First rifle for 13 year boy ?

If I could go back and tell my dad what I would have wanted for a first 22
Leveraction all day

if you really want to boost the skills get a 10m air target air rifle you can easily set up a range in your yard/basement/hallway

work on basic positions like standing , sitting , prone. Learn how to use a sling.

the reconditioned daisy 853s you can get from cmp for $120 are a good fundamental platform builder.
I cant get to a range as often ad I like and the 853 is my only consistent practice.
 
My kiddo started CCW his cap gun at age 5, bench rest shooting an air rifle at age 6 and shooting a blow back BB pistol (styled after the M&P full size Gen 1) at age 10. New England Air Gun has a nice indoor air rifle range in Hudson, MA. My boy hasn’t had any interest in accompanying me to the range to shoot real firearms yet, so I’m not pushing because I want him to develop his own interests.

When he is ready, I’ll have him bench rest a .22 rifle (Ruger 10-22 or similar), then a .22 pistol (Ruger Mark IV 22/45) then the sky is the limit… I’ve actually already bought firearms for him already, he just doesn’t know it yet… they’re cleaned, locked and put away until he is ready (note: I’ve also bought him a dozen baseball hats already too, so once he is in HS and college he’ll have NOS “vintage” hats no one else can get 😁)

My $0.02… start your kiddo small and build up to his comfort level… I started my boy on the NRA Eddie Eagle program at about age 5 with his cap guns and we review the safety fundamentals with the pellet guns every time. If your kid(s) can demonstrate safety and show interest in trying something in a larger caliber then go for it.

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I suppose I have two suggestions for you.

First one is something similar to a Mossberg 44. Magazine fed bolt action. The one I have was actually given to my Step Grandfather when he was 12. Few years ago he handed down to me. Accurate shooter as its pretty heavy for what it is.

The other is a Henry 22 youth. I picked one up a few months ago with the thought when my daughter was old enough and showed interest she could start there. I haven't had the chance to try it out yet so I don't know how it shoots but if it is like my other Henry it will be fun.
 

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I will break with the group here. My son started shooting with a single shot, break barrel pellet gun. When it was time for his first rifle, I wanted it to be something that he loved to shoot, was tons of fun, could shoot ANY ammo, and would be something he cherished his whole life.
As an added bonus, EVERYONE loves shooting this rifle. My wife loves shooting this thing.
Great magazine capacity and you can run 22 shorts for subsonic, no ear protection, plinking just about anywhere. Another bonus is the rifle is beautiful and high quality.

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wise choice
 
Arisaka? [laugh] At ~13, my kid called "Dibs!" on one, and it was "his." Including the ammo cost [shocked]

Of course, he'd been shooting Trap for 4+ years.

My point is that each kid is different....it's not the rifle, it's the rifleperson that's important. All of the above suggestions have merit, but the most important consideration is maturity, not caliber or action, or LOP.

Have fun, and get ready to be posting the lower scores, soon. [rofl]
 
My nephew first shot my AR with .22 dedicated upper then his dad got him a Savage youth rifle (bolt action). He had fun with both.

An AR with dedicated upper is something a younger person could grow with and into.

Or you could go .577 T-rex.
 
My kiddo started CCW his cap gun at age 5, bench rest shooting an air rifle at age 6 and shooting a blow back BB pistol (styled after the M&P full size Gen 1) at age 10. New England Air Gun has a nice indoor air rifle range in Hudson, MA. My boy hasn’t had any interest in accompanying me to the range to shoot real firearms yet, so I’m not pushing because I want him to develop his own interests.

When he is ready, I’ll have him bench rest a .22 rifle (Ruger 10-22 or similar), then a .22 pistol (Ruger Mark IV 22/45) then the sky is the limit… I’ve actually already bought firearms for him already, he just doesn’t know it yet… they’re cleaned, locked and put away until he is ready (note: I’ve also bought him a dozen baseball hats already too, so once he is in HS and college he’ll have NOS “vintage” hats no one else can get 😁)

My $0.02… start your kiddo small and build up to his comfort level… I started my boy on the NRA Eddie Eagle program at about age 5 with his cap guns and we review the safety fundamentals with the pellet guns every time. If your kid(s) can demonstrate safety and show interest in trying something in a larger caliber then go for it.

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This is the way to do it.
 
I started with a JC Higgins, mag fed bolt action .22lr. I thought it was pretty cool. Today, a Ruger Precision would likely be my lust.
 
Remington dropped the line 2 yrs ago but the the break action Handi-Rifle in the .243 was a great choice for a young shooter. Would think a few used ones are out there.
 
My 13yo has a Ruger Precision Rimfire. It’s accurate with just about all ammo, uses 10-22 mags, and (most importantly) is fully adjustable to fit him as he grows. It’s a bench rifle for sure, but we bought it so he can compete in the 100 yard egg shoots we do, and it is fantastic for that. I use a much cheaper Savage MkII. It is just as accurate, but to make it as shootable, I replaced the stock with a heavier one from Boyd’s and put in an aftermarket trigger kit. I have nearly as much $ in my Savage as the Ruger cost, and the Ruger was ready to go off the shelf.

