Rifle Suggestion for a Young Shooter

South Pender

South Pender

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I'm looking for a rifle for my grandson. He is 16 and slightly built. I'll want him to be able to shoot at the range with minimum discomfort, but also take it hunting for coastal blacktail deer at the largest. I'm pretty much leaning towards a .243 Win. and would want a lightweight rifle for him. So I'm hoping that I can find a 6.5 - 7 lb. (unscoped) .243 rifle. That way, we could be at or under 8 lbs. scoped. Just for aesthetics, I think he'd like a wood-stocked gun as he's always admired my walnut-stocked rifles. I guess the traditionalist in me would like to find a good used Sako or Husqvarna or something with real quality. The one new gun that might work would be a Tikka T3 or whatever they're called, but the plastic on them would be a turn-off for me at least.

What would you guys suggest? Am I going about this the right way?

Edit. I think what I'd most like to find would be a Sako Browning Safari pencil barrel in .243 Win. My grandson might not fully appreciate it, but I sure would!:)
 
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Yea, but might I add, take him to the store if you can. Be surprised what he might like, or what might fit him better.

I did that with my wife for the last rifle. I had one in my mind, the xbolt micro, wood stock but she ended up liking the xbolt black synthetic micro. Go figure, but I guess it just shouldered better for her.

243 is a nice caliber for deer. 6.5 creed or 7mm-08 loaded with lighter loads in the 120 gr area are also nice options that he could use for larger game later on. I know that is subjective as well, and you can take all sorts of game with the smaller calibers, so take that with a grain of salt.

The xbolt for me is a bit better finish than the tika, again subjective, and its easy to do a quick trigger job on the xbolt to make it even better. I want to say the xbolt is right around the 6 lb mark dry.
 
.243 sounds about perfect for your intended use. I’ve always had good luck with any tikka I’ve owned. My son took his first whitetail with T3x .243. One shot and his buck dropped on the spot.
 
243 will serve the new shooter fine, go to your local gun store and let the young lad shoulder a few to find which model fits him best.
 
South Pender said:
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Edit. I think what I'd most like to find would be a Sako Browning Safari pencil barrel in .243 Win. My grandson might not fully appreciate it, but I sure would!:)
Click to expand...

KOS Auction, Agassiz BC, Item 30, current bid is $600.

Those are sweet rifles!
 
tiriaq said:
KOS Auction, Agassiz BC, Item 30, current bid is $600.

Those are sweet rifles!
Click to expand...

I've never bought anything at an auction.. I guess I'd have to find out how to do it. One thing you have to be really careful about with any Browning safari (or Medallion) rifle from that period is the salt stock problem. This was a problem with those made between 1966 and 1972, when, according to what I've read, the majority of them in that period had salt wood stocks. I wonder whether the auction house would reveal the serial number. From that it would be easy to determine the DOM.
 
Bidding is easy. Easy to pay too much. Don't forget there is a buyer's premium and tax. Ask them about the serial. I doubt they would take the barreled action out of the stock.
 
A.243 would work well, but my recommendation would be to step up to a 6.5 calibre, Creed or Swede. They punch way above their weight in performance with superb accuracy and minimal recoil, if he can shoot a .243 he can shoot a 6.5. In a rifle model/weight that fits him.
 
I think any 6 or 6.5mm cartridge could serve him well.

.243, 6mm creedmoor, 6.5 creedmoor, and even a 6.5 PRC would serve your goals.

If you want a bit more energy, go 6.5 Creedmoor or PRC. The PRC is very mild in recoil.
 
Is he of average height, e.g. does he need a shorter stock ? If so the browning Xbolt micro composite is quite nice if you want new, and the CZ527 youth in 7.62x39 if you are willing to buy used. The regular sized CZ527 in 7.62x39 is nice and light as well and more than adequate for our small blacktail. Plinking ammo is cheap and hunting ammo won't break the bank.
 
Coastal blacktails you can get him a .223 and use good bullets, or even better a 6.5 Grendel. 223 is obviously more available in both rifles and ammunition. A .243/6.5 Creed/7-08 will work just fine but a bit more recoil.
 
.243, 6.5 creed are commonly available from about everyone and so is ammo. Both have moderate recoil. I'm not a fan of the Creed only because it does nothing more than the .260 Remington and underperforms the 6.5 x 55 with heavier bullets. If you are into reloading, there are many very nice 6.5 x 55 sporters available from Intersurplus at a very reasonable price.
 
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