HuntElk4Fun
I may have misunderstood, but are you seriously considering starting your 12 year old son on a 7mm Magnum? I have a son that is 12, and he shoots a 270 which is all he wants in recoil. My son is a big boy for 12 and without a Simms pad his 270 is pretty stiff. I shoot a 300WSM whichmy son can shoot just fine, BUT it has a full bull barrel and weighs almost 12 lbs. I would hate to see you start your son on such a hard recoiling caliber that might discourage him from wanting to shoot. At that age, it needs to be fun and not painful.

I love to hear of Dads that want their sons to hunt with them. Good luck with whatever you decide.