Deer rifle for youth

heiner39

heiner39

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My 9 year old son is dying to get out hunting with me and can't wait to turn 12 so he can. That being said he really wants to start shooting a rifle as he's done very well with a .22. He is a fairly big kid (4'11", 120lbs at age 9) so I'm kind of wondering what you guys think would be a good deer caliber for him. I'm thinking of a .243 but also curious about a 7mm .08.

Any thoughts or opinions? I'm going to start keeping my eye out for a good deal on one so he can get started and ready for 2014.
 
30-30 leaver action is the shortest stock off the shelf rifle
other than the youth rifles
hand loading and or cast bullets can reduce the recoil till he gets uses to it
in fact if in close less than 90 yards almost any leaver action cal would be good for deer size. Even 357 mag / 44 mag and some of the older rounds
 
A 30-30 lever is gonna be quite a bit heavier than a .243 youth bolt action though.

I would look at getting a Savage model 11 or Marlin X series with a youth stock in .243.

Once he outgrows the stock you can order a fullsize laminate from Boyds for under $100.
 
I never thought of replacing the stock once he outgrows it. Great idea!

I don't handload. I have always thought about getting into it but just can't seem to find the time.
 
Both sound like good ideas. I've heard a lot of good things about 7mm-08. I think a bolt action rifle is the best idea for simplicity and safety.
 
I have taught a few young hunters to shoot, and my 7-08's have served them well.
From coyotes to moose, it takes them effectively.
You just have to match the bullet to the game.

I still shoot it on occasion.

"most" young shooters can handle the recoil just fine.
Give it a try.
 
243 is fine and has the least recoil. A 260 and a 7-08 has a better selction of big game type bullets.

My kids were shooting their 308s back to 600 yards at age 10, using down-loaded ammo. They did not shoot past 600 becasue the rifles just wouldn't shoot well past that distance.

Do you know anyone who could load some mild 260 or 708 ammo for you? each year they could laod with a couple more grains of powder.
 
Harrington & Richardson Handi-Rifle Compact comes in .243Win or 7mm-08. Overall length <37 inches with a 22 inch barrel. Length of pull is <12 inches, weight is <7 pounds. The simplicity of the single shot break action can be a good thing for new and/or young shooters.
 
I would look at the weatherby vanguard youth model. Has a spacer system to adjust lop as he gets bigger. 20" barrel. Short action 243 or 7mm08. Excellent price as well. That would be my pick.
 
Surprised this hasn't made the list yet ...

There are plenty of old Bubba'ed 303 Enfields out there, that can be had for dirt cheap. Why not continue the bubba and cut the stock to fit him? If 18 yr old "kids" could drag them through trenches for days on end, I'm sure he could carry it for a day's hunt. Simple, reliable bolt action, plenty of punch for a deer, and a few more dings and dents (as is bound to happen with almost any kid) won't hurt it. Maybe a good recoil pad if the kick bothers him too much.

If nothing else, he would be carrying on a Canadian Tradition for the first year or two :)
 
IMagius said:
Surprised this hasn't made the list yet ...

There are plenty of old Bubba'ed 303 Enfields out there, that can be had for dirt cheap. Why not continue the bubba and cut the stock to fit him? If 18 yr old "kids" could drag them through trenches for days on end, I'm sure he could carry it for a day's hunt. Simple, reliable bolt action, plenty of punch for a deer, and a few more dings and dents (as is bound to happen with almost any kid) won't hurt it. Maybe a good recoil pad if the kick bothers him too much.

If nothing else, he would be carrying on a Canadian Tradition for the first year or two :)
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:

He's 10!

An enfield weighs like 9 pounds without optics, and is huge.

And the recoil is rather stout, even in such a beast of a gun.

Might as well get him a Mosin 91/30! :eek:
 
Found this to be an interesting read, and offers a lot of good insight. You have big deer in SK. Worth a look http://ww w.chuckhawks.com/youth_hunting_rifle.htm
 
7mm-08, 6.5x55, or if you can locate one, a 7x57, all good calibers.
Even a 308win would be a good choice if you reload or purchase the
reduced loads.
 
by the time he's 12 hes gonna need a new gun or at least a new stock. If the idea is to get him into center fires to practice i would get a 223 for him due to the cheap ammo and then get a deer gun for him on his 11th birthday
 
Too bad you don't handload. I think that the .250 Savage is a top notch chambering, but you really need to handload to make the most of it. A .243 may be a good choice, or perhaps a .25-06; the latter is a better all around cartridge, but is more limited in ammo availability.
 
I worked my kids from .22 LR to .223 to .243, then my boy was able to get to .257 Weatherby before he started on deer. The girl only managed to make it to .243 her first year, but that was more about rifle weight than anything else. Even then, it looked like the rifle was bigger than she was. I got her a tupperware tikka with limbsaver in 7/08 for her second, but only because we couldn't find a Kimber Montana in 7/08.
Recoil of 7/08 doesn't seem to bother my girl at all, nor does the recoil of the Savage muzzleloader she used on a couple NT mulies this year. The Savages are way too heavy for her to carry for long, which adds "gunbearer" to my dad hunting resume along with "wallet with a driver's licence". Soon they won't need me at all.:(
 
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