Youth deer rifle.

[Roughneck018]

 

[Roughneck018]

 

[Roughneck018]

232 yards with 243 savage high country

 

[8x68s]

see my classified here...
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/ruger-american-standard-243-win.220786/

 

[southern long gun]

Grandson turning 12 but expected to grow another foot. Will look at all options. Thanks.

Get a youth model Remington 700 or model 7 in 260. That will do all he needs until he goes after elk. Also, when he out grows the youth stock there are hundreds of replacements.

 

[Vol1975]

25-06 or 308. Hard to beat a 308 for general hunting. Can load a light bullet that does not kick and as he grows add weight to bullets for hunting anything or any game in North America.

 

[zb338]

Bought a youth model 700 in 7MM/08 for my two grandchildren one is
a boy and the other a girl. Both were invited to Wyoming to shoot an
antelope and they both got one (a year apart). The grandson also shot
a bear in Pennsylvania with it. They are grown now and have bought other
rifles.
Zeke

 

[.300 Dakota]

If you're NOT going to handload, Go with a 7mm-08 and buy Hornady 120gr SST Lite ammo until he's use to it, then you can go to full grown 150 grain loads (or whatever) in the next 2 or 3 years. Kids that age when I grew up were shooting 12 gauges. You could even get away with going with a 308, since Hornady makes the Lite ammo for it, too, and the 308 is capable of taking anything on the continent. Remember the 7mm-08 was developed by target shooters because of its accuracy and ability to get to 1000 yards, granted you'd have to have an 8 Twist barrel to do that. I'd look DARN hard at the Browning Micro Stalker, Hunter, or Medallion.

 

[foul bore]

6mm Creedmoor would do well, very accurate, mild recoil

 

[JimmyCP]

Grandson turning 12 but expected to grow another foot. Will look at all options. Thanks.

When my son was 9 I got a savage TH 111 6.5x284. Gun smith tried talking me out of putting a muzzle break on it. Did it anyway. Ended up getting 2 more for the girls. Killed multiple elk and deer.

 

[JimmyCP]

7mm-08 second choice to my post above

 

[Hoss50]

CZ 527 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39. Accurate, well made, and cheap ammo abounds....

I have a CZ527 in 7.62x39 and LOVE it. It is a great 200 yard and under gun for deer and is my favorite rifle to carry during javelina season.

The set trigger on mine is scary light when set though. If my kid was shooting it i would adjust it heavier.

 

[Hoss50]

No kid less than ten years old needs to own anything more than a rimfire. Anyone who buys a baby a centerfire has an ego problem. For very small kids they need to be able to progress through BB guns into pellet guns before they ever get into rimfire. Everyone needs a chance to progress and grow in the world of firearms. Buying a 7 year old a 243 is just nuts. Just watch, the same guy is going to by his kid a new corvette as his first car while in high school. 243 for a 12 year old only if he has been through the progression of pellet and rimfire guns. Kids need to do a lot of plinking.
first with BBs, pellets and then rimfire.

In Arizona kids can hunt big game at 10. To say they shouldn't be allowed to shoot center fire calibers it silly. Should they start with centerfire, no. Should they be ok shooting them yes. They need to be well versed and comfortable with they rifle they are going to hunt with.

Kids come in all shapes and sizes too, as well as maturity levels. My 7 year old is larger then many 10-11 year olds. He shoots rimfire, and 2 weeks ago he started shooting a 22-250. He had zero issues shooting a nice heavy 22-250 which has very little recoil. He shot it very well for his first time behind the gun.

 

[ml williford]

All the shooters have talked 243, 7-08 and 6.5 creedmoor. I'm 60 and been shooting a 25-06 for 50 years now. I've killed everything in TX except the heavy exotics. The only thing that has changed is the model. I now shoot a Remington Sendaro 25-06. I've even killed several elk with it. No recoil, can find ammo anywhere and flat shooting out to 5-600 yards. Try this gun out sir. You will not be disappointed or I would buy it from you.