What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I have a ten yr old that I think is now mature enough too start shooting more then his bb gun He goes with me hunting alot and it is only two years away until he is of age too get his hunting liscense. What should I start him on? He has shot a bb gun alot so now should I upgrade too a .17 or .22? And at what point do u determine what caliber he should use for deer hunting in a couple yrs. when he hits 12.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

22LR

What rifles do you have that he could use in the mean time?
A lot will be determined according to what he is "up for" in the coming two years.
Generically, if going new then I'd lean towards a 243.
Otherwise, a lot of folks rave about 7mm-08's for kids and other recoil intolerant individuals.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I know when i was his age i was introduced to the .22. I was a smaller kid at that age as well and i enjoyed shooting it. It hardly kicks the shot isnt very loud but i would suggest you taking a few shots first to show him what its like and so he can get used to the noise. After that he should be pretty comfortable around guns so i would upgrade him to a smaller calibre for deer such as the 22-250, .223, or even the .243 i think would be good enough for him but then again you have to take into consideration of his size, smaller boy smaller gun, bigger boy im sure he would beable to handle a bigger gun.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

goyard - I would also go with the 22LR in a manual action (lever, bolt, pump or single shot) and not a semi auto. The ammo is cheap and most rifles are accurate.
As for what 'deer' rifle to buy. That depends on your son's size. If he is on the small side you may want to consider a youth model for any of several manufacturers like remington, savage etc. And as for cartridge nothing less than a .243.
Again - you have many choices depending on his ability to comfortably handle recoil. Some good beginning choices would be .243, .260 rem, 6.8 Rem, 7mm-08, and the like. These won't pound that young shoulder too hard.
Congrats for having a son interested in the outdoors and shooting.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I will jump out on a limb here and say a 410,they are easy to hit cans/clay birdsand builds confidence in shooting,then work out with a .22 lr.
By the time their at the age 11-12 step them up to a rifle,like a .223,22-250,30-30 anything with moderate recoil.
Good luck
BBJ

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Well I have a 22 mag, 22lr and a 17 in the safe that would work for now. I own a ruger 243, I have a whole assortment of guns but Ive never had too think in terms of youth before. The 243 doesnt kick hard but I think the gun will be too long for him, even in two years. he isnt small but a youth model would probally be better. I am leaning towards shooting the 22lr alot this summer and then upgrading too something a little bigger next summer and then going from there.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I do have410 as well.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Well I would definately start him off on a 22lr in a bolt action or lever action. Something that he cannot get into the bad habit of just squeezing the trigger over and over again until he hits his target. Get him used to taking his time to aim, breath and squeeze the trigger. One other reason to use the 22lr over the .17 is because they are cheap to shoot and he can get lots of practice in. Then when it is time to start hunting big game, how could you go wrong with a lever action 30-30? Easy to handle, light recoil and short enough for shorter arms. If you need to go with a lenger range bullet then a .243 would be the next best option. Low recoil and a wide range of rifle styles to fit him. My son is 13 and took his first deer this year with my .270, which he likes to shoot. So that may be another option. The nice thing about a .270 is that it has the capability to take larger game as well as deer, coyotes, etc. Have fun and good luck on making some good memories with your son.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I start my girls out with a 22LR, but they started at ages 4 and 5. When my oldest hunting/shooting daughter turns 10, we will probably get her a 20 ga for deer and rabbits.

For a 10 year old, I still think the 22 is best. Really for anyone the 22 is best. You can shoot hundreds of 22 LR and really solidly learn shooting before you introduce recoil. After that, I stepped up to a 30'06, but like most, it was because that was what we had. I also dabbled in shotgunning with a light single shot 12 ga. . .ouch. . .but my dad shot it well so I figured I would soon be able to shoot it well. I never gave up and finally grew into it! Probably a 243 or 308 would have been a much easier step to make. I killed a lot of deer with that 30'06 though and it didn't have a kid stock either. If you child is smaller though, you will need a shorter LOP. Don't get to light of a rifle. A good 9lb gun or so really helps a new shooter with recoil and shaking with a good field rest. Offhand is sacrificed some, but new shooter shouldn't be shooting offhand.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I have to disagree.

A .410 is a for an expert wingshooter not for a novice. Its ok for plinking pop cans and squirrel hunting for a novice, but not wingshooting. A 20 guage is far far better as a starter shotgun- low in recoil, adequate shot charge, and can even be used for deer hunting.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Just to get him used to the "bang," a .410 would do fine. A .22 is probably going to be much cheaper to shoot than a .22 mag or .17.
Just remember don't go too far, too fast! A flinching habit is easy to aquire, and hard to break! Work him up to a .243, and go from there! It is a great minimum for deer!

