Recommendations for a youth rifle

[waveslayer]

My 11 year old daughter told me she wants to go hunting with me, proud moment for sure. I've been looking at several rifles, what's been everyone's experience on a good youth gun? We will hunt Elk and Deer. I was thinking 6.5 Creed since I have plenty of reloading supplies for it, but open to others experience.

My 11 year old is a little short for her age, but strong. She's a little stud.

I looked at the Tikka compact, that's as far as I got with a covid outbreak at work, yes it's still a thing I guess...

 

[jbuck88]

Good or cheap? I have a ARC archimedes in a XLR element for my 9yo with the TR2 buttstock it fits him well and I can adjust it for my other kids. So for areas where we can use a tripod it's the one we take. If it's a hiking area I picked up a Howa mini in 6.5 grendel. I am still working on getting it dialed in for him though. We have a load shooting the 123ELDm 2530fps sub-moa. But the stock is a little long and the youth MDT chassis is pretty heavy.

 

[waveslayer]

Good or cheap? I have a ARC archimedes in a XLR element for my 9yo with the TR2 buttstock it fits him well and I can adjust it for my other kids. So for areas where we can use a tripod it's the one we take. If it's a hiking area I picked up a Howa mini in 6.5 grendel. I am still working on getting it dialed in for him though. We have a load shooting the 123ELDm 2530fps sub-moa. But the stock is a little long and the youth MDT chassis is pretty heavy.

I love the Grendel I shoot that the most out of all my AR's.

No real budget. Figured I'd use it across all the kids (4). I was just worried of fit because my 11 year old is little short

 

[jbuck88]

Here is our set up for closer walks and short hikes. He packs the tripod and I'll pack the rifle. He shoots pretty good off of the tripod and prefers the break to a suppressor.

In 6.5cm since I forgot to add that in my initial post.

 

[SmartDonkey]

If it were me- I would skip the elk possibility and get a gun aimed at deer. This past summer I spent quite a bit of time helping a few younger shooters work on a flinch that they developed from shooting bigger guns before they were ready. If she's a smaller 11 year old that could be a issue.

And as long as I'm spending your money-- the problem with sharing the same gun with all 4 children is that they will all have hunting experiences with it and develop sentimental connections to it... and all want it down the road.

 

[powdahound76]

I put together a switch barrel .223/6BR/6.5 Manbun for my 10 yr old.

She LOVES it.

May need lighter for elk, but that is 2 yrs away in CO.
She is going to hunt a late deer season with the 6.5 creedmoor (24” light palma with a nice brake) with me in Jan.

I used an MDT LSS XL with a LUTH AR MBA-3 adjustable and MDT vertical grip to meet her LOP needs.

Its no feather but is easy to shoot.

M24 for .223 and 6BR barrels.
Nice n steady.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Agreed with guy above. I would focus on a deer gun first so something like .223, 22-250, .243 or any of the 6mm variants are more than enough for any deer.

For elk, even 6.5cm is marginal and may be too much recoil for a young kid trying to learn.

A tikka would be the perfect gun. Plus as she gets older or you do decide you want to go after elk, you can buy a take off 6.5cm or 7-08 barrel for less than $200 and screw it right on. There is no more versitile or better bang for your buck hunting rifle than a tikka.

 

[Wyfox]

6.5cm is fine, my girls and friends kids have killed alot of game with a 6.5 to include elk and bears. Just choose a good bullet like the accubond and keep the range reasonable to their ability. All the below have been killed with a 6.5 by kids ive taken out hunting.
My oldest daughter has an LRI built 700 with 20" barrel and LRI 3 port brake, it has zero recoil and she's comfortable shooting out to 600yds.

 

[BJames]

Have a tikka compact in 6.5 creed for my boy, he’s an average sized 10 year old. I was concerned about the recoil at first, but he loves shooting it. The rifle is actually at the smith right now getting cut down and threaded for a can. His first big game hunt as shooter is this Jan/Feb for caribou.

I agree with the guy who posted about keeping ranges inside their abilities, use premium bullets and things will end up fine. Also, XLR chassis have the shortest LOP in the industry, all the way down to 7”.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

I learned a lot teaching my youngster to shoot.

First question, What is she currently shooting?

If the answer is nothing or a .22LR then

A fast twist .223, even better a Ruger Mini 14 in .223. Lots of bang and little recoil. They experience the noise and excitement of a centerfire without the sting and sore shoulder and the all but ever lasting flinch. Once they learn to shoot and are comfortable and able to hit reasonable targets move them into something stouter. A fast twist .223 shooting a heavily constructed bullet, with a properly placed shot kills far better than than even a 700 Nitro Express when the bullet flies over the top of the deer‘s head or hits at his feet.

