Your opinion and suggestions

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kenehsr

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Hi. Everyone.

I ‘am new to shooting and new to THR. From what I’ve read here on THR I trust your opinions on this matter.

Here is my position:

I have a 10yr. Old son who has started shooting with me. Now I’ve instilled into him the importantence of gun safety to him. I would like to buy him a gun to practice safety and shooting on. From what I’ve read here on THR I thought it would be easier on him, because of it being his gun he would know it better.

Here is my question:

What kind of gun should or shouldn’t buy him? And what is your opinion on this?

Please don’t hold back. I respect all of your opinions.
Thanks,
kenehsr
 
One, of many, option.

Decent used bolt action single shot .22 with wood stock.

Research and then cut stock to fit.
Drill a couple holes in from under the butt stock and an inch or so past the cut line. For reference dowels when puttin the piece back on after growth.
Save the cutoff piece and leave the original butt plate on it.
Fit new butt plate to the shortened stock.
Possibly will want to fill in the front of the pistol grip so small hand can grip gun and still reach trigger.

Have him help you. Helps the new gun bond to him and vice versa.

Consider getting an experienced friend help with the training and mods.

Enjoy safely.

Sam
 
I agree with CRSam, especially on the safety lessons, but I would recommend an autoloader because the boy will soon outgrow a singleshot .22 but he will always have a fond place in his heart for the Dad who gave him a rifle he still has to his dying day. Besides, a non-autoloading .22 just ain't much fun! Take him out in a safe place with some tin cans, his autoloader and let him have fun. It will be one of the memories he cherishes most about your time together. HTH George :D
 
Take a look at a Ruger 10/22. I got one for my son and I to plink with when he was about 9 or 10. He is now 25, and we still take it with us when we go shooting.

They may may make a Jr. model that would work nicely for the first few years -you can always restock it later when his reach is longer.
 
kenehsr,

If you're not sure what to get him, let him try a few out to see what fits him best. Personally, I'd suggest starting with a .22 and working from there.

If the two of you are available on the 14th, we'll be having our now monthly TN THR Mafia Day At The Range. It'll be at 1pm at the range in Cheatham County, which is free. If you need directions or want to follow someone, that won't be a problem. We've been getting a good turn-out, usually about 12 - 15 people with quite a few guns. There will probably be at least 5 or 6 different .22 rifles and a few .22 pistols he can try out. Of the regular attendees, I believe the list includes, but is not limited to:

Charter Arms AR-7
Crickett B/A single shot
10/22
Marlin Model 60
Lorcin pistol / POS
Walther P22

There are a few other members who own .22's, and knowing how they feel about teaching kids how to shoot safely, I'm confident they'd be willing to bring all their .22's if they were asked.

Frank

P.S. How 'bout it TN Mafia, think we can help kenehsr's kid out? (Do it for the children!)
 
I'm with everyone else on the .22lr rifle, but I'd also add some type of air rifle too.

If you live somewhere that you can't go shooting firearms often, you can set up a good air rifle backstop (large box filled w/ old rags or newspapers) for him to practice with on the days you can't go to the range.

My "rainy day" air rifle is a Daisy Red Rider. Lots of fun w/ old Dr. Pepper cans & Shoot 'N See targets when I can't get to my favorite shooting spot. But there are a lot of good ones out there (Daisy, Crossman, Gamo, etc.) Find one that your son will like.

Thanks for keeping the shooting spirit alive in the next generation... :cool:
 
I'd suggest a BB gun first, followed by a .22 caliber rifle in a year or two: if he loses interest in shooting, you'll have spent less money, and if he sustains it, the BB gun will give him something to look—and work—forward to. If he's going to learn lessons the hard way, which many people do, better to do so with a BB gun than a .22.
 
Any decent single shot .22 to start with. Leave the semi-auto's for when he learns what shooting is all about.
 
Start off with either a bolt action or lever action .22 rimfire. Semi-autos have a way of teaching new shooters to forget about making one shot count. At first load the bolt or lever action with just one round till your son masters the basics. Safety is a thought process that takes time (even more for new shooters) and a semi-auto provides speed. Sure a semi-auto will be more fun to your son, but at what price?
Take him with you and let him help in picking out the model you are to buy. Don't let him just pick what he wants, but let him choose between models you deem fit for him.

New shooters with semi-autos usually mean buying ammo by the bricks and poor shooting habits to break. Fast follow up shots aren't much good if you don't know how to make the first shot count.
 
