First rifle for kids.

[justindad]

I’m teaching my kids to shoot the pellet gun, and thinking about a good first rifle for them. I started out with a Ruger 10/22, but got board of it for the lack of power. Reloading for a .327 Federal Mag wouldn’t be significantly more expensive than .22 LR ammo, and should be more fun over the long haul for them. There’s Trail Boss load data, so I could even teach them how to roll their own with this cartridge.
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Would the .327 be a good rifle when the kids are big enough to handle it, or is there something else I should consider? I’ve never actually used a .327, so maybe I should buy one for myself to try out 😎

[XDROB]

My son started out with a Red Ryder BB/pellet gun. Then we moved to a Marlin 39A. Then a 10/22. After that we started shooting my dad's Springfield 30.06 bolt. He now shoots skeet when he can. He is stationed in Europe in the Air Force.

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[jakharath]

I started my kids with these: https://savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=13775

Pretty nice triggers, single shot and pretty accurate.

[zarrinvz24]

My son recently expressed an interest in trying shooting for the first time. I was looking at a Winchester 67 or Cricket type bolt rifle for this.

[dverna]

It depends on your objectives and their interest. If you (they) want to be good marksman, a quality air rifle is the best investment.

If you want them to make some noise, clang some steel and have "fun" while remaining hacks, well...it doesn't matter much. This will be hard to hear, but is reality. Unless you have a large stockpile of primers and powder, there is nothing cheap about shooting CF's. Same for .22's at over $4/box at most places...if you can find them. I shoot pellets for less than $8/500. Becoming a good shot requires thousands of rounds downrange and that gets expensive.

I have only seen one "natural" in 60 years of shooting. I am going to bet your kids are not "naturals". Getting good requires trigger time and a lot of it.

Have an honest discussion with your kids...your desires are not as important as what they want. Are they pumped by busting aspirins at 15 yards, or hitting a 12" steel plate at 100 yards?

[Misery-Whip]

Savage rascal. Peep sights. Scope mount separately. But it's light and simple. Pretty safe. And fun size just like them. Accurate too. Remington viper ammo I can go 4 for 5 bottle caps at 50'. With peep sights. Federal bulk target ammo shoots good too.

Next for us is a ruger american ranch bolt gun in 223. Cast loads not full power.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Depending on your budget, I'd also consider a CZ 527 in 7.62x39, Rossi 92 in 357, or Ruger 77/357.

All three are lightweight and easy to download to any power level you want. All three are also deer worthy. The Ruger wins in the all weather dept and is bolt gun simple. The CZ is easily the most accurate and has a sweet target trigger if they want to shoot longer range but bit more time consuming to load for. Gorgeous rifle in wood but I do think they are offering synthetic, too. Rossi is probably the best for clanging steel in a rapid fashion if they don't mind recovering brass.

[justindad]

That Ruger 77 looks nice.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

That Ruger 77 looks nice.

My kids and I have put thousands of rounds through one. For a plinking load, it likes a powdercoated Lee 120 TC over a near max charge of Red Dot or Promo. Shoots around 3" at 100 yards. Not bad for a plainbased bullet moving around 1500fps. Basically a beefed up heavy bullet .22 mag. Subsonic target level 38's are fun, too!

[popper]

My gk's graduated from BB/pellet rifle to 243 bolt and did quite well (Howa). Took a while for the youngest to get strong enough to lift the barrel of the 870 12 ga. The other 2 gks got bored with the m60 22 real fast.

[justindad]

Hearing and feeling the gunfire is just as much fun as hitting the target… often times more fun.

[pietro]

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JMO, but kids don't need a lot of power, or weight/length, because those things can make them fearful or awkward if/when firing.

The choice of a first real firearm should take the age, physical size, and maturity of the subject child into consideration.

I catered to their expectations, not mine (except for safety).

I made shooting fun for my children, shooting at large/fragile targets - like balloons, clay pigeons & empty beverage cans.

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[Randy Bohannon]

Every new shooter should learn to properly run a bolt action rifle,more to it than many people realize. Teaching all shooting positions safely is far more important than what gun they will start with. The Keystone Cricket rifles are good rifles to start them with and not burn through ammo with a single shot bolt action. I would want to get my kids to the level of Rifleman in the Appleseed events, I would want a goal for them to last a lifetime. I have done my two kids when they were little and 5 grandchildren . Appleseed came late but a very worthy endeavor with your kids and adults,if you have never done one you’re missing the best training for a minimal cost anywhere. I guarantee you will be challenged and learn with your kids.

