youth rifle

[ridgefire]

i have a 9 year old boy that just passed hunters ed on friday night and he is itching to go hunting this year. i am a archery hunter and do not know much about rifles but would like to get one he could use for deer and possibly elk. do they make such a rifle that would cover both for a youth and if so what is the best bang for your buck. thanks also if someone is selling such a gun i would possibly be interested in buying it

[rainshadow1]

Congrats to him! WooHoooo!!!

Lots of options.

I'd vote for getting an Encore for him to hunt with. Lots of barrel interchanging options to cover almost anything in the woods (eventually), not heavy, but heavy enough to hold the recoil down a little, and the break action single shot is one of the best training guns.

I'd go 243, or if he's a big kid something like 270. Again, TONS of options...

[bobcat]

I would look at Savage bolt action rifles if you want the "best bang for your buck."  Something like this in the 308:  

http://www.savagearms.com/11f.htm


You might also look at the Howa. They have a youth model available that comes with two stocks. One short, and one longer for when he grows up and is ready for a regular full length stock.

See it here:  

http://www.legacysports.com/products/howa/specs/specs_youth2n1.html

[littlebuf]

  .308 is a great choice, for all our love of magnums for this, and super fast bullets for that (myself included) the .308 will do it all for washington and with light recoil. i still have the 308 my dad killed a moose with one year when we still lived in Alaska. the only reason im looking to get a different youth riffle for my daughter is she is pretty small and even the 308 recoil may be a little much for her. the biggest thing with getting kids shooting is not scaring them with recoil right off the bat, if you think your son can handle it 308 would be a good choice

[Mookie]

NEF/H&R make very nice low cost single shots. You can get them in combo format also, 243/20, 308/12, ect. They come in youth versions and can easily install new stocks if they are outgrown. They are known for accuracy and reliability. Obviously not on the same scale as a T/C, but still nice.

If you want to upgrade your barrel you can send it to NEF and have them put one one in any caliber/guage you want, with some exceptions

http://galleryofguns.com/genie/Default.aspx?item=72681&mfg=Harrington+%26+Richardson&mdl=All&cat=2&type=Rifle&cal=243&fin=Blue&sit=All

Another cheaper option is the Rossi combo, same basic idea but you can also get the rimfire barrels as well

http://galleryofguns.com/genie/Default.aspx?item=S2022243YBL&mfg=Rossi&mdl=Trifecta&cat=2&type=Rifle+%26+Shotgun+Combo&cal=243|22LR|20+Gauge&fin=Blue&sit=All

[ICEMAN]

Personally, I would go small, like a Savage in .243, in their youth model.  The Savage youth models have a section of stock which removes until they child is older and bigger. Everything is a bit smaller for the kids in this type rifle.  My 11 and 13yrs olds both have them and will be hunting with them this fall. I figured that by the time they are ready for the elk hunt, I will upgrade them both into larger calibers for the bigger game. 

[jdb]

when my oldest boy was 10 I bought a nef youth model in .243 he killed several deer with that rifle then bought his own now his brother shoots it and he has killed a couple deer with it also.

[ridgefire]

thanks for the replies can someone tell me what nef stands for that jdb wrote

[chevysquid]

NEF is New England Firearms, I believe it is also the same as the H&R (Harrington and Richardson).  Great guns, I have the 308.

[runningboard]

my vote is 7mm-08, check out this thread
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,31426.0.html
I bought one for my 4'-11" wife and it is a good rifle for mostly deer, ocassional elk. Savage, Howa, Remington bolts, T/C ,H & R/ NEF all make good youth models among many others. good luck in your search and good luck to your boy in the field this season!

[littletoes]

For our family it's the Remington Youth rifles, .243 caliber shooting a 90 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. Its the lightest bullet I could find that was still heavy enough to take deer. The recoil isn't bad, and in fact my 9 yo son will also be hunting deer this year, and has been shooting it very well at 100 yards.

The other rifles we have in this configuration have taken deer cleanly, and shoot very well.

Good luck with your choice, your running out of practice time!

[gasman]

NEF 

My daughter has one in 270 and fits her good.

Small frame gun light weight and accurate 

and at $250 

[ridgefire]

i live in monroe where is the best place to go to look at these rifles

[gasman]

i live in monroe where is the best place to go to look at these rifles

Most all you gun shops or sporting goods store will carrry the NEF.

We got our daughters gun at Wharehouse sports

[HUNT]

I agree with the 243.  Great caliber for kids.  Light recoil is the key.  You dont want them getting gun shy from the recoil.  Happened to me when I was a kid. 

