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Good youth deer rifle #6031077 11/15/15 11:49 PM
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Hi all, need opinions. My son is 10 and I'm looking to get him a solid youth deer rifle that he can grow with. I'm assuming that .308 or 30-06 is too over powered.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031104 11/16/15 12:07 AM
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243
6.5 grendel
6.5 Creedmoor
260
6.8 spc
7mm08
25.06
300 Bo

Any of those. Just pick a flavor you like.

Last edited by bo323; 11/16/15 12:08 AM.
Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031233 11/16/15 01:04 AM
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Cool beans! thank you

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031286 11/16/15 01:24 AM
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AR15 you will be able to fit to him.

6.8 in the AR15 platform

Depending on your setup you may be able to run up to an AR-10.

243, 6.5 Creed, 7mm-08

The advantage of the AR platform is fitting it to him. I would rather put my daughter (9) on a bolt gun but she is built funny I guess. Even the Ruger scout I have which has the shortest LOP of any factory stick I found is too long.

You have to remember about going too big. He will develop a flinch and people who flinch miss a lot. Get him something he can shoot comfortably and you won't have any issues.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: Poke81] #6031326 11/16/15 01:37 AM
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If your terrain keeps you limited to 200 yards and under, get him a 30-30 lever rifle. Teach him how to use iron sights, how to estimate range, and show him where his rifle shoots at various ranges. He will get a different rifle for coyotes, elk, and whatever else, but I bet he keeps coming back to that rifle a lot for venison.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031481 11/16/15 02:29 AM
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243/7mm-08.
Weatherby Vanguard youth.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: bo3] #6031495 11/16/15 02:34 AM
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Originally Posted By: bo323

243
6.5 grendel
6.5 Creedmoor
260
6.8 spc
7mm08
300 Bo
.308 Win

Any of those. Just pick a flavor you like.


+1

Add the 30-30 lever action to the list.

Last edited by FiremanJG; 11/16/15 02:35 AM. Reason: modified the list

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Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: J.G.] #6031529 11/16/15 02:44 AM
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Add the 30-30 lever action to the list. [/quote]

I won a Cabela's gift card in a raffle last year and used it to get my son a Savage Model 11 youth .243. With 100 grain bullets it kicks quite a bit more than my Marlin 336 shooting 150 grain. Still a mild rifle, but it definitely jumps more than the 30-30.

I assumed for a youth gun it would be softer-I would look for an older youth Marlin.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031568 11/16/15 02:59 AM
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I disagree with the 30-30 other than it short length of pull. So many better choices imo

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: J.G.] #6031667 11/16/15 03:44 AM
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Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
Originally Posted By: bo323

243
6.5 grendel
6.5 Creedmoor
260
6.8 spc
7mm08
300 Bo
.308 Win

Any of those. Just pick a flavor you like.


+1

Add the 30-30 lever action to the list.


I don't know how I left that one out. It was my first deer rifle.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031669 11/16/15 03:45 AM
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One must not over look the 257 Roberts or 6mm Remington. I'm a big fan of the 257, what I started hunting with. Have a barrel ready to put on an action for Kayla in the Roberts.



Call'm an Kill'm
Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031812 11/16/15 06:03 AM
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My vote goes for the .243. Ammo is plentiful, cheap and recoil is very managable.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031838 11/16/15 11:16 AM
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I still think recoil is a matter of psych more than physical for shooters. Id think length of pull and weight would play more into selecting rifle for any youth or smaller framed women or man even.

So that said calibers from . yes .243 with premium round, any 6.5(Swede,Grendel,Creedmore etc..), 7x57 or 7-08, .30-30 -w- Leverloution ammo, and finally why not a versatile .308 win!


The way things should be are not often the way things are.....
Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6031923 11/16/15 01:14 PM
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Over the last decade my place has seen more than it's fair share of youth hunters and based on that experience, the last several years I require that a .240 caliber or greater bullet be used. A magnet must not stick to the bullet and it must have an exposed lead core. This is based on the experience of what it takes not to loose a deer shot by an inexperienced hunter.

