1st time deer rifle

FWIW
Go with Savage for price, package, and performance

*Bolt Action
*Scoped
*Caliber .243 or .308 these 2 calibers are plenty pill for deer, antelope and varmints. Easy on the shoulder, easy to learn marksmanship skills with. Cartridges are inexpensive and readily available in mom and pop stores across the nation.

Save the brass for when you decide to start handloading.
 
I won't even address the 30-30 cartridge as a hunting round .
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Why not? The 30-30 is probably the perfect balance of bullet velocity and weight for the quick, humane killing of deer sized animals out to 150+ yards. How much further than that would you want your beginning hunter to be shooting?

I can understand some concern about the slight difficulty in cycling cartridges through the action to unload, but most bolt actions without box mazazines are much the same.
Performing that unloading action is not rocket science, it simply requires paying attention to what you are doing.

That having been said, a good Howa or Savage bolt action would probably be the best choice. Caliber is up to you, but I'd be looking at .260 Rem, or 7-08...
 
I have two Stevens 200's and love them both, one in .223 and another in .30-06. When my younger brother started hinting that he wanted to deer hunt, I went out and found a Savage 11 package gun (pre-accutrigger) in .243 for him. Personally, I love them all, but the Stevens .223 is by far my favorite. It's one of the earlier models and has a better trigger than the other two.
 
I don't know how big your boys are or how big they're gonna get but I wouldrecommend the Winchester '94 in 30-30. It has a slimmer stock than the Marlin for smaller hands and the newer ones have a cross bolt safety so you can unload it without an accidental discharge. So to fire it you have to have the cross bolt safety off, the hammer back, and the lever squeezed. In essence 3 safties. So I don't know where some people would say they're unsafe. You can keep it iron sights or put a scope on it. Plus, people have been killing animals with a 30-30 for a lot of years.
 
@ oneoldsap,

Why would you chamber every round in a lever action to unload the rifle? Try the following with the rifle pointed in a safe direction, safety on (if equipped) and everything (including clothing) away from the trigger. When a cartridge is placed on the feeding mechanism from the tubular magazine, the cartridge should fall into your hand if the ejection area is facing down - put your hand under the ejection area to catch the cartridge and put the ejection area facing down. With that cartridge out of of rifle, cycle the action closed (there should be no cartridge in the chamber but make sure this is true - watch the chamber as you close the action). Now, open the action again to put a another cartridge on the feeding mechanism of the action. Again, put the ejection area facing down with your hand under the ejection area to catch the cartridge. With that cartridge removed form the rifle, watch the chamber to make sure no cartridge enters it and close the action. Repeat until the rifle is empty. When you believe all the cartridges are out of the magazine and chamber, visually check the magazine again and also the chamber.

You may also be able to do this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCn3fxRhmB8
 
Keep in mind that most 13 year-olds are not full-grown, so if hunting with a full-length rifle stock with bulky clothes, the rifle will not fit!

Youth-length stocks are only one inch shorter than standard, yet if a synthetic is chosen, it's often not possible to lengthen the stock at a later date.

I like the Handi-Rifle for beginners, with low-powered variable scopes for beginners. Stocks can be cut easily and slip-on pads installed. Save the piece cut off and replace it as the child grows, or just buy a replacement buttstock.

The rifle is relatively safe, due to the single-shot capacity and the transfer bar ignition system that can't fire if the trigger is not pulled as the hammer drops.

They are also easily used by both right and left-handers.

The one I bought used for my grandsons to use is in .243 Win and I'm quite impressed with the round for deer hunting. Shooting 100 grain bullets, it's got very adequate ballistics and very good trajectory out to 300 yards, though I limit beginners to 200 yards.

A single-shot defines the need for careful aiming while hunting. It works!!! My grandson shot a 140 lb. doe at 150 yards on opening day last year. It was apparently dead when it hit the ground, since it never quivered. Internal damage was excellent.
 
It has a slimmer stock than the Marlin for smaller hands
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.... and a lighter contoured barrel for reduced weight and increased felt recoil.....

There, finished it for ya.

I also do not know how big your kids are..... I have daughters, and even with the Marlin's heavy barrel, a reduced load and a fat recoil pad, the 30/30 is a challenge for nearly any 10-12 y.o. girl...... they need all the help they can get.
 
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