pixiegirl said:
My ex MIL. As most of us know, bio daddy is AWOL (thank God). I still maintain a relationship with his family and let the ex MIL have the boy on occasion. She and I get along fine BUT this is one thing in a long list where I feel she has overstepped her bounds. She had the boy last Saturday and kept him overnight. I got him back yesterday evening and she said not one word about him shooting bb/pellet guns but on the way home I heard all about it. I haven't brought the issue up with her yet as I want to think about it and not knee jerk. But, I'm not happy about it.
I don't think it's a big deal, and figure the ex-MIL didn't mention it becasue it's not a big deal to her either. Shooting Pellet guns, BB guns, airguns.. etc.. it's a part of growing up, or it used to be before the advent of First Person Shooting games where you actually get to kill something instead of plinking at paper targets or at aluminum cans. Personally I'd rather have my 5 year old plinking with a BB gun (with supervision) than sitting in the house playing Doom (or any other video game for that matter).
And I don't know what kind of 'gun' he was shooting, but at five I couldn't c0ck one, I'd shoot at a target, hand the gun to an adult or big brother to c0ck it for me for the next round.. I was at least 7 or 8 before I could do it myself.
He was outside getting fresh air, and was with his grandma, I don't see a downside.
Got my first BB gun at 6 or 7. Was in the woods with it by myself by the time I was 8. Dad made sure I was going far enough in the woods where I would hit an houses, or people with a stray shot. 
But that was a different time, different environment. Grew up in farm country, and around guns.
I'd have loved it if my grandma gave me a bb gun at 5. I'd have shot my big sister but quick.
