Gun for 12 year old

just bought a small property next to a huge forest somewhere in PA
will go there every other week-end or so for a night maybe two
son loves roaming the woods
is this:

store.jlowesguns.com/rifles/bolt-action-rifles/rock-island-armory-m14-22lr-youth-bolt-action-rifle-21-barrel-10-rounds-15

good enough for him (shoot at stuff, maybe hunt small animals, make enough noise to scare bigger animals) or should I get a bigger caliber?

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Find a good mix between practical and fun. A bolty .22 might teach him more practical shooting (breath control, sight picture, trigger control, ect), but if they get a friend who has a 10/22, they might get a feeling of envy plinking. I'd recommend something like a .22 lever action since it's a healthy mix, but if budget is a limitation, a 10/22 with a youth stock (bonus since it's easily modifiable, he can tweak it to however he likes when he gets older) or a Marlin M60 might be the ticket. The bolt action isn't a bad choice, necessarily, but some .22 autos could easily grow with them. Hope this helps.

This. Another option would be a chiappa little badger. Light, single shot, cheap, and a ton of fun

The envy thing isn't too bad. I was shooting a fucking Red Ryder BB gun while my buddy had a a CO2 repeater pellet gun, and soon thereafter a semiauto 22. Yeah, I wished I had a cooler gun like he did, but I still had plenty of fun, and I learned to shoot far better than he did too.

I say start him on the bolty since it's a great way to learn the fundamentals of marksmanship. Then get a semiauto a little later. Either can easily be purchased with youth model stocks and then upgraded as he grows.

I did rifle team in High school and I bought my own rifle; Walther Falcon, 22 break barrel pellet rifle. Fellows on the team had the school's old Crossman Break barrel .177s from the 80's that's been there for 20 years at that point, so the envy does set in when it starts getting a bit competitive. It's person by person and some are much more humble than others, but yeah, getting a bolt to teach them and getting them a semi down the line isn't a bad option either. IDK if Ruger makes a bolt that takes 10/22 magazines, if not, that'd be a fucking good idea.

I can see envy being a much bigger deal in a competitive environment like a rifle target team. But for a kid plinking in the woods? Not as big a deal.

Plus, starting with a bolt and then upgrading to a semi gives you a good opportunity to teach your kid. You might even tell him up front that once he demonstrates that he can handle the bolt gun safely and competently then you will buy him the 10/22. That gives him motivation to learn.

>Buy the 10/22 ahead of time
>Just need to get a stock for it and give it to him

I can see this being a win-win either way.

break action or pellet gun

Yeah, you could buy both, you shoot the 10/22 while you teach him to shoot the bolt gun. Have fun shooting together and when you feel he's ready you drop the 10/22 in a youth stock and give it to him. When he's holder you can put it back in the full size stock.

Honestly 12 is the point if it's a boy (male) that you can give them a full sized 22. They'll grow into it.

My dad (ex-red army officer who came to the US from the USSR) bought me a nugget as my first gun when I turned 11. Took me to the range once a week and forced me to shoot it over and over again. At the time I hated it because it hurt so much and left bruises but looking back I'm glad he got me into this hobby.
As far as what to buy him, a 10/22 would've been perfect as an introductory gun. Light, simple, easy to handle and shoot, and cheap

I took my daughter shooting a few times when she was 7 and 8 and let her use my S&W M&P 15-22. She really enjoyed it.

She asked to shoot my pistol the last time we went and after showing her how to lock her arms and use a firm grip to take the recoil, simulating recoil by pulling the gun toward her as she tried to keep it locked in front of her, and her ignoring the advice each time, I figured this would be a great life lesson in listening to dad so I let her shoot it 'her way' with 1 bullet loaded and yes it slapper her face hard and yes she cried and yes she stopped coming shooting with me and yes she now knows guns hurt people and she should always listen to dad.

Lever action .22, and/or
Break action 12ga, single or SxS

Both full size, he'll grow into them, but pumps will be hard to work initially. Also, kids get into trouble with autoloaders, I have no idea why but it's always a handgun or auto loader when a kid under 13 does something dumb

>Wood Stock
>Matte Black Finish
Please tell me thats not on the stock

I started w/a semi-22 and wasted ammo, when I got a single shot 22 I learned how to shoot

Ruger American Rimfire 22lr takes 10/22 mags

You're an asshole.

.38/357 mag levergat. .38 special is pretty mild out of a rifle and good for small game, .357 mag out of a rifle can reliably stop black bears. Also won't need to buy him as many guns later on.

I bought the Rossi combo several years ago. 22lr,410 shotgun and one other barrel. Worked well for many years.
Single shot for sure. Safety and wasting ammo.

get him an air rifle, moron

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>yes it slapper her face hard and yes she cried
I thought you said "yes I slapped her face hard" at first.

Manual-action .22 LR or an air-rifle. DO NOT let him handle it unsupervised. 12-year olds do stupid shit and it will only be a few years before he can be trusted with it. Also, teach him to shoot targets safely (.22 LR goes up to 1.25 miles) and hunt responsibly.

He allowed his child to learn a life lesson the hard way when she refused to learn the easy way in a safe, controlled environment. He's not an asshole, he's a good father

Yeah, idk my dad let my 10 year old twin brother and I lose with 22s. We understood the range and responsibility. Other than my brother shooting birds off power lines, there were no problems.