Would you let your 11 year old do target shooting?

[Anonymous]

I'd be totally fine with this, and think it's a good idea to get an education re: how to handle "firearms." I have no interest in owning / shooting guns and think that people who decide they want to walk around with them all the time are weirdos at best. But this? This is fine.

[Anonymous]

I would prefer the decide themselves after 18 if they want to learn this skill. Only way I'll allow her at 13+ is if she first educates herself about gun safety, gun violence and watches educational material with an anti-gun advocate.

[Anonymous]

Yes of course. I'm super liberal but i also think shooting is a life skill

[Anonymous]

Hmm, thanks. Will have to keep thinking. On one hand, it doesn't seem like something our family fits into. On the other hand, it's an Olympic sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. That’s thee safest place for your daughter to encounter a gun and learn how to handle one. You never know what she may come in contact with. Better that she has knowledge of proper handling techniques.

In what world will a child have to know how to handle a gun? If they're in a room with one, LEAVE the room.

Many shooting accidents happen because untrained individuals encounter a firearm and don't know how to handle it responsibly. Having one person who knows what they are doing to be able to tell the others how NOT to handle it can often be the difference between an injury/death or neither. Having your child be able to tell people "don't do that. You have to X, Y, Z before you do that" can make all the difference in the world.

Also, sometimes it isn't possible to leave a room fast enough. Having knowledge of guns, whether the safety is on, whether the person is handling a gun responsibly, whether the person knows what they are doing, can make all the difference.

I'm anti gun and I believe that it is safer if my child knows about gun safety even if they never handle a gun. Everyone is safer.

[Anonymous]

I’m inclined to think 11 is a bit young, but there are reasonable people who believe to the contrary.

I agree that learning and physically practicing the rules of firearm safety would be the first objective of beginning firearms familiarization.

Something too few people (including informal and sometimes even formal trainers) are aware of is the risk of overconfidence. A person gets introduced to basics, handles a firearm, learns and demonstrates the safety rules, then fires a few shots with varying accuracy. All of that is good. What is not good is when the student (especially a child) decides they now know everything they need to know and can safely handle and use pretty much any firearm without superstition. That’s dangerous.

Even people who don’t like firearms should teach their children the following:

If you see a gun:
STOP!
DON’T TOUCH!
LEAVE THE AREA
TELL AN ADULT.

[Anonymous]

I also want to know why is your DD so desperate to join the target shooting team? Does she have friends there? Are they nationally ranked or something?

Maybe you could start with something like archery, and if your DD shows maturity and responsibility then she can move up to guns?

[Anonymous]

I'm super liberal, 1000% for strong gun control laws, and I'd have no problem with this. My boys have done (and loved) shooting at scout camp for years. I tend to think gun sportsmen and hunters agree with my feelings on gun control. It's just the crazy MAGA people with unnecessary AR-15s that are loud and unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

Sure. We've done target shooting as a family. We don't own guns or anything like that. Some people are really good at those types of things. Might as well check it out. I had a bf who had a good college scholarship for trap shooting. He wasn't "gun culture" but he was a great shot.

[Anonymous]

I’m pretty liberal, and I would let my kid go target shooting. She’s also a rising 6th grader.
We are vegetarians so I wouldn’t support killing animals but shooting at a target, sure.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty anti gun but I did this at that age or younger and would definitely let my kid do it. It’s not a handgun or assault rifle, it’s not hunting— it’s doesn’t bother me at all.

Some day maybe it would be fun to try skeet shooting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm super liberal, 1000% for strong gun control laws, and I'd have no problem with this. My boys have done (and loved) shooting at scout camp for years. I tend to think gun sportsmen and hunters agree with my feelings on gun control. It's just the crazy MAGA people with unnecessary AR-15s that are loud and unreasonable.

Was just about to say exactly this. I'm a city guy who thinks our gun laws should be like they are in Europe, but shooting is a fine sport, and any reputable place will teach safety, safety, and more safety.

[Anonymous]

Outside of the gun issue, any thoughts on the respectability of it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also want to know why is your DD so desperate to join the target shooting team? Does she have friends there? Are they nationally ranked or something?

Maybe you could start with something like archery, and if your DD shows maturity and responsibility then she can move up to guns?

I think she's just itching to be an adult, and this is the most adult thing she could be allowed to do.

[Anonymous]

no