suggestions on buying my sons 1st rifle

[plissken]

Rossi makes a youth gun kit that is a convertible 20 ga., 243 win, and 22LR rifle. Kind of like a thompson contender. I think there is also a 4 way kit that includes a 50 cal black powder rifle.

We have the one that is (just) a .243 rifle, seems to work pretty well. Cheap too.

Exactly what I was thinking.

http://www.rossiusa.com/product-details.cfm?id=82&category=2&toggle=&breadcrumbseries=

 

[Cinaet]

Cricket for sure. One for each so they each have their own. At a hundred dollars each two of them won't break the bank and a kid learns so much from using a single shot .22. The Henry is a great choice too, but if you're buying two of them it's gonna get a little expensive.

 

[Souperphly]

Cricket would get my vote if they had some kind of magazine tube or box. Hand dropping those tiny 22lr's straight into the chamber is a pain in the ass.

 

[ez bake]

If your kids are medium to large sized for their ages (8 and 10), then they're probably already to large for a Cricket - I bought one and my kids had less than 100rds through it before we sold it.

You might not like this answer, but I went through the exact same thing you did a few years back when my boys were around the same age (now my 9yr old is about to turn 10 and my 11yr old is barely taller than him) and I decided to see what they were going to be into - let them shoot some of my guns and decided to do two custom builds for each of them that took the better part of a year or so to complete.

My 9 year old got an AR:

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And my 11 year old got a Remington 700 .308 (the one on the bottom):

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It took a very long time to put both guns together, but I ended up with both boys learning all the fundamentals of shooting as well as the 4 laws very well along the way. I don't worry about ADs/NDs with them because they know what they are doing (and I supervise them closely when letting them handle guns anyways, but I've caught them giving the 4 laws speech to other folks at the range who are being less than careful and I'm really proud when that happens).

They also learned the basics of what makes up each gun and both of them can tear an AR down all the way to the individual parts of the BCG and can take a Remington 700's bolt apart with their shoe-laces (thanks to Lowlight's video ).

My oldest boy is learning the basics of using his reticle for range-finding and can adjust the knobs on his scope from a dope/range-card like he knows what he's doing at 200-300yds.

My youngest can shoot & scoot and swap mags like he's ready to attend a practical carbine match, and both have guns that will last them a life-time and they were told in the beginning that they only got one gun to choose, so make it a good one - and they did.

It took long enough that they both got tired of waiting (and so did I), but it was well worth the wait. Just be sure to teach them as much as you can before they ever get onto the rifle - then keep teaching them the whole time.

They soak this stuff up like a sponge and will end up surprising you.

 

[JB Books]

I don't know what your budget is, but I would recommend a Winchester 1890, 1906 or 62. They are pump action models. They are pretty collectable depending on their condition. However, you can find decent "shooters" out there.

I got mine when I was 8 years old and still have it. It is one of two guns I would never sell.

 

[*ryno*]

as mentioned before, great info guys thanks
definitely some food for thought, i need to start doing some homework now and studying up

 

[Bailey331]

Got my 11 year old a Thompson Center encore last year for Christmas. Its a single shot rifle with barrels you can change out that come in a 100 cal. Good gun to last a lifetime for any hunting from Oklahoma to Africa.