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Sorry for the understandable confusion from a poorly worded post. My grandson - 14 handles the .270 well and can bust the dickens out of skeets with a 20 guage Ithaca pump I loaned him. Althought thinking about it, stationary skeets at an appropriate distance might make for some fun, affordable reactionary targets.

9 years old is a good starting age but It depends on the individual, and the gun, if a 9 mm would be too much. Depends a lot on size and temperament. I've taught all my kids and grand-kids to shoot, starting about that age, but usually with a .22. Some of the kids took to it and were ready move on to something bigger after a few times out. Some are still happy just shooting the .22 - even after having tried something bigger like a .243. My oldest grandson is 14 and can shoot a .270 and skeets with the best of them, yet another who is 13 is fine with just the .22 rifle and doesn't want to move up to anything bigger. They both will shoot the 9mm (but its a hand full for them and can't hit the side of a barn with it.) The girls all stick to the .22 rifles, love to shoot them and love to brag to their school mates, but will not shoot the pistols and we don't make an issue of it. I told my newest daughter-in-law I would by her any gun she wanted and after trying a few out, she went with a .17 HMR - that's all the gun she wants, and we cheer her on like she was shooting a 450 nitro express- and she is getting to be a pretty good shot with it. One of my grand sons wants nothing to do with guns, but loves to fish so that's our special thing together. I think giving a kid too much gun the first time out could scare some kids off, but depends on the kid.