Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

[LawDog101]

My 8 yo has proven that he can handle himself behind my AR and hit targets and game out to 200y with the 4x on the AR. I really want to put him behind a better rifle and let him stretch his leg a bit and get out to 500y as well as let him hunt with a bit more power.

His lop right now is around 10" and he shoots my ar on the first hole. He has shot my 10fp before and is not scared of the recoil. Some suggestions on brand, caliber, etc would really help. Would like to stay w 308 if possible since i reload but not absolute....260, 6.5, etc would also be considered.

Thanks for the help.

LD

 

[nobody13]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

Budget? Hard to beat Savage for a first rifle.

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

I'd say get him a Rem 700 in 243, 260, or 308. I'd go 260 myself. Get him a solid scope and let him hunt and practice with the same rifle. Sounds like you've got a great shooter in the family!

 

[broke_again]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

243 youth model or .260 with a brake. 243 will be cheaper to feed.

 

[LawDog101]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

I dont think he has enough lop to handle a full size 700 or std savage....input?

 

[Quickdraw40]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

I have a Savage Stevens 243 for my son with 1 1/2 or so cut off the factory stock. Good luck. Keep him shooting. A brake would probably help.

 

[mwroseberry]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

Why not just get a savage, Stevens or Remington in 223. With a skilled shooter I've seen them hit at 800 yards. That way you maintain the same caliber as your AR for now and no reason for a brake especially if you use a heavy barrel.

Stevens 200 in 223 - sell barrel and stock
Mcgowen or CBI in 223
B&C medalist
Egw 20moa base
Bushnell 10x40 tactical elite
Rifle basic trigger

Then when he is old enough change barrel and bolt face to 7-08 or 260 and he's good out to 1mile.

Also look into university shooting teams, not many kids compete anymore and Div 1 schools need shooters so look at it as an investment. Cheaper than most other sports and no wear and tear on joints.

Good luck,
Merritt

 

[fdkay]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

6.5 Grendel or 6.8 spcII upper for the AR

 

[flyrodder]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

Another vote for Savage. I bought my twin boys each an Axis in .270 when they were 12 after their first deer hunt (both successful). While working up loads for them, both rifles proved to be sub-moa. Just yesterday I tested 7 loads for each, and shot at least 5 sub-moa, 3-round groups. One rifle shot two "bug holes" at less than half an inch. Pretty amazing for a $300 rifle. I ultimately replaced the triggers with Rifle Basix, but that wasn't necessary for accuracy. It helped with the boys' shooting though. The stock is flimsy, but they are nice and light.

Both boys shoot gallon jugs out to 300 yards or so from field positions, and both got their deer this year with the Savages, including one very nice 4x6 muley.

They come in a selection of calibers, so worth a look.

 

[cruizer]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

single shot NEF

it will have a shorter overal length

 

[toddconley]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

I got a 243 tikka t3 lite that I hunt dogs with. Bout 6 ish pounds b4 scope and bullets. I a got a 80 gr barnes load already worked up with the seating depth and the whole 9 yards. Shoots tiny little groups at laser like speeds. I love tikkas for hunting. Hardly any way to better for the money in light rifle. Let me know if you head this way. I'll send data. Save you some time
T

 

[KLambert05]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

remington has a 700 youth model in 7-08 and you can use reduced powder loads until he can take the full kick, or brake it and your good. my cousin has one of these, very good starter gun.

 

[fastbs]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

Get a wood stock and cut it down to fit him and bed it. When he out grows the chopped stock hook him up with a nicer one.

 

[Extreme454]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

My eight year old shoots his AR-15 all day, BUT, keep in mind, AR's absorb a lot of recoil. I had him try my 22-250, and it was too much for him. You know your son better then anyone, 243, 260, 308 is way too much for my eight year old. I'm thinking of getting my boy a nice bolt action in .223. Cheap, easy, low recoil, and shares ammo with the AR. I'll probably get a Savage.

 

[Trevor300wsm]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

Rem and Savage both make youth models. A friend of mine bought a youth savage last year. Not sure which one it is, but I know they make them.

