I personally like the 7mm-08. It's a great little cartridge for beginners and seasoned shooters alike, so you can't go wrong. The recoil is very managable, but will definately be a little more stout if you buy him a youth model rifle that doesn't weigh as much. If this is a case, just get a good Sims or Pachmayr recoil pad installed and the gun will kick more like a .410 shotgun. If you buy him a Remington Model 7 youth rifle, he will be able to buy a new adult-sized model 7 stock when he is older and use the same action. That's what I would to. And for another tid bit of advice, have him practice shooting the rifle in ways that mirror how he will be shooting in the field once he is comfortable with the gun. Have him shoot sitting in the dirt, laying on the ground, standing, and have him practice follow up shots by shooting three consecutive shots at the target as fast as he can while still shooting accurately and safely. That way he will know how to handle any situations he may encounter out hunting. But the bottom line is, make sure he gets in a good amount of practice so that he is confident in the field. When I first started big game hunting, I think I'd shot maybe 10 rounds through a big game rifle my entire life, and it was the only scoped gun I had ever shot. I outshot most adults with my open sight .22, but I was not prepared to shoot a large rifle at 4x the distance I usually shot. I went through 2 boxes of ammo in one day hunting antelope, and my confidence was completely shattered. I finally shot a little buck on the second day, but the entire time I didn't believe that I could hit the broad side of a barn after missing so many times. Do not put your son through this! Make him practice until he is confident! Also, if you get a variable power scope he will feel more comfortable shooting at longer ranges with the extra zoom making the animals fill the scope out better. Hope this helps!

22 rimfire or 223. Maybe even the NEF in 22 Hornet.

If deer are the object of the hunt, a .243 or .257 Roberts should work fine. For bigger stuff, though, I would go for the .260 or the 7MM-08. Bigger bullets and better penetration. A 12 year old should not be shooting at ranges beyond the effective range of either of these calibers. Don't make the mistake of getting a really lightweight rifle. As nice as these are for a young shooter to carry, a medium weight gun will be steadier and kick less at the moment of truth.

I would start him out with a .260 or 7mm-08. If hehas been shooting his BB gun and .22lr for a few years and has masteredthem to a tee, then I would start him with a .243, if not, then the .260 or 7mm-08.

260 Remington gets my vote every time.

.243 or 7-08 gets mt vote for a youngster. I favor the .243 though.
A Whitetail wouldnt know the difference but the 7 recoils a little bit more.
My 8 yr old took his first deer this year with my .243. 200 yd shot and dropped it. The kid can shoot, but he's been at it for a while with pellet guns and .22's.

If he doesn't have much experience behind the trigger, get him a .22 long rifle. It's a cheap and easy way to get a lot of trigger time, and there is no noise and no recoil to cause him to develop any bad habits. After he gets a little more comfortable shooting and has done some hunting with a .22, then let him graduate to a centerfire rifle.

As far as rifle calibers are concerned, my pick would be a .25-06. It shoots very flat, and is capable of stabilizing a 110 - 120 grain bullet for deer hunting. Recoil is still very mild in most rifles, but that little extra bullet weight makes it a little bit more forgiving than a .243.

243, 7mm/08, 6.5 X 55, or 260 are all great choices. But a properly fitted stock AND shooting technique should enable even a light framed shooter to absorb the 308 round and more.

As far as hunting goes you can start any where you want to. It's the teaching that counts. If you are a good teacher/hunter than your kid will be a good hunter. My father introduce me to hunting at age 12 too. I shot my first deer at that age too, with a 12 ga. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. That is the best feeling I ever had.

I started with a 12 gauge for deer hunting, but if you are looking in rifles than, I would recommend 308 or 7mm-08 or if you want to go small than 223 and 243. Almost any caliber up to 30-06 will be good. I wasn't that big of a kid at age 12(4'6, 105lbs) and I was handling 30-06 and 12 ga. Practice, practice is what makes you a good hunter.

If cost is a concern look at the Savage model 10 -fm sierra it is built on the same principal as the Remington model 7 [20" barrel- short action calibers] and it now has the accutrigger I have one in 7mm-08 also I have A Remington model 7 in 243 the Savage will outshoot the Remington anytime. I hope this helps chad