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12 year old's first precision rifle

Rebel Rooster

Rebel Rooster

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Jan 1, 2018
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So my son has decided that he would like to learn to shoot a precision rifle, so I am going to take him to some training, but I am a little perplexed as to what caliber he should train with. He is twelve, almost thirteen, and he is not incredibly small for his age. He's about 5'3", weighs about 120lbs. I was originally thinking .223, but I wonder if he would be able to control a 6mm creedmoor just fine? Anyone have any good suggestions for a trainer rifle for a 12-13 year old? Preferably something I could just purchase with no wait time so he could get to shooting. I was ecstatic when he told me he wanted to learn, so I want to hold up my end of the deal as quickly as possible.

Thanks in advance guys!
 
A lot of women of that size and weight can handle most anything they want to shoot.

I think your son would be fine with any reasonable choice but .223 is cheap to shoot and shooting a lot is the best way to improve.
 
Cz455 is cheaper to shoot and can teach windage a lot better. Spend the money on a good scope that can be applied to the next rifle he gravitates towards
 
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Go with a light recoiling caliber in a .473 bolt face and as he learns and grows he can swap barrels for caliber and purpose of his choice..
.243
6mm creeed
6.5 x 47
Just my thoughts, I started my son at that age on a .308 and he is small framed and when he was 12 maybe a 100 lbs soak and wet.
 
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reeljob said:
Go with a light recoiling caliber in a .473 bolt face and as he learns and grows he can swap barrels for caliber and purpose of his choice..
.243
6mm creeed
6.5 x 47
Just my thoughts, I started my son at that age on a .308 and he is small framed and when he was 12 maybe a 100 lbs soak and wet.
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I am almost thinking the same thing. It looks like I can get the RPR in both 6mm and .223 for the same price. It almost makes no sense for me not to go with the 6mm. Is the RPR pretty decent to learn with? I've never had one.
 
Just a thought..... my cousin built his boy a 6mmBR on a 700 action and dropped it in a MPA lite. Pretty darn cool rifle. Good brass life, good barrel life, accurate as hell. Mild recoil- a little up front investment.
 
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If you don’t mind spending a little, find someone with TL3s in stock. Have a 223 barrel spun or get a savage prefit. 223. Order a KRG Bravo to stick it in.

As he gets better/older, you can change the bolt head to .308 or magnum size. Have barrels spun up for it or get pre fit. Can also get another chassis or stock of his choosing later.

It will be something that can adapt to him as he chooses. And if for some reason he grows out of it or doesn’t like shooting, you have a badass rig for yourself. If he likes it, he’ll have a modular rig for the rest of his life.
 
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I would not be afraid of the 6mm. That's what mine is shooting. 5'4" 110 LBS. Recoil is not a factor for him with it. He stated with a 6.5 creed and likes the 6mm Creed much better
 
scott_gresham said:
I am almost thinking the same thing. It looks like I can get the RPR in both 6mm and .223 for the same price. It almost makes no sense for me not to go with the 6mm. Is the RPR pretty decent to learn with? I've never had one.
Click to expand...
I would say if a 12” LOP will work for him that would be a great rifle for him.
 
I would say if your a hand loader get the rpr in 223. If you only buy factory ammo and want to shoot past 700 yards then I would get the rpr in 6mm creedmoor. If money is not a concern at all then the Bighorn TL3 is the way to go. Both of the ruger precision rifles that I mentioned can be found at grabagun.com for the best price. The 223 ammo is about 40 cents a shot and the 6 mm creedmoor is going to cost you $1.20 a shot just remember that he’s going to want to shoot a lot and will get better and better with practice. So I guess what I’m trying to say is if you can’t afford that $1.20 a shot for the creedmoor and can’t afford a new barrel every 2000 shots then get the 223.
 