We also have an M&P 15-22, but rarely shoot it. It’s fun and accurate enough for plinking, but we both enjoy shooting golf tees at 50 yards more.

We had a GSG MP5 clone in .22. We sold that to fund a trap shotgun for him. We both regret it. Also not a tack driver, but really, really fun to shoot.

Don’t bother with a “youth size” rifle. We had both the Cricket and a Rossi 22/20 combo. He outgrew both very quickly, and that 20 kicked like a mother! Hardest kicking shotgun I have ever fired. Turned him off of clay shooting for a good 2 years until we bought him a much milder Franchi autoloader.
 
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I got into guns just before I turned 50. If you bring him shooting young. Let him shoot something you have in 22. Then let him shoot some thing bigger. Just explain what to expect. Anything smaller than the biggest thing he shot will seem like nothing. I have a Henry lever action in 357. That I would have been in love with as a kid if my family had been shooters.
 
Love love LOVE my Henry 22 lever! As has been said, with 22 shorts it's virtually silent, and not bad with LR either. Light enough, accurate, reliable... Buy him a cheap straw hat and he'll be a cowboy:)

I've had friends over to shoot, lay out AR's, AK's, revolvers, 1911s, and NOBODY grins like the do after shooting the Henry. Ask 'em why and they universally say "Dunno, it's just FUN, feel like a kid again".
 
At about the same age, mine was a Browning BL-22.
For my son at about the same age, I got him a Savage MKII.
 
Appreciate the replies.

Henry claims to have sold over 1,000,000 of their lever guns in .22 and it being able to shoot s/l/lr makes it something I will look into along with the others mentioned, how difficult is it to clean the Henry ?
95% of the time a bore snake and wipe down is all you need.
Every now and again I will break it down. It's pretty much 8 screws and idiot proof.
 
I should mention that my son's second rifle was an M&P 15-22. It is also stupid fun. With a red dot or even just the iron sights it comes with it is also a family favorite.

Oh and someone told me once that 25 rnd magazines are available everywhere on line. But in Mass they ship with 10 rounders.
 
I will break with the group here. My son started shooting with a single shot, break barrel pellet gun. When it was time for his first rifle, I wanted it to be something that he loved to shoot, was tons of fun, could shoot ANY ammo, and would be something he cherished his whole life.
As an added bonus, EVERYONE loves shooting this rifle. My wife loves shooting this thing.
Great magazine capacity and you can run 22 shorts for subsonic, no ear protection, plinking just about anywhere. Another bonus is the rifle is beautiful and high quality.

View attachment 510354
Excellent choice ! Squirrels will tremble in fear! IIRC Mepps still pays a bounty for squirrel tails. [grin]
 
Appreciate the replies.

Henry claims to have sold over 1,000,000 of their lever guns in .22 and it being able to shoot s/l/lr makes it something I will look into along with the others mentioned, how difficult is it to clean the Henry ?
Really only needs enough oil to prevent rust and seasonal cleaning.
 
I have an old JM Marlin 39A mountie which has the shorter 20" barrel. I feel like it would be perfect for a kid's first rifle. Shorter length, lever action, .22LR.....just a recipe for endless fun.
 
Is there an -ideal- training rifle; BB/Pellet or .22, what action/stocks/sights-scope, tripod, bench rest- sled-to sling or not to sling ? ; budget unlimited.

How about the best family club in the Lakes Region NH ??
Get him into a junior rifle program. They'll have rifles, bolt guns with adjustable sights and slings. With a little training and some competition he'll figure out what he likes, what fits. THEN go buy him one.
 
Not an autoloader.
A single shot is great.
You can shoot subsonic with lever, bolt, breech, pump
So no hearing protection if you choose.
One with leaf sights, one with peep sight.
Then introduce optic.
Nothing wrong with a Cricket. Though the Henry minibolt is my kids'favorite.
Any lever gun even a youth model will be heavy, manageable, but heavy for a kid to steady.
 
S&W 15-22, can mount optics but has iron sights - teaches them the basics of AR operation - multiple colors last time I looked.

I started both mine at 7yo with these.
 
Another vote for Henry lever. A little extra training is involved with the Henry I’ve seen people put their hand over the muzzle loading them. Savage mkIi is also a great choice.
 
Appreciate the replies.

Henry claims to have sold over 1,000,000 of their lever guns in .22 and it being able to shoot s/l/lr makes it something I will look into along with the others mentioned, how difficult is it to clean the Henry ?
I picked one up at the beginning of the lockdown, and it came to the range almost every two weeks for the next year. I wipe it down after each trip, but have only disassembled it one time and that one time it was pretty clean after lots of rounds. Unlike a semiauto, the action doesn't get fouled up from the case ejecting right after every round. The Henry after 1k is still probably cleaner than my 15-22 after 50 rounds!

There are some disassembly videos on Youtube, but you basically remove the stock then take out a few screws on each side of the receiver. You can then take out the bolt and give everything a good cleaning.

As others have mentioned, shooting subsonics results in a sound level around the same as a higher powered pellet gun. I've introduced some newbies to the hobby in the last year, and I always start with the Henry firing CCI Quiets.
 
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