Doting grandfather seeks advice on what age to start teaching grandson. Also recommendations for a set-up.

He is 15 months - so plenty of time - but he is my first grandchild so very anxious to get started

3-4 depending on haptic ability and strength. Setup: Maddog Pup longbow in 36" and 1214 or 1413 Aluminums with a 3" fletching. Less draw weight is better unless he has the ability to shoot all the time. My friend's grandson just came visit during his summer break. When he was living with his grandfather here at age 4 and 5 he was shooting a pup recurve with 20@24". He was growing into it and got stronger fast. When he was 6 he moved in with his aunt close to DC. No real chance to shoot there. I met him and his granddad at the archery club on Saturday. He is 8 now and hasn't shot hardly in 2 years and was struggling with the pup recurve because of draw weight and because it is too short for him. I brought 3 kids longbows from my kids bow supply and let him shoot all three. 2 were 52" with 16#@24" and one 48" with 20@24". He struggled a bit with the 48" one and picked one of the 52" with 16#@24". We did some distance shooting with it and he got to 100 yards with 1413 Easton Tributes. Shooting at 20 yard targets is no big deal either. At 10 yards he had them all within a paper plate in record time. We installed a no-glove on these bows.

My kids all started at about 3 or 4.

Some kids can listen and copy what you show them at two years of age. Others may need to wait till Seven years old. My Grandson Max could shoot with me standing beside him at Two years old.

I second the pup longbow.

my kids were shooting at 5 years old. They're all different of course. Some shouldn't be shooting when they're 20 :^)

Nobody knows yours like you do. Don't necessarily do with yours as we did with ours. Use your own judgement.

I started about four my grampa made me a bow made out of sassafrass and my arrows were made out the same wood, around age five I was making them myself.

Start the kid off on a sling shot, gives them eye hand coordination and start of shooting form, they will have fun hitting cans then after little time switch them over to kid bow.

Maybe I am too old but as a lill bugger picker the sling shot was a big important part running around the farm country, marbles and ball bearings are hard to find now.

Grandaughter started at age 4. They are kids, and they are learning, so they don't need custom bows and aluminum or carbon arrows. They will be happy with some wood kids arrows and an old Red Bear fiberglass bow of about 15#. That's what Amanda started with, and still has the Pearson Varsity I got here when she was about 12. I've tempted her with other bows but she really likes that one, probably why she is so good too.

When they show interest.

Don't wait for that before introduction.

Right DanaC

About this age. She is 32 now.

My 4 year old grandson with a 15# St. Joe River Bow

Started my boys about 6 for the oldest and 8 for the second one. Grandkids 4

I started at 7, started my kid at 7. He is 22 now has a tat from one of my arrows. Keeps eying my Blacktail

I would say as soon as they show some interest. What seems to work well based on my two kids is to always invite them to shoot when I'm shooting but not make an issue of it if they don't, and to teach them as much form as they're interested in learning at the time. When my 5 year old started shooting all she cared about was watching the arrow fly. Didn't want to hold it a certain way, didn't want to hear me tell her how to draw it, just wanted to do it her way, so I let her. A few months later we were shooting and she sees my 9 year old hitting the target and all of a sudden realizes how cool THAT is, and asks me how to shoot like her brother, so I gave her a few more basic details. Neither of them are shooting asprin out of the air but they both enjoy it and my son is excited to hunt with a longbow as soon as he can pull enough to meet the state requirements.

My grandson is three and a half. He has been shooting for over a year now. Bought him a Bear 1st shot bow on Amazon ($20). Put a feather on the outside of the shelf to keep the arrow on

Feather on bow shelf

DanaC has the right answer. If you want them to stay with it, it's about providing the opportunity when they show interest. Took my daughter til about 6 or 7

I’ve taught lots of kids. 3 seems to be the bare minimum to get an attention span of about 3 arrows..

Don’t push it, just let the archer set the pace.

5 is a lot better but you could be missing a couple of years..

Arrowchucker

I have a stable of Black Rhino bows that Chuck made for me before he retired. Getting a longbow into new shooters hands is what I do. My grand daughter started at 2.5 and shot well but I have found her to be the exception to the rule. Her sister struggles at 3.5 so much of it depends on the child. The more time you spend mentoring the better your results will be. For equipment you are looking at about a 6# bow. Make it fun!! Temper you expectations and enjoy!!

Teach them all that they can absorb at a young age, and they will be better prepared for future life. From learning how to shoot a bow to cutting a board, and doing chores for pay.

I started my kids at 2 years old. By 3 many should be good, surely a bit older. I kept my kids super close, overinflated balloons to shoot at and made a giant fuss when they broke one. You need to overinflated or balloon just bumps arrow back. Also a few shots at a time, don’t overdue it.

Started my grandson at the age of two.

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