Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire guns for son

I have a 14 year-old son he has been bird hunting with me since he was 8. He started deer hunting when he was 12 as soon as he was old enough to get a tag.He currently uses a browning a-5 20ga for birds, dove, quail, some ducks.He has progressed to the auto thru 410 single shot, 20ga single shot. I will replace the 20ga with a simalar 12ga auto in a couple years. He uses a savage 30.06 for deer. He is a bigger than avarage boy so the recoil does not seem to bother him. My question is besides the 12ga and .06 will he need any other guns to get started in his hunting as he leaves home for college and young adulthood? It is a given that he will get all the guns in my safe someday, but i hope thats not for a while, plus he has a younger brother to compete with for those. ijust want to send him out into the world with a good start.

I hate to say it but really a 30/06 is all you need (dont tell my wife)
But something like a .223 for varmints is good to have.

Add in a 22LR, and nowdays maybe a case of ammo, and he should be good to go. The other 15 or 20 units we stash in the safe are simply gravy.

The glaring one missing in my eyes is a good .22 rifle and .22 handgun. These are invalueable tools for small game, plinking and fundamental learning. Ammo is still cheap and hours of fun can be had. Have him pick out the style he likes in the rifle, autoloader, pump or lever and then it is something you both were part of. The handgun should be accurate and easily carried when hunting. Something in line with a Ruger single six, High Standard HD Military or Ruger Mark II would serve him well. After that maybe a varmint caliber rifle. Something in the .223 or 22-250. If he learns to reload the .222 is my favorite. My boy is 9 and I have been slowly collecting his battery since he was about 2. He has an Ithaca 37 20 gauge, a Savage 99 in 250 Savage and a Husqvarna featherweight in 30-06. He regularly shoots his Stevens Favorite in .22 or Savage Cub in .22 and when he gets older I have a Ruger bearcat in .22 for him to learn on. All are good quality, shoot well and most of the big bore rifles have been modified to fit him and the pieces saved to be replaced later. Just my thoughts, Ryan

Thanks, forgot to mention he also has a .22

I wouldn't worry too much about that 12 gauge unless he is a serious duck/goose hunter. I like a good O/U 20 for all my bird hunting.
I agree with a .22 pistol. I love my Ruger, but sometimes wish I had a auto also.
A .223 or .243 for varmint hunting and practice. I wish I had a .233 since I can never decide which to carry.

stumpy

I'll have to add a pistol, i don't think his mom will ok that for a year or two though. He loves to go bird hunting, i don't think he needs a 12ga either as we hunt mostly quail and dove. I think it may be a macho issue as dad and grampa both use a 12ga. Thats ok though i'll be happy to carry that 20ga when i get it back

can't beat a good varmint gun, I'd say get him a .223

welcome to the campfire mohave mauler1

another vote here for a varminter. So many to choose from but the 223 is so very afordable to shoot, and fun. So, even though I like my 220 swift & 22-250 better, another vote for 223 here.

Get him started practicing & handling a handgun though. so he's ready when he gets a little older.

I gave my nephew a ruger single six with the 22lr & the 22 mag cylinders when he turned 18. He loves it & he does quite well with it.

Varminter is now added to the list. Tryin to get some of these things taken care of now. Will be buyin cars and other good things to soon. Thanks

Add a Ruger 10/22. Put on an after market bull barrel, a Hogue overmolded stock, and the scope of your choice. Grab some match ammo to see what serious accuracy can be like at 50 yards for small bucks.

That, the '06, and the shotty gun and any kid is good to go!

Sounds like you have the bases covered except for a good Varmint rifle.

I would rather live on my feet protecting my friends and the innocent and die on my knees thanking God for good eyes, lungs and legs, a steady hand and good friends.

you'd better get him an AR-15 before you can't buy one for four digits any more. let him sort the rest out.

i've had plenty of offers for mine, and won't part with it.

-tom

Dad made sure I had a quality deer rifle, shotgun and .22 LR. I added my own .223 later (and many others). To me, those four guns should be part of the "Starter Kit".

SS

I'm with the crew that says get him a smaller bore too. I'd check your local state regs. In Wyoming for example, you need to have at least a .24 to hunt large game -- not that a .223 or .22-250 is not a good long range varmint rifle, or wouldn't kill a deer, but I'd find something just over legal for large game too (if your state has a similar law) and make it a multi purpose rifle-- a .243, 250-3000, or .257 Roberts are some of my preferences, just because of that law here. I'd rather shoot deer and antelope with a quarter bore than with the '06 most of the time. And a .250 Savage, a .243, or the Bob, are also excellent coyote and bobcat guns as well.

But an '06 will do it all fine too (kinda overkill on a prairie dog though ), it's just nice to have options sometimes.