Children's birthday parties at gun range.

Kelly Green

Kelly Green

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A new gun range in Lewisville Texas, scheduled to open this summer, will offer birthday parties for kids. "The age limit is eight years old. You have to be tall enough to get above the shooting table," owner David Prince said. "They're not gonna be left unattended. Parents are gonna be one-on-one, or if there's not enough parents we'll have range safety officers here to show them how to do it safely."

I have always believed that children should be exposed to the shooting sports at a young age but I have mixed feelings about this. It seems that there are too many things that could go wrong. What do you think?

Texas gun range to host children
 
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While I like the idea of introducing them to shooting at a young age, doing it at a birthday party just sounds like a bad idea to me considering the excitement level of 8 year olds at a party. It's like a bunch of chihuahuas on speed....
 
Not a bad idea, I've talked with parents that are afraid get the kids involved and the kid wants to shoot a real gun. He may already have a BB gun and the father is involved in other things. Too big of a party and the ones not shooting will be bored. If the parents see other kids shooting they may overcome the fear of shooting. Good exposure at school when they talk abt the party, I don't thing many kids talk abt shooting. Larry
 
So long as the parents are involved, and the shooting sessions relatively short to match the attention level of young kids, it is a great way to teach them firearm safety and shooting skills.

2-3 sessions of 1/2 hr. would be enough to get some shooting in, and they would be able to pay attention for that.
 
As important as firearm safety training is, I’ve always believed that basic training should be done one on one. I just don’t like the idea of a group of pre-teen kids at a shooting range with instructors of an unknown level of experience in basic firearm training experience, and dealing with pre-teens in general.
 
I go back and forth!! Definately for introducing kids to guns at an early age. Maybe I am old but I like the controlled environment of a Dad or Mom introducing gun safety and shooting to thier child.

As a Birthday Party, where I think kids have an expectation of run and fun...I think the 2 worlds collide atleast for me, I am not sure I like the idea.

Maybe I am just old????
 
I don't think it's a good idea. For one thing, while I agree that it is a good thing to get kids involved at an early age, that is a decision that is best left up to parents and children on an individual basis, and not in a group event.

I think this has the potential to bring negative attention to the shooting sports, if a child gets hurt.

I think it can cause some problems if a child wants to attend the party, and one or both parents is anti-gun...then the child will feel ostracized or ashamed if he can't go and his friends can. (This can happen with other activities, like bungee-jumping, for example, but I bet there are far more parents who would react negatively to a handgun party than a bungee party.)

Lastly, while shooting should be enjoyable, I don't think it should be associated with a "party" for a child...I think the serious safety aspects should be the first and foremost lessons a child learns.
 
On the subject of ranges doing "special event" types of things, the range closest to me does a ladies night every Tuesday. They set half of the range aside for women only, and have female NRA certified instructors available to them.

I think it's great that they do it, and I could see how much more comfortable my wife and daughter were stepping out onto the line for the first time. I was talking to one of the RSO's and he said that the number of women coming in to shoot regularly went through the roof after they started the ladies night.
 
All I can think of is the last time I had a bunch of 10 year olds at a putt putt course all running around with putters-that was bad enough; imagine them all running around with .22's :eek:
Even if you have the one kid one parent rule-how do you know the parent won't be just as dangerous as the kid???
 
My grandson is seven and has been shooting since age four,but there's no way in hell that I would want him to be at a birthday party with kids and/or adults that I don't know! Bad idea.
f.t.
 
Birthday party with 7 kids or so? Great idea. More than that? Asking for trouble.
 
The kids by their nature will be a problem as already described. The parents will contribute to it, as most will not understand the gravity of the standard of conduct expected, and will respond really poorly to the inevitable vigorous correction. I have dealt with parents of that nature and I would be afraid that they would be a presence here. Probably 50% at best would pay appropriate attention, even after a warning worthy of R. Lee Ermey.
 
We have a yought department at our shootingassociation.

If the child is big enough to hold an targetairrifle he is aloud to become a member.
They are only aloud to shoot with airguns. When they have proven that they can handle safe the airrifle or pistol. Wich they get ofcource instruction in, they are aloud under supervision to shoot .22lr.

There is one big rule by us. Safety first. If you forgett Safety first.
The age of the yought members is from 10 till 18 year.

The department is quit populair and we have a waiting list.
There are a lot of youghtinstructors who attend the children.
No one is shooting unattended.

So if the range can provide enough safety. I do not see any problems.
 
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I have a vague memory of some small child getting killed at a full auto event somewhere. Hmmm birthday party with Kids and .22's who play video games where they kill Zombies. One on One seems to work for me. taking my Grandson out this week for the first time shooting with my Ruger .22 . Trust me I will be VERY careful and patient.
 
Gunzuki said:
I have a vague memory of some small child getting killed at a full auto event somewhere.
Click to expand...

Are you thinking of the kid that killed himself with an Uzi at a gun show a few years back?
 
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