There are kids that want to use their ARs chambered in 223 but 90% of the time it ends bad. A kid going on a youth hunt typically does not have the patience or skill in placing the shot that this cartridge requires. The few times I've made an exception based on the parents argument of their kid's skill has ended bad. I don't have a problem with the cartridge or those like it when used with adults, I've used it and 222 Rem very successfully.

Ten years ago, I was anti 7.62x39, but open minded providing the bullet met the construction requirements. Boy was I wrong about it. It is an extremely effective hunter. It is probably the most common cartridge that a kid shows up with that and not just in the SKS. I see a lot of Mini-Mausers and CZs. The kids actually sold me, I own three hunting rifles chambered in the cartridge a decade later.

Second most popular cartridge has been the 30-30 Win. Those that haven't used it deny its effectiveness but it remains a killer of whitetails.

Third most popular is the 243 Win. When a kid shows up with their dad's long action, they usually don't shoot well at the range and have a flinching problem. If allowed, I move them to the Mini-Mauser 7.62x39 and can get them over the issue.

I also have a couple of leverguns that I make available, 357 Mag & 30-30 Win, and I've had kids that want to shoot them. I given them plenty of ammo to get settled in and they always do good.

My grandsons are too young yet but have Mini-Mauser's chambered in 7.62x39.


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Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6032127 11/16/15 03:00 PM
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Having guided youth hunts for years I have to throw in my opinion that good deer rifle calibers for kids and small framed women also depend on the size of the deer you will be shooting as well as the ranges you are shooting them at.....for first timers and kids I like to stay well within 100yds.

By far the .243 is the most common rifle that kids show up with and to be honest I am NOT a fan of it; we routinely see doe that are 150lbs+ and bucks are often 200+ and even on the smaller bodied bucks in the 160lbs we still have issues with the bullets not passing through and leaving poor or no blood trail at all.

I will say that the kids I guide usually make good shots; and when we clean the deer I look and have recovered several quality bonded bullets with perfect mushrooms inside these deer. The bullets did the job and the deer is dead but it can be a stressful situation if the shot is marginal and your trying to find a blood trail of a wounded animal while dealing with an excited kid.

That's why I say the .243 is more of an experts gun than a beginners; I believe that recoil is mostly in the mind, gun fit and proper shooting technique.

I think its always best to start a kid with a bolt action .22 that's as close to the rifle they will hunt with; that's why I own a Ruger M77 MKII stainless .22lr with a 3-9x40 Leupold as well as a Ruger M77 MkII stainless .270win with a 3-10x40 Leupold.

If a kid comes into camp and their gun doesn't work or other issue comes up I start them on my .22 then get them shooting my .270win.....and if I can have 2-3 hours good range time with a good kid;I have never had a problem with them using my .270 and being VERY effective with it.

In a couple of years I will be buying a couple of rifles for my nephews to hunt with and they will be the following.......

1. good quality bolt action rifle with quality 3-9x40 scope
2. Pick up a youth stock off ebay or gunbroker - They are cheap and readily available
3. let the kid decorate/paint the youth stock however he/she wants to. (put the full size stock back in the closet to switch out as they grow up)

The rifle will be in one of the following

7mm-08
257 Roberts
25-06
308 - you can start with light loads if you need to, then go to full power ammo buy the time their 13yo

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6042601 11/22/15 02:39 AM
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My daughter's have done well with 243's. Lung shots with good bullets at less than 100 yards have always done the trick. Our deer are smaller though. Central Texas whitetail don't get much above 120 lbs. Lot's of them smaller. My oldest who is sixteen now does well with a 25-06. I think it's OK to get a heavier rifle for them to help tame the recoil if they are going to be stationary either in a blind or a hide.

Good luck with your hunt!

