What's a good starter rifle for a 12 year old?

06RedfireGT · 05-25-2008, 12:12 PM

My nephew's birthday is coming up and he wants a rifle. He will be turning 12, what do you guys think would be something good he could start off with?

stangfather · 05-27-2008, 12:51 AM

Ruger 10/22...or any bolt action that would be even better...

interceptor · 05-27-2008, 01:57 PM

I don't know that I'd want to start a kid off with a semi-auto, especially with all the audio-visual input they have from tv and games today, spray and pray is just too tempting. I think they'd have a hard time learning the value of shot placement.

I started off with a single shot Remington bolt action .22 when I was about 5. Learned to make them count.

Butter · 05-28-2008, 08:15 PM

Cant go wrong with a bolt action .22. That is what I started on also. It makes it easier to teach the basics, and the noise wont scare off a kid.

06RedfireGT · 05-29-2008, 03:28 PM

He's no stranger to guns, but has never had a rifle before. He could handle more than a .22. How bout something a little igger than that?

Butter · 05-29-2008, 07:28 PM

.243 is a nice round, mild recoil, but big enough if he wanted to go hunting. Remington makes a nice 700 SPS in that caliber, nothing wrong with a Savage either. You know, kinda save some money on this rifle, then buy him a nicer one when he stops growing.

interceptor · 05-29-2008, 10:37 PM

ok, he can handle more, but more is expensive to feed. 22's are still fairly cheap.

06RedfireGT · 05-30-2008, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butter

.243 is a nice round, mild recoil, but big enough if he wanted to go hunting. Remington makes a nice 700 SPS in that caliber, nothing wrong with a Savage either. You know, kinda save some money on this rifle, then buy him a nicer one when he stops growing.

That sounds good. Got a link to something good in that caliber?

Quote:

Originally Posted by interceptor

ok, he can handle more, but more is expensive to feed. 22's are still fairly cheap.

He wants something he can hunt with though, I know what ya mean through.

Butter · 05-30-2008, 07:07 PM

The Remington SPS is at: Remington Model 700™ SPS™
Just dont get suckered in on the 770, which is the cheapest that Rem. makes. It is not anywhere near the same as the 700

The Savage is:
Savage Arms Hunter Series Model 11F

06RedfireGT · 05-31-2008, 11:49 AM

How about this?

GunBroker.com guns: Remington 700 ADL Youth .243 Winchester 27518 (item: 101185117 ends: Jun-02-08 11:43:40 AM)

Butter · 05-31-2008, 02:05 PM

That is a nice rifle, and the price on it is not bad either. I dont know if anyone on here has a blue book of gun values, but you can look it up and get a price to compare it to.

Drtbkercr5 · 11-20-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butter

.243 is a nice round, mild recoil, but big enough if he wanted to go hunting. Remington makes a nice 700 SPS in that caliber, nothing wrong with a Savage either. You know, kinda save some money on this rifle, then buy him a nicer one when he stops growing.

Too many people these days are starting there kids out with the the .243. I started with a .270 which is enough gun for basically anything you could want to hunt, yet isnt gonna kick so hard that he will be afraid of the caliber. IMHO i think the Remington Model 700 .270 would be the best gun to buy for him.

interceptor · 11-22-2008, 01:30 AM

You know, my first bolt action rifle for deer was a Rem700 ADL in .243 Win. Can't tell you how many I put down with it. Whole time I used it, everyone else I hunted with was using something bigger, from .264 WinMag, .270 Win, .280, .300 WinMag--you get the idea. Always wanted/thought I needed something bigger, although the .243 never let me down.

FF 10 years: Got a Rem700 BDL in .270, good shooter, just as good as the .243 always was, just louder and more recoil. Gave me the ability to hurl 140 grain projectiles at about 2900fps, but didn't kill whitetails any deader than the .243 did...

FF to today: Still have that .270, as well as a Rem 5R in .308 (ungodly accurate!). I now shoot USPSA MOR matches, as well as some outlaw matches and local stuff. Guess what I just put together for a game gun? Yup. Another .243, Rem 700 in a HS Precision 2 way adj stock, Vais break, Badger knob, Badger bottom metal and detachable mag kit, Badger rings and bases. Still waiting on the NF 5.5x22 NP-R1 to come in though.

You know, there isn't a lot of game here in North America that a shooter who will spend some time with his gun and know how to shoot can't take with a .243 Winchester. So many "hunters" rely on caliber to make up for their lack of skill, it's pathetic. I work part time in a gun shop, can't tell you how many times I've heard guys come through spouting their wisdom of how you gotta have at least a .300 WinMag or larger to put down whitetails 'cause "they'll just run off like they ain't even been hit with them thar' sissy guns". Yeah, if you gut shoot a 140 lb deer with a .416 Rigby they will probably drop pretty quick, but they drop even faster when you put a 100gn Nosler balistic tip at almost 3000fps through the base of the neck just under the skull.

Get out and practice some, not just run a few rounds through the ole' deer slayer a few days before opening weekend to check your 100 yard zero.

Off the soap box now...