How young is too young to take a child shooting?

In the Florida 4-H Shooting Sports program, which is part of the National 4-H Shooting Sports program, a committee had determined that shooting sports begins for a child at 8 years old.  They have set the following guidelines, which most states have adopted:

• Age 8-10 (4-H Juniors) are allowed to learn archery and air rifle (pellet).
• Age 11-13 (4-H Intermediates) are allowed to learn virtually all of the rest of the shooting sports, including rifle (small bore or .22 rimfire), black powder rifles and shotguns (muzzle loading) and shotgun.
• Age 14-18 are reserved some special privileges such as air pistol (not in Florida), but in other states they can learn high power rifle, high power pistol and crossbow.

There is a reason these guidelines have been put in place.  They weren't just concocted by some non-shooters who are trying to hold kids back.  On the contrary, the National 4-H Shooting Sports Committee who set this standard is made up of some of the finest Educator/Shooters in the country, with representation on the committee from the NRA and industry.

This past weekend I had a great time teaching my 8 year old grandson Gavin how to shoot a black powder rifle, and since it was not a 4-H program, I was okay with the laws and liabilities of the situation.  Prior to going, I was not quite sure how he would handle it.  Once or twice before I taught him the basics or air rifle handling in the backyard, so this was quite a few steps up in complexity and power.  He did very well to make a long story short, but that is because his Papa Gus helped him every step of the way, quizzing him on safety, parts and procedure the whole time.  Was I able to shoot too?  Of course I was.  Utilizing the Coach-Pupil method of teaching, I had him coach me, just as I had him - every step of the way, reinforcing his knowledge gain.  The other part that I was concerned about, and was not sure until I tried it, was using the Caldwell Lead Sled to help him make his shots.  This wonderful tool took almost all of the recoil of the gun away, but allowed him the flexibility to adjust his own sights, and shoot the gun himself.  I first learned about the Lead Sled at the 2009 Orlando SHOT Show, but they can be purchased at most stores that sell quality shooting gear.

I need to point out that even though these are the recommended ages for 4-H, they differ for other youth programs, and sometimes within the same program but state to state and county by county.  Check with your local youth leadership professional to be sure.  Some programs are more or less stringent, but I think they're about right.  No child is however too young to learn about the dangers and risks involved with guns and anything that shoots a projectile.  Kids are killed virtually every week with air rifles, airsoft and paintball guns.  They should all be respected, and every member of the household, oldest to youngest should know The 3 Always of 1) Always keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction, 2) Always keep the gun unloaded until you're ready to use it, and 3) Always keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.

There are some excellent articles and helps written on the Ages and Stages of kids.  My very first reference for this is the Univ. of Florida EDIS publications on teen development.  Another great site for this is HealthChildren.org.

The Springtime Has Been A Flurry Of 4-H Shooting Sports Activities

The springtime has been a flurry of 4-H shooting sports activities in and outside of Brevard County. In February, the University of Florida / Brevard County Extension hosted the 2012 4-H Muzzle Loading tournament in Mims, and in March back-to-back was the state rifle match, the state 4-H shotgun tournament and the state archery match.

Of all the tournaments the muzzle loading rifle or black powder tournament is the least conventional match students participate in, shooting a number of strange and unique targets. Not only do they shoot at paper targets but they also shoot at steel silhouettes, and sometimes candles or charcoal hanging on the string to see if they can make it go “poof”!

The state rifle match, open to all kids eight and above is probably the most conventional shooting sports activity, similar to Olympic style shooting. In this match the kids shoot three position (prone, kneeling and standing) air rifle at distances of 10 meters and .22 long rifle at 75 feet.

The state shotgun match coming up this weekend, is a fun filled day of trap and skeet, shooting at bright orange clay targets traveling away from them at 40 miles per hour! At this tournament, kids 12 and above participate in 50 rounds of each game, trap and skeet and scores can be as high as 95 percent! We haven’t had a perfect score yet. Some kids may shoot low or medium range scores, but that’s okay! In 4-H we compete mostly against ourselves, trying to Make Our Best Better (the 4-H motto).

This year at the Eastern-Newberry Sports Complex in Newberry, Florida nearly 200 children participated in the state archery match. At this tournament the kids shot 3-D animal targets, field targets and Olympic style targets. It was a great day with beautiful weather and Brevard County came home with two major awards in First Place Intermediate Team (age 11-13) Unsighted Recurve, and First Place Junior Team (age 8-10) Unsighted Recurve. All of the individual shooters did very well.

If you would like to see 4-H shooting sports in action, join us at the Brevard County Fair! For more information, please contact Gus Koerner at 633-1702 or by email at gkoerner@ufl.edu.

Colleges with active shooting sports programs.

One of the things we talk about in 4-H Shooting Sports is that archery, rifle and shotgun are all competitive Olympic events and some colleges offer scholarships to shooters.  But when we're asked for more information, we're usually "stumped".  As instructors we should know how to lead these kids to the next level.

Recently the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) awarded almost $300,000 in grants to 41 colleges with shooting sports programs through its Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative.