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The RPR is a great rifle. I had one in 6.5CM and it was the most accurate factory rifle I've shot, right out of the box (.2-.3 MOA groups). Mags are cheap (Magpul), Ergos are good. Standard AR grips and stocks so you can customize it to fit any body shape. Easy to swap barrel. The price is great, too.
 
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I bought my 10yo daughter a Tikka T3x in 223. She does shoot my 6x47 with no issues. but I was looking for something for something affordable to buy ammo for as my reloading time is limited. She can handle it fairly well. It's in a Boyd's AT1 stock which is still slightly long for her. She is 4'4" right now.
 
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I would ask the following about your son:
1. What is his history with Rifles?
2. Does he understand drop, wind, ranging?
3. Is he familiar with fundamentals, like trigger, rifle adjustment, shoulder pocketing, etc...
4. How much time does he have on range?

A lot of that helps... The reason why I ask is that I spent a lot of time with my daughter when she was 4 years old with .22's. Her first real centerfire shot was with a .308 on a Buck at 180 yards when she was 8. She mastered the fundamentals of the .22 and applied it to the higher calibers without fear of recoil or anticipation. Now at 13, she is shooting in Precision Club matches and will be doing some PRS this season.

Many ways to train the young ones.. but if they have a good foundation of the fundamentals, the mid range calibers discussed will all be fine.
 
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Codiekfx400 said:
I would say if your a hand loader get the rpr in 223. If you only buy factory ammo and want to shoot past 700 yards then I would get the rpr in 6mm creedmoor. If money is not a concern at all then the Bighorn TL3 is the way to go. Both of the ruger precision rifles that I mentioned can be found at grabagun.com for the best price. The 223 ammo is about 40 cents a shot and the 6 mm creedmoor is going to cost you $1.20 a shot just remember that he’s going to want to shoot a lot and will get better and better with practice. So I guess what I’m trying to say is if you can’t afford that $1.20 a shot for the creedmoor and can’t afford a new barrel every 2000 shots then get the 223.
Click to expand...
Thats good advice, my take is slightly different, I would say if you are a hand loader I would get the 6mm RPR. reloads will be less than $1.20 and there will be more potential in the 6mm Creed, along with the fact that there's alot of potential for some quality father son time at the reloading bench trying different combos and what not, same would go for reloading .223 but as a handloader I would choose 6mm for the extra potential and the fact recoil should be manageable for him and I would think would hold his interest longer than .223. many good options really.
 
I am reloading, and I already do reload both 6mm creedmoor and 6.5 creedmoor, as I have a couple of 6.5s and a 6. The 6mm creedmoor is my newest and main rifle now, so it would be very easy for me to just reload more 6mm creedmoor for him. On the other hand, if something happens and he decides he doesn't like precision shooting as much as I do, if I got a .223 trainer for him, I'd then have a very cheap rifle to train with and plink around with. Decisions, decisions... Thank yo guys so much for all of the replies. You have all given me excellent advice to think about,
 
scott_gresham said:
I am almost thinking the same thing. It looks like I can get the RPR in both 6mm and .223 for the same price. It almost makes no sense for me not to go with the 6mm. Is the RPR pretty decent to learn with? I've never had one.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I would think to go with the 6mm also then you can teach your son reloading for long range shooting if you yourself reload. If not you could get into it and then if you guys can't go out and shoot one weekend you could stay home make some good ammo and still hang out together and do something gun related. This isn't to say you can't reload ammo for the 223 though and get great performance.
 
Just out of curiosity, at what age do most people take their kids shooting? Seems to be the dilemma I’m having with my wife.
 
Random_Scrub said:
Just out of curiosity, at what age do most people take their kids shooting? Seems to be the dilemma I’m having with my wife.
Click to expand...

My Dad bought me my first gun, a .410, at about 6 years old, I think, maybe . Times are different now though. My 12 year old probably shot his .22 at 9 or 10 for the first time. Now, at 12, he has a couple of .22 rifles, a .22 handgun, and now the 6mm.
 