[AZ Pete]

Randy, that is good thinking, unless one of the bunch is a south paw. I got my grandkids a Rossi pump .22. Required them to cycle the action, has a longer barrel for muzzle control and awareness, and is ambidextrous.

BTW, the youngest is now a SSG in the Army, and qualified as an Expert rifleman in BCT.

[beefyz]

Dverna makes some good points to you.
However, you mention that you will be reloading .327, or are you thinking of reloading for a .327 ? Nowadays, ANYTHING you need for reloading is just about unobtainable. Hopefully that will all change when we all wake up to what's going on and do something about it. But i've never seen much of .327 stuff available and it will always be more expensive. Not too good of an idea if plinking is all you have in mind. If you do want to reload i'd lean more towards .38/.357. Even in these hard times brass is readily available in both and there are more bullet/boolit options. Plink in .38, and when loaded properly, .357 is a fine hunting round in a lever action if they get there some day.....

[John Taylor]

What ever you come up with it should be a single shot. Simi autos waist a lot of ammo. I started off with a #4 Remington way back when. At 12 or 13 a farmer was paying me to shoot ground squirrels. I had a choice between the #4 and a model 12 Remington. Both shot the same on paper but the #4 got more squirrels. You can use a lot of ammo up when you know you got a back-up shot. With a single shot you make every shot count.

[Texas by God]

I taught my three kids how to shoot with a Rossi Matched Pair break open single shot and a Remington 510 single shot cut down on both ends. We lived in town then and used Aguila Colibris there and regular shells on the farm.
Good times!

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[tankgunner59]

I started my grandson with a Crickett at 4 y.o. He loved it, they aren't to small for younger kids. He used it till he was 10 y.o. I have two of them on S&S but I don't want to jump through the hoops for other than F to F.

[Shanghai Jack]

My son recently expressed an interest in trying shooting for the first time. I was looking at a Winchester 67 or Cricket type bolt rifle for this.

I wouldn't have a cricket if it was free and delivered.

[popper]

Remember - most of us are old farts, life and desires were different. Folks were non-gun (almost anti) so first real one I shot was Garand at boot camp. Qual'd as marksman. Did go dove hunting with loaned 12 double in HS, didn't hit anything. My kids didn't shoot anything but BB guns. Pretty much still don't although the daughter does have LTC. It' need or desire/attitude/interest, not the gun. 22 is OK, fun plinker but noise recoil can scare them off no matter what they start with. That's the real problem with kids just beginning, pain makes them lose interest.

[beechbum444]

im with the 22 LR guys..... a bolt action 22 single shot is a right of passage

[justindad]

My kids are just old enough to shoot the pellet gun I got when I turned 8. I have a Ruger 10/22 from when I was about 12, but I never shoot it because it doesn’t kick. They will shoot the .22 when they graduate from pellets, but I’d like for what I buy them to be something they will still enjoy using when they turn 40.
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One summer my dad bought 10k rounds of .22LR and my brother & we shot the whole lot. I can hit anything with that gun.

[BunkTheory]

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JMO, but kids don't need a lot of power, or weight/length, because those things can make them fearful or awkward if/when firing.

The choice of a first real firearm should take the age, physical size, and maturity of the subject child into consideration.

I catered to their expectations, not mine (except for safety).

I made shooting fun for my children, shooting at large/fragile targets - like balloons, clay pigeons & empty beverage cans.

.

It depends on what they are going to do with it. Far to damn sick of seeing kids being given single shot .410s or a 223 or 243 and being sent out to "hunt" when they arent being given the skills or the right tool.

Sure if you can shoot, a 243 or 410 with a slug can do fine, but 90% of "hunters" i know need 5 rounds to take a single doe down.

[GregLaROCHE]

I strongly believe that it’s important that the first step is with a single shot rifle.

