Yet Again, What Gun for Nephews?

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El Tejon

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Even though it is still warm out, the calendar says that it is time to consider a annual THR question--what gun(s) for El Tejon's nephews?

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Noah--9.5, I have a Smith 317 revolver for him which I traded an FNC and received several Colt 6920s, a bunch of ammo and this revovler. What do you think of this selection for him? He shoots Matt's (my brother) .22 pistols just fine. Is there something he needs instead? Maybe a slide action or underlever .22?

His armory includes: Winchester 67A, CZ 452 Scout, Savage 101, a Compact Ruger 10/22, and a Bushmaster Carbon 15 .22lr.

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Josiah--6.5, completely in dark about what to get him. Maybe that Henry youth model underlever? He's a healthy boy but do you think he can manipulate an underlever? He has shot Matt's well-worn 94/22 (that Matt got when we were kids).

His armory: Cricket, Marlin 915YN, and a CZ 452 Scout.

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Obadiah--5, thinking Savage Cub or a blued (to be different than his brother's) Marlin 915. How do kids like that goofy Accutrigger thingy?

Savage Cub: http://www.gunshopfinder.com/savage/savagecubyouth.asp

Marlin 915: http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/BoltAction22/915y.aspx

Obadiah has been shooting a cricket since he was 4, but "owns" no firearms.

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In addition to the guns, I always get them a .50 cal. can full of .22s. Maybe this year I should get two cans.:D

So, what do you recommend. Would love to hear for those of you who are parents and have been down this road before!

NO SHOTGUNS!!! (not yet at least)

TIA,

Tio Tejon.:cool:
 
I would think the 9-year old has the shooting experience under his belt to start him on centerfires. A Hi-Point carbine would be fun, cheaper than a .22mag to shoot, can be even cheaper if his dad or uncle reloads, can be used for bigger varmints than the .22, has little recoil, low noise, and is inexpensive and reliable. I would salt the pistols away 'till they're old enough to transfer 'em legally, sort of a rite-of-passage thing...
 
I do not see shotguns listed, a rem 870 youth model 20 gauge would be wonderful for busting bunnies & squirrelx or tin cans.
 
NO SHOTGUNS! No way do I want to encourage trigger slapping and other bad habits.

At least not yet. Noah has asked for one (his friends have them, as shotgun is the weapon of choice in most of rural Indiana), but he isn't getting one until he has professional instruction on rifle, hopefully in a few years with his first centerfire rifle. I look forward to the day when Matt says it is O.K. to take him.:)

Centerfire at 9? Man, part of me says that is too early. I want to give him a firm base and experience with different types of firearms. I think the .22 is the way to go. However, another part of me has seen that Rock River carbine (635 copy) in 9mm and wants to give it to him!:D
 
Well, I don't know about laws in your area, but kids here can hunt deer with a firearm at 12, and there is a movement to lower that to 10. The kids need to get familiar with heavier and more powerful rifles before they start hunting large game, and they need to start somewhere...
 
El Tejon,
I really have to say, how much Respect I have for you, Passing Forward, and living the Mission Statement of Responsible Firearm Ownership.


Noah:
317 sounds great to me!
I am a huge believer in learning to shoot revolvers double action, and the lessons learned transition to other platforms. Like a 1911 Uncle Tejon will most likely pass forward in years to come.

I'd toss in a nice Spinner target, I like the ones with a base, so one does not have to contend with hard ground, or muddy ground. The one with 3 different sized circles and a couple of cans of spray paint would be nice. If he likes dot, get some to stick on as well.

Josiah:
I am wondering if CO2 BB Revolver would be too big for his hands?
Big brother shooting a 317 and all, it might be a neat tool for him to get some quality handgun skills that would assist when he gets big enough for a .22 revolver?
Just most I've seen, are a bit big and heavy. Hand, wrist strength is just not there yet, and getting fatigued leads to less fun and some bad habits being instilled with less fun and fatigue.

Honest? 317 sounds like a better idea for Josiah as well.
Smaller gun, fitting hands better, less fatigue, instilling correct basic fundamentals.
I respect his parents wishes and concerns, and yours too, still, these guys are being raised right. They have parents that parent, and you Mentoring.
You folks know Josiah better than I, still, my gut says, the young man is ready for a .22 revolver as well.

Obadiah :
I'd let him pick it out.
Being honest, he has bigger brothers and has been paying attention.
I bet he knows what he likes, does not and there is that "brother thing".
Mixed bag of wanting what the big brothers have, and wanting to be different . *grin*.

I betcha, he has some ideas, a trip to the gun store, and just looking and allowing him to express himself, would reveal some great ideas.
Oh heck yeah, he will know exactly what you and his parents are doing.
This is what makes this so great! He got to pick it out, and adults listened.


I am sure accessories they already have some of.
Eyes, Ears, Range Bags, Cases , Ammo Carriers and all.
Still, some neat T shirts, Hats, hand towels with logos, books and all might be good to toss in as well.
Especially if disguised in a long box, or other things to get the curious excitement stirred up a bit.
*grin*
 
What guns for nephews?

Well, I'd imagine that if they aren't too old, even a .22 would stop them pretty quickly.

Oh, wait... I was thinking more along the lines of a "what gun for zombies/deer/etc." thread. You want to know about GIFTS.

Boy, is my face red.

Looks to me like you're pretty well on track.
 
