youth rifles

[BrentC]

I've mentioned this on another site, but im looking at getting my 9 yr old a rifle cause he will be 10 by next hunting season and there only seems to be a few companies making youth rifles but they all seem fairly heavy. I shooting at getting him a 6.5lbs bare rifle and it seems tikka and a model 7 are the only option so far. What have you guys with kids done on first rifles. thanks

oh calibers ive thought about are .243, 6.5, 7-08. thanks

 

[Cant hit em]

Tikka compact 243 is what i bought her. Howa makes a good option as well , theirs comes with 2 stocks so when they grow you have a longer LOP

 

[5MilesBack]

Ruger American Compacts come in all three of those calibers and weigh right at 6lbs.

 

[Tod osier]

I've mentioned this on another site, but im looking at getting my 9 yr old a rifle cause he will be 10 by next hunting season and there only seems to be a few companies making youth rifles but they all seem fairly heavy. I shooting at getting him a 6.5lbs bare rifle and it seems tikka and a model 7 are the only option so far. What have you guys with kids done on first rifles. thanks

oh calibers ive thought about are .243, 6.5, 7-08. thanks

I focused on weight too and I’m glad I did since rifle weight is significant for younger and smaller kids. Savage light weight hunter for my son. Has worked well. It is light. I cut the stock and bought a second take off cheaply on eBay for when he grows.

Even with those mild chamberings, I’d think about reduced recoil leadings or a brake or a better recoil pad (or all three).

 

[LightFoot]

This: https://www.browning.com/products/f...urrent-production/x-bolt-micro-composite.html

6lbs 5 oz, so not too light
Comes with a brake
I would go 6.5, 7mm-08, or 308 which would all be excellent for deer, elk, antelope, etc.



Spend your money on experience before you spend it on fancy gear.

 

[browning2480]

I never worried about weight for my boys, because they can’t shoot off hand anyway. They will need a rest for several more years and need to learn to really not shoot without one. We went with the Savage Axis .243 and it has been great. I even enjoy using it.

 

[Dirt Wagon]

I ended up going with Savage. I bought a Lightweight Hunter in 243 & Lady in 223 to build it though.

With the lightweight 243 & the shorter length of pull w-raised comb on the lady stock it works out to be a handy little rifle. I'll be adding a 2-7 scope on it someday to finish it up.

 

[hodgeman]

My son had a Savage 11 youth model and a Ruger American compact- both in 7-08. He killed game with both so I can't complain. The Savage was a bit heavier than the Ruger, but neither were unwieldy for him.

 

[Mac7]

My daughter started out with my first rifle a winchester model 70 243 I picked up a youth stock for. She killed her first deer with that like I did almost 30yrs before. Then I bought her a Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel and she killed 2 deer and an elk with that. This year she will hunt with the Howa or a Savage 16 in 260 I put a youth stock on it and a 3-9 her Grendel has a fixed 6x. I carry shooting sticks and snipe pod but she has also shot off packs.

I also have her shoot my rifles a bit so she's comfortable with them if for some reason she needs to use one.

Howa all set up with scope, sling , cheek pad and 5 rds 7lbs 6oz.
Savage all set up same is 8lbs 2oz.

 

[dla]

Lightweight is the wrong concern - increases recoil. Worry more about getting something with adjustable length of pull so they shoulder it correctly. I bought a Mossberg Patriot Bantam in .308. Put an ugly Vortex 4-TooMuch scope on it, downloaded some 125gr fodder to ~2600fps, and filled the hollow plastic stock with enough steel shot to get the rifle weight to 11lbs. My 12yr old granddaughter shoots it well. Her dad packs it.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Can you hunt big game in AK with a .22 centerfire? If so, the T3x in .223 with a SWFA 6x milquad shooting 77tmks will go a long way in developing solid fundamentals. The fun factor is huge and it’s highly effective.

 

[dgarrett]

If you can find one the old remington 600 mohawks in a 243 were an excellent kids first deer rifle.... 18 inch barrels light and short compact stocks....

 

[Wmmichael20]

Cva makes a compact single shot in 243,7-08 and 223 for around 200 dollars and comes with the scope mounts, another option for a nicer gun would be the Henry line of single shots and they are nice looking rifles to say the least.

 

[Oldffemt]

My daughter started out with my first rifle a winchester model 70 243 I picked up a youth stock for. She killed her first deer with that like I did almost 30yrs before. Then I bought her a Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel and she killed 2 deer and an elk with that. This year she will hunt with the Howa or a Savage 16 in 260 I put a youth stock on it and a 3-9 her Grendel has a fixed 6x. I carry shooting sticks and snipe pod but she has also shot off packs.

I also have her shoot my rifles a bit so she's comfortable with them if for some reason she needs to use one.