I started deer hunting when i was 9yrs old. I had already been shooting/squirrel hunting with my Chipmunk .22 since i was 7yrs old. For my first season hunting, my dad borrowed a lil light weight Browning in .22-250 with a 22" barrel, short wood stock, DBM, and a 2-7 Leupold. For some reason I could not shoot for shit with that rifle. So, one day while practicing, I asked dad if I could shoot his Weatherby .270. It was a big gun (for me at the time). It was a 1980's model Vangaurd, back when they were still really nice guns with beautiful stocks. I did remarkabley well with the big ole .270 so we decided thats what I'd hunt with. He built me a lil shooting rest that flipped up in the first stand that I hunted in. I did just fine with it. I hunted with that old Weatherby 270 every single year since 1989, until 2008 when dad passed away and I decided to hunt with his Browning 270 that he bought after passing the Weatherby on to me.

Anyway, just keep in mind how fast kids grow at that age. I wouldn't limit him with a .223 for a number of reasons, none that I'm going to get into on here though as people naturally just want to argue. Get him a decent caliber and stick a good recoil pad on it and/or a brake and he'll be set for many years to come and he'll have a gun he can hunt with every year and build memories on. If you get him a .223 he's gonna want something bigger in 1-3yrs, depending on his size/growth.

 

[LawDog101]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

Really appreciate the input guys. After reviewing everything, it looks like I am going to settle with a .308 rifle (bigger is better) but I am still figuring out the style/brand. The savage is really attractive by price and I know I can get a better stock for it later. However, I looked at the Tikka and wow is that thing nice.

Guess I will get some light .308 bullets and load them in my 308 and see how the recoil works out.

Lots of decisions. Thanks again.

LD

 

[Will Fennell]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

Lawdog,
If he shoots the AR that well, as mentioned above, a simple change of uppers to a 16" 6.8SPECII will give him a major upgrade in gamekillin' performance, with a very modest change in recoil. Flat shooting enough to make 200-300 yard shots easy( my carbine wears a Trijicon 3x9 with mildot reticle, and with my load zero'd at 100yds, 200yds is .5mil, and 300yds is 1.1mil), and with very low recoil and blast. I have a few kids hunting with my dad and I, and their favorite is one of our AR carbines in 6.8.

 

[ddavis]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Will Fennell</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Lawdog,
If he shoots the AR that well, as mentioned above, a simple change of uppers to a 16" 6.8SPECII will give him a major upgrade in gamekillin' performance, with a very modest change in recoil. Flat shooting enough to make 200-300 yard shots easy( my carbine wears a Trijicon 3x9 with mildot reticle, and with my load zero'd at 100yds, 200yds is .5mil, and 300yds is 1.1mil), and with very low recoil and blast. I have a few kids hunting with my dad and I, and their favorite is one of our AR carbines in 6.8. </div></div>

I agree with this. While he may be able to handle the recoil of a 308, he may also develop a flinch. I say go with an AR in an appropriate caliber. Low recoil and lots of adjustability in the stock. Children typically get "buck fever" pretty bad, so having him shoot much beyond 200 yards may not work with any caliber.
-Dan

 

[LawDog101]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

My little bro has a 6.8 Stag in 16" that shoot awesome. A little expensive to reload but he would be able to use my trigger that he is used to and I would also get a pig killing beast....Ha!

Great idea. I know about buck fever. He shot his first buck this year and as I was looking over his shoulder, his heart was racing. I put my hand on his chest and told him to "you need to take a deep breath" He did, and I watched the barrel lock in on the target. Good times.

I have noticed that 6.5 has been getting popular. Seems like a bit heavier than the AR but with better long range ballistics than the 6.8...Good choice also?

LD

 

[scotharr]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

308 for an 8-yr old? No matter how big or good he is, I think that is unwise. Get him an R700 223REM with a 26" barrel. He'll love it and love shooting. Why rush your child? The important thing is to make sure he loves shooting. Minimizing recoil is the way to do that. Plus a .223 is very effective out to 600 yards.

 

[a_bishop]

Re: Need help...8 y/o needs better rifle

Savage in .223 would be a great first bolt gun and in a few years 308 or better yet 260 is 350 bucks away