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: Poke81] #6042716 11/22/15 04:22 AM
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Originally Posted By: Poke81
AR15 you will be able to fit to him.

6.8 in the AR15 platform

Depending on your setup you may be able to run up to an AR-10.

243, 6.5 Creed, 7mm-08

The advantage of the AR platform is fitting it to him. I would rather put my daughter (9) on a bolt gun but she is built funny I guess. Even the Ruger scout I have which has the shortest LOP of any factory stick I found is too long.

You have to remember about going too big. He will develop a flinch and people who flinch miss a lot. Get him something he can shoot comfortably and you won't have any issues.


I reluctantly agree with this.

I've got a 6.8spc AR that I let my 10 year old shoot his first deer with. He then received a Tikka 7mm-08 for Christmas last year. Took him out to shoot it twice now and he's afraid of it, hasn't fired a shot. He won't hesitate to shoot my AR and he shoots it well.

Advantages of AR- very little recoil, customizable and probably most important- cool factor in his mind. Kids love those black guns and at least my boy loves shooting it. 6.8 is a great round for deer hunting.

I'd really rather have him hunt with a bolt action deer rifle but I'm not him...my first priority is to make sure that this is fun for him and having an AR helps to makes this that. My objective is to help him to love the outdoors like I do so whatever it takes works for me.

The Tikka Lite that I so carefully shopped for and drove 3 hrs round trip to pick up will just have to wait, we're headed to the stand in the morning!


Originally Posted by LandPirate
We kept it as a pet for several months until it got run over by a truck. Then we ate him.
Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6042759 11/22/15 07:06 AM
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Learning as I go but my kids have been killing deer for three years now. Tall skinny boys about average size for their age 7 and 9 yrs old now. I was raised on a cut down 22-250 model 788 and they like and have used the same gun but I prefer them to shoot a 300 blackout bolt gun that is sized accordingly. I run a Harvester can on it so noise and recoil are not an issue. We used a 556 ar in the past with good results but the 300 blk with 110 Barnes is my preference and has proven effective. Pass through with full expansion on every shot. They all run a little ways (up to 100 yds) and the boys have learned to track blood now. Both of my boys are recoil sensitive and I really can't blame them. I prefer to see my hits in the scope and I encourage them to watch their shots. They see blood through the scope when shooting the 300 blk so far, we run a 2-7 scope at about 6 power. 7.62x39 is a great choice too.

Last edited by westexhunt; 11/22/15 07:08 AM.
Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: deewayne2003] #6042767 11/22/15 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted By: deewayne2003
Having guided youth hunts for years I have to throw in my opinion that good deer rifle calibers for kids and small framed women also depend on the size of the deer you will be shooting as well as the ranges you are shooting them at.....for first timers and kids I like to stay well within 100yds.

By far the .243 is the most common rifle that kids show up with and to be honest I am NOT a fan of it; we routinely see doe that are 150lbs+ and bucks are often 200+ and even on the smaller bodied bucks in the 160lbs we still have issues with the bullets not passing through and leaving poor or no blood trail at all.

I will say that the kids I guide usually make good shots; and when we clean the deer I look and have recovered several quality bonded bullets with perfect mushrooms inside these deer. The bullets did the job and the deer is dead but it can be a stressful situation if the shot is marginal and your trying to find a blood trail of a wounded animal while dealing with an excited kid.

That's why I say the .243 is more of an experts gun than a beginners; I believe that recoil is mostly in the mind, gun fit and proper shooting technique.

I think its always best to start a kid with a bolt action .22 that's as close to the rifle they will hunt with; that's why I own a Ruger M77 MKII stainless .22lr with a 3-9x40 Leupold as well as a Ruger M77 MkII stainless .270win with a 3-10x40 Leupold.

If a kid comes into camp and their gun doesn't work or other issue comes up I start them on my .22 then get them shooting my .270win.....and if I can have 2-3 hours good range time with a good kid;I have never had a problem with them using my .270 and being VERY effective with it.

