Taking kid to gun range

nisryus

Senior member
Sep 11, 2007
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So I have decided to take class and learn how to use gun. Probably get a conceal license as well once completed. One thing i want to do is for my kid (9 years old) to learn as well. Is he too young to go to shooting range? I heard that lead poisoning is a big concern for kid at the range. So how likely my kid would be over exposed to lead there?
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,348
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Yes, too young. That's my opinion. Some will agree, some will disagree.

I'd be more concerned about him accidentally shooting himself more than Lead poisoning potential.
 

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
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Personally, I think from the sounds of things you should go yourself for starters and learn range safety and several things before even thinking about bringing your 9 year old along.

9 even seems a bit young for a BB gun to me, yeah not going to do the put your eye out thing, but at that age is even much.

Just my two cents.
 
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nisryus

Senior member
Sep 11, 2007
801
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Yeah, I still remember the instructor who died after helping a 9 year old with an Uzi. Maybe I should wait a few years then. The reason I was going to do it now was due to several friends also want to go together to learn. But they are all singles.

For lead poisoning, it was mainly concern of lead-containing gases leaving the gun after firing, especially with handguns.
 

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
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Yeah, I still remember the instructor who died after helping a 9 year old with an Uzi. Maybe I should wait a few years then. The reason I was going to do it now was due to several friends also want to go together to learn. But they are all singles.

For lead poisoning, it was mainly concern of lead-containing gases leaving the gun after firing, especially with handguns.

The Uzi thing did leap immediately to my mind, but that was sheer ignorance to allow that to happen to begin with.

I've seen many similar stupid things in videos.
 

XavierMace

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2013
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Based on what I'm seeing, that danger primarily applies to employees or people letting their kids do stupid stuff. Repeated exposure would seem to be a prerequisite as well.

If you're that concerned about it, shoot at an outdoor range and use lead free ammo.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
32,414
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nope. start em early. the sooner you teach your kids about firearms, the better off they will be.

until they learn how to handle a firearm, they will be properly curious as kids are.

heck - why not take some shooting courses together? otherwise, i'd say learn on your own, then take your kids to classes appropriate for teaching children firearms.
 

madoka

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2004
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My 7 year old daughter laughed manically when she emptied mag after mag on a AR15. She thought it was a hoot. Your kid will be fine.
 

Rumpltzer

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2003
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If you're good with the 9 year-old at the gun range, then take him. Watch him carefully. Don't give him a goddam uzi.

Not all 9 year-olds are the same. I've been to a range with a 9 or 10 year-old, and he put a .22 diagonally across the range because he had his finger on the trigger. I'd have to trust the kid a lot to take them. There are 18 year-olds (and 30 year-olds) who I would never trust with a gun.

I've seen kids at the outdoor rifle range with their parents. I have no problem with it as long as they're being supervised and not acting up.

If you're worried about lead exposure (I don't think it's an issue), then you might try to find an outdoor range. They're a lot more comfortable both in volume and air flow.
 

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
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He should still learn how to shoot a pistol at least himself I would say, before ever taking his kid there.
 
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DCal430

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2011
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WTF that is way too young, there is no appropriate age to teach children to gun down people. We need to end this gun culture. Stop being part of the problem, stop buying weapons of mass murder, and don't teach your kids to use these weapons.

Stop trolling -Admin DrPizza
 
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balloonshark

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2008
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If I had a family and a gun in the house everyone in the house would know how to safely handle and disarm the weapon. IMHO if something is potentially dangerous and in your house you and others should learn as much as possible about that object. If one of them can't handle it (too immature or scared) then keep them from it at all costs.

Honestly you could teach a kid some of the rules to follow with a nerf gun or other toy guns. Then you could move to a BB gun and then eventually the real thing if they prove they are responsible.
 

BarkingGhostar

Diamond Member
Nov 20, 2009
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So I have decided to take class and learn how to use gun. Probably get a conceal license as well once completed. One thing i want to do is for my kid (9 years old) to learn as well. Is he too young to go to shooting range? I heard that lead poisoning is a big concern for kid at the range. So how likely my kid would be over exposed to lead there?
If you are concerned about lead poisoning then why not find a place outside to shoot? I know somewhere in TX there has to be a place nearby. Heck, would anyone care if you shot in your backyard considering this is TX?
 

XavierMace

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2013
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WTF that is way too young, there is no appropriate age to teach children to gun down people. We need to end this gun culture. Stop being part of the problem, stop buying weapons of mass murder, and don't teach your kids to use these weapons.

Wow, we made it 12 whole posts because this started.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
97,363
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My 7 year old daughter laughed manically when she emptied mag after mag on a AR15. She thought it was a hoot. Your kid will be fine.

I think you may have a mass killing waiting to happen there.
 

skull

Platinum Member
Jun 5, 2000
2,209
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So I have decided to take class and learn how to use gun. Probably get a conceal license as well once completed. One thing i want to do is for my kid (9 years old) to learn as well. Is he too young to go to shooting range? I heard that lead poisoning is a big concern for kid at the range. So how likely my kid would be over exposed to lead there?

My dad took me when I was 9. He already knew guns fairly well. He made sure I knew its always loaded even when its not, never point it at anyone period and keep your goddamn finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Things that I still practice at 30. I'm still alive and had a blast. The one time we went the guy next to us let me shoot his 44 magnum revolver.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
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Yeah, I still remember the instructor who died after helping a 9 year old with an Uzi. Maybe I should wait a few years then. The reason I was going to do it now was due to several friends also want to go together to learn. But they are all singles.

For lead poisoning, it was mainly concern of lead-containing gases leaving the gun after firing, especially with handguns.

lead containing gases... what?

The vast majority of ammo you use will be jacketed, so there's no exposed lead until the round hits something and deforms. If this is an indoor range, then yes there will be lead in the air but that's mostly because of the rounds smashing into the steel backplate... not from the gun. A good indoor range will have a proper ventilation system to help, but there will always be some in the air. Outdoor range won't have this, especially if you're shooting into dirt.

But I also agree that you should wait with your kid. Not because of his age, but because of your own inexperience. You can't teach what you don't know, so you need to be comfortable first.
 

balloonshark

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2008
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It's probably a good idea to only load one bullet at a time. I've seen too many vids of people shooting a weapon they can't handle and it fires twice.
 

cbrunny

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 2007
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When I was 9 my dad took me to a local program called 'Hoops for Fun'. I learned how to play basketball with a bunch of other 9 year olds. We played a few games through the winter and had tons of fun. I was then and am still now very bad at basketball, but I remember going with my dad and having a great time of it. I continued to play through until grade 9 or 10. I am not very tall though and wasn't good to begin with so I stopped making the team at that point. Still, I learned teamwork and the value of working hard. Things I very much value today.

But my dad teaching me how to use a death machine makes much more sense.
 

z1ggy

Lifer
May 17, 2008
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Have a certified teacher give him shooting instructions, not you. As long as your son respects the firearm for what it is, under the control and supervision of an experienced and trained instructor, he should be okay.