I bought the Remington model 7.  My older son used it for a couple years, killed 2 bucks with it and then moved to the 270 last year.  My middle son used it last year when he was 8 and killed his first buck with it and will use it again this year.  They love to shoot it.

[bobcat]

I didn't say the 243 because this was supposed to be for deer AND elk. Sure the 243 would work for elk but why not use something a little bigger? If you get a 270 or a 308, you can get the reduced recoil loads that Remington makes, which would bring the recoil down to about the same as a 243.

[coachcw]

try the remington model seven youth in 260 . good out 200 yards and the 140 grain corelocks work well three on shot kills for my son. Iv'e seen 243's rattle around inside but not hit hard ?

[royalbull]

I like the 7mm-08 as well, I have two small frame nieces that shoot these and love them, talked one of my buddies into buying them for his two boys, he says that gun was the perfect choice

[Bob33]

7mm-08, 270, 308, or 30-06.  Get Managed Recoil ammunition and the '06 shoots like a 243; the others less.  It's simply amazing stuff.  When you grow into it, use the full power loads.

[ICEMAN]

You guys are forgetting that kids need shorter stocks and lighter guns...not just about recoil.

My daughter cannot even shoot a normal length stock...

[lamar_hunter]

243

[runamuk]

You guys are forgetting that kids need shorter stocks and lighter guns...not just about recoil.

My daughter cannot even shoot a normal length stock...

the ruger compact in .243 or 7-08   

[JoshT]

"compact" doesn't mean that the butt end of the rifle is shorter... just typically the barrel and forend... the LOP is usually the same or very close to the standard 13"-13.5".

The Howa "youth" model is the best I've seen for the money, the addition of a standard length stock makes a ton of sense too. I'd look at the 7mm-08 for an all-around gun... but if only deer are on the menu... then the .243 is more than capable.

Fitting the young shooter is far more important than the caliber... a poorly fit rifle in .243 will be a lot touger on a new shooter than a properly fit 7mm-08... both in the recoil department, as well as accurate shooting in the field. My advice is take him to the shop... or better yet a couple shops... and find the gun that he's most comfortable with. THEN, pick a caliber. If you don't handload... then consider what's available in factory loads. If you do handload, then it really doesn't matter what caliber you select, because you can tailor the loads to the shooter and the game at hand.

Congrats to your son, and I hope you have a wonderful time afield for years to come.

[HUNT]

You guys are forgetting that kids need shorter stocks and lighter guns...not just about recoil.

My daughter cannot even shoot a normal length stock...

The Model 7 is shorter and lighter.  Aftermarket synthetic stocks are readily available.

[KimberRich]

LOP is key here because of shorter arms.  If your hunting deer and elk I probably wouldn't say .243.  Go a little larger to the .260 or .270.  Like a couple other guys said, the managed recoil rounds are the way to go.

[Intruder]

Not sure how much ya wanna spend but you may look at a Rem Model 7.  Nice little gun.  While a 243 is hard to beat I might suggest a 260... more versitile for big game. 

[rasbo]

youth 243 great gun.Bought one for my wife and grandson..just put the bullit where it belongs on elk.hell seen a whiteface dropped in its tracks yesterday with a 22mag,1500 lb animal.

[PA BEN]

Winchester doesn't make them anymore, but if you can find one, get the Win. mod. 70 youth ranger, in 243 or 7mm-08. I started all my girls at age 9 with them.

[h2ofowlr]

.243 is probably one of the best youth calibers.  That is the one I would recommend.  It works great.  Great deer cartridge.  Many youth models available on the market.  TC makes a great single shot one with various stocks to fit the shooters needs.  H&R also has a good one you probably can get into for $150 or so.

[chim-chim]

I have seen many deer and also elk takin with a 243 its a great caliber seen a deer takin at 400 yards with one last year

[shortnround]

I bought a Weatherby youth/compact rifle brand new a couple years ago for about $400. It's chambered in a 7-08mm Rem. It comes with 2 stocks-a blackened wood stock with a LOP of 12 1/2" and a black synthetic stock with a LOP of 13 5/8". The idea is that the child can grow into the rifle with age.

[Elk-aholic]

Depending on your budget the Browning Micro is a great choice! They are a little costly like all Brownings but they are a serious rifle that both you and your son can enjoy. I would look at buying one in a .308 for Deer and Elk, low recoil and plenty of power to get the job done.