I'm going to vote against the Red Ryder, just for hitting cans (not punching holes in them) it's ok, really inaccurate, but it's ok....my vote will go for the Crossman guns, I've got a 760 series and a 664 too, great guns, I've had them for probably 15yrs now and still shoot them a lot....

The red ryders won't kill a pigeon in a tree most of the time even with a head shot, you'll be able to watch 90% of your shots as they leave the muzzle...the Crossman pump guns are much better, very accurate, pretty cheap, and stout enough to kill a pigeon on a good breast shot in a tree. Red ryders are also notorious for ricochets, a BB going slow bounces more than a BB going fast, the faster one will penetrate into a tree and stop, a slower one will bounce back and put out an eye.

A kid of age 12 might be better suited to a .22lr rifle, and certainly he'll be ready for one in short years...you give a young kid a BB gun because they'll get to be a good shot quickly, but won't be ready for a cartridge arm for some time, a kid his age will be wanting a .22lr within a year or two. IMHO, it's better to start a kid like that out on a .22lr, because you can train him properly, you don't just give him the gun and let him run around like you would with a BBgun, you take him shooting with a .22lr. Kids can learn bad shooting habits if you just let them have free reins and run around with a BBgun plinking at anything...they get used to a gun that's underpowered and they take shots without considering their backstop, or they get used to having a gun that won't do terrible things if you shoot someone with it, so they forget to practice safe muzzle control...heck, when I was a kid we used to have BBgun wars and intentionally shoot eachother!!! Not something you want a kid to learn then carry over to a .22lr or his deer rifle!

Additionally, the 760's and 664's, even though they are BBguns, I've chronoed mine before and showed that they've got more muzzle energy than a .22lr!! They shed energy very quickly, so you won't kill someone a mile away with it, but they're just as dangerous at close ranges, I've hunted rabbits with mine too good results. It's a big responsibility, but a kid at 12 should be ready for that much even if you don't think he's ready for a .22lr....the Crossmans can be pumped only a few times and give a limited power shot, so for general plinking it's safer and faster, but they still have the power when you want it.

I don't know your situation, a lot of people buy their older kids BB guns because they live in town, but be careful, a bbgun is still considered a firearm, still illegal to discharge in most cities!!! And like I said before, don't buy him a BBgun so he can run around free with it and teach himself how to shoot, because he WILL teach himself bad habits.