I agree with the times being different now. I had a 22 when I was 10. Wife seems to think appropriate age is 16. Still have a ways to go before this becomes an issue.
 
IMO, teach and let him shoot with what you already have. A youngsters mind is still fresh, and they’ll get acclimated and master to anything you throw at them. That’s why they go to school to learn. I started letting my kids shoot at a early age (11 and 13). And now at age 13 and 15, they only like to shoot .308. They even hand reload their own ammo with the single stage. Going through all the work flow to reloading. And they got it down to the tee. I keep them off the progressive though, cause I told them that’s cheating..lol. Btw, always remind them safety is first.
 
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I started both mine at 6 air guns and 22's. My 10y/o Has a 223 now. It will widely vary on how your kids can listen to directions and stay on task.
 
It's different for each kid. I think it depends on how well they absorb the teaching. My boy is turning 5 in Sept. He's doing well with his BB gun. Been thinking about getting him a Cricket so we can have some 22 shoot offs.
 
FireInTheWire said:
It's different for each kid. I think it depends on how well they absorb the teaching. My boy is turning 5 in Sept. He's doing well with his BB gun. Been thinking about getting him a Cricket so we can have some 22 shoot offs.
Click to expand...


The shoot offs is where both my kids were hooked. We have a couple of those star balls and have races with them. Or race on the silhouettes.
 
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Some kids pick up fast. Some kids take time. Doesn’t matter.. But we are their teachers, we are their role models, we are their hero’s. So it all depends how we teach, coach them. Show them how’s its done. Stay with them constantly and watch how they are doing it. Correct them if errors arise. Make them a check list on paper. Have them memorize those check list. Get them to think and read lots too. Some YouTube videos are helpful too, but it’s our judgement to tell our kids if some of those YouTube videos are good ones or not. Most of all, safety first, and let them have fun.. They are only kids..
 
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My son started at 6-yo with a Davey Crickett .22LR. At 11-yo I got him a Ruger American Ranch in .233 but it wasn't a very good rifle..... really heavy bolt lift, heavy trigger,short barrel and accuracy was not acceptable. We didn't like it and it didn't have the HP for the longer shots....he kept migrating to my big 6.5Creed.

Since that didn't fit him, I decided to build him a 6BR on an Origin action in an MPA Lite chassis. He wants to shoot matches with me. :) The 6BR is light enough, low recoil enough and has the HP for longer shots. I already shoot Dasher, so for me it was a no-brainer.

He is 12 too and most kids can handle the 6.5's. Heck, little 57-lb(?) Mary-Beth Olsen competes in PRS with a 6.5Creed. Good luck, and have a great time shooting with your boy!
 
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Random_Scrub said:
Just out of curiosity, at what age do most people take their kids shooting? Seems to be the dilemma I’m having with my wife.
Click to expand...

It's a little different for each kid. I'd gauge per mentality, maturity and attention span. I have gotten railed on here for saying so in the past but a youngster that cannot grasp how deadly a firearm can be has no business using one.

My daughter was a one of those kids that had a maturity beyond her years, she was a good kid, listened, was obedient, and always a straight A student, etc, I started her off at 8 or 9 with a BB gun, then a pellet rifle. I had her shooting 22 rimfire with our local boys club by 10. She turned out to be a fantastic shot and person.

My goofy youngest son didn't have the maturity to handle even a pellet gun and got in trouble every time we went out shooting for being unsafe and I'm so glad I didn't let him handle a firearm till he was 12! He just graduated college and is a high achiever and don't mean to imply he was a bad kid or anything of the sort, he was just a silly kid is all.

All it takes is one accident to ruin a life. Turn your head for a second, what can happen...
 
