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Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
#6928590
10/22/17 12:29 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,260
Texas Dan
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I checked one of these out yesterday at my local Academy. One of a few rifles now available that's sized for those with smaller frames that comes with a wood stock and all the features on the full sized model. You'll most likely need to ask to see one as they are seldom kept on the display shelf. Mossberg Patriot Bantom
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928616
10/22/17 01:10 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 27,091
Nogalus Prairie
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If one can swing a few more dollars I would look for a Remington Model 7 or a Winchester Model 70 compact or a Browning Micro Midas or a Tikka T3 compact or ...... or .......
That way they would have something besides a Mossberg, which in 50 years will be the equivalent of a Sears Ted Williams gun from the 50s today - something no one really wants.
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928691
10/22/17 02:11 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,954
huntwest
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Weatherby Vanguard Compact Around 500.00 Sub moa guarantee, two stage trigger. Great rifle that fits smaller frames perfect.
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928703
10/22/17 02:20 PM
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 33,977
Buzzsaw
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Browning Micro Midas in .243 or 7mm-08 (Hornady Custom Lite ammo) you get quality will last a life time and re sale value when he wants a bigger rifle
Gunbroker will have several
Last edited by Buzzsaw; 10/22/17 02:21 PM.
SPACE FOR RENT
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Nogalus Prairie]
#6928706
10/22/17 02:24 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,260
Texas Dan
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If one can swing a few more dollars I would look for a Remington Model 7 or a Winchester Model 70 compact or a Browning Micro Midas or a Tikka T3 compact or ...... or .......
That way they would have something besides a Mossberg, which in 50 years will be the equivalent of a Sears Ted Williams gun from the 50s today - something no one really wants.
I picked up a new Browning A-bolt Micro Medallion soon after our first daughter was born, but it was our last daughter who finally laid claim to it. It's a beautiful gun no doubt, but perhaps too beautiful a gun for a kid with it's high gloss finish to the stock and barrel. Not sure if Browning will offer it again, which adds to it's personal value no doubt. I wish I still had that old Ted Williiams .22 my dad gave me when I was a kid. I'm sure it was all he could afford at the time, which would make it even more valuable to me today. He probably bought it on credit from Sears. I loaned it to a co-worker to teach his own son how to shoot and he never returned it. It was and will be the last gun I will ever let someone borrow.
Last edited by Texas Dan; 10/22/17 02:26 PM.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928713
10/22/17 02:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,407
WileyCoyote
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+1 on what Nog said...but if you can't swing those price points, here are some other ideas I'd consider in your shoes...CDNN in Abilene has a closeout on the very last of the NIB Marlin XS 7's in a 243 at $239 that is the very best buy on the market, although it is in standard sized rifle but only weighs abouth 6lbs and a few oz's...or I'd look for a Thompson Center VENTURE ( and NOT the newer Compass with a 1 year warranty ) from one of the other On Line guys in a Compact that'll come in several 308 based calibers like 243, 7-08 etc and sized correctly for a youth gun & comes with a Lifetime Warranty & either of them can be upgraded starting at $140'ish in a finished Boyds wood or laminate stock that can be ordered in a sub sized length for a nominal price increase. If you look at the Boyd's website be sure to clickon the customized version so you can pick and choose exactly what stock style & material & optional up grades of many that you want....and a nice option for a growing child.
Just remembered CDNN also has some Browning AB3's in a youth size...but only come in a composite stock in most models. These are the base model no frills ABolts non adjustable trigger guns that recently were offered at the mid $300's.
Whittakers in Ownensboro KY has some stellar prices on Howa's that'd be worth a look & I've done enough bidnizz with Darrik to trust his word...he's been very good to work with on some of my ordering screwups's and putting up with my Old Woman styled hissy fits when I do something too stupid to admit to in public. FYI the Howa's are a plainer version with a less stylish finish out as a Wby Vanguard II....FWIW I bought a Wby VG II last month or so in Stainless ( that Howa no longer offers in their own brand name) that I am very impressed with for finish out and a much much better composite stock. Good Luck Ron
Last edited by WileyCoyote; 10/22/17 02:49 PM.
