jamesboles
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- May 4, 2014
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Grandson turning 12 but expected to grow another foot. Will look at all options. Thanks.
Youth deer rifle.
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Gobears16
Well-Known Member
I'd pick up at 243 and load up some 80gr ttsx. Zero rifle at 200yd and he can hold on hair out to 300 and with very low recoil he would be more likely to be accurate. For platform I'd pick a rifle with multiple aftermarket stock options so when he does grow he can drop rifle into stock to fit him. If it were me I'd pick him up a tikka tx3 lite and watch him pile up deer and hogs by the truck load.
I would go with a 7mm-08, I just like a little more weight on the bullets but like Gobears mentioned the 243 is also a great deer rifle.
The 7mm-08 works great with 120 to 140 gr bullets on Deer out to 500 yds. With bonded or partition bullets out to 400yds for Elk. You can also use mololithic bullets as well.
The 7mm-08 works great with 120 to 140 gr bullets on Deer out to 500 yds. With bonded or partition bullets out to 400yds for Elk. You can also use mololithic bullets as well.
WeiserBucks
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7-08 is tough to beat for youth , works great for adults as well at reasonable range .
The Oregonian
Well-Known Member
I gota 6.5 creed with a shorter LOP for my 9 yr old...I enjoy shooting it as well even with the shorter LOP. When he gets big enough I'll just get a spacer or a longer stock.
Honestly there isn't really a ton of difference for the kid with what has been recommended. If you are going to shoot it as well I'd pick something you like somewhere between 6 and 7mm.
Honestly there isn't really a ton of difference for the kid with what has been recommended. If you are going to shoot it as well I'd pick something you like somewhere between 6 and 7mm.
All kids are different but I bought a Winchester compact in a 243 and had a gunsmith cut the stock to fit my 7 yr old daughter . At 6 she was tired of watching and wanted to shoot herself . I trained her with a ruger heavy barrel 22 hornet and she could shoot . The only time I let her shoot the 243 was at game . She harvest 8 bucks and 3 does by the time she was 10. Three of the bucks I had mounted for her .All the boys her age were jealous . I decided to leave the rifle set up as it was , perfect kids gun . When she out grew it I bought a Winchester model 70 featherweight 270 , setup for life
SMK1000plus
Well-Known Member
How tall is he and how much does he weigh? What rifles has he shot before? Do you know if he is recoil sensitive or not?
A youth 243 Win or 7mm-08 Rem would be my choice. Which of them I'd choose for him would depend on what he can handle in recoil. If he can handle it properly, the 7mm-08 is a fantastic choice, completely capable of taking bull elk at reasonable ranges, with the proper bullet!
As far as rifles go, the Ruger American rifles are my first choice, followed closely by the Tikka T3X. Ruger makes their American rifle in a Predator version called "Ruger American Go Wild" camouflage in 7mm-08 Rem that has a little heavier threaded barrel and come with both a 5/8"x24 TPI radial muzzle brake and a 0 MOA Picatinny rail already installed. They are superbly accurate (sub-MOA) and can be had for @ $500 shipped from Bud's, G4Gguns and others.
The Ruger American Standard rifle can be had in a 243 Win youth model that is very light weight and also shoots sub-MOA. Unfortunately, it is not available with the threaded muzzle. Most of the Ruger American rifles have some left-hand version available. They are currently running around $370.
A youth 243 Win or 7mm-08 Rem would be my choice. Which of them I'd choose for him would depend on what he can handle in recoil. If he can handle it properly, the 7mm-08 is a fantastic choice, completely capable of taking bull elk at reasonable ranges, with the proper bullet!
As far as rifles go, the Ruger American rifles are my first choice, followed closely by the Tikka T3X. Ruger makes their American rifle in a Predator version called "Ruger American Go Wild" camouflage in 7mm-08 Rem that has a little heavier threaded barrel and come with both a 5/8"x24 TPI radial muzzle brake and a 0 MOA Picatinny rail already installed. They are superbly accurate (sub-MOA) and can be had for @ $500 shipped from Bud's, G4Gguns and others.
The Ruger American Standard rifle can be had in a 243 Win youth model that is very light weight and also shoots sub-MOA. Unfortunately, it is not available with the threaded muzzle. Most of the Ruger American rifles have some left-hand version available. They are currently running around $370.
TX Badger
Well-Known Member
Go .257 or .264. If you reload you can get 100gr. Partition bullets for either. These will be shoot flat and whack deer out to a few hundred yards with minimal recoil, but he will have room to grow ballistics too. When he can handle it he can move up to 130-150 class bullets for more range. The .243 is fine there's just no room to grow and he'll end up wanting more gun.
For my son, I got a Manners elite carbon fiber stock that has a removable spacer system. It's standard lop with all of the spacers and youth lop without them. It's light and he can shoot it forever. Buy one, cry once.
I'm having a 25 Creedmoor barrel chambered. 100gr partitions, then 115gr Berger, then 131 blackjacks as he grows.
For my son, I got a Manners elite carbon fiber stock that has a removable spacer system. It's standard lop with all of the spacers and youth lop without them. It's light and he can shoot it forever. Buy one, cry once.
I'm having a 25 Creedmoor barrel chambered. 100gr partitions, then 115gr Berger, then 131 blackjacks as he grows.
TX Badger
Well-Known Member
I think the 7-08 is more cartridge than necessary unless he may have the opportunity to hunt elk or something else larger than deer. Then it makes sense. Depends where he lives/hunts.
Gobears16
Well-Known Member
If it's just going to be used for deer I see no reason to go above .243win. More fun to shoot with the lower recoil. The more he wants to shoot the more accurate he'll be. With today's great bullets no deer will tell the difference with a 80gr ttsx going 3400fps. Now if elk are on the list then definitely pick the 7-08.
therifleman556
Well-Known Member
CZ 527 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39. Accurate, well made, and cheap ammo abounds....
TX Badger
Well-Known Member
As this is a long range site I'm assuming that there may be interest in eventually shooting further. While the 243 would get him started, that 80 gr. Bullet at 3400 drops below 1000 ft.lbs. Before 400yds.
The creedmoor set up I'm going to run can be loaded down to 243 recoil level now but loaded up later. It will push a 131gr. bullet over 2900 fps. That will maintain 1000 ft.lbs out past 800yds and be much better in the wind.
If it's going to be a cheap semi disposable rifle to be used until he grows out of it, go 243. If you are going to invest more, buy a gun in a cartridge he won't grow out of.
The creedmoor set up I'm going to run can be loaded down to 243 recoil level now but loaded up later. It will push a 131gr. bullet over 2900 fps. That will maintain 1000 ft.lbs out past 800yds and be much better in the wind.
If it's going to be a cheap semi disposable rifle to be used until he grows out of it, go 243. If you are going to invest more, buy a gun in a cartridge he won't grow out of.