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I just took my 6 year old, 4 year old, and 3 year old shooting this morning. It was a 20 inch steel plate at 50 yards for the younger two. The 6 year old shot water bottles, rocks, and dare I say it tannerite. The younger 2 were shooting a savage rascal definitely a must have for $160. I use a non swivel bipod on the rifle and help them support the butt stock while they line up the sights and pull the trigger. The six year old was shooting a 223 same procedure accept he supports the buttstock himself. I don’t know if starting them this young is good or not but they seem to love it. Always under direct supervision of course and one at a time.
 
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earthquake said:
My son started at 6-yo with a Davey Crickett .22LR. At 11-yo I got him a Ruger American Ranch in .233 but it wasn't a very good rifle..... really heavy bolt lift, heavy trigger,short barrel and accuracy was not acceptable. We didn't like it and it didn't have the HP for the longer shots....he kept migrating to my big 6.5Creed.

Since that didn't fit him, I decided to build him a 6BR on an Origin action in an MPA Lite chassis. He wants to shoot matches with me. :) The 6BR is light enough, low recoil enough and has the HP for longer shots. I already shoot Dasher, so for me it was a no-brainer.

He is 12 too and most kids can handle the 6.5's. Heck, little 57-lb(?) Mary-Beth Olsen competes in PRS with a 6.5Creed. Good luck, and have a great time shooting with your boy!
Click to expand...
May I ask the specs on that origin build?
 
Codiekfx400 said:
May I ask the specs on that origin build?
Click to expand...

Patriot Valley Arms built Bighorn Origin with a OEM button-rifled 6mmBR at 24" in an MPA Lite chassis. @bohem is building it and I should have it sometime this summer.
Topping it with the new Midas Tac 4-16x, which I received last week. It's a great little scope.
 
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steve123 said:
a youngster that cannot grasp how deadly a firearm can be has no business using one.

(snip)

All it takes is one accident to ruin a life. Turn your head for a second, what can happen...
Click to expand...

My dad's plan was to take me hunting as an observer when I was young. Watching a big buck get dropped by a single shot makes an impression on a kid that is watching. It's worth the time to be a great mentor.
 
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Kasey said:
I have a bipod I don't use he can have. If interested, drop me a PM
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Man, thank you so much for thinking of that. That is why I love this message board; you guys are great! I actually had a couple of extra harris' and an Atlas or two. I threw the Harris on, then took it off and put one of my atlas' on there, haha. I'll post some pics tonight or in the morning, but so far I've changed the hanguard, I'll change the buttstock tonight to a magpul prs, change the trigger to a timney two stage, and I am still waiting on a couple of items from LRI that I think are coming in tomorrow, new bolt knob and bolt shroud. I think the only thing I haven't changed is the barrel. I'll at least let him wear the factory one out learning. I am a little to obsessive when it comes to rifles lol, but my thought is, if he doesn't stick with it, I'll have another tack driver. Win/Win.
 
Ok, I've almost gotten the RPR complete. So far I changed the trigger to a timney 2 stage, swapped the hanguard for a seekins, changed the buttstock to a magpul prs gen 2, put an Athlon Cronus BTR on it, and put one of my atlas bipods on it. I am still waiting for the LRI bolt shroud and LRI sniper's hide edition knob, and those should be coming tomorrow. Also I am going to go zero it in at the 100 yard range tomorrow, and he and I are gonna take it to a 1000 yard range on Saturday morning for his first lesson. He seems excited!

RPRLuke.jpg
 
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He should be excited top notch accessorizing in a short period of time wow. Hopefully the ruger lives up to its reputation. Have fun and preach some safety on him while having fun.
 
Codiekfx400 said:
He should be excited top notch accessorizing in a short period of time wow. Hopefully the ruger lives up to its reputation. Have fun and preach some safety on him while having fun.
Click to expand...

It has honestly been more fun putting this rifle together than my rifles. I kinda went overboard because of that.
 
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This ones currently getting a 1/7 24” barrel to sling the 85 grain RDF’s downrange for my 12 year old son.
 

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