yeserday my daughter and her cousin both age 5 went with me to the target range and had their first lesson in shooting.They were using a bolt action 22 with my help.The excitement in their faces was great when they hit the target. This little lesson included much discussion about gun safety.Each of the kids only took a few shots but we were there over an hour mostly talking about safty,when to shoot when not to shoot , how to safely handle a gun and when to leave a gun alone. i think this kind of gun safety should be taught to all kids even if they do not shoot. you never know if or when they could encounter a gun.

Pter, Let me tell you a story. A few years ago I took my brother-in-law to a preserve to get him back into hunting as he had not hunted in 20 years,or so he said. I let him borrow a mod 70 in 270 Win shootig 150gr Partition ammo. He took a boar and we started walking back to the lodge when I told him to make sure the rifle was empty to which he assured me it was. When we reached the pick-up he put the rifle in the bed of the truck at which point I picked up the gun and opened the action. A live 270
round was ejected......by teaching your family safe gun handling while there young.....you will avoid an incident like I had with my idiot brother-in-law.Good for you. JFS

Very good. Glad you took the time to teach them this stuff. Most kids never get that. And what better way to spend the Independence Day than shooting!!!

As far as I am concerned, THAT IS GOOD GUN CONTROL! Way to start them off right.

Ptr, first of all Pretty Work! Gun safety is a valuable lesson for everybody. I have been wrapped up with 3 shots out of a 10 guage from an "OLD" friend I use to hunt with. It is not at all pleasant listening to pellets coming at you! Over excited to see a buck this guy took the shot and forgot that I was directly behind the buck. 100 yrds. away was me standing there looking with this "WHAT THE" look on my face. This guy knew exactly where I was at and still took the shot. And never hit the buck! Shot placement is everything but, let me get the hell out of the way first. To this day this guy still feels he did nothing wrong!! I have a 3 yr. old daughter and I can't wait to teach her the respect of firearms and what they are capable of!

I agree gun safety is everything and what the anti gunners don't realize is that ignorance and curiousity is what kills children. My 8 yr old daughter has been around guns since she was born and to this day if I have a gun out that I'm working on she won't touch it and in fact she doesn't even pay attention to it because it's a normal part of life around here. I have 4 other kids from my first marriage and they all know how to shoot but because of their up bringing by their mother I have to make sure everything is locked up because of their curiousity factor, in fact I brought in a steel cabinet to lock up my ammo in before they come up this year and all the rifles in the gun racks now have cables and padlocks to keep them from being removed. I don't think gun safety and respect can start to early. You might also take a 22 revolver next time you go out, I've found my daughter from the time she started shooting likes handguns more than rifles and one of my sons is the same way, he started shooting full house 44 loads when he was 12 and he loves it.

Same here. My daughters were always with me when I was working on a gun, or loading ammo. I think my oldest daughter shot a handgun for the first time at 5 years of age.

I totally agree that if children are going to be exposed to guns at any time in their lives it is best that they have the proper exposure at an early age.

One of the things I always did as a Hunt Safe Instructor was to get a bunch of fruit and vegetables from the local grocery store every year during the course. I'd set up the various fruits and vegetables at various distances and have the kids shoot them with .22 LR Hollow Points so they could see the full effect of what can and does happen when something is stuck buy a bullet. It is a totally different visual experience than seeing a bullet poke a hole in a piece of paper. Tomatoes work especially well for dramatic effect.

Larry

Most cool on the gun safety and the young ones. All three of my kids were and are tought the rules every time we are out target shooting or hunting. My youngest at age 7 is the most focused, go figure.

Rod suggested to take along a handgun, just be carefull as you are in NY and it is illeagle for any one under 21 to touch a handgun. Even family memebers on private property. Stupid NY!

oops, sorry I didn't realize there was anyplace in the country with a law like that. I might understand if it were mandatory to have adult supervision but that is stupid.

My son started out with a Henry Min-Bolt rifle in .22lr when he was 5. He is 8 now and shoots very well with my Ruger Single Six. He has always learned gun safety from the time he got his first toy guns. I agree with Larry that it is important for kids to see the effect a bullet has other than punching paper.

My Dad taught me about gun safety when I was 5 years old (Im 22 now) when we went to the range and shot one of his 22 rifles and his Ruger MKII pistol, ever since Ive been big on guns and safety, and what he taught me on safety even from a young age has really made a lasting impression.

