How old would you start a kid on a rifle? I am just curious. My son is 7 and he has been hunting with me for about 3 or 4 years now, and just wondering at what age would you start a kid on a deer rifle. All opinions are welcome.

I do not have kids yet, but I shot my first deer when I was 7.

7

7 7 7 lucky number - thats the age of my oldest son and he gets to try to take his first deer in a week (if conditions permit) i have him on a .243 and i will assist in the shooting.

7 is old enough

Started my daughter out this year. She is 6 years old right now. I choose a .223 and it fits her about right. So far all we have done is blast paper targets.

My oldest Grandson is 6 and a little guy at that. He took his first two deer this year shooting a .223 Encore pro hunter.

He shot a cull 8 point whitetail and this mule deer cull buck as well.

My son killed his first deer when he was 6, he is 24 now and he lives to hunt.....

I was 4 when I killed my first deer.

i shot my first when i was 7

Have to young children myself, and I guess it depends on the child.

My youngest, which is 6, is more interested in learning to shoot then my oldest. She follows direction well and if she continues interest, then I might get something she can shoot.

Start now. He is old enough. Get him a .243....small enough for now and good enough forever.

My boy was 7 when he decided he was ready to shoot the 243. He turned 8 the day before his 1st kill.

Thanks for all of your input. I was thinking that he might be old enough. just wanted to see what everyone else thought.

I think it depends on the kid, I have seen kids I think could start at 5 and some I wouldnt start until 12

7 with assistance 10-12 if you let them hunt by themselves but I would suggest dropping them off at the stand, I think I was 8 before I shot my first buck 10 hunting by myself but was scared walking to stand in the dark, we had hogs mountain lions, and wolves. Still do but at 10 its pretty scary

My son shot his first buck this year at seven years old. He took out the upper part of the heart and both lungs. No tracking required. He has been hunting with me since he was two, and that is when he got his first gun(BB). He got his first deer rifle when he was 6. I bought a .22/.223 combo from Rosssi, and put the same scope on both barrells. I will let him shoot the .22 for as long as he wants and he his very comfortable with the fact that it has no kick and very little sound. Then we would switch over to thee .223 barrell and it would feel like the same gun to him. He would shoot at a life sized paper target of a deer 2 or 3 times with this gun to get a feel for it and to also teach him where to aim at a deer. I have found he does not flinch using this method and he was very confident in where to place the shot when his time came. He shoots almost every weekend with me and has become quite the little marksman. Right now we are working on getting him his first turkey. Has not been able to get a shot at one yet.

I shot my 1st deer when I was 13 but I had been shoot a 30.06 for a couple of years. I just never had the opportunity at a buck until lucky 13. I wish I would have been able to get one at an earlier age but fortunatly for me, I am able to hunt now!!! Whenever I have children, I will start them out as early as they are ready. BTW, I still shoot my .243 that was given to me after I shot my 1st deer.

I kilt me a bar when I was only 3.

Killed my first deer at 7, though, with a .243, after spending a lot of time varmint hunting with a .22.