is a mistake.

Still, for the most part, not indicative of most people's experience with sports. My point was obvious.

My point was NOT that an accident can occur. It was that violence should not be equated with fun.

It is my opinion. Agree or disagree, makes no difference to me. But, as this is a message board, I thought I would share.

[boozepusher]

48. There is nothing

violent about target shooting. If I were glorifying drive by shootings I could see your point.

[boozepusher]

50. There is nothing

violent about target shooting. If I were glorifying drive by shootings I could see your point.

[trumad]

62. He actually can do both...

we were in the range for a whole 1/2 hour.

[Pavulon]

66. Video Game guns are better. You can learn guns

without any real knowledge.

[Sanctified]

45. If cost is an issue maybe you should try Archery.

You can use an arrow over and over again.

[greguganus]

49. ...or rock throwing. Rocks are cheap, and the kids will get more exercise. n/t

[michreject]

58. Just like the Scots

After the British imposed their will on them.

[LeftHander]

54. you didn't let him shoot a full auto Uzi pistol....did you....nt

[jmg257]

55. My son enjoys it too. He is a pretty damn good shot now. Try pellet guns-

there are quite a few with the size and heft and action of the real thing. We have a real nice S&W 586 CO2 version.

Joe will be 12 in March so we are planning to visit the range quite often!

[Marr]

57. Good for you.

I think we need a lot more of this kind of thing, and I don't mean recreational shooting. I mean, allowing kids to experience things that *can* be dangerous when not under proper supervision. This country is far too dominated by fear-- everything from fireworks bans to bicycle safety gear for little kids on tiny bikes to disinfectant sprays.... it's all descriptive of a society that's way too damned skittish.

I was in Spain a few years back during a big celebration, and yikes, talk about a danger-tolerant society. They had this thing where people would bring out giant wooden structures and burn them right in the middle of town. It was a relatively safe area to do it, and safety crews were around, but still-- you wouldn't even be able to get a structure like that into an American city because it'd be considered a safety risk-- let alone set it on fire.

[8 track mind]

60. My Dad is a 'nam vet

And he wouldn't allow us to touch a firearm until we were 14, unless he and another adult was present. He was and still is very big on gun safety. When we turned 15, we got .22 rifles, but he kept the ammunition. There were VERY strict rules set, and if there was even so much as a slight infraction, they were taken away and returned to us when he felt like it. He would also saddle us with unpleasant chores. the bottom line was this: Guns can be a lot of fun, but they can be deadly if they are not treated with respect. He would know; he saw what they could do to human beings up close.

(WARNING!: the following is my opinion and in no way meant to insult any hunters we may have on DU. If you dig Hunting, fine with me)

We never really cared for hunting. The one time that i went, it was incredibly boring and too damn gory. It was also a freaking excuse for bubba's to get shit faced drunk on shitty 3.2% beer. I compare to deer hunting to a dog chasing a car. Once you get it, what the hell are you going to do with it? There isn't much meat on the damn thing and it really doesnt taste all that good IMO. I prefer to do my hunting in an automotive salvage yard, trying to score rare muscle car parts.

anyway...

To my brother and i, it was open season on beer cans and anything else that happened to find it's way into our grandparents trash pile. After we started becoming fair shots, money got involved. It went something like this:

"Betcha $0.25 you can't hit that Pepsi can."

"You're on!"

And small foutunes were won or lost. Back then, guns meant nothing more to us than cheap entertainment, but they could be deadly if used improperly. Thats all they mean to us now.

(Edited for clarity)

[KillCapitalism]

65. Wow, shooting a .45 at 10 yrs. old!

He must be a pretty big and or strong kid.

When I was 10 I think I had graduated from a BB rifle to a .22.

[Codeine]

67. Your kid must have wrists of steel!

That would have been too much recoil for me at that age. Scrawny kids and high calibers don't mix.

[trumad]

69. He is a big 10 year old---

But I stood behind him and propped him up a bit.

[mwei924]

68. Aren't there other fun hobbies that don't involve something that could blow your head off..

..with a single trigger? Maybe darts.

Young kids with guns freak me out.

[benEzra]

73. Hope you don't drive a car or ride a bicycle...

a two-inch movement of the steering wheel on a 2-lane, 55-mph-posted road will kill you, everyone in your car, and everyone in the oncoming vehicle. And on a bicycle, a small movement of the handlebars while a car is approaching from the rear will also kill you. Yet some of us still find driving and riding bicycles enjoyable in spite of the (minuscule) risk.

Statistically, recreational and competitive shooting is about as safe as playing golf, and far safer than bicycling.

I kayak, sail solo, and would love to be able to afford to fly an airplane. I also shoot firearms, safely and responsibly, and will let my kids do so soon (oldest is 9 right now, they are currently at the BB gun stage).

[Breeze54]

70. "He absolutely loved it.... "... and why wouldn't he?!

You are daft!!!

Are you fantasizing about what you were denied as a young boy?

:shrug:

[trumad]

71. Huh?

[Shrek]

72. Maybe you meant that he "fired" the guns

Shooting them would just be silly.

:P

[aikoaiko]

74. I was 11 and at Boy Scout Camp (No-Be-Bo-Sco) when I first learned to shoot.

I don't know you or your skill level, but it might be a great father and son activity to take a gun safety course together. Sometimes its helpful for kids to hear the same messages about safety from someone else even if its the same message.

I agree with others that you might want to pursue 22lr shooting because its so much cheaper.

Shooting is stuff is fun.