I agree the 10/22 is a classic however the OP asked for suggestions on a bolt gun.Hard to beat a Ruger 10/22. I've been killing stuff with mine for 35 years and have never cleaned it. LOL.
I had a Ruger 77/22 mag. Loved that gun as a truck gun for PD shoots. Had a Luepold VX111 in 3x9 power on it. Gave it to my grandson. Gonna miss it. Sweet trigger for a Ruger too.I'd go with a Bergara BMR steel. My brother just got one, and it's a solid gun and excellent value. The reviews all say they shoot. A kid is going to beat up a wood stock. The threaded barrel will allow for the addition of a rimfire suppressor, which is always great fun. It comes with a scope base, so just add rings and a scope.
I have a 77/22, which I like, but they're stupidly expensive now. They only come in 22 Hornet, according to Ruger's website. I'm fairly sure they discontinued the whole lineup. Not sure what's still available, or why.
So far he just likes whatever I hand him.11 year old kid, much better with a bolt or lever. semi-auto will be more fun than learning to shoot.
What kind of guns interest him? Classic hunter stuff like grandpa used, western stuff, old WWII things, or modern tactical stuff.
I was given a 77/22 at his age. That’s my benchmark. I’m interested in something of that level of “heirloom.” Not extravagant, but not disposable.I like tikkas but have heard mixed reviews on t1x. The guy that runs the 22 league at my local range said he'd seen a handful of issues with them. I still him and haw about buying one just to have the same trigger as the 5 or 6 centerfire tikkas i have. I have a CZ 455 "tacticool" model that i have shot a couple of the 22 matches with. It shoots pretty decent but Im not a huge fan of the controls. The trigger is pretty lousy, not sure if the 457 models are a significant upgrade in that regard?
Might go full send on a custom rimx build for the NRL 22 matches one of these days but haven't convinced myself id shoot enough to justify it yet.
A "lifetime" all around bolt action 22lr to me screams anschutz 1761 of your preferred flavor but that's also a good chunk of change!
The Bergara has an adjustable trigger. I'm 99% sure that you can swap in any Remington 700 compatible trigger too. There are some videos on how to mod the trigger to get it down to 1#. Not sure that's good for a kidI’ve got a savage with the accutrigger that’s a really nice shooting rifle and very accurate. My first 22 was a Remington bolt action with the worst trigger of any firearm I’ve ever owned. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I got a little older. I still have it but it just sits there. I think I’d try a couple different rifles and see if you can find one with a trigger that you like. He’ll shoot it much better and enjoy it much more if he shoots it really well.