RE: Best Rifle for a 9 year old?
I bought a Rossi .243 for my daughter and mounted a decent BSA scope on it, however, I had problems sighting in the gun; seems it would never hold its POI for more than 2-3 shots. After I had it for a while (and ran about 150 rounds through it in great frustration), I started seeing posts by other dads who were having the exact same problem with the gun, even those without scopes. Eventually, somebody figured out that the forearms were rubbing against the barrels, and if you floated them (using some kind of nylon washer on the screw that holds the forearm to the barrel), the problem was solved. By that time, I had moved on to a Remington Model 7 Youth chambered in .243, which is a great little gun for a kid (my daughter was 11 when we bought it). Incredibly accurate, except that the barrel is thin and heats quickly and you need to let it cool between shots at the range.
I haven't personally owned one of the NEF models, but my cousinsboughtsome chambered in.45/70 for primitive weapons seasons and they are incredibly accurate (iron sights), well made guns for the price.
Good luck with you son!
Ladeerguy