First time rifle for a teenager

[KC2UGV]

So, my son expressed interest in getting a rifle. What's anyone's take on a make/model for a youth rifle? Some I've been seeing are the Mossberg Bantam, or the Rossi Youth (With a shorter barrel included). It's just going to be for plinking, and target shooting. I've also seen the Savage Rascal, which also makes me consider it, as it's a .22, so low recoil, and makes it easier to practice technique.

Any thoughts?

[PA5COR]

Start out with a decent .22 L.R rifle, easier to get used to and practice, also lower ammo costs.
Never scare them off by buying a big bore rifle with a lot of recoil....that is how we do it at the gunclub.
Teach them how to shoot, breath stand and gun safety then they can always progress to something bigger.
Personally i have an 1944 U.S, M1 Carbine in .30 with 30 and 15 round magazines, scoped with a 50 mm 3 x 9 time scope of good quality, perfect for the 100 meter range, though a semi auto is no match for a bolt action rifle in percission.

We use mostly Walther match single shot rifles bolt action at 100 meters and with good ammo we get out of max 600 points 585 to 590....
Don't underestimate the little .22 L.R.

[N2CHX]

The Squirrel Killer 9000.

[KC2UGV]

The Squirrel Killer 9000.

I think that's a Dasiy 900 fps break barrel :)

[K7SGJ]

I started my son out with my old single shot Sears rifle I got when I was a kid. We had a range set up out back where my daughter learned to shoot as well. Later, I bought a Mossberg US target rifle for my son as he went on to shoot in competition.

If I were looking to buy a good youth .22 rifle now, I would look pretty hard at Henry. They have lots to choose from, and they will last forever. Among other choices, they have a nice lever action youth rifle that I always liked.

[KC2UGV]

I started my son out with my old single shot Sears rifle I got when I was a kid. We had a range set up out back where my daughter learned to shoot as well. Later, I bought a Mossberg US target rifle for my son as he went on to shoot in competition.

If I were looking to buy a good youth .22 rifle now, I would look pretty hard at Henry. They have lots to choose from, and they will last forever. Among other choices, they have a nice lever action youth rifle that I always liked.

I never even thought to look at Henry... Thanks.

[KC2UGV]

Start out with a decent .22 L.R rifle, easier to get used to and practice, also lower ammo costs.
Never scare them off by buying a big bore rifle with a lot of recoil....that is how we do it at the gunclub.
Teach them how to shoot, breath stand and gun safety then they can always progress to something bigger.
Personally i have an 1944 U.S, M1 Carbine in .30 with 30 and 15 round magazines, scoped with a 50 mm 3 x 9 time scope of good quality, perfect for the 100 meter range, though a semi auto is no match for a bolt action rifle in percission.

We use mostly Walther match single shot rifles bolt action at 100 meters and with good ammo we get out of max 600 points 585 to 590....
Don't underestimate the little .22 L.R.

Yeah, I've been more or less leaning on a .22 for his first rifle. I dunno, you give good reasons, as the only reason I had is "This is what I shot first, so..."

[NQ6U]

Going with the crowd, I'd say a bolt-action .22LR, and a single-shot if you can still find one. Safer for a kid.

[W9JEF]

.


Yeah, gun safety, like always assume the weapon is loaded,

and NEVER point it at anything you'd not want to end up shooting.

EDIT:

Ear protection.

[kb2vxa]

Dad had a .22 Remington single shot bolt action rifle we used for plinking, excellent for targets and critters. You don't need anything bigger and besides exploding squirrels get kinda messy. I fired both the M-1 carbine and Garande at an outdoor range so I well understand why the carbine replaced it. As far as handguns are concerned, I fired a Ruger 9mm and a S&W .357 Magnum with .38 Special wad cutters at the same range, then a few custom Magnum rounds just for the heck of it. Another time it was a .22 Beretta in a basement into a bullet trap.