In a couple of years I will be buying a couple of rifles for my nephews to hunt with and they will be the following.......

1. good quality bolt action rifle with quality 3-9x40 scope
2. Pick up a youth stock off ebay or gunbroker - They are cheap and readily available
3. let the kid decorate/paint the youth stock however he/she wants to. (put the full size stock back in the closet to switch out as they grow up)

The rifle will be in one of the following

7mm-08
257 Roberts
25-06
308 - you can start with light loads if you need to, then go to full power ammo buy the time their 13yo




Different strokes for different folks. My daughter who will be 25 in a month started with a youth .243 which she uses to this day. She is deadly with it on deer and hogs. My son wanted to start with a 30-30 and did before he went to a 30-06.

I don't think recoil is mostly a mental thing. Different people have different tolerances. It is also my unscientific observation that people of slighter build usually handle recoil better than stocky people. I'm very stocky and have had three operations on my right shoulder blade. After each operation my recoil sensitivity became progressively worse. It is not mental with me.


Don’t roll those bloodshot eyes at me.
Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6043459 11/22/15 08:27 PM
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Yeah I agree with you, recoil is not mental. It's physical. Get scoped or slapped in the face with a Monte Carlo stock and it becomes all the more real. The only way to tame it is with lighter bullets and heavier rifles.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6043589 11/22/15 09:37 PM
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I'll vote for the 243 also, and that is sure a change in my thinking from years ago. When we moved to the country, I became a year round hunter (not counting the really hot months). I went to my 220 Swift, but it really wasn't the answer for pigs. I used my 270 for a while, but that was overkill. Bought a 260 and used the 120 gr Nosler BT for coyote, pigs and deer, but later decided to try the 100 gr BT for an increase in velocity in my stumpy barreled rifle. After a few years with the 100 gr bullet, I will say that the 120 grainer is better on deer, but the 100 grainer is enough.

With that said, the 243 will push a 100 gr bullet to 3000, as will the 257 Roberts, the 6mm, and the 250 Savage. Of those, I suppose the 243 is the most easily found ammo, though I do think the 250 and 257 would be of more interest to me, being a Reloader. And, I could shoot a little bigger bullet in the 25's than in the 24's.

So buy the kid a 243 in a Ruger compact with that new swap-out stock and shoot the Nosler Partition bullet. Problem solved.


Not my monkeys, not my circus...
Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6043787 11/22/15 11:14 PM
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I started with .223 when I was 5, 7x57 when I was 8, then .30-06 when I was 10.

I shot lighter weight federal classics in all 3 and never really thought of the recoil being all that bad but I was taller kid so the stocks always fit me. I think that's a big thing contributing to shooting comfort as well; a properly fitting rifle and a nice recoil pad.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6047888 11/24/15 09:39 PM
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I also started with .223 when I was 5. It was a Remington my dad had the barrel and stock modified to fit a youth and fitted with a fixed 3x40 scope. I moved to a .257 Roberts built on an FN Commercial Mauser action when I was 10.

I was also a better shot than my dad around 7 or 8 years old. It could have been that his .30-06 caused him to flinch while my .223 did not make me flinch.


Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: Hunter Gatherer] #6049140 11/25/15 02:21 PM
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Originally Posted By: Hunter Gatherer
Yeah I agree with you, recoil is not mental. It's physical. Get scoped or slapped in the face with a Monte Carlo stock and it becomes all the more real. The only way to tame it is with lighter bullets and heavier rifles.


You bring up a good point.....If your getting "scoped" your scope is probably mounted wrong.

A lot of people mount their scopes with them on low power, then when they zoom in the magnification they have to creep up on the scope and BANG right between the eyes.

Re: Good youth deer rifle [Re: spudmonkey] #6050399 11/26/15 02:26 AM
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243 or 6.8 on AR platform.


THE ROAD GOES ON FOREVER AND THE PARTY NEVER ENDS.

F##K YOU JOE BIDEN !!!!!
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