bolt rifle for a youth

[badshooter]

Here's the deal. My cousin(12yrs old) agreed to mow my dad's grass this summer in exchange for a new bolt action hunting rifle of his choice. He wants a .308 because he has shot one before and I have a cool looking one. Not looking for a long range tactical or something too heavy to carry, what company and caliber do the pro's at SH recommend?

ETA: this rifle will be used for whitetail deer

 

[jasonk]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

Remington has a Model 7 youth that is pretty nice.

 

[elkkid3]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jasonk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Remington has a Model 7 youth that is pretty nice.</div></div>

+1, a buddy of mine has one. Very nice little rifles.

 

[Cigarcop]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

I would also consider how big he is for his age, maybe the youth model will be out grown too soon. My son is 12 but he's a big boy and now shoots a regular size rifle. just a thought.

 

[bohem]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

I think they make a Model 700 in a youth model. It's worth the bit of extra cash for the 700 instead of the 7. There are many more options for upgrade parts as he grows. A 243 would be a great round for him, it'll kill deer, fly better than a 308 and won't beat on him as much. He's at a very impressionable age for getting into shooting. If you give him something that recoils too much for his size he will quickly develop poor habits unless closely coached. At 9 y.o I loved shooting my dad's 1903 and thought the recoil was awesome. I flinched big time every time I shot it though.

 

[XLR]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

I would go with a remington 700 youth in either 7-08 or 243. I purchased one for my 7 year old nephew and he shoots it no problem. Once he/she gets older, you can simply re-barrel to a different caliber. Plus it holds its value better IMO.

Here is a picture about a year ago of me, my nephew, and my brother in law. Start em' young !

 

[Alaskaman11]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

Start teaching him mils, get him to start thinking about long shots. My little girl is now 8 and we play guess the range game. She shoots, and we will be moving her into the a 308 by the end of next year. Model 7 is a good choise, however there light so felt recoil is more. That's why I'm starting Abby on a heavier stick, plus I'm going to put a suppresor on it.

 

[badshooter]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

everyone is suggesting remington. I own many remington's and like them very much, but I figured I would get at least one person suggesting something else. I would like for him to get a M700 so I could do the setup work on it with confidence, but I also want to help him pick a good rifle no matter the brand.

 

[mwroseberry]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

Have him get a stevens in 223, he can grow into it and upgrade it as his skills allow. With that as a base your options to upgrade are endless.

Good luck,
Merritt
SGT USMC vet.

 

[scotharr]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bohem</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think they make a Model 700 in a youth model. It's worth the bit of extra cash for the 700 instead of the 7. There are many more options for upgrade parts as he grows. A 243 would be a great round for him, it'll kill deer, fly better than a 308 and won't beat on him as much. He's at a very impressionable age for getting into shooting. If you give him something that recoils too much for his size he will quickly develop poor habits unless closely coached. At 9 y.o I loved shooting my dad's 1903 and thought the recoil was awesome. I flinched big time every time I shot it though. </div></div>
+1 Get a Rem700 243W with a youth stock. Then he can swap the stock for an adult size when the time comes and rebarrel it for a 308W when he is big enough to handle it properly.

 

[JamieD]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

.223 all the way. The .243 can still be a little bitty for youngsters to start with though some can handle it and bigger. The .223 will kill a deer and is cheap enough for him to shooot allot and enjoy the rifle year round. WallyMart had boxes of Winchester USA ammo in white boxes a while back for $12 or $14 for 40 rounds.

JamieD

______________________________
Jamie Dodson
Wolf Precision
814-262-7994

 

[JMC]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

I'd also recommend either a Remington 700 or 7 in a youth gun. As he grows you can change the stock on either as needed. The 700 will have a lot more aftermarket parts available if you decide to build it up more in the future. The 7 well still take 700 barrels so if you do change that it won't be a problem in the future.

I've got two REM 7's one in 308 and one in 7mm08 and they are my go to guns for most hunting. I like the compact and easy handling size they offer and still the range, power, and accuracy for almost any deer hunting I do.

Either would be great though. Good luck.
JMC

 

[badshooter]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

He is not recoil sensitive. He already shoots his dads .308 and mine. He can handle a few 3" mag turkey loads, but who can handle more than a few of those.

 

[TalkingBush]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

I'd say start him off right, Remington 700, so he knows the action and the feel of the rifle. Caliber, if he's ok, get him on .308 if not, something lower obviously.

 

[stefan73]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

I started my son off on a Chipmunk. It is still a little big on him and he is working on the fundementals.

 

[Remoah]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

Quick search of the Remmy website came up with this:
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-sps-young-bucks.aspx

Pre mounted, bore sighted scope. Grab it in .243 or 7-08, adjustable stock for as he grows older, heaps of aftermarket parts to acquire over the years. But perfect for getting him started and i'd certainly look straight to this if i was getting someone that age a decent centrefire rifle.

Good Luck, keep the sport alive mate.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

The Model 700 Youth is an excellent choice. As are some of the smaller Ruger 77's. And the Model 7 is fantastic rifle. Any of these guns will last him a lifetime... not just serve as a youth rifle.

If you can find one, a Remington 600 was also a wonderful smaller rifle and available in some lighter calibers, but also in .308. Sometimes these can be found as bargains.

Also on the list of guns I recommend regularly are Ruger .44 Mag Carbines (semi-auto).

FYI, I have taught Hunter Safety for 27 years and in 6 states and the one thing I can say is that I would avoid any exposed hammer gun for a youth. Most of us grew up with 94's or H&R's, but they are really not a good choice as the dexterity involved in using them can sometimes be too much for a young shooter when 'buck fever' takes over.

Your interest in a good bolt gun is excellent. Not sure how 'big' the deer in Arkansas, but if they are smaller (like the deer I used to hunt around Fayetteville NC) vs. the big deer up here in Vermont... you can have him shoot a light bullet to cut down on recoil.

Hope this helps and cheers,

Sirhr

 

[chad3]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

You have to pick him up a 243. 223 is great, but illegal in some areas to hunt deer with. 243 is a ripper, flat and fast. Sure you burn out a barrel quicker than the 308, but you can shoot it longer per outing and for a boy thats what you want. Grab cheap hunting ammo for him to shoot and he will love it.
Good for you guys, I'll mow the lawn for one too, give me the addy.
Chad

 

[M855]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

243 or 7-08 700ADL $349 and a nikon buckmaster would be a great starter/budget deer rifle

 

[mikeyz250]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

My daughter uses a rem 700 sps tactical 308, I use reloading data from hodgens with a 125 or a 110 gr bullet, h4895 powder. She loves to shoot and this has little recoil.

 

[dark_mirror]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

rem 700 .243 or 7mm-08 with youth stock

 

[shooting4life]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

Also take a look at the cz 527. It is a mini Mauser action with detachable 5 rd mag and a set trigger. Great way to start.

 

[Seekers]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

Just got my 12 year old son, for his birthday in June, a Rem 788 in 308. I'm selling some stuff to get back into reloading and will work up some nice loads for him.

So far he loves it.

Seekers

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: bolt rifle for a youth

IMHO, a good youth rifle is a regular rifle with an extra, youth-sized stock. The kids tend to outgrow the stocks long before they outgrow the rifles.

I like Savage, and think 7-08 is adequate, survivable, and the ammo is relatively easy to find.

Greg