10/22 if you don’t mind the ammo bill when he unleashes a mag or two of 50 rounds on an offending row of cans.
Lever gun is a great choice. I have a Henry carbine and a Winchester 9422. Either one shoots just as well.
Nicest thing is they are MUCH cleaner than a semi auto. All the dirty soot stays in the barrel rather than drifting all the way through the action. So much easier to clean.
Either will accept a scope with dove tail rings and you can add sling attachments easily if you wish.
Nothing against bolt actions, but if you can get a lever gun, go for it. There is something inherently COOL about a lever gun.
Ruger 10/22.
I vote for the Smith and Wesson 15-22. Mine does not jam. It is accurate and it looks way cool from a young fellas point of view.
The disassembly for cleaning is easy for the S&W and a bear of chore for the 10-22 (which I also own). Pay a little more and get the para-military style Smith 15-22.
My son’s first rifle was a Marlin 925 bolt action. He still
has it and his friends can’t put it down. It has been a great
rifle. Something to consider.
The Marlin lever action model 39a I used in my youth was sweet and was very well made, don’t know If you can get them anymore though. I’ve always liked bolt action guns though, probably better for a kid. They’re hard on guns, lol.
Ruger 10/22 for 250 bucks. A couple of extra mags and tax gets you to the number.
Important to teach marksmanship and ammo conservation to youth. Autos, pumps, and lever actions permit too much firing without aiming.
Start him off with a bolt action and focus on aiming before shooting.
I can’t count the number of squirrels and rabbits I have killed with my Ruger 10/22 and I still have and am I still using the one my father bought me 30 years ago. It still hits what I aim at.
Be sure and stock up on ammo while you can.
Or learn how to make your own and stock up on bullets, powder, primer, and casings.
Bump for reading at home tonight. Been thinking about getting a semi-auto rifle for younger kid. She’s 19 now and very responsible.
You stated that the boy wants to hunt with it. Note that if you are in a state like Pennsylvania, there is no hunting with semi-auto rifles, so a Ruger 10/22 or Marlin 60 is off the list.
Now for some fun with targets and plinking, it’s difficult to beat a 10/22.
If you want a lever action,then consider a Marlin 39A.Pretty much unbeatable for fit and finis and the accuracy is excellent.
Ruger 10/22 ($250 to $400 depending on make and model)
Henry lever action .22 ($300 to $400)
Ruger 10/22 is a fine rifle.
Does Marlin still make the 80 DL? It was my first and an excellent bolt action.
I have a Henry Youth model that’s pretty nice. It loosens up after it goes through a few Youth’s. It does shorts, longs and long rifles. But nobody uses anything but LR’s anymore.
A base Ruger 10/22 however would be my choice. He could keep it forever and have a blast.
Henery Goldenboy. That thing is such quality that he will be handing it down to his great grand kids.
Henry 22 - have a scope on ours for son but not sure of specifics.