First Gun for Son/Daughter

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AlabamaDan

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I've been taking my son hunting for a few years, he's 10. We don't get a chance to go out as much as I'd like - maybe once a year. As a result he's a little behind the shooting curve for some of his friends.

Last year we shot a Remington 550 .22 quite a lot at camp. He demonstrated good gun safety and had a good time. This year we went hunting and I could tell he was itching to shoot something else. It was a quick weekend and we didn't have time, but I decided that I'd get him something and perhaps we could go squirril hunting or something.

Problem is that now I've been thinking and looking and put myself into a circle. I was thinking 410 single shot, then a .22 with a scope, then a 20 ga single shot, then some type of combo gun.... :what:

You guys are gun experts...what do you recommend for a 80lb 10 year old boy's first gun?
 
My eldest daughter started (non-airguns) with a 100 year old Bolt-action Marlin 101 .22. She learned the basics of safe handling, simple mechanical operation, and Single shot so no "accidents" Simple iron sights.. She ridicules the crickets.

She's been shooting my Ar-7 explorer (collapsing/floating survival .22) for almost 2 years now... and is moving into her first .22 handgun on her 10th birthday. I have a Bersa. 22 on order.

Normally I suggest a single-action .22 revolver when moving into handguns, no risk of a twitchy finger causing accidents. It depends on how well the kid is doing as an individual shooter.

I went from the same marlin and AR-7, to a High standard .22 and shortly afterward a "Victory" model 10 .38, slightly younger than my own sprout is climbing the ladder.
 
Both my boys got Ruger 10/22s for their 10th birthdays. I understand the "iron sights only" and bolt action preferences but for me that didn't make sense. They'll both get optics this year before we go to Appleseed.
 
Ruger 10/22 compact. Can use scopes, red dots too. My dad won't buy me guns, but the rental fit my 11 y/o brother just fine at the range. Plus the 10/22 is practically flawless.
 
They have to learn how to hold a Sight picture Wagon, nothing wrong with the scope, but good basics should be addressed. I've had to teach folks how to use Iron sights on a Cowboy gun after shooting their scoped revolvers when passing guns around on the range.

People MUCH older than me. You don't want your Kid to be "that guy"

Bolt action is usually just to slow them down and keep them thinking. but as my own daughter will attest, some kids are just beyond that.
 
A bolt action keeps them from trying "accuracy by volume." And iron sights teach them how to hold a good sight picture. I laugh every time I go to the range with my father and he can't shoot any of my guns because he never learned to shoot without a scope, and refuses to learn from his son.
 
I bought my son a 10/22, then a single .410, then a youth pump .410 and then a youth pump 20 and now a Mosin Nagant 91/30. He is now 12, 5ft 100lb. The only handgun he likes shooting is a Ruger Single Six.

I think most any .22LR rifle would be a good start. I started with the single shot .22LR as a youth, but didn't really love shooting until I bought a 10/22 & red dot. Learning to shoot with irons is good, but I love optics!

The key is finding something that fits the child. The LOP, cheek rest, butt stock all need to be good.
 
A lot depends on where he has to shoot, and what he will be shooting, if you were in an area with lots of wide open ground I would say get a .22 (in general anything that is not a semi-auto) I have a preference for slide action .22's, they are much faster to cycle than a bolt, and slow enogh to not be tempted to burn through ammo like tend to happen with a semi auto, however there are only a few on the market now, and the ones that are can be pricey, of course I learned to shoot on a WInchester model 61, after spending many years with an old Daisy BB gun. If safe backdrop range is more limited take a serious look at modern pellet guns, they have came a long way in the last 20-30 years, they are cheap to operate, have enough fire power to be fun and learn the basics, and are not potentially leathal at 1/4 of a mile+ like a .22.
There are lots of models out there, but for a start take a close look at the Bengamin Discovery PCP gun.

When it comes to hunting the gun will be determined by the type of game your after, for game involving the use of shotguns I would strongly consider the new Mossberg 510 Mini in 20GA, it is a scaled down 500 with a stock that can be adjusted as the kid grows, not just a youth stock on a full size gun. Personally I just don't see the point in .410 given the high cost of shells, better to move on up to 20GA as soon as they are big enough to handle it and opt for one of the ultra-light loads.


Ike

p.s. I also say learn on iron sights, save the optics for later
 
Both my boys got Ruger 10/22s for their 10th birthdays. I understand the "iron sights only" and bolt action preferences but for me that didn't make sense. They'll both get optics this year before we go to Appleseed.
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I think we all agree that everyone needs to be trained to use open sights. And maybe for the OP's son (who is clearly "into it") it makes sense to do that now.

I find that, for ealy shooters, it's just plain simpler to hit well with red dots or scopes (especially if there is a cross-dominance issue), and hitting is more fun. Let them get into the sport with fun; and bring on additional challenges (smaller targets, greater distance, more recoil, and iron sights) as they're ready for them.

JMHO. Every kid is different.
 
Thanks guys. I agree with the open sights and my son likes those better. He's been shooting his BB gun for years and my old .22 has iron sights. I just put a scope on his BB gun (came with it) and he hates it. I just wanted him to get used to it.

