need advice for an 8yr old small game gun

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Guys,

I have an 8 yr old who REALLY wants to go with me for a small game (squirrel/rabbit) hunt and be just like his older brother. He has experience with a .22 off a bench but I am struggling to find a gun that he's going to be able to carry and use in a 'woods walk' type of environment. The combo of weight and LOP makes his older brothers youth model 20 gauge and the .22 too much for him.

I am considering .410, 22LR, and even just a 800 FPS pellet rifle. Budget max would be around $300 and I don't want to give him anything that will literally knock him on his butt.

For reference, I found a shop that had a Mossberg 510 that fit him well, but the 20 gauge barrel was borderline too heavy.

Thanks

 

[militaryrednek]

single shot .410?

 

[Sagan]

single shot .410?

Bingo.

 

[bsmith104]

single shot .410?

X3.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Ruger 10/22. The accessories and possibilities are endless.

 

[Delete]

Thx all. Anyone have any experience with the Rossi models. At 3.75lbs, is recoil atrocious?

 

[BHJ]

Mossberg also. Makes a diminuative .410 pump gun called the bantam.. should be in your price range. I have seen them on the shelves at several local big box sporting goods stores and gun shops. I'm not sure a model 24 savage. Over under .22/.410 would be in your budget and may be a little heavy but if the over don't get em the under will. Great little combo guns. The single shot Rascal is a great kids gun but a 410 offers kids a better chance at sucess which is important at that age.

 

[Bear44]

single shot .410?

X4

A single shot 410 is perfect for a first hunting weapon. If you go with a 22lr, it's going to be very frustrating because it is very hard to take small game with a rifle in many situations. Most 8 year olds need a more forgiving weapon than a rifle.

 

[Bear44]

Thx all. Anyone have any experience with the Rossi models. At 3.75lbs, is recoil atrocious?

No. Recoil is very manageable, especially if you don't go with a 3 inch shell.

A 2 1/2 inch #6 load would be perfect. But if you can't find it, 7 1/2 will do the job. You could also go heavier, #4 or #5, but the pattern will start to get pretty thin fast, so you need to get him within about 25 yards.

 

[Gubydooc]

Rossi makes a Matched Pair 22 Rifle/410 Shotgun single shot youth model with interchangeable barrels, 13 1/4 in. LOP, 3 1/4-5 3/4 lbs. These are great first weapons and next year when he outgrows it and is ready to step up to the 20, they make a great snake charmer. You can probably find one for ~$150...