Howa all set up with scope, sling , cheek pad and 5 rds 7lbs 6oz.
Savage all set up same is 8lbs 2oz.

What rounds did you use in the Grendel? My 10yo will be shooting mine this year. Was planning to use 123SST’s.

 

[rgroves79]

Howa youth 7.62x39. Shoots great and low recoil. You can throw that action in a full length stock if they outgrow the youth one. My son was very recoil shy and had no issues with it off the bench. Only thing I don’t like about them is the mag/ mag release. Easy to bump and dump

 

[Mac7]

What rounds did you use in the Grendel? My 10yo will be shooting mine this year. Was planning to use 123SST’s.

Very small sample size but here is what we've seen so far.

She used the sst on one deer. She hit the shoulder and the deer died right there. It did a fair amount of damage to both shoulders. I found various pieces of the bullet throughout. I would still have her use it and maybe try and miss the shoulder or at least both.

But I had her use the fusion and it worked good for a deer and elk. It seemed to hold together better and have less fragmentation. Exited on the deer with one shoulder hit and recovered a bullet on the elk.

 

[Formidilosus]

I've mentioned this on another site, but im looking at getting my 9 yr old a rifle cause he will be 10 by next hunting season and there only seems to be a few companies making youth rifles but they all seem fairly heavy. I shooting at getting him a 6.5lbs bare rifle and it seems tikka and a model 7 are the only option so far. What have you guys with kids done on first rifles. thanks

oh calibers ive thought about are .243, 6.5, 7-08. thanks

I have written why I say this before-

But I would not get a rifle for anyone, 9yo or otherwise, that they can’t, and don’t handle completely on their own. Load it, carry it, shoot it, unload it. Smooth actions without “hinks”, detachable mags, small size, lightweight, and little recoil( sub 10 ft-lbs). In that vain Tikka T3x Compact in 223, 243, 6.5 Creedmoor is probably the easiest and best option when viewed as a complete picture, though the Creedmoor will almost certainly recoil too much for volume shooting- and they need to shoot a lot. For that reason the 223 T3 with 1/8” twist is an awesome option. Zero issues on deer, bear, and even elk with the right bullets.

If not a T3 compact, then the Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel LW with stock mod is really good. The magazine catch can be shortened easily in about two minutes to eliminate what rgroves mentioned. With a stock mod/slimming it’s a true lightweight. They generally shoot very well, have low enough recoil to allow even the most recoil shy person a fun day blasting, factory ammo is really good and inexpensive, and it kills just fine way past where most people will even try.


Slimmed Howa Mini-




Weight with heavy rings, bases, and 19oz scope-

 

[rgroves79]

I have written why I say this before-

But I would not get a rifle for anyone, 9yo or otherwise, that they can’t, and don’t handle completely on their own. Load it, carry it, shoot it, unload it. Smooth actions without “hinks”, detachable mags, small size, lightweight, and little recoil( sub 10 ft-lbs). In that vain Tikka T3x Compact in 223, 243, 6.5 Creedmoor is probably the easiest and best option when viewed as a complete picture, though the Creedmoor will almost certainly recoil too much for volume shooting- and they need to shoot a lot. For that reason the 223 T3 with 1/8” twist is an awesome option. Zero issues on deer, bear, and even elk with the right bullets.

If not a T3 compact, then the Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel LW with stock mod is really good. The magazine catch can be shortened easily in about two minutes to eliminate what rgroves mentioned. With a stock mod/slimming it’s a true lightweight. They generally shoot very well, have low enough recoil to allow even the most recoil shy person a fun day blasting, factory ammo is really good and inexpensive, and it kills just fine way past where most people will even try.


Slimmed Howa Mini-




Weight with heavy rings, bases, and 19oz scope-

For whatever reason, shortening the mag release never even crossed my mind. May have to do that on his. Those stocks look pretty slicked slimmed up. You do that yourself or send it ou?

 

[Formidilosus]

For whatever reason, shortening the mag release never even crossed my mind. May have to do that on his. Those stocks look pretty slicked slimmed up. You do that yourself or send it ou?

mtnboomer on 24campfire.com did it. Superb job.

 

[TREE ‘EM]

For my son’s 6th birthday I put together a 6 x 45 on a Sako L461 action with a 20 inch Broughton 5c barrel. I mounted a Leupold compact 2 to 7 and the whole package weighed in at about 5 1/4 pounds. With 85 grain Sierra game kings he has 11 one shot kills on deer so far.

For my daughter‘s 9th birthday I bought her a Ruger 77/357. I trimmed the stock down to her dimensions and added a limb saver recoil pad. She has one deer with it so far which was a 109 yards one shot kill. With 38 special ammo she can shoot 50 rounds in a practice section and be smiling at the end of it. There is virtually zero recoil with 38 ammo and not much with full House 357 ammo.