I'll opt for some type of .22 rifle. Now to find just the right one...

The first gun I shot was a 12GA SxS. First gun I hunted with was a 20GA, birds.

We live in the burbs, so we'll have to go out to shoot anyway. Probably the hunting club or a range.
 
Alabama Dan,

You might want to consider taking your son (and/or daughter!) to one of the Appleseed shoots. He will learn a lot from that weekend and be a better marksman for it. Most of the Appleseed guns are Ruger 10/22's with either tech sights or scopes - if he's used to iron sights, then go with tech sights. Take at least 2 magazines with you (more is better - I took 4 to mine).

If you'd like to know when the next Appleseed shoot is being held in your area, go to www.appleseedinfo.org and look for the date and location.
 
There are actually four different guns I would recommend for starting off a 10 year old, who actually is far heaver than I was.

I would recommend an over/under shotgun in 410 gauge, assuming you can find a light one. They're rather handy light things, so you could do a variety of things with one.

I would recommend a Ruger 10/22, just because it's #1 pick of the internet and people who know a lot more than I do.

I would recommend something in 7mm Mauser once the kid's got basic training or if they're brave to begin with. Some of the lighter loadings are well within manageable levels.

I would recommend an SKS because the round is intermediate and ammunition is not too expensive. Also, if the gun were to get lost or damaged, the monetary loss would not be too bad.

Some nice man on the internet made a rifle recoil chart along with some nice text to explain and give parameters.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm
 
I would recommend an over/under shotgun in 410 gauge, assuming you can find a light one. They're rather handy light things, so you could do a variety of things with one.
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I'd personally say that starting a kid on a .410 is a mistake. Its HARD to do good wing shooting with a .410 and a lot of kids get discouraged.

IMHO, a 20 ga. is a better option. Still fairly manageable on the recoil, but a lot broader shot pattern making wing shooting easier. You also use slugs and/or buckshot (depending on legality of where you're at) if you want to deer hunt.

My first gun ever as an NEF Pardner 20ga. I think it cost my parents about $79 at the time (1989 or so). Nowadays they're still $125 or under, and make great starter guns. I still own mine and take it out squirrel hunting every now and then.
 
If the young person is advanced I say go with an M-4 of some flavor so the buttstock cheek weld is adjustable. If that is too much then I recommend a bolt or lever action in .22WMR with a thumbhole grip. My 9 yo daughter loves mine, and I know I will have to buy one with the pink and grey stock :eek::rolleyes::what::barf:
 
I agree with those who recommended a bolt action 22LR, and I'd stay away from optics for now as well. I would have recommended a 410 shotgun, but this is a key time in your son's life (IMO) when the basics of shooting need to be shaped and molded, and that requires measuring accuracy.

While its possible to do the same thing by shooting clays with a 410 shotgun, it will be much easier, and likely much more effective, if he shoots a rifle.

Look into the Henry H005 or Savage MKII for a relatively low priced option. If you want to spend a bit more, the CZ 452 may serve him well for his entire life, if he takes care of it. Note that neither the Savage nor CZ come with iron sights.
 
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I started my son out with my semi-auto .22. Then when I thought he was ready for his own .22 rifle, I let him pick out the one he wanted. He didn't really care for the bolt action models and was thinking about either a lever action or a semi-auto. I think the ability to use a magazine for loading and the ease of mounting a scope made the semi-auto the right choice for him. Once he mastered the iron sights I mounted a 4X scope on it and he's proven to be a fine marksman with it.
 
I started both my step kids out on BB/Pellet guns.

I got the boy a .410 H&R for his 8th birthday, but the recoil has proven to be a little much, so i traded it in for a Cricket.

The girl is 10, and wanting a .22 rifle of her own. She's already outgrown a Cricket, so I'm thinking about getting another Savage 64, maybe in Wood and Stainless, so it looks different from mine. She shoots mine just fine.
 
My advise is to avoid the scope though.
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+1, my dad didn't let me even look through a scope till I had iron's down to perfection. I often shoot 100 yards with my old reminton 512 with iron's and thanks to my dad's teaching I am not too shabby if I do say so
 
The 10/22 is a good idea. You can buy a variety of stocks and acccessories, so the rifle cN be adjusted and improved as the child's skills progress.
 
My advise is to avoid the scope though.
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+1, my dad didn't let me even look through a scope till I had iron's down to perfection
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Add another, my first rifle and for several years was a Winchester M67 single shot .22 bolt-action with no scope, not that it needed it that thing even with iron sights had pin-point accuracy. Teach the fundementals first.
 
He is 10. Get him something he can use now but will grow into. Its only a single shot, but check this out:

http://www.rossiusa.com/whatsnew-trifecta.cfm

My friend's kid has one and loves it. The 20ga gives some great wing shooting fun as well as squirrel time. The 22lr is great for economical practicing. And the .243 is a "real" caliber that can take real game. I believe you can get it in a youth model with inserts to add in the stock so it will grow with the kid.

It really is the perfect first gun (or second after a cricket). I even think that the barrels are tapped so you can add a scope later if you so desire.

Get it. You wont be disappointed, and neither will your son.
 
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