Help me pick a rifle & shotgun for a 12 year old

Rolhammer said:
Hmm...just spitballing here but how about a 30-30? Some of those lever-actions are fairly light, smaller guns. Bit limited in terms of range, but I'm thinking it would be a kind-to-coyote-hide option that could also be pushed upward for bigger game when we get to that point. Is this reasonable thinking?
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30-30 is a great idea. Inexpensive to buy and shoot.

I'd use a 22 LR for the gophers. A made-in-Canada Savage is a whopping $220 brand new, and a mossberg 20 ga, good to go.
 
Bartledan said:
Ah, I apologize. Just went to look at the ad again, and saw that you are the seller. Nothing personal, I didn't realize.

So, *did* you detail strip the action and bolt before you added the polishing compound and cycled the action some number of times? If so, you should add that info to the advertisement, because right now it reads like you're selling a possibly dangerously bubba-gunsmithed project rifle.

I'm actively looking for a micro-Mauser, and I passed on your gun because the process you describe can result in an unsafe firearm if done poorly. (Rounded seat engagement surfaces, worn safety engagement)

You should amend your ad to include the proof that you did it properly.

My uncle Joey used to say "It's not what you don't know that gets ya, its what you think you know!"
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It was done properly, if a potential buyer has concerns I would be happy to let them have a smith of their choosing look it over prior to purchase.

very little polishing was done as well as very little compound was used. It did not begin to garner the results I was hoping for and decided to stop there and sell rather than spend a bunch more money and still sell it for an even greater loss than already listed.

I believe in fully disclosing things when I sell anything, Yet I doubt the average gunsmith could tell anything has been done and could easily have said nothing, but that is not me.
 
Bartledan said:
30-30 is a great idea. Inexpensive to buy and shoot.

I'd use a 22 LR for the gophers. A made-in-Canada Savage is a whopping $220 brand new, and a mossberg 20 ga, good to go.
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OK, sounds like we have a reasonable plan! In two or three years once he's worked his way through a big chunk of his growing we can revisit this again and look a bit more upmarket to make some decisions about some longer term solutions.
 
Rolhammer said:
Hmm...just spitballing here but how about a 30-30? Some of those lever-actions are fairly light, smaller guns. Bit limited in terms of range, but I'm thinking it would be a kind-to-coyote-hide option that could also be pushed upward for bigger game when we get to that point. Is this reasonable thinking?
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I have a old model 94 and had an accidental discharge with it once while tracking a wounded deer. Rifle was fully cocked as it was thick brush, somehow the safety was depressed and trigger pulled by the branches. I have never carried it since

The only safety is a half #### on many of these models, dropping the hammer down to that position or decocking safely may not be the best thing for a new young shooter, especially when you can get into wet, cold, icy, etc conditions. Up to you to decide what is best though, just sharing my experience
 
I started my son of with a 7x57 HUSKY I BOUGHT OF OF WHY NOT I loaded it with 120 gr ballistic tips and trails boss for a few years he is now 13 and shooting full power loads I had a stock cobbled up from a 98 cut down and still have the original walnut for later on probably next year and I bought him a weatherby sa08 20 gauge which is very nice in the youth model it seemed the best out of all we tried and looked at and am very satisfied with the semi is soft to shoot I started by one single loading it and have progressed nicely no worries of safety if u start slow and teach them properly just my obserbations
 
I was going to suggest a Swede and a 20ga. Get something that you can easily buy a second stock for then cut the replacement stock to fit him. When he fills out you'll already have the original stock to put back on.
 
Rolhammer said:
A second stock...OK now that's creative thinking!
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It's a great idea and he gets to keep the rifle when he gets older.

I have a couple M700s here in full size stocks that I use, but have a cheapo youth stock stashed for the grandchildren when the time comes. Extra youth stock cost me less than $50. The trouble with some youth guns is that the bbls are generally short as well as the stock and do not always lend themselves well for full sized shooters. An 870 shotgun with 26" bbl and rifle with 22" bbl will work well both ways with a simple stock switch.
 
SuperCub said:
I'd start him with a bolt action 22LR.
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Good call. I started my 11 year old with a Mossberg Plinkster.22 bolt. Nice and light with a keyhole stock for small hands. Taught to use the iron sights, now he has a fixed 4 power compact scope on it. Heading out this week for our first deer hunting trip together. He loves to shoot his little rifle.
 
