My grandson has turned 12 and just passed his hunter safety classes and has his lifetime Vermont hunting license. His dad has a handed down 30-30 and was thinking of giving it to his son for deer hunting. Giving an old hammer gun to a youth isn't the best choice IMO due to the possible safety issue. I know with proper safe handling practices that gun is safe but seeing how he is only 12 my choice would be a compact bolt action with some decent glass in something along the lines of a .243 or possibly 7MM-08. Both my son in law and I want to do all we can to make sure he enjoys hunting and doesn't have a bad experience.