OK, for a beginner I say a .22 rifle and pistol so he/she learns both, best one round loaded at a time for an extra safety measure. Outdoors ear protection IMO is optional, indoors a must even with a .22 so you don't leave with ears ringing. One important thing daddy told me; never point a loaded gun at anything living unless you intend to fire. Never fire on anything living unless you intend to kill it. If you need more than one shot to kill you need more target practice before you kill again.

It would be nice if cops and gangsters learned how to shoot. They're like the A Team firing hundreds of rounds and not hitting a thing. One exception is the occasional hold the gun sideways point and shoot gangster hitting a child in an upstairs window in a drive by with his intended target on the sidewalk. Another exception is a gangster with his gun stuck in his pants shooting his balls off...........

[KK4AMI]

I started my son out with my old single shot Sears rifle I got when I was a kid. We had a range set up out back where my daughter learned to shoot as well. Later, I bought a Mossberg US target rifle for my son as he went on to shoot in competition.

If I were looking to buy a good youth .22 rifle now, I would look pretty hard at Henry. They have lots to choose from, and they will last forever. Among other choices, they have a nice lever action youth rifle that I always liked.

Ha, I started out with a full collection of Sears guns (.22 Rifle, 20 Ga Double Barrel and 30-30 Lever action). Of course back then, my clothes were washed by Sears, I was dressed by Sears and I dispute this with my Father, but I believe I came from Sears. Only the rich folks used the Stork. If your son is small for his age then I'd go with a youth rifle. He is going to grow into it eventually, so buy a full size. You can always cut the stock if you have to. Too many people buy the "Chipmunk" rifles because they look cute, then they end up with a 6 ft 8 inch son.

[K7SGJ]

Ha, I started out with a full collection of Sears guns (.22 Rifle, 20 Ga Double Barrel and 30-30 Lever action). Of course back then, my clothes were washed by Sears, I was dressed by Sears and I dispute this with my Father, but I believe I came from Sears. Only the rich folks used the Stork. If your son is small for his age then I'd go with a youth rifle. He is going to grow into it eventually, so buy a full size. You can always cut the stock if you have to. Too many people buy the "Chipmunk" rifles because they look cute, then they end up with a 6 ft 8 inch son.


Yeah, I agree about Sears, but then my Dad worked for them for many many years. I remember their levis with the cardboard knees. They took quite a bit longer to wear through than any other brand, but they were a bitch to break in.

I had several J C Higgins rifles from Sears as well. I believe the .22 LR was made by High Standard. I always wanted an over under .22 and .410, but never ended up with one. I'm not sure who made the Sears .410 or the 20 gauge I had, but for a kid, they were perfect. Speaking of which, have you priced .410 shells these days? Unbelievable.

[PA5COR]

Besides safety reasons the single shot guns teach the new shooters that spray and prey is not the way, you tend much more to do your best to hit the intended target when there's only one bullet in the spout...
You teach all those basics first with single shot (bolt) action rifles, and the enhanced accuracy will reward the new shooter.
It is very easy to learn new shooters all the wrong basics, it can take yyears to unlearn those wrong moves.
One reason we have certified teachers at ourr club that will teach new members one year in the basics of shooting and safety.
2 years back we started a youth club for air rifles/piistols and now have lots of quite serious members that are quite good.
Shooting an air pistol/rifle is even more difficult as an firearm, how contrary that sounds...

Remember that the punu .22 LR can kill on large distances.
I showd that to new shooters to tak a block of Bankirai wood 6 inches thich, that wood is so hard even the hardest nail won't get in it .....
The 22LR went right through it with the soft lead bullet, as did all other calibers.

Even the better air rifles produce lots of energy these days....

Since i'm 7 feet tall i had to lengthen the stock of the Carbine with an 2 inch piece of handmade lengthening piece, to fit my long arms.
I also made the basis for the scope myself, dovetail into the fitting of the hindsight and in that way i didn't have to change anything else.
Works like a charm, it is a Rmington, i picked through 300 Carbines from the police to find the best one, new from 1944 and never used.
Using very hard lead i have no fouling of the gas piston, and can shoot homemade lead bullets too.
I don't have to try that with the Desert Eagle, that one does foul up, so i need copper jacketed bullets.
There's always something to moan isn't it ? ;)
Mine is the A model, and bought before they became movie props, just liked the challenge to shoot well with such pistol one handed 25 meters, and won many cups with it.