A Guy in Elementary School got an 870 Wingmaster for his 13th Birthday back in the day.
His shoulder was black and blue for a couple weeks till he got it figured out.
Of course this was 1977 , do not recall if there where many youth stocks for guns back then.
FLHTCUI
 
Make sure the rifle, if scoped, has lots of eye relief. I would suggest getting no scope as it will teach to aim more carefully ...
Most of the lower prices package rifles do not have open sights though. Should start him out with a bolt action .22 LR. Single shot if you can get one.
 
Savage bought Lakefield Arms a goodly while ago. The savage MK2 series is still made in Lakefield, Ontario, and they are just a bit more than $200.

They shoot great, have a decent trigger (accutrigger), and have iron sights. And they are bolt action.

The G wood stock model is worth the extra $10, as the comb is higher. My buddy got that. I cheaped out and got the F version, and had to put a cheek rest on it :)
 
What about a tikka compact or ruger american compact in .223 or .243? These rifles have spacers at the recoil pad to grow with him and when he finally outgrows it you can buy a Boyds Laminate stock and have a very nice rifle.

You are on the right track with shotguns, I would personally favor the 870 but that is just my taste. At that point you should have him shop with you so he can figure out what he likes and does not like.
 
Rolhammer said:
My son and I are looking at getting him his first rifle and shotgun. We're both getting into this together and plan eventually on moving onto big game and bird hunting. To start out though, the initial plan is to get some dirt under our fingernails at the range or with the clays as well as some varmint hunting (coyotes and crows).

He's small for his age though - probably more like a 10 year old. In a few years or so though this'll all change. So for right now, he needs something on the lighter side that's not too barrel heavy and with reasonable recoil. And because I'm viewing these as transitional, there probably won't be much wrong with them being entry level to start with. Once he’s closer to full adult stature we can look at investing more into some long-term solutions for him. So, for a shotgun I was thinking either the Mossberg 510 Mini Super Bantam or the Remington 870 Express Compact Junior in 20 gauge. For the rifle, I was looking at a Savage Axis in 22-250.

Reasonable choices, or there other options I could be looking at?
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I got my 11 year old a Ruger 10/22 he's been enjoying shooting since he was 8, and this year a compact 20 gauge Weatherby SA-08 20 gauge, (he's allowed one shell at a time for now), and a Ruger Compact Stainless American in 7mm-08. With the compact size and firing Remington Reduced Recoil ammo it's perfect for him now, and when he gets older he can re-stock it in a Boyd's or full size Ruger stock, as well as firing Nosler Accubonds in full power. This way his first rifle from Dad is something he can keep and use as he gets older, and it grows in size to fit him and in ability when he switches to full strength ammunition.
 
My son has been shooting a single shot T/C Contender carbine with 16.5" barrel in 22LR with a shortened butt stock since he was 2 1/2 years old he's now 8 1/2 = I just added 2 1/2" back onto his stock this summer.

He is now also shooting a 21" barreled 410 barrel and an 18" barrel in 10mm and I'm going to let him try 21" barrels in 223, 7-30 Waters and another in 35 Rem fairly soon now to see how he can handle the recoil/barrel weight.

I reload so can load to any recoil level for him.

I've also been thinking about getting a 12" barreled Rossi Ranch Hand type rifle with a shortened butt stock in 45 Colt for his camp gun.
 
I think the choice of a 20 ga is correct for the a young novice's scattergun. 12 ga 3" ounce and seven eighths BBs in a light weight single shot had much to do with me preferring rifles.

For a centerfire rifle, I'd consider a commercial Husky 1640 carbine, with it's light contour 21" barrel, this is a rifle which would be useful to him throughout his lifetime. I'd choose the .30/06 which has great versatility for later years, but then I'm a handloader and can tailor the loads to the needs of a young shooter. If you're not a handloader, and factory ammo is what you have access to, then a 6.5X55 is a proven big game cartridge with mild manners, and while not a speed demon, trumps the .243's 80-100 gr big game loads, due to it's frequently encountered 140 gr load. That said, the money required to have the stock cut to fit him with the installation of a good quality recoil pad, will pay dividends regardless of the cartridge in the chamber, and in this respect a wood stock is superior to a plastic one. The cut off piece can be refastened to the stock as he lengthens out. If you prefer a rifle of current manufacture, a 7-08 generates light recoil and moderate blast, as does a .260 Remington, which if using the same nomenclature is a 6.5-08. I'd opt for a Ruger carbine over the Savage, but there is a significant difference in price. In the budget rifle class, the Howa/Weatherby Vanguard trumps all others when dollar value is considered.
 
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