It is TIME for Term Limits, cause Politicians are like childrens diapers and for the same reasons...Robin Williams "These are the times that try men's soul's"...Thomas Paine
"Those who fail to learn from History are doomed to repeat it" ....Santayana
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928739
10/22/17 02:58 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,260
Texas Dan
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All good suggestions made here, which appear to point to the question of what makes for the best gun to give a kid? Should it be a really nice and more expensive rifle, or a more economical firearm that's sure to take a beating from a kid as they learn the ropes?
I don't believe there's any question that having an old cheap Ted Williams gun when I was a kid was part of what drove me to pay cash for a Browning Micro Medallion to give to a future child or grandchild. But looking back, I have to ask was I truly buying the gun to satisfy myself, or a kid?
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928748
10/22/17 03:03 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,511
syncerus
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All good suggestions made here, which appear to point to the question of what makes for the best gun to give a kid? Should it be a really nice and more expensive rifle, or a more economical firearm that's sure to take a beating from a kid as they learn the ropes? I'm not sure there's a right answer to that question as so much will depend on the family, the kid and the means. Is the kid that's already addicted to hunting, or is it just Dad's wishful thinking? Can the rifle be passed down to younger siblings? It really depends so much on the situation.
NRA Patriot Benefactor & DSC Lifer
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928803
10/22/17 04:07 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,273
blackcoal
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Why doesn't everyone just pass down the first gun they got from their parents. I'm sure everyone still has it and I'm certain it was the highest quality and most expensive on the market at the time. Definitely kept in pristine condition. Personally I would just have a custom rifle and shotgun made for my child, heck with this off the rack junk.
The Greatest Enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.--Stephen Hawking
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: blackcoal]
#6928850
10/22/17 05:09 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,260
Texas Dan
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Why doesn't everyone just pass down the first gun they got from their parents. I'm sure everyone still has it and I'm certain it was the highest quality and most expensive on the market at the time. Definitely kept in pristine condition. Personally I would just have a custom rifle and shotgun made for my child, heck with this off the rack junk. Definitely the preferred approach. However, a lot of guys had parents like my dad who didn't hunt.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928886
10/22/17 06:04 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,407
WileyCoyote
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...or have wives who think whats theirs is theirs...and what is yours no matter where it came from ...is theirs too... Ron
It is TIME for Term Limits, cause Politicians are like childrens diapers and for the same reasons...Robin Williams "These are the times that try men's soul's"...Thomas Paine
"Those who fail to learn from History are doomed to repeat it" ....Santayana
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928956
10/22/17 07:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 27,091
Nogalus Prairie
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My first hunting kid got the Rem 700 BDL .243 my Dad got me. My second got a Tikka T3 Hunter in 7mm-08.
I don't buy cheapo rifles. I don't buy my kids cheapo rifles. I taught them how to take care of their rifles (and other stuff) so that's not an issue. Money spent on cheap rifles is a poor investment IMO. That said, if that's absolutely all a Dad can afford for their kid, I get it and applaud them for sacrificing to provide whatever they can so they can go hunting. Which is obviously the most important thing.
But if you can swing another $200-300 it's money well spent.
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928963
10/22/17 07:48 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 27,091
Nogalus Prairie
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P.S. I just remembered I told a fib. Bought a Savage Axis once for a beater truck gun.
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6928999
10/22/17 08:37 PM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11,913
Simple Searcher
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Something to think about, get a heavy barrel rifle I know there are guys on here that get all excited about their gun being too heavy and want something lighter to carry the 100 grueling yards to a blind. My youngest daughter used my heavy 243 for her first deer. She was 9 and would carry it 1/4 mile to the blind. 16 years later she still shoots that gun beautifully. Texas hunting is bench rest hunting and my girls like the stability and reduced recoil of heavy rifle. My oldest also uses a heavy barrel. Now my wife has a heavy 243 and loves it. I have seen way too many guys get light weight youth models for their wife or kid and create a recoil shy shooter. The worse kicking 243 I ever shot was a youth model a friend had got for his daughter, it kicked like a mule. He thought there was something wrong with the gun because she could hardly keep it in on paper. I cringed when pulling the trigger after only a few shots, no one should do that to a kid.