Centerfire at 9? Man, part of me says that is too early.
Click to expand...

fwiw... my 8 year old daughter has, and shoots, a 300 wsm (cast loads we load together), an ar-15, and a single shot 22. she can break down and clean an ar-15, bolt rifle, and remington 870 12 gauge (she doesn't have a shotgun, yet).

my 4 year old daughter has and shoots an ar-15 and a single shot 22. she does not clean guns, yet, but she is in the learning stages of handloading.

so, i say no, your nephew is not too young for centerfires. double up on the ears and recoil reduction, and go have a ball. keep it light and fun, and when they start busting clay pigeons at 200 yards, you won't be able to wipe the smile off anybody's face.
 
Noah - I think the 317 is a great idea. Although IMHO, if he is ready for a handgun he is also ready for a centerfire. A .223 bolt like my CZ-527 would be great for him to learn some longer distance shooting on.

Josiah - The first shot I ever took was out of a 9422 when I was 4. An underlever might be a great idea. It is different from what he has plus it is like his dad's.

Obidiah - Also a good idea to get him a .22 bolt gun. I like the Cub for its peep sight but who knows how that silly Accutrigger works.

On a side note, do any of these kids have knives? Maybe its time to pass out some SAK Soldiers as stocking stuffers.
 
Paid and filled out the 4473s for the Savage Cub and a Henry underlever youth model. The gunsmith can make the needed modifications additions in a week.

The Savage for Obadiah had a decent trigger, too heavy but no creep. The store owner showed me how to adjust the trigger. I'm going to leave it heavy and let his dad adjust it.

The Henry for Josiah had a very slick action and I was pleasantly surprised. The trigger was crisp with no creep. Here's the best part--no goofy safety! Hoozah!

The gunsmith is putting on sling posts for both rifles. I went to a big box store and picked up 10K in .22s and poured them into .50 cal cans. I'm all set.:cool:
 
when i saw this thread. i couldn't help thinking was like one of the "what gun for zombies" threads LOL, ( this dude must have some seriously un-ruly nephews !!)
 
Centerfire at 9? Man, part of me says that is too early. I want to give him a firm base and experience with different types of firearms. I think the .22 is the way to go. However, another part of me has seen that Rock River carbine (635 copy) in 9mm and wants to give it to him!
Click to expand...

I started both my boys off shooting centerfire rifles earlier than that. My oldest was 8 when I gave him his little NEF .243, and bought baby brother one later the same year. Oldest took his first deer at 11 with a Rem 7400 30-06 and baby brother took his with at 10 with the same rifle, took second a few weeks later with his uncles 7mm mag. Now they have shot a lot and love it, recoil is not a huge deal for them. Now not all kids that age are going to handle 06 recoil at that age, but I have taken several new shooters and let them shoot my little 9MM Hi-Point carbine and they can easily handle it. They are ugly as sin, but easy to handle and my boys, daughter, wife, nephews, etc love shooting it. Heck, my mom who hasn't shot a gun in 30 years ran a couple of mags through it and was grinning like no bodies business. IMHO a little 9mm carbine or similar is an excellent way to intro new shooters and kids into centerfire shooting. A little more recoil/noise than the .22 but not enough for it to be a problem, it is fun, cheaper to shoot than rifle cals, and a good idea just on the principle of you can never have to many guns.
 
They got enough stuff, they need ammo and your time. Don't worry about if they got the perfect gun, get them out, spend time with them and keep them and the guns fed.

And ET< they need a shotgun. Kids benefit more from good shot gun coaching than do adults, take them out skeet or clay shooting.

Otherwise, don't spoil them, the kid does not need a 700 dollar airwieght .22 with a short barrel. if anything, a bear cat or single six, but seriously, I would say they got enough stuff.


I an not say this hard enough, spoil them with time and adventures, worth far more than bragging rights about who has the most guns.

If you want to start them with a collection, make it something that takes time. LIke at at age 12 they get to pick one .22 from you. at 14 one shot gun, at 16 one deer rifle,

WIth my kids and my nephews ann nieces, it was age 12 they got a .22 of their own, they had to keep it spotless and if they showed good progress, at age 16 they got to pick a deer rifle, At 21 they got to pick anything. and mind you, there are only a few in my safe that are not up for picking. so that Age 21 could result in a 5 grand or more gun.
 
Jealous

Yeah.

While I like the revolver idea, I would suggest a longer barrel. No shortage of .22 revolvers with 4-inch or longer barrels.

If I were doing this myself, I might actually be torn between the .22 revolver and a Ruger Mk II (not the III). The Mk II is easy-shooting and quite accurate.

I lean a bit to the revolver because you can shoot .22 CB Longs out of it.

I see you've already done the deed.

I can be a stand-in for your nephew. Or all three, come to that.

Kirk, y'all have my greatest respect.

Thanks for propagating the tradition, the knowledge, and the fun.
 
The oldest has shot my brother's M17, but it is hard to manipulate. The 317 is light, really light and I think this will help tremendously.

pete, you sound like their grandmother (my mother)!:D I'll give them guns until Matt advises that I cannot. Besides it's only 2 guns a year.

Shotguns? No way, not yet. Not until they have centerfire rifles for a while and that is in the future. No reason to encourage bad habits of flinching, trigger mashing and sloppy gun handling that shotgunning encourages.
 
Contender Carbine

El T,
I think that a Contender Carbine would be a grreat addition for the oldest......then you can gift addtional barrels[ of increasing performance and power] as he progresses......or as the mood strikes you;)

As steve mentioned, I admire and respect your plans for the youn ones developement and future with regards to firearms and training. I do disagree that shotgunning promotes sloppy gun handling and trigger slapping. Take it from somebody in the shotgun teaching business, that is the last thing that I encourage. Furthermore, it was not encouraged to me when I was their age, and I was shooting doves @ 8 with a Winchester #37 20ga single barrel. If I can help with anything, please let me know.
 
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