NB what they say his first rifle was: Bolt action, .30-06.
I think everyone’s first rifle should be a single-shot, ie, either bolt action or falling block.
Too many kids I instruct in 4-H and other shooting educational situations are given 10/22’s as their first rifle and they lack discipline of making the first shot count because they have so many more with which to follow up.
Yup. Same with shotguns for bird hunting.
BINGO! I 100% agree. I've been an instructor for a very long time but I credit my dad for making me understand that shots have to count by buying me a single shot Mossberg .22LR bolt action for my first rifle. I was so little, he had to have the stock sawn off to make it fit! Of course, I was never allowed to just take off (toddle off?) on my own unless he or another skilled adult was with me, but I joined the NRA at about age 5 and the rest is history. When I remember being the XO of the Division Pistol Team, (soooo long ago) I also think of my dad.
I learned to shoot with a single-shot (well - even a single “load”) Ithaca .22 rifle. It had a lever-action - but the lever only ejected the shell, and then you loaded by hand another one.
It was great though - and real accurate. My friendss with their semi-autos couldn’t come close. We used to throw stuff in the creek and shoot them. It was soon apparent that I had to be the one to toss the stuff in just to give them a chance to hit it first. (Which was still rare!)