And whatever you do, Don’t Go For A Lightweight. Heavy works on more than PRS rifles.

Flinches are serious business that are much harder to kill than deer.

 

[jlorensen]

My daughter has used a 7mm-08 for the past several years. It's reasonable in the recoil dept, and a good break would make it even better (just remember the hearing protection). Good selection of reloading components too.

 

[Longshot85]

I'll come back and follow up.

I was I'm same predicament.......added issue for me was having a barrel thick enough for a suppressor.

For me, budget was limited.

The shorty is a 16 inch 6.5CM my son now 9 yo has used last 2 seasons to harvest a whitetail. I tore it down to the action and converted from a .223 110 Tactical to a shorty 6.5CM

My youngest son is 7yo. He is my little beast.

His rifle is the 24 inch rifle and is 6.5PRC

Shooting with suppressors is HIGHLY recommended if possible

 

[Dough300]

Take a look at the Tikka T3X Lite compact. It's small, light and maneuverable for a young hunter to handle and carry but has a modular stock that uses spacers to adjust LOP out from 12.5". Full disclosure, I don't have any personal experience with this rifle, but I really caught my eye when considering a rifle for my two young sons.

 

[waveslayer]

Take a look at the Tikka T3X Lite compact. It's small, light and maneuverable for a young hunter to handle and carry but has a modular stock that uses spacers to adjust LOP out from 12.5". Full disclosure, I don't have any personal experience with this rifle, but I really caught my eye when considering a rifle for my two young sons.

Thats the exact model I was looking at. I was hesitant on the 6.5 Creedmoor, my daughter shoots my Desert Tech in 6.5 but it's on a tripod and suppressed when I'm not in Kalifornia. I like some of the set ups that have been suggested. Good excuse to build out a new rifle, "it's for the kids." That's what my wife says when I see Target, LuLu Lemon, and Nordstroms on her credit card bill every month... and she wonders why we can't remodel the house...

 

[dk17hmr]

My 8 year old took his first white tail this year on my uncle's place in Michigan. He was shooting a 16" 300blk. Given the nature of our trip we didn't have it suppressed like we do here in Wyoming. The first thing he said was wow that was loud....I completely forgot hearing protection for him. Dont do that, shoot suppressed or with electronic hearing protection.

300blk worked fine, had I of put a little more thought into it I would have had him shooting the 6-223AI, 25-223, or possibly my 260 loaded like a 6.5 grendel.

I'm thinking about building my kids a chassis gun now.

 

[Longshot85]

Thats the exact model I was looking at. I was hesitant on the 6.5 Creedmoor, my daughter shoots my Desert Tech in 6.5 but it's on a tripod and suppressed when I'm not in Kalifornia. I like some of the set ups that have been suggested. Good excuse to build out a new rifle, "it's for the kids." That's what my wife says when I see Target, LuLu Lemon, and Nordstroms on her credit card bill every month... and she wonders why we can't remodel the house...

Don't be leary of a heavier profile barrel and/or rifle = helps reduce recoil as you already know

I run a pig saddle on my tripod with whichever kiddo is hunting with me.

Does the T3X lite have a thick enough barrel for a can?

I'm sure you're already thinking of most of this, just throwing out ideas because I know I can overlook things sometimes.

I would ask what shooting experience does she have.....but this isn't always indicative of how well a youth can shoot. Sometimes some pick it right up and others take more instruction.

Caliber wise........that also depends on her....shooting anything suppressed takes away concussion and then weight of rifle will dictate how much felt recoil there is.

Either flavor of 6.5 in CM or PRC will serve you and her well most likely.

If you went custom or snagged a rifle you could easily swap bolts/barrel....you could always go 6.5CM now and 6.5PRC later.

6.5CM is the main caliber in my stable but wanted to see what 6.5PRC is all about.

Hornady 6.5PRC 147 ELD Match shoots amazing in my son's rifle and performed well .....was only about a 50 yard shot though.

In my long 26 in 6.5CM bolt rifle.....I handloaded 147's and got 2868fps.........the exit wound on a whitetail at 632 yards was the size of a softball.....was quartering away slightly.....entered behind right shoulder .....exited left shoulder

Just throwing in that 147 ELD's have performed well on deer in 2 different calibers for me.

 

[BJames]

I do think starting kids incrementally in caliber helps a ton. As do suppressors, my son was scared to shoot the one breaked rifle I have, the noise was “too big”. Until I talked him into it, double ear protection helped, up till then, he only wanted to shoot the quiet guns. Now he loves it and asks to go shooting almost daily, including which guns he wants to shoot.

I personally think it’s less about caliber/cartridges than the experience they have. To a certain extent obviously, but any of today’s SA cartridges can be made fun to shoot and kill game within reasonable distances.