Any of the Big 3.5 shotguns (Remington, Mossberg, Winchester and Ithaca, now out of business but there are still a lot of 'em out there) will work. The learning/practice curve is alot shorter then with a frontstuffer.
I would have him look at either Remington or Mossberg. Lots of options with both OEM and aftermarket accessories if he decieds he wants to do more then just use it to shoot Bambi. I forgot who said it here, but the quote is "A 12 gauge is kinda like the Swiss Army Knife of guns."
Here's links for both:
Mossberg 500
Remington 870
And for some idea as to price. Wally World wants $242 for a Mossberg 500 Slugster (deer gun) with the cantilevered scope mount and adjustable comb, for $28 more he can get a Combo that has also has 28" field barrel along with the aforementioned slug barrel. Cheapest price I've ever seen for an extra barrel.
Here's one combo a Wally World:
Mossberg 500 Combo at Wally World
You/he can surf around to see the other options. (I'm not endorsing purchasing from wally world, the above is provided for informational use only.
)
Remington also offers combo's:
Remington at Walmart
You can also probably find a good used shotgun in your local gun/pawn shop. There's also the trading post here on THR, where I've seen a few offered for sale. Plus there's also
gunsamerica.com and
gunbroker.com
I do recommend getting a good scope and rifled slug barrel shooting sabots. Much more accurate and effective. A Hunter Safety Ed course and of course some practice on the range/finding the best ammo for his gun will exponentially increase his odds for a successful hunt.
Here's another really good link:
Indiana DNR- Hunting
HTH, and keep us posted as to how you and your buddy do. It warms my heart everytime I hear of a new hunter joining the brotherhood. Thanks for doing your part to keep the tradition alive.