"Man is still a hunter, still a simple searcher after meat..." Robert C. Ruark
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Nogalus Prairie]
#6929004
10/22/17 08:41 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,260
Texas Dan
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That way they would have something besides a Mossberg, which in 50 years will be the equivalent of a Sears Ted Williams gun from the 50s today - something no one really wants. Granted, Mossberg is best known for their relative low-cost shotguns. However, the company remains our nation's oldest, family-owned firearms manufacturer, having moved much of their production capability from New Haven, Connecticut to their new facility in Eagle Pass, Texas. Not sure that puts them on the same firearm production scale as Sears and Roebuck.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6929007
10/22/17 08:49 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,608
Sneaky
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When they moved to Texas, did they start making firearms worth buying?
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Simple Searcher]
#6929120
10/22/17 10:37 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 27,091
Nogalus Prairie
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Something to think about, get a heavy barrel rifle I know there are guys on here that get all excited about their gun being too heavy and want something lighter to carry the 100 grueling yards to a blind. My youngest daughter used my heavy 243 for her first deer. She was 9 and would carry it 1/4 mile to the blind. 16 years later she still shoots that gun beautifully. Texas hunting is bench rest hunting and my girls like the stability and reduced recoil of heavy rifle. My oldest also uses a heavy barrel. Now my wife has a heavy 243 and loves it. I have seen way too many guys get light weight youth models for their wife or kid and create a recoil shy shooter. The worse kicking 243 I ever shot was a youth model a friend had got for his daughter, it kicked like a mule. He thought there was something wrong with the gun because she could hardly keep it in on paper. I cringed when pulling the trigger after only a few shots, no one should do that to a kid. Good thought for sure. Heavy is good for blind hunting.
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#6929290
10/23/17 12:49 AM
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Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 632
505ed
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I've posted this before. The below is a 300 blackout... I have loaded 130 TSX bullets and it is a favorite around the house... I also have a 6.5 grendel encore with a 20 in barrel set up a little different--they both are excellent for kids...mine kids love the little blackout..especially running the can on it... Ed
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Sneaky]
#6929737
10/23/17 12:37 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,260
Texas Dan
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When they moved to Texas, did they start making firearms worth buying? One thing is certain. If people don't buy enough of them, Texas jobs will be lost. Mossberg leaders made it clear their decision to move most of their production facilities to Texas was based on our pro-gun beliefs and higher levels of hunting activities. Mossberg has since released their "Revere" edition of the Patriot which carries higher-end features. With this being the company's first entry into the deer rifle market, I don't believe there's any question the family-owned company is trying to improve their image.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: Nogalus Prairie]
#6929874
10/23/17 02:13 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,604
chalet
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If one can swing a few more dollars I would look for a Remington Model 7 or a Winchester Model 70 compact or a Browning Micro Midas or a Tikka T3 compact or ...... or .......
That way they would have something besides a Mossberg, which in 50 years will be the equivalent of a Sears Ted Williams gun from the 50s today - something no one really wants.
Blasphemy, some of us -well me anyway-hold a softspot for the old Sears and Western Auto branded guns. My dads cabinet was full of Savage, Stevens, Springfield, Ted Wiliams and the like. Good guns at good prices. Didn't realize Mossberg moved to Texas, may have to pick one of those Bantam's up. Too bad it doesn't come in .223.
Shoot. Eat. Repeat.
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Re: Looking for a rifle for a kid or the wife?
[Re: chalet]
#6930543
10/23/17 11:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,273
blackcoal
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If one can swing a few more dollars I would look for a Remington Model 7 or a Winchester Model 70 compact or a Browning Micro Midas or a Tikka T3 compact or ...... or .......
That way they would have something besides a Mossberg, which in 50 years will be the equivalent of a Sears Ted Williams gun from the 50s today - something no one really wants.
Blasphemy, some of us -well me anyway-hold a softspot for the old Sears and Western Auto branded guns. My dads cabinet was full of Savage, Stevens, Springfield, Ted Wiliams and the like. Good guns at good prices. Didn't realize Mossberg moved to Texas, may have to pick one of those Bantam's up. Too bad it doesn't come in .223. I would love to have a closet of Sears Model 6C or 54... I will buy everyone that, nobody wants, especially those that haven't held their value.
The Greatest Enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.--Stephen Hawking
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