BEST GUN... keeping in mind the proper caliber, you have seen several suggestions, IMO the best gun is the H&R/NEF single shot. ONE bullet to keep track of, not a lever or even a clip to confuse. This is a young person, In my opinion, the simpler the better. Both my grandson's use the youth version. Both guns have recoil pads and mild calibers, one is a 30-30 the other a .243. Both are scoped and short (handy in a box blind).