I also think a Ruger 10/22 would be a great first rifle. Just because the magazine will hold 10 rounds doesn't mean you have to load 10 rounds, and loading 10 rounds won't hurt his marksmanship skills if he's taught properly. Loading one round at a time is good for initial marksmanship training, but the idea is to have fun while being safe. A tin can doesn't care how close all the holes are.
 
No on the Ruger 10/22. It's a good gun, but kids may "spray 'n pray" with it so slow them down with a bolt action single shot. Teach them the value of one shot, one kill.
 
.22 Bolt Action.

I am starting to look for same for my youngster. I'll probably get an old Remington Targetmaster and (as much as I hate to do it) cut down the stock. I just don't like the Chipmunk and other small modern youth rifles.

As an aside -- An autoloader as a first rifle just doesn't seem right, but it may make sense depending on the kid. I just know I would have spent my shooting time in Blast mode. BTW - I still shoot the .22 single-shot bolt I shot as a kid.

Another option is the NEF 22/410 Versa-pack

As he gets older and hopefully more interested in shooting, be sure to steer him (and you) towards a Garand and/or 1903 from www.odcmp.com while available. Unless he builds some meat on his bones, also get him a $70 marine shooting coat to take away some of the recoil.

Saving up $400-$500 for a classic rifle by shoveling, raking, etc. (maybe w/ some matching funds from Pop) would be a great character-builder.
 
Oef-vet I've been out to the range before with Mwithers72 and Darrin. Darrin showed my son Eddie how to fire a walther P22. Which he loved. I'am planning on being there on the 14th. I don't have my son Eddie for that weekend, but I'am try to talk my x into letting me have him for a couple of hrs that day.

Thanks for the idea Seeker-two about the air rifle. I have a daisy at home. I have a good backyard for him to shoot the daisy in. I live in Nashville's city limits, so he wouldn't be able to practice with other gun in the backyard.

Is there a safety course that we both could take here in Nashville? If not where?

I really do thank you all for your input. It all will go to good use.

Please feel free to suggest more ideas.I do value them all.

:D :) :D :) :D :)
 
Some of us don't outgrow our single shots. My first one is bout to become the pet of generation #5. Hundreds of thousands of rounds through it. Cans, game, targets etc...but most of all it has been good for grins and learnin. Remington, made in 33.

Sam
 
I'd actually recommend an air rifle to start unless he's advanced a bit beyond that. I have a nice pump air rifle that I've had since I was about 8 and it served me well. I'll also tell you that when you gotta pump that thing up to 10 times for a fast shot, you'll be aiming! Usually I just got away with pumping it 3 times though. Excellent place to start.

For actual firearms, I'd say a bolt-action .22 is definitely a good place to start followed by lever action. A .22 revolver might also be nice if you wanted to go the handgun route, but even then it's nice to have a pistol and rifle to shoot with and even better when they shoot the same ammunition.

To this day I still take my dad's bolt-action .22 to the range to shoot at steel hanging targets. It's a Remington 541 if I remember correctly. It has a scope mount but I have more fun shooting over iron sights. No magazine or anything, you feed one round at a time for every shot. Anyway, my trips to the range involve my dad's old plinker and my much newer USP .45. I love my pistol, but it's the rifle that gets the most usage. Get a decent one and it'll last you forever. I'm not sure how long this rifle has been around, but I'll peg 100 yard hangers without much trouble.
 
.22 long rifle, where you have to operate the action to load the next round is going to be a winner: bolt (CZ 452 LUX, Savage Model MARK I-GY Youth Model etc.....), pump (TAURUS MODEL 62 .22 L.R. PUMP ACTION), break (nef Sportster Youth), lever (marlin 1897T, winchester Model 9422, Traditional)
 
I'd get him a 22 and keep it locked up at all times and under your supervision when he cleans or uses it. Remember he is still a 10 year old boy .
 
"...non-autoloading .22 just ain't much fun..." It is. Just not as much. I'd go with the 10/22 as well. All kinds of aftermarket stuff for them. There's no need to fill the mag every time either. One round in the mag means it's a single shot but you don't need to buy him another rifle 5 years from now. At least not a .22. Then he'll need a .30-06 or the like for deer hunting with his geezer.
 
If he's an average size 10 yr old you prolly won't need to cut down the stock.
I was shooting full size .22's when I was that age with no problem.
 
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