whats a good youth rifle

elkfivebear · 12-07-2008, 08:55 PM

im looking for a good starter youth rifle for my son. He is 10 years old and i would like to get him into the mentor program. he is a small child and i would like the the best caliber for his size. I also have four other boys,s that the rifle will be handed down to. So im asking what would be the best deer rifle for a youth with not a lot of kick.

Thanks

4on4off · 12-07-2008, 09:16 PM

7mm-08,7x57

leadlobber · 12-07-2008, 09:20 PM

what will he be hunting for? if its deer you cant go wrong with a 243. light kick shoots 100 gr bullets.

jmg · 12-07-2008, 10:13 PM

One that goes BOOM! I've heard good things about the .260.

fillet&release · 12-07-2008, 10:20 PM

Go take a look at a ruger model 77 compact in 7mm-08 recoil is about like a 243 but it has a lot more knock down power than one. You might also look at a Remington 700 sps youth in same caliber. I am very impressed with the caliber and both rifles are great. If you are anywhere near salem I would be happy to let you check mine out. let me know
Zach

elkfivebear · 12-08-2008, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fillet&release

Go take a look at a ruger model 77 compact in 7mm-08 recoil is about like a 243 but it has a lot more knock down power than one. You might also look at a Remington 700 sps youth in same caliber. I am very impressed with the caliber and both rifles are great. If you are anywhere near salem I would be happy to let you check mine out. let me know
Zach

thanks for the sugestion i will take a look at those. Also thanks for your offer to look at yours but im in springfield and dont make it up north that often.

thanks marcus

archeryjh · 12-08-2008, 07:30 AM

You can buy a youth model .243 with a scope already on it at bi-mart for around $300. I bought one for my wife and it is a tack driver.

Bluefinn · 12-08-2008, 07:31 AM

I would start him out with a 30-30.Teach him to shoot with open sights first.Teach him to get in close use the wind stalk game with out being detected.

sidewinder · 12-08-2008, 08:04 AM

I think any of the youth models would work. I cut down a rem. 788 in .308 for my son. The small calibers, and gauge's are cripplers in the wrong hands imo...but only you have a feel for your son. If a .243 is what he needs. Then that would be best.

CWOregon · 12-08-2008, 08:13 AM

I started shooting my dad's remington model 700 .243 when I was about 7 or 8 years old and then hunted with it from the time it was legal (12 years old for me) until I was about 14. The kick from the gun has never really bothered me and it may not bother your kid either. As long as he isnt scared of it he will shoot it fine. When I was 15 I started using a .300 Weatherby Mag and was never intimidated by it. Just make sure he shoots it a lot and feels comfortable with it no matter which caliber you choose. Other good ones could be 25-06, 270, .257 weatherby, etc. Just really depends..... My .02............

baltz526 · 12-08-2008, 02:51 PM

the remington model 7 youth is a great starter gun, a fixed 4 power scope and good shooting sticks. hearing protection reduces the kick of any rifle you choose.

Hunt'nFish · 12-08-2008, 03:05 PM

If you have 4 other kids that it will be handed down to as the years go by, I'd look at a single shot .243 NEF Handi Rifle, and make a 7mm-08 rem700 or equivent the "next" rifle in the maturation of a young hunter process.

The break open single shot will teach the #1 pricipal...make every shot count. and the exposed hammer is about as safe an action type as possible.
And if you really liked...for the $$ you could by two..one in .243 and one in .223 and get them out after coyotes & jack rabbits. Make the .223 an SB2 Varminter and you might find yourself using it just as much as them.

They also are actually very accurate rifles too. I believe they make the Handi rifle in a youth model w/ shorter stock too. About as light a package as you'll find for a young hunter.
Great inexpensive starter rifles if you ask me.

I'd also be watching for used short action Remingtons like the .260Rem, 7mm-08 or .308win as well.
Either way, mount up low power scopes on them or start w/ open sites.
Hunt'nFish

Linejerk · 12-08-2008, 03:17 PM

I say 243

12-08-2008, 03:18 PM

.243, 25-06, .257 all are great deer guns with not much recoil

Capt. Slick · 12-08-2008, 03:38 PM

I started my kid off with a .270. could be heavy if he is recoil shy.

XXX archer · 12-08-2008, 04:02 PM

Low recoil is a must. The worst thing you can do is start them off with something that causes them to start flinching. They will thank you in the future. For deer 22-250 works well.

DakotaTheKiller · 12-08-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkfivebear

im looking for a good starter youth rifle for my son. He is 10 years old and i would like to get him into the mentor program. he is a small child and i would like the the best caliber for his size. I also have four other boys,s that the rifle will be handed down to. So im asking what would be the best deer rifle for a youth with not a lot of kick.

Thanks

I started at 11, with a Remington model 700. 243. I was a pretty big kid, but it didn't kick too hard, and I dropped both the deer I shot with it right in it's tracks past 150 yards. I think it's a good starter.

DAB · 12-08-2008, 04:49 PM

I vote for the .243

Deer --- yotes --- sage rats.

DAB

code1p36 · 12-08-2008, 05:16 PM

I started with the .243 Ruger M77 when I was about 13 and now my younger sister shoots it. In my opinion it is a great gun for Deer, Coyotes, sage rats and target practicing. My current deer gun is a .260 Ruger M77 Mark II and it does have some more recoil than the .243 so I would stay away from the .260 for now. The nice thing about the .243 is that it is one of the most common calibers, therefore, the bullets are more reasonably priced than others. The .243 does still have a tiny bit of recoil, especially for a 10 year old so maybe do some research on getting a recoil pad for him, I have heard great things about SIMS LimbSaver. I agree with others on this forum that you don't want to scare away a young hunter from a gun with a lot of recoil.

My vote is for the .243, without question.

Trick · 12-08-2008, 05:59 PM

Another vote for the .243....started my oldest boy with it and moved him into a 7mm-08 this year and handed the .243 to my next son. Both are Savage rifles and the .243 is deadly accurate. Both boys dropped their deer this year with one shot each. Can't argue with success.

The .243 was a Bi-mart package deal. Great bang for the buck!

Softball Dad · 12-08-2008, 08:23 PM

I would vote for a 308. Very light kicker, deadly accurate, 30 caliber is a great deer and close range elk round. Almost the same balistics as a 30-06.

Quaka Wacka · 12-09-2008, 05:01 PM

I would vote 7-08. Great deer killer, and even enough for elk. The 120 grn TSX is tough to beat.

But the most improtant is one that fits him. The NEF are great guns, but I would trade out the recoil pad if you went that route. The stock pad is about as compressable as a chunk of tire. Recoil pad and overall fit will have more of an effect than just caliber selection alone.

Crayfin · 12-09-2008, 05:33 PM

Lets see... .260----check 7mm-08----check .243----had one

Recoil is minimum on both the .260 and 7mm-08 and I think would make a fine gun for a youth. I love both of mine and I am 38!! That being said the 7mm-08 has larger selection of bullets and a guy can "load up" as the kids get bigger without having to get a new gun. A .243 is just a deer/varmit gun in my opinion unless it is in the hands of a seasoned shooter

I have whacked alot of stuff with my .260 bucks/bears/coyotes/rabbits and they were all one shot kills (all right...the bear took a couple but that was my fault

)

I agree with getting him one that fits though...the model 7's are super youth or ladies guns and my little 700 mountain rifles are not alot bigger...they are just so small and easy to carry I end up picking them up most of the time.