New Rifle scope combo for youth

[Romulus]

Budget of $2k for rifle/scope combo for 12 year old kid but want the set up to work for lifetime. I have an idea but looking for input. For friend. I am leaning towards 270/7mm with Leupold vari x 3 in a quality rifle.Thanks for any ideas!

[thinkingman]

With that budget, I'd get a better scope....Zeiss, Nikon Monarch.
How big is the 12yr old?
big and strong enough to handle a full size, 9lb gun?

[quadrafire]

7 x 57

[Rick]

Going about it the wrong way IMO. If you buy him a youth sized rifle now,it won't fit him later on. If you drop the $2K on a full sized rifle now,it won't fit for a few years.

I'd find something used for now and buy him a full sized rifle when he has grown into it. By then he'll have an idea as to what HE wants,not what dad wants to buy him.

[bobcat]

Sako in 270 WSM with a Leupold VX III in a 3.5-10x40mm.

[400out]

2K is a lot of money to get dropped on the rocks have on his back slipping down a hill! and don't say it won't! Get a good combo package for a couple hundred let him use it for 4-5 years, learn the basics then up grade  

[Curly]

Browning X-Bolt in 7mm-08.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=023B&cat_id=035&type_id=240&content=x-bolt-stainless-stalker-carbon-fiber-firearms

I really like the 3-position safety that the X-Bolt has......especially if a young hunter is using the rifle.  

[longrange7mm]

2K is a lot of money to get dropped on the rocks have on his back slipping down a hill! and don't say it won't! Get a good combo package for a couple hundred let him use it for 4-5 years, learn the basics then up grade  

   or for a future birthday or even graduation check out the howa 2 in 1 it comes with 2 stocks then he can continue to shoot it until u get him that nice rifle My buddy bought his son the 7mm 08 and it is a sweet shooting gun for the $

[Magnum_Willys]

I got my son a Ruger Compact 7mm-08 with a 3.5-10 Shepherd Scope when he was 8.  Fit perfect for a couple years.  He then moved up to a .325WSM Browning X-Bolt with a Cabelas 4-20 Scope when he was 13 ( He's a big kid )   Now that he's almost 16 he wants a bigger frame gun - the Xbolt is a small rifle - and wants a turret scope. 

The Xbolt in a .308 or 30-06 would be a nice gun that would last the average size person a lifetime but is still small enough for a 10 year old. 

[jdb]

if you really have a 2000$ budget I would buy a 500$ rifle scope combo and put the rest in savings until he is fully grown then spend the 1500$ on a full size rifle scope combo

[rock]

when i was 10 i was shooting a 12 gauge easily with slugs. out of a normal sized gun. how big is he i was 5 foot 6 inches about now ima 6 foot and 13 and i can shoot a lightweight 338 pretty easily but it still hurts. owch

[jdb]

if it hurts its a bad thing!

[FALFire]

  ..... $2000???.....Sounds to me like it's just for bragging rights 

I would just buy him a suitable setup for now then work on the impressions later once he gets a little older.
A 350 dollar Savage combo will do everything you or he will need, except maybe impress your friends.
Pretty and expensive guns don't kill any better or make you a better hunter than little Johnny with a $50 H&R break-open.

[Romulus]

Thanks for the input. A friends aunt gave him the 2K to buy the boy a hunting rifle/scope for his birthday. Not my deal but he wanted input. I finally decided my suggestion was a 25.06 or .270 in a winchester or remington with a midrange leupold and some mid range binos with the left over money. The kid is big enough to shoot those calibers and they would still be good deer rifles when he grows up. Thanks for all the opinions! 

[longrange7mm]

Thanks for the input. A friends aunt gave him the 2K to buy the boy a hunting rifle/scope for his birthday. Not my deal but he wanted input. I finally decided my suggestion was a 25.06 or .270 in a winchester or remington with a midrange leupold and some mid range binos with the left over money. The kid is big enough to shoot those calibers and they would still be good deer rifles when he grows up. Thanks for all the opinions! 

I had originally said get him a youth pkg but in this case You should find out what the kid wants as far as stainless, blued,or cerakote  and wood, composite, or laminated  stock What appeals to him just about all the calibers mentioned would do just fine. As far as recommending a good solid rifle remington 700 cant go wrong with it! For optics Leupold, Burris, or Nikon.

Personally If I was given a 2k budget to get this kid outfiitted here is my 

Rem. 700 SPS- $640 (270)
Leupold VX-III-  $480 (3.5-10x40) " go with the 40mm because he may have a hard time with the height on a 50 mm"
Leupold Rings and Bases - $55
Winchester 140 gr Accubond - $38/ $152  (4 boxes)
Butler Creek scope caps - $18
Butler Creek Comfort Sling- $30 (includes swivel)
Gun Master Cleaning Kit- $60
Radians Ear Plugs- $10 (25 pair)
S&W shooting glasses- $20

Total $1465

Then Take him to the store and let him pick out some binos and a good orange coat or vest that will fit him for a couple years. Then i think he can buy dad some Lunch

[Thenewguy]

Thanks for the input. A friends aunt gave him the 2K to buy the boy a hunting rifle/scope for his birthday. Not my deal but he wanted input. I finally decided my suggestion was a 25.06 or .270 in a winchester or remington with a midrange leupold and some mid range binos with the left over money. The kid is big enough to shoot those calibers and they would still be good deer rifles when he grows up. Thanks for all the opinions! 

I had originally said get him a youth pkg but in this case You should find out what the kid wants as far as stainless, blued,or cerakote  and wood, composite, or laminated  stock What appeals to him just about all the calibers mentioned would do just fine. As far as recommending a good solid rifle remington 700 cant go wrong with it! For optics Leupold, Burris, or Nikon.

Personally If I was given a 2k budget to get this kid outfiitted here is my 

Rem. 700 SPS- $640 (270)
Leupold VX-III-  $480 (3.5-10x40) " go with the 40mm because he may have a hard time with the height on a 50 mm"
Leupold Rings and Bases - $55
Winchester 140 gr Accubond - $38/ $152  (4 boxes)
Butler Creek scope caps - $18
Butler Creek Comfort Sling- $30 (includes swivel)
Gun Master Cleaning Kit- $60
Radians Ear Plugs- $10 (25 pair)
S&W shooting glasses- $20

Total $1465

Then Take him to the store and let him pick out some binos and a good orange coat or vest that will fit him for a couple years. Then i think he can buy dad some Lunch

perfectly put. Just get him a sako A-7 instead- shoots better groupings out of the box for 100 dollars more 

[FALFire]

Thanks for the input. A friends aunt gave him the 2K to buy the boy a hunting rifle/scope for his birthday. Not my deal but he wanted input. I finally decided my suggestion was a 25.06 or .270 in a winchester or remington with a midrange leupold and some mid range binos with the left over money. The kid is big enough to shoot those calibers and they would still be good deer rifles when he grows up. Thanks for all the opinions! 

Well, that makes much more sense. Don't forget some ammo and perhaps a day pack, knife, sharpener, boots, motorcycle, pickup truck, 4 whe...........Oops There I go thinking of myself again   

[longrange7mm]

Sako is a great gun but remember this is for a youth he may want to get a different stock later on. Have you ever tried to find Sako aftermarket parts $$$$  I have one my stock was cracked when a pack mule stepped on it ended up getting a blank stock and carving it out myself.