No big deal Rod. You want to know exactly how NY penal law reads...as I have the book and keep it suplemented each year.

If you came to visit me here in NY, the only legal way you could shoot my handguns is at a certified NRA range with a certfied range office and I (me) the licensee was present at your side at the time of fireing the weapon. That's STUPID!!

Welcome to COMMY NY!!

There are a few other ways like certified matches at certified ranges, with letters of intent from the match directior. You also have to inform the state police of you coming prior to the match, then an outside individual can shoot thier guns here but it's a huge process making it not realy worth the effort. All legal transport laws have to kept, as in locked guns in seperate cases from the ammo and not accessable to the drive....ect.

I could go on as I have read the intire penal code and highlighted all important subjects. Kind of funny when I know more than some of the local officers.

The "assult" section is really restrictive here in NY.

man tigger i may have to get one of those books i didnot
know that i dont want to get anyone in trouble or me lose my
permit danm state

tigger were can i find a copy of the commy rule book like the one you have? i should know more of that stuff.

Wow, I unload my gun and put it in the consoul and put the bullets in my pocket or everything is together in my shooting bag. Just not loaded.

Both my boys were brought up with guns and learned safety first before they could even touch them. The were told that if they ever wanted to touch my guns to just ask me and I would help them get it. I tought Don't touch, leave it alone, get an adult.
It's been so long that it took me awhile to remember who taught me gun safety first. It was my mother, after one of my cousins had found my grandfathers rifle under the bed. He was pointing it at all of us kids and one of the adults walked in and freaked. I'm so happy no one got hurt or killed. But after that my mom sat me down at about 5 and started teaching me about gun safety. (My mom and dad were split up at the time) So it is so important for parents to teach thier kids at a very young age and don't stop after just one lesson.

You know, us southern boys catch a lot of crap. I'm starting to think it's worth it. No waiting periods, i can loan out a gun, my kids can shoot a handgun and do. My son was 3 three when i met his mother. One of the first things i tought him (after how to pee standing up) was tying his shoes and gun handling. Him and my daughter are the only 3 year olds i know that would put on the safety,open the bolt and check the chamber as soone as they were handed a rifle. At 10 he now shoots a Mini-bolt,MK III a BH in 30 carbine and my SBH. My daughter has a pink Cricket and a Bearcat. To tell the truth, i trust them with a gun more than some adults i know. When i pick them up on my weekends its still one of the things they like to do.

I have an 8 year old daughter and a 4 year old son. I bought them a Cricket 6 months ago (when my son was 3) and took them to the range. Taught them the ABCs of gun handling and I reiterate it to them whenever we go to the range or when they handle the guns at home. I took my mom, sister, wife and daughter to a program called "Women on Target" which is sponsered by the NRA, we had to pay only $6 each for lunch and the course was free. Afterwards, my wife told me she had already learned mostly everything from me that was taught in the class but she still learned a few things and we all had a great time. My daughter was able to participate in all the activities but did not get the certificate because she was too young. She got the additional education from another point of view besides mine and that is all that matters to me. If you have kids, take them shooting and teach them about guns and you will create yet another bonding activity with them. My daughter doesn't care yet to go hunting but my son has expressed interest constantly. Can't wait until this hunting season when I get to take my boy in the woods with me. Hope I can get him to sit still!

My boys shoot a Marlin 39 TDS. I tried the Chipmunk and they did not like it. To much loading and shucking and moving around. The little TDS you put in 10 rounds and go to town they still have to work the action between shots and there is a safety if you want to use it while they are getting set or leting the hammer down. I also let them shoot my model 35 S&W great starter gun

We (the community) had a young boy (6 or 7 years old) killed around here with a Chipmunk a few years ago. The gun accidentally discharged while the butt was on the ground, which would have without question been the responsibility of the supervising adult. The problem was that the Chipmunk was so short that the bbl did not reach this very small boy's chin while resting on it's butt like that, and the bullet entered under the chin. I always liked starting my children out with a firearm that had enough size and weight to demand some respect and attention. I've always been a little nervous about starting a child out with something that might resemble a toy in any way. We have a Rossi pump .22 with a full length bbl, and it has always seemed like a pretty good teacher for us.