of us counter-arguing your point. My son "had" a .22 rifle at the age of 10. But he kept it in a gun safe and only shot it with me. I agree with the sentiment that every kid "should" have a rifle at a young age, but that presupposes he also has a parent who will properly teach him how to use and care for it. But I will also say that I wouldn't "want" every kid to have a rifle, mainly because I don't trust most parents to do the proper teaching part.