whats the best deer hunting gun for first timers (12 years old) ?

Answer 1

I bought my son a 243, and tha's what I started out with. Makes a good rifle for a beginner.

Answer 2

For a young fellow like you, I'd suggest either an H&R> NEF Handi-Rifle in either .243 Win, or .30-30 WCF. As another person pointed out, they are very economical. they are also dead reliable.

Another good choice would be a Marlin M-336 in .30-30 WCF.

In shotguns, the .410 is pretty worthless for anything other than killing snakes or busting claybirds. Go with a 20 gauge as a minimum for deer hunting. Unless you have some firearms experience, I'd say a single shot, such as an H&R Topper would be a good choice. If you want a repeating shotgun, I recommend a Mossberg M-500 in either 20 gauge or 12 gauge.

As a side note, if you go with the H&R/NEF Handi-Rifle, you can get a shotgun barrel fitted to the reciever at a nominal charge, which would basically give you two guns for less than the price of one fancy bolt-action.

Doc

Answer 3

After reading all the above answers, you have a ton of info, and they are all good choices. I would like to say that I used to work in a great sporting goods store, and found that most parents chose an H&R 1871 rifle. If the boy is not tall, then a youth model will work, if he is tall, then a regular stock works well too. I would say to start with the .308. Here is why. There are plenty of choices for ammo, including low recoil rounds that kill deer just fine. But if you wish to get a different caliber, thats fine too. H&R 1871 handy rifles are sturdy single shot rifles that cost about 200 bucks. They can be fitted for other calibers for about 100 dollars, and will shoot a life time. One gun, several calibers as he grows. Also keep in mind that youth guns are easy to find used because they, like youth clothes get out grown, and can be found used in great shape. What ever you do, try to get a caliber that ammo is cheap. This will assist in buying a ton of ammo to teach your son how to shoot his first deer gun. Good Luck

Answer 4

single shot slug guns produce a lot of recoil which will deter the 12 year old from continuing to hunt, and a .410 slug gun is truly unethical, especially since that gentleman knows that it would likely require a follow up shot.

For a 12 year old, if you are in an area that is restricted to the use of shotguns, a 20 gauge pump gun with slugs will work fine. If you are in rifle country, than your options really open up. A great rifle for a beginner is a .243 or .270, both flat shooting and deliver great power for deer. If the 12 year old is up to it, I have a friend who started with a 30-06, at about that age and he did quite well, wasnt bothered by the recoil much.


so in my opinion, for a shotgun look at mossberg or remington's pump guns, in 20 gauge, with rifled slugs

If you are looking for a rifle, than either a .243 or a .270 is great, models vary from as little as a few hundred for a savage brand to the much higher quality rifles, like browning and kimber

Answer 5

I don't like the idea of specialty cartridges like 243 for beginners. They'll have occasional bullet failures and blame themselves for something that isn't their fault. On the other hand, it's best to avoid the big bangers that might cause a flinch to develop.
The mild cartridges in the deer class that are big enough not to worry about giving up effectiveness are things like 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, 260 Remington, 7mm08 and 7x57 Mauser. My kids are grown men and those are still some of my favorites when I pick a small-bore (and I'm not recoil-sensitive, sometimes choosing something totally too big for deer, and just for the heck of it).
The best rifle is one that fits reasonably well. The Remington Model 7 Youth model is tempting, and others make something equivalent. Be prepared, though, for a growth spurt. I outfitted my youngest with the 7 in 7mm08 with a Leupold 2-7x scope, and of course as soon as I did I could stand him in the corner and watch him grow. Weeds grow slower! And the 7 is a bit "whippy" for my tastes (I like the weight a little more forward), so I don't have one myself.

Answer 6

New England Firearms Handi-Rifle Youth model in .243 with synthetic stock. Cheap(less than $250 on sale), low recoil, and the size is perfect. The .243 is deadly on deer out to a couple of hundred yards.

Later, you can move him to any number of compact rifles designed for mountain hunting. You can get a .308 in a Weatherby Vanguard Compact. It comes with a youth and adult stock. Also, the .308 is made in low-recoil cartridges, to give him more punch than the .243 without much more recoil.

A .410 shotgun is not powerful enough to effectively take deer ethically.

Answer 7

Could do a lot of things but a 30-30 might be nice if shots are under 100 yards.... kick isn't too bad so most 12 year olds can learn to handle it. with some practice. another possibility is a .223... same 100 yard range (bit more actually) but somewhat less kick so a small frame boy or girl might find it useful.
My all time favorite was the 30-06. I had one cut down for my now ex wife but it was absolutely toooo much for someone with a small frame. They are all over the place tho, very common.. dont fall to the temptation of doing that tho unless your son has a large frame and heavy build for a 12 year old.

Answer 8

I agree with barb, my first deer rifle was a 243. It has sufficient power to use responsibly as a deer rifle and is something he will be able to use for years to come. It would be a great choice for a starter rifle.

Answer 9

My nephew got his first deer at age 11 with a .243. It is good for young people with little recoil and reasonable powere for whitetail deer, plus good accuracy.

Answer 10

Yes a .243 or a 30-30..... check your state laws.... some states require a certain caliber as a minimum for deer hunting....

Answer 11

30-30, 303 British or Winchester 32 Special.*