"Throughout the country, we are seeing a surge in college students interested in the shooting sports," said Zach Snow, NSSF's manager of shooting promotions. "These clubs are filling a need on campus by providing opportunities to target shoot, and their members are building positive reputations for the shooting sports both on campus and in surrounding communities."


In the article it lists the colleges who received grant money.  Young shooters who are interested in pursuing a scholarship in shooting, or interested in it as an intermural sport  should start to check into these programs.

Just an air rifle?

How many kids and families do you know that got an air rifle for Christmas or have one in the house??

Those of us who teach firearms safety stress some version of the National Rifle Association, 3 Always of Guns Safety, namely 1) keep your gun pointed in a safe direction, 2) keep your gun unloaded until your ready to shoot, and 3) keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. In order for a firearms accident to occur, all three of these rules have to be broken, at the same time!

A tragic story was reported in England today:

Boy, 10, Killed With His Father's Air Gun While Playing Cowboys and Indians with His Friends
Thursday, Jan 05 2012, Swansea, England, UK
By JULIE MOULT, DailyMail.co.uk

A BOY of ten was shot dead in a game of cowboys and indians as he and a friend played with his father's airgun. Rhys Johnson was fatally wounded when the weapon went off, blasting pellets into his chest. Full story.
Photo: Rhys Johnson is pictured here with his older sister Ashleigh. By http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Parents please keep in mind that although BB guns and Air Rifles are less powerful than their high-power counterparts, they are still not toys and can cause serious property damage and personal harm, as shown in this story.  Air rifles can be a great tool to teach young people safe handling of firearms and marksmanship with a gun that is void of recoil and designed to fit kids 6 and up, BUT they are guns.  Make sure they are treated with the same respect as any other firearm.

Springtime A Flurry of Shooting Competions

Brevard County Fair FITA Match

My writing has been kind of slow this spring because of my involvement in all of the shooting matches our local kids have been involved with.  But man, was it fun!


The State 4-H Matches - Locally we had about 50 kids participating in the Florida 4-H State Matches giving kids the opportunity to show their skills in archery, trap, skeet, rifle and black powder.  The state riffle match was held first, and Francis D. came in 6th place state wide in three-position air rifle, Intermediate Division.  Next was the state archery match at the new Easton-Newberry Sports Complex near Gainesville.  20 of our top archers competed in FITA, Field and 3-D competitions with most of our club placing or doing extremely well.  Our club is especially proud of Paul T., a 4-H Senior, who qualified for the National 4-H Invitational in June in the Sighted Compound Bow Division.  Our shotgunners did well in trap and skeet over in Bartow, Florida.  In this match, a child does not even place with a score less than 90 usually (of 100) broken clay targets!

Christina learning to
break both targets with one ball! 

I almost forgot to mention our muzzleloaders!  The season's local shooting culminated in the 4th Annual Brevard County Fair Archery Match.  63 shooters, shoulder to shoulder, competing against their peers for big, beautiful rosettes.  Our local club the Sharp-Eye Shooters took most of the awards, but all of the kids representing 11 different Florida counties did very well.

Noah and his Dad shooting together at
the state muzzle loading match.

What pleased me most with all of these events, was the level of safety, volunteer participation and sportsmanship displayed.  It was amazing.


Thanks to all who participated and to our commercial sponsors as well such as, but not limited to Brevard Archers, Action Gun and Archery, Hodgdon Powder, our local gun clubs in Mims and Palm Bay and the Florida 4-H Shooting Sports Program.

“You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!” Part 1 – Air Rifles

…this doesn’t have to be true or even a threat this holiday season, if you’re considering getting your child or grandchild an air rifle. When I say “air rifle,” this also includes the whole family of pneumatic firearms, which also take in pellet and BB guns. The first and foremost safety rule is, Keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction. If this were the only rule that people followed, there would never be an accident! Also see my blog, Oops, Sorry About Your Cat.

There are many companies out there that market and sell air rifles, the primary ones most advertized include Crosman , Daisy and Gamo. Within those companies, you have probably a hundred to choose from, ranging from $30 to well over $500, but be sure of this – all of these companies make fine equipment. Which one to buy? That’s a great question, but to answer it you need to ask yourself why you are buying the rifle for your youngster?

Air rifles are for competition, training, hunting, recreational plinking, and for potentially getting some kids in deep trouble. Adult supervision is always required for kids shooting air rifles, not just as a good precaution but in some cases, it is the law. Be Aware - modern air rifles, even the least expensive ones can easily kill a domestic pet or cause serious property damage.

Now to the point of really helping you to buy the right one for your young Olympian or hunter to be… 1) do your research before you buy. Each of the companies I mention have very informative web pages, and may give you a discount if your child belongs to a bona-fide youth shooting sports program. 2) Look around locally for youth programs such as scouts or 4-H. They can provide shooting opportunities for your child with air rifles and some of them may allow you to try some of their guns prior to purchase, or inform you of special purchasing options to save you money. In addition, they will more than likely host or attend competitive events which may require a specific gun, or one with special requirements. 3) I would consider this most important – consider this an opportunity to have a fun, safe, healthy outdoor hobby with your young family member so as to make memories and establish safe habits for a life time.