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

.22 LR, would be good for a youngster to start on, teach him the basics, and then let him move on to something more potent.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I def. agree on the lever or bolt theory. Starting a kid on a semi would be a poor safety choice in my opinion plus they should learn too take their time and hit what they are aiming for.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

is the .223 allowed in your state. that's a good beginner's gun to start out with too.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

i dont know if it is or not, ill have too check it out

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

It would be a good round to learn to shoot with, getting used to the bang and a light recoil. Although I definately wouldnt recommend it to use for deer hunting. Maybe for coyote or something smaller but it would be too easy for a young kid to get discouraged when he knows that he hit the animal he was shooting at and it runs away, only to find it later all bled out and possibly bloated. I know myself I wish that I could use my .223 to shoot deer with, but I am experienced enough to know where I should aim for and when to and not to pull the trigger.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

i havent checked personally but i was told today the 223 wasnt legal for deer here. I do have a 243 but I think it will be too long of a gun for him at 12. I will probally have too go with a youth model of some sort.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

if he's never held or shot a gun before...why not start him out with a pellet rifle? very cheap and can be shot virtually anywhere without neighbors calling the cops. all you really need is something to teach him the basic firearm handling techniques and responsibility.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Can't go wrong with a single shot .22LR

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Most importantly, get a gun which fits him. An adult gun will slow his progress as a shooter down. . . although, I never had that luxury and I'm not too bad!

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I just went out on Wed. of this week and bought my 8 yr old son a Rossi youth model gun. It came with a 22LR barrel and a 410 barrel. perfect size for him to start out on. You can also purchase a .243 barrel for deer hunting."I" cant wait until christmas to take him out and begin the fundamentals of shooting. The whole package was $189!

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Start him off shooting a .22 so he can learn his form and proper shooting. Do that for a year then get him going on a 30-30. It worked for me.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

u cant beat that price. I was in gander mt yesterday and they have a NEF single shot with a 22 lr and .410 barrel in black composite for 129

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

You said it's a Ruger, right? Why don't you check to see if Ruger makes a Youth Model Stock for it, and you can swap that onto the rifle. Definitely cheaper than buying him a whole new rifle.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I started with a Sheridan Blue Streak, then moved to a .22LR, a gas-operated 12 gauge, and ultimately a .243 Win. I don't remember exactly how old I was when I started shooting each, but I was regularly trapshooting with my Reminton 1100 12ga at age 12, and I went deer hunting for the first time about that same time as well.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I got a Savage .17 HMR last year new for $180. My kids love to shoot it. It's the most accurate gun I own. Ammo is more expensive than a 22 but the accuracy is amazing.Nickel size groups at 100 yrds. I have two sons and my oldest son is 13 and only weighs 100 lbs and he is shootinga Rem 760 in 30-06. I cut the stock down to fit him and bought some of the reduced recoil bullets. He's killed two deer with it so far. With this setup I only need to buy him another stock when he gets older and he can keep the gun for the rest of his life. If you would rather buy a youth gun I would buy a single shot in 25-06 or maybe even a 270, then trade it in on something else when he gets older. I hope this helps.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

goyard74 If you already have a 243 just buy a cheap stock for it and cut it down your self. It's actuall really easy to do and it will save you a lot of money. Just trace the shape of the but end of the stock an inch or two shorter on the gun then cut it out with a coping saw. Finish it up with an orbital sander and stain it to seal it. even easier if it's a composite stock. It'll take you a few hrs. Depending on the gun you could even buy one of those military stocks that are adjustable for under $100.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Get him a good single shot .22LR make him use it with the iron sights first and get accurate with that. Then move him to a 30-30. Have him hunt that with Iron until he makes his first kill. After the first kill on Iron let him move to a scoped rifle. If you start him out on a scope it's like jumping ahead. First scoped rifle I would suggest would be a .223 and go from there.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Briman,
I was talking plinking,not wingshooting.I geuss I should have specified.
BBJ

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I agree with bigpapa.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

You can't hardly beat the .243 or .223 for the begginning shooter, neither of them kick hard enough to cause a flinch, and they can both kill game.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

i guess ive heard that about starting a child out on open sights, i guess my philosphy is that as well

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

I always had a scope when I was a kid, but I also believe that open sights are a must to learn early. I too have fallen to teaching my kids with a scope. . .As a father, open sights proved too hard to explaing when I tried on the first daughter. I should say, I usually try to get my girls to take their first shots at 4 or 5 years old, though. I think a dot sight would be easiest as young kids have a hard time with eye relief.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

My first memory of hunting was with my father hunting for tree rats.We both had .22's withiron. It was in my back yard. lol I was onlyaround 7 or 8 and king of the forrest. Anywho, I moved to a 30-30 for deer and killed my first doe with it off iron. Itnot onlytaught me how to shoot but how to get close to the animal (under 50 yards) without spooking them. Now I have a .308 with a 6.5x20x50 scope that I use for hunting fields and powerlines but if I'm in the woods I still reach for the 30-30 first. Iron sights are like stick shifts once you learn them you'll never have a problem with anything else. Check out this book The Hunter's Guide To Accurate Shooting by Wayne Van Zwoll. It will tell you everything you need to know about aiming.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

i was talking too the father in law and he has a 30-30 bolt that has been handed down generation too generation and asked me if my son would use it for his fisrt hunt. I said it would be a honor. it is a savage bolt with open sights.

RE: What would u suggest for a young person learning too shoot?
 

Without a .22lr. you might consider a single shot so he will learn to depend ONLY on that 1st most important shot.