>>>>>That sounds like a great suggestion. I have been staying on the sidelines in this discussion, having zero knowledge of guns, but I was wondering about kickback and a 9 year old kid.
>>>>
>>>>I obviously wouldn't recommend letting a small child shoot a shotgun or other "big boy" gun unless they are extremely comfortable. It could cause trauma, fear, and a sore shoulder. I'm a big boy and I get rattled when shooting certain shells in my shotgun.
>>>
>>>.22 rifles aren't bad on the kickback either.
>>
>>You're right. It's important to take baby steps.
>
>Is there something in between air rifle and a .22 caliber?

Not really. I would consider a air-gun more of a "toy" gun (I know they can kill people and blah blah blah...) while a .22 would be an entry-level "real" gun.