Kids First Deer Rifle

[Stone]

reduce recoil loads in 243 have worked well for us.

 

[Jagger0502]

Everyone that has mentioned 243 has their head on straight! When I was working in the gun shop and someone asked this question that was the universal round everyone pushed because it is an all around great round for kids and adults alike. My dad even hung up his 30.06 and has been using the 243 successfully for years. His last deer was at 235 and took two steps and fell over. They can go light loads for varmint up to 100 grain for deer (I think someone even has 110gr). Ammo is readily available just about anywhere you go, lots of whitetail ready factory loads and it is fast and flat, little recoil on the right gun and easy to shoot. If someone can name a downfall for this round for whitetail, I would like to hear it.

My buddy is an elk guide and not that anyone would recommend it but two women hunt with him every year with their 243, keep their shots under 100 yards and have taken elk with it. He said the last one they shot he watched it’s feet drop out from under it. Not that it is an ideal caliber by any means, but it can be done. One of the most versatile rounds out there and you can’t go wrong with it.

Plenty of youth models that are accurate and won’t break the bank for a youth. Howa comes to mind as one of the most accurate but plenty out there. Rossi has interchangeable barrels and you can get a 22lr to practice with and then swap out the barrel for the 243 to hunt deer and they will already be familiar with the gun, even get a 410 or 20 guage. It’s a good intro gun.

 

[msalm]

Sorry for the orientation, be there is a Howa Mini in 6.5 Grendel with an MDT chassis and M4 buttstock. Was able to get LOP to 10.5” which was ideal for my son. That and a hog saddle attached to a heavy tripod and he shoots it quite well. The clamp arrangement takes any recoil away and the Howa’s have a great trigger and shoot great. I rebarreled this 7.62x39 with a 23” lightweight 6.5 and it will be a good rifle for years to come. When he gets bigger it’ll be a snap to put a different buttstock on it too.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I like the 243 youth sized, it'll do a lot of work. Having said that, with their super young age and speed they'll be growing an AR platform with adjustable stock and good quality 223 will take out deer without much trouble.

 

[TxTaurus74]

For my kid when he was that age I let him use my AR and rest it on a tripod. Was perfect with adjustable stock and little recoil. I also told him head shots only.

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[Dalton138]

I'd personally lean towards the AR. You already have one, and if they are shooting supported, they shouldn't have any issues. Take them out soon to shoot it and see how they do with it. If there are problems, obliviously you might have to go with one of the other suggestions here.

 

[dadcuronium]

6.5 Grendel, 223 or 243 in adjustable or 12 inch length of pull seem great for those ages.
Adding a limbsaver pad made for AR adjustable stock to an AR-15 in 6.5 Grendel would be my choice if I was buying new today. It would fit anyone reasonable sized also.
I have youth sized 243s and a 7mm-08 micro midas that I have kids use, but I bought em years ago.
Mossberg makes a "Super Bantam" Patriot bolt action that has spacer which allows a 12 or 13 inch length of pull.

What he said. I would also, throw in a 300black out if you can get barnes 110gr ttsx bullets. That is what my 5 year old killed his first with just keep shots inside 100. He has a 243 now at 7. When he starts hunting on his own he wont be able to tote the ARs, but when kids are young AR frame rifles are great sue to adjustable stocks and mile recoil. Bonus points if you have a suppressor.

 

[Just.Norris]

Up here in Indiana for a time it was allowed to only shoot handgun cartridges during the shotgun seasons. I’ve taken multiple deer with a lever action 357 mag, and multiple people I know have dropped deer with H&R single shot 44 mags. For price I think that rifle is under $200. Single shot is good to learn firearm safety and handgun rounds are a joy to shoot and reload. Obviously you have effective range limitations but for kids shooting 100 yards and in, it will do nicely.

 

[Longleaf]

Another vote for a 38/357 lever gun, they can practice with 38 all day long then put in a 357 to hunt.

 

[tt_johnsclist]

Lots of good suggestions here. Reduced recoil loads really worked well for my kids starting out, enough that they and I still use them! I’d also strongly recommend the 350L, I can’t imagine a better cartridge for what you are trying to do.

 

[hunt1up]

I've been through a lot of this same debate in recent years as my kids have become pretty profiecent shooters and hunters. I started with light calibers for practice, then some whimpy muzzleloader loads I'd worked up to kill the first few deer, then up to a Savage 220(shotgun state) on a tripod this year.

I bought a rifle for them to use on hunting trips this past summer. I