Help with a Gift

[KRob]

I am looking at getting my baby brother a deer rifle for his birthday and wanted some suggestions. The little guy is almost 12, he is kinda on the small side but it will be a year before he will be hunting with it. The genetics in the family run towards the bigger side though so he should be shooting up like a weed soon.
Any ideas on caliber and make? I am a savage guy but i am upon for anything.

 

[sewwhat89]

Everyone I know in East TX started out with a light sporter in either .243 Win or .257 Roberts. You might even consider a .260 in say a Model 7, but it is hard to beat a .243!

 

[Eaglet]

robins,
That's en excellent question that many of us sooner or latter has to face. I did not to long ago (again for the third time) and like sewwhat89 says the 243 Winch. is hard to beat. I ended up buying my 12 years old a 243 Winch. and my buddy's son starting shooting at age of 12 his 257 Roberts,(good job sewwhat89), I have still put some more thought into it, now I have changed my views... I think the 308 Winch. is the way to go. Simply because a youngster would have something to grow into or to grow with. With the vast choice of bullets for the 308 Winch. it can be loaded to do what the 243 Winch. does and more. As the youngter grows, the bullet weight grows as needed. Though many Elks have been shot with the 243 Winch., the 308 Winch. is definately a better caliber for Elk. He can grow to shoot heavier bullets like the 180 Grains Accubond which at MV=2640 can be shot out to 1000 yards before it goes subsonic and at 400 yards has enough punch (1577 ft/lb)to take a nice bull elk to the freezer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Bottom line, the 308 Winch. will do everything the 243 Winch. will and more if needed.
Later on, after a lot of practice and he is confident to shoot at long range, taking a mule deer at 700 yards... you still have enough gun and antelope at even longer distances. Just my opinion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Good Luck!

 

[BountyHunter]

M7 youth model in 7mm-08 or 260. Flat and accurate as heck.

Would use 120s in both right now.

Great deer cartridges, easy to add another stock later and still have good gun.

If you cannot find youth model right, take regular model and take off butt plate. Drill two 1/4" holes about 2-2.5 inches deep below screw holes. tape and then cut off part of stock to fit. Save cutoff piece and later it will go back on with two 1/4" dowels and fit perfectly. Just simple sanding and refinishing stock butt.

BH

 

[Buffalobob]

Totally agree with BH on stock work. Get a full size gun and work the stock. Maybe agree with him on caliber being as you are on the west coast and you might need a little more horsepower than east coast whitetails.

One more step is that if he gets to be really big you can put on a thicker recoil pad and gain another half inch. No need to ever sell the gun.

One other thing is to get or make him a shooting stick or bipod because he will have some trouble holding the gun steady until he gets to be about 15 or so and begins to muscle up. What I did for my son was just to take a five foot long 2X2 and drive 18# nails in it where he would need them as a rest for sitting, kneeling and standing. I finally bought a collapsable shooting stick from Cabelas for $35 and you know he broke it the first trip. Just can't beat the indestructiblity of a 2X2 when dealing with a teenager.

 

[bucknutz]

my vote is for the 243. i still use mine. let him decide later. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[KRob]

thanks guys?
I hadnt really thought to far beyound a youth rifle. I like the idea of cutting the stock and then putting it back on. He will probably be like me and never want to sell his first rifle so that will prabably work.
Besides caliber any sugestion about Make. Who does a better job with recoil. I know (might be wrong) that savages kick more, etc.

 

[7Rumloader]

The savage may have a greater felt recoil due to cheap tupperware stocks and cheasy recoil pads but a 243 only has 243 recoil no matter who makes it. The weight of the gun and stock style determine the amount of felt recoil.
While your fitting the stock to him treat it with a good recoil pad to help with the felt recoil part. I'm a remy person but like savages as well so either one gets my vote for the manufacturer part.

 

[sewwhat89]

Remington Model 7 in my opinion is the end-all for this discussion. I started hunting with a BLR .243, but most of my friends had guns similar to what others described with stocks cut and such. Model 7s can be used by anyone, including his future sweetheart when he teachs her how to hunt, etc. If I'm not mistaken, the new stock design on the Model 7, you have a drop in R3 pad that reduces felt recoil. I was 6 when I started with a .243. Recoil and .243 is almost an oxymoron.

I had a .260 Model 7 SS picked out for my girlfriend to use in the upcoming season. She's now gone, but the rifle is still in the works, lol!

 

[BountyHunter]

243 is a great rifle for "experienced" hunter who picks his shots on large deer and uses the 100 gr bullets. Very little margin of error for youths normally.

7mm-08 can use 120s very easily starting on and graduate 140s up to 175s later on.

More versatile in my opinion and little more knockdown.

BH

 

[abinok]

Id have to go with Bountyhunter on this one too. 7mm08 is a great round for youths. You might have a look at the youth rifles that howa is making. They are about 6.5 lbs, and the ones ive messed with were very accurate.If he outgrows the stock, point him towards www.boydboys.com who have a varitety of stocks from varmit to sporter for this rifle (since all of the stocks sold on howa rifles come from them) for about $130 no matter the style, finished and ready to mount. I had a coworker who bought one of these rifles a year, for 3 years in a row. His wife claimed the first one, his oldest daughter the second, and his youngest daughter the third. He is hoping to keep this years for his own. All 3 have killed deer so far with theirs btw.

 

[jkrische]

I bought both of my boys .243's when they turned 12 and were old enough to deerhunt. The first one was a Ruger 77 stainless and the other was a Browning A-bolt with their version of a brake on it. Both boys killed bucks with these rifles their first year out. Both were one shot kills. It pays to start them out early on .22 rimfires. They were both using 95 grain Nosler Partitions.

 

[Eaglet]

I agree with you BountyHunter, and I also have bought two 243's for my younsters in the past, but do agree with what you're saying. Because of that I like bumping just a little and have come to be an admirer of the 308 Winchester. It truly is an impresive round.

 

[KRob]

Ok I am hearing 243, 7mm08, and 308. Anything else. I am thincking I am going to go bigger then 243 but dont know yet. I am really worried about his ability to manage the rifle. He handles a 20gauge single shot full stock well but it just swamps him. I have never shot a 7mm08 or a 308 how do they compare on recoil?