What's a good gun/rifle for a kid?

[JenX]

10/22's are cool
especially if he likes modding guns....
could have some father and son fun with that...

Yeaaah..it would be nice if said father would actually hang out. In the mean time mom is his trainer. I'm just trying to hook the kid up to be an assassin vs hair dresser!

Thanks for the input!

[mattjmcd]

It teaches discipline and control, rewards good behavior behind the trigger, and is cheap to shoot. It has the added benefit of being light and handy but dimensionally suited to almost any size shooter. It is a rifle that he will likely find useful for his entire lifetime. It is NOT a toy by any means.

http://cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-lux/

[JenX]

My first rifle was a Marlin Model 60 in .22LR. It had a tube magazine and a 4X scope. I killed quite a few snowshoe hares and ptarmigan with it. For a .22 it is hard to go wrong with the Ruger 10-22, there are a million accessories and upgrades available for it out there and there will always be parts.

OK so given the fact I have only shot M4, M16, M2 and M249, I'll be needing advice on the extent of damage a .22 can do. I don't want to be paralyzing the poor animals. I prefer dead and on my kitchen table. So are we thinking just squirrels and rabbits? Will it go down in one shot?

[kmrtnsn]

Shot placement is everything! Especially with the .22LR. Snowshoe hares get pretty good sized and one shot drops are well within the capability of .22LR.

[Cohibra45]

OK so given the fact I have only shot M4, M16, M2 and M249, I'll be needing advice on the extent of damage a .22 can do. I don't want to be paralyzing the poor animals. I prefer dead and on my kitchen table. So are we thinking just squirrels and rabbits? Will it go down in one shot?

Like was mentioned earlier, shot placement is the key. A good 22 with open sights or small 4x scope is a good way to go. They are plenty good for rabbits and squirrels and other varmint sized animals. Try to stay within 50yds and he (and you) will have a great time. It will kill a whole lot further, but until he masters his rifle, that is the distance I would start out shooting. Don't forget about tin cans. Practice with the labels on so he has something to aim for. 22's are a great way to get started.

I like the idea of anything other than an auto right now as discipline is paramount. Levers, bolts, and pumps (don't forget about the Rossi 62) if you think he might enjoy repeaters. That way he won't get too excited and just blast away. Most of all, both of you enjoy the time together!!!

Take care and have a very Blessed Merry Christmas!!!

[parishioner]

I used an old Stevens/Savage 22/410 over under and it was a great combo.

That was my first. I loved it. I dont think they make em like that anymore.

I think a youth model bolt action .22 is a great platform to learn gun saftey and marksmanship. It will bring down small game and .22 ammo is cheap and plentiful.

[Buckaroo]

I started my girls (now 7 and 10) last year with the Henry linked earlier in this thread.

I have also been teaching them to shoot a Ruger Mark II pistol. It is large for the younger but the 10 yr old will be starting to shoot matches (steel) with me next spring. She will be starting from low ready rather than drawing the pistol.

I just picked up a 10/22 for my 10 yr old and will be cutting down a donor stock (father/daughter project) for her to use until she gets a little bigger.

I plan to get her a .243 for deer in another year or so.

Buckaroo

[JenX]

Don't forget about tin cans. Practice with the labels on so he has something to aim for. 22's are a great way to get started.


Take care and have a very Blessed Merry Christmas!!!

Tin can's are all he's getting for the next year! If I let this kid lose he will be capping everything in site! Discipline in fire arm safety is number one priority for me. Besides he still calls animals "cute"...not sure if he is ready to kill one just yet.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

[JenX]

I started my girls (now 7 and 10) last year with the Henry linked earlier in this thread.

I have also been teaching them to shoot a Ruger Mark II pistol. It is large for the younger but the 10 yr old will be starting to shoot matches (steel) with me next spring. She will be starting from low ready rather than drawing the pistol.

I just picked up a 10/22 for my 10 yr old and will be cutting down a donor stock (father/daughter project) for her to use until she gets a little bigger.

I plan to get her a .243 for deer in another year or so.

Buckaroo

Wanna be my baby's daddy? kidding of course. That is so awesome! Wish my parents weren't so ANTI-GUNS. I would have loved to learn at an earlier age. Now I have all kinds of bad habits to break. Your girls are going to grow up to be amazing women! Just keep them away from my son...he's a lil heart breaker!

[TOrrock]

My father taught me gun safety and how to shoot on a Ruger 10/22 when I was 6 years old. The length of pull was way too long for me and he basically held the rifle while I pulled the trigger. This was 1977 and there weren't nearly the options available for the 10/22 back then. He sat me down on the bed, showed me how the action worked, how to load and unload the magazines, how to load and unload the rifle safely, and then we went out back and shot soda cans and paper plates.

I thought it was great. He then took a melon and put it down range. He loaded the rifle up and blew that melon to pieces, which left me gaping, mouth open. He looked at me and said "That could be you, or one of your friends. Don't you ever touch this rifle unless I'm with you and say it's ok. Understood?" "Uh huh."

If you want a semi auto .22 lr, I'd look at a Ruger 10/22 Carbine, or the Browning Buckmark rifle. The advantage to the Ruger is the vast availablity of accessories and it's reliablity.

You can put an M4 style retractable stock on the Ruger, and optics are easily mountable.

The Browning is more expensive, but very ergonomic, and an excellent shooter. The advantage of the Browning is that if you want to get a .22 handgun, then the magazines and manual of arms are exactly the same between the Browning Buckmark carbines and pistols.

If you want a bolt action, which does tend to emphasize accuracy over firepower, the CZ 452 Scout is an excellent choice. The length of pull is great for a 10 year old. The Cricket and Henry rifles might be a little too small for an average 10 year old boy. The 452 Scout has just a little shorter length of pull as an AK-47, or M16A1. It comes with a "blind" magazine, which only allows for a single shot, but 5 round and 10 round factory magazines are readily available.

Lever action .22's can be a lot of fun, especially if he likes cowboy movies. Marlin 39's, Winchester 94/22's, Browning, and Henry make excellent lever actions.

I'd recommend a .22 lr carbine or rifle as his first firearm because it will be very affordable to shoot, has no recoil or muzzle blast and they tend to be very accurate. Also, shooting steel targets is a lot of fun and gives instant gratification to a new shooter.

He will learn responsibility, safety, and have a great time.

If you want to get a handgun to go with it, the Ruger Mk. III and the Browning Buckmark are what I'd look at. They have decades of history behind them, are accurate and reliable, and also affordable.

Hope that helps, and Merry Christmas.