[ABJ]

I'm not going to rehash the above post just give you the facts as my grandchildren have said.
I started them all on air then moved to SS rimfire. Then to a 357 carbine with cowboy loads. Now I only have to take two guns to the range.
Rossi 22 levers, and Rossi 357 with 38's. The older ones do like to help size and load the 38's, then go shoot them. They do understand the process and love to help in order to have a big box of ammo to shoot when range time comes. They fuss at each other when one misses a piece of brass on the ground.(LOL)
I think the 357 is perfect, as to slowly increasing the load as they grow and learn to shoot with the same gun.
Just my opinion but, finding a gun that fits is more important than the caliber. For the younger ones we use shooting sticks to hold the weight and use a Ruger Bearcat for the handgun. A sleeper out there in handguns is the Uberti made model "P" Jr. 3/4 size of a standard single action.
I hope my experiences help.
Tony

[popper]

Nothing wrong with 22. Fun and cheap. If the kids don't take to shooting, no loss.
3yrs ago, went to Ar with daughter and teen GK boys with another family I never met. Teen girl and boy, GS girl and boy. Went through teaching safety after dinner. Went to range next day. They shot 9 xds, 9 xd, 40 xd, ar15 and ar10 plus BO pistol. NO 22 but I could have brought one. None had shot before. All did excellent, teen girl had fun but not her 'thing'. I brought back about 20# of brass so yes, we shot a LOT. Not a single safety problem.

[dverna]

My kids are just old enough to shoot the pellet gun I got when I turned 8. I have a Ruger 10/22 from when I was about 12, but I never shoot it because it doesn’t kick. They will shoot the .22 when they graduate from pellets, but I’d like for what I buy them to be something they will still enjoy using when they turn 40.
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One summer my dad bought 10k rounds of .22LR and my brother & we shot the whole lot. I can hit anything with that gun.

If you were to do that today...buy 10k rounds...you are looking at $1000. I think you proved my point. You can shoot well because you shot a lot. Today shooting a lot is not affordable for many people. If you can afford it...go for it.

I recently bought 14k .22 pellets for $175. I am now stocking up on .177 pellets for our two new PCP pistols. I can afford to shoot .22 LR's at $5/box and/or waste primers to make plinking loads for our .38/.357 weapons...but spending more will make it any better to keep our skills sharp.

Anyone who thinks .22 LR's are "cheap" has a lot more money than I do.

[jaysouth]

I have a Handi rifle in .357 MAXX. with a collapsible M-4 style stock and .38 wadcutters, it is a child's delight.

[uscra112]

What ever you come up with it should be a single shot. Simi autos waist a lot of ammo. I started off with a #4 Remington way back when. At 12 or 13 a farmer was paying me to shoot ground squirrels. I had a choice between the #4 and a model 12 Remington. Both shot the same on paper but the #4 got more squirrels. You can use a lot of ammo up when you know you got a back-up shot. With a single shot you make every shot count.

What he said.

I started two grandsons on a Marlin 15Y single shot .22. First with irons, then with a Weaver scope. To graduate to something bigger I would have had them shoot my Marlin 336 lever gun chambered .35 Remington, first with soft cast-bullet handloads., then working up.

[smithnframe]

In July I started my then 7 year old grandson on an air rifle and he was very proud and very good at following safety instructions! He was hitting a steel gong at my 50 yard range in about 5 minutes. He stayed with us for 10 days before Thanksgiving and I gave him a standard model Henry 22 lever action. He picked up where we left off in July. He asked me where the safety was . I told him the safety is the responsibility of the person holding the firearm. He responded Don’t point the weapon at anything you don’t want to destroy, keep the muzzle pointed toward the ground, don’t have a loaded round in the chamber and keep your finger off the trigger!

[uscra112]

It certainly does seem that starting them first on an air rifle is a good plan, given the scarcity and prices of ammunition.

[JimB..]

How old?

Mine didn’t get bored due to lack of power, but of shooting the same boring targets. Set them out some cheap cans of soda, some necco wafers, maybe a small plate rack, etc. Keeping it interesting is harder until they get the safety thing totally ingrained.

[dverna]

How old?

Mine didn’t get bored due to lack of power, but of shooting the same boring targets. Set them out some cheap cans of soda, some necco wafers, maybe a small plate rack, etc. Keeping it interesting is harder until they get the safety thing totally ingrained.

Yes...some people get bored shooting paper. When I was young, we did not have a lot of money. I had a cheap .177 springer and my "fun" was putting up an empty pack of my dad's cigarettes and cutting in half. Cans might cause ricochets so not a good choice for pellets.

I have a "Crazy Eights" target from Air Venturi for fun shooting with the air guns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwzVW0VNJH0

Easy to set up, store, and cheap. Getting immediate feedback keeps it interesting.

[Half Dog]

We went from a BB gun to a 243, several years later.

292604

[Brassmonkey]

Henry ar7 survival rifle?