Not shooting it a lot these days, now the Walther GSP sport pistol in .22LR is the main used gun on 25 meter singlehanded shooting.

[WØTKX]

A Pink Cricket?

[n2ize]

Give him a plowshare instead.

[kb2vxa]

I'm fairly familiar with firearms manufacturers but I never heard of a Plowshare.

If you buy your son a chipmunk rifle, will he grow up to be a 6' 8" chipmunk?

One other thing, a kid who comes from Sears is the best. He's a Craftsman so he's handy around the house and comes with a lifetime guarantee. There are no medical expenses, if he breaks for any reason Sears will replace him no questions asked.

[N8YX]

Besides safety reasons the single shot guns teach the new shooters that spray and prey is not the way
Show me one armed forces training program (I don't care whose) which espouses uncontrolled fire as a primary "marksmanship skills" method.

I don't care if you're shooting a bolt gun, semi-auto or full automatic...weapon control is up to YOU (the shooter).

That said, S&W M15-22, or a Marlin 60S. Either of which can be loaded single-shot.

[KC2UGV]

Show me one armed forces training program (I don't care whose) which espouses uncontrolled fire as a primary "marksmanship skills" method.


Well, suppression fire... It's really what the M2 and M249 SAW are for. Point, and spray the area to keep their heads down, so troops can advance.

[PA5COR]

Must be the reason so many people want assault guns with larga capacity magazines, same with pistols....yup.
Or they just cannot shoot straight?, then we are back to spray and prey...



Show me one armed forces training program (I don't care whose) which espouses uncontrolled fire as a primary "marksmanship skills" method.

I don't care if you're shooting a bolt gun, semi-auto or full automatic...weapon control is up to YOU (the shooter).

That said, S&W M15-22, or a Marlin 60S. Either of which can be loaded single-shot.

[ad4mg]

Please limit the discussion to suggestions to Corey as requested, otherwise, this thread is going to end up as a small slice of the idiot gun thread to rule the universe, located elsewhere.

[N8YX]

Please limit the discussion to suggestions to Corey as requested, otherwise, this thread is going to end up as a small slice of the idiot gun thread to rule the universe, located elsewhere.
My observations regarding the segue by our PA-land associate are in fact germane to the discussion...and I'll address them as such:


Must be the reason so many people want assault guns with larga capacity magazines, same with pistols....yup.
Or they just cannot shoot straight?, then we are back to spray and prey...
Next time you're in the states, please look me up then join me at my outdoors club for a day of shooting as my guest. I'll bring two each of my AR and LR pattern rifles...one equipped with optics; one with GI-specific open sights - or perhaps Palma sights. You may borrow the bolt or break-action gun of any club member who is willing to loan you theirs; you'll have no shortage of volunteers. We'll shoot the same course of fire and each shot will be called by the line master.

DCM/CMP or unlimited sights (optics) course; I don't care. And I'll bet that I can turn in as good or better a score than you and the bolt gun. My choice on how my weapons are charged (WRT magazines) but if I discharge more than one shot per call from the line master I immediately forfeit the match.

I hear the same spiel from the older club members all the time. It immediately stops when I or another black-gun aficionado out-shoot them and their $10k+ custom rigs. By the way, this club has a "no uncontrolled burst and/or full-auto fire" rule. Though I disagree with the rule in a blanket sense, I was one of the people who lobbied for such after our target stands were repeatedly destroyed by "trained and qualified" users of said weapons.

Back to Corey's question:


What's anyone's take on a make/model for a youth rifle? Some I've been seeing are the Mossberg Bantam, or the Rossi Youth (With a shorter barrel included). It's just going to be for plinking, and target shooting. I've also seen the Savage Rascal, which also makes me consider it, as it's a .22, so low recoil, and makes it easier to practice technique.

Any thoughts?
I stick by my earlier suggestion:


S&W M15-22, or a Marlin 60S

The 60S has been produced in quantities numbering in the millions, so replacement parts are a non issue and won't be for a long time. It's a very accurate, user-friendly 22LR - mine once turned in a better group at 50yds than a very expensive Weatherby Mark XXII with a high-dollar Leupold atop it.

Next, the M15-22 uses many of the same FCG and BCG components, furniture and accessories as the AR-pattern rifles - so replacement parts are also a non-issue.

I once ran up against an 8-year-old with an M15-22 at our club's outdoor rimfire dueling-tree. That little bast.... almost smoked me with his setup - Aimpoint red dot optic and a carbine-style stock which was telescoped so it fit him. The only time he missed the plates is if he had a misfeed, which rarely happened.

I'll gladly put that kid and his rifle up against anyone on this forum. The M15-22 served him very well, and S&W knew it would when they designed the platform.

Thus, my recommendations.

[NQ6U]

If I were looking to buy a good youth .22 rifle now, I would look pretty hard at Henry. They have lots to choose from, and they will last forever. Among other choices, they have a nice lever action youth rifle that I always liked.

I never was fond of lever action rifles myself but this one (http://www.henryrepeating.com/rifle-minibolt.cfm) looks like a good choice. Stainless steel bolt-action single-shot .22LR.

[K7SGJ]

Although the only lever action I own is a Marlin 30-30, I like the feel and the look of it. One of my favorite plinkers is a vey old pump action .22 with a hexagon barrel. It's a little heavy for a kid, but a hoot to shoot.

[KC2UGV]

I never was fond of lever action rifles myself but this one (http://www.henryrepeating.com/rifle-minibolt.cfm) looks like a good choice. Stainless steel bolt-action single-shot .22LR.

From a suggestion of another forum member, I was looking at Henry's lines too. Thanks :)

[KK4AMI]

It's a little heavy for a kid, but a hoot to shoot.

Owl second that!

[KK4AMI]

From a suggestion of another forum member, I was looking at Henry's lines too. Thanks :)

That is a good rifle that the kid will keep all his life and remember when his father gave it to him. My first deer rifle was a Winchester Model 94 Lever 30-30 (Sold by Sears) from my Dad, I've been collecting Winchesters ever since.

[n0iu]

I am surprised no one has mentioned this one yet... Ruger 10/22.

[KK4AMI]

I am surprised no one has mentioned this one yet... Ruger 10/22.

A very good rifle and one used a lot in competition. I was trying to stay away from semi-autos, just because if you want to hunt with it, they can be illegal in some states. Also 22 rf is really dirty and fouls gas operated rifles requiring sometimes complicated disassembly to clean

[N8YX]

A very good rifle and one used a lot in competition. I was trying to stay away from semi-autos, just because if you want to hunt with it, they can be illegal in some states. Also 22 rf is really dirty and fouls gas operated rifles requiring sometimes complicated disassembly to clean

...and there's nothing like having to deal with a dirty one to teach a new shooter the correct way of cleaning and basic weapon maintenance.

That 8-year-old I mentioned earlier? He could field-strip, clean, lube and reassemble his rifle. Dad isn't going to be there all the time.

[n0iu]

I am 100% with N8YX on this one. No, you don't have to know how to completely field strip a weapon, but knowing the basics of how to clean it is an essential part of responsible gun ownership. There is no such thing as a weapon that does not require basic maintenance once in a while, so no matter what Corey ends up with, sooner or later it will need to be cleaned. I can almost promise you that there are YouTewb videos that demonstrate cleaning techniques for just about every make and model of firearm out there. Corey's son is a teenager so he is old enough to learn how to do this.

If you are not going to include a cleaning kit, a bag of patches and a bottle of Hoppe's #9 (along with ear and eye protection), then don't bother buying a gun at all!

EDIT: And if you are going to start him off with a rimfire gun, this site has lots of great info: http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php

Or you could just clean your guns the way I do...

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv124/scottaschultz/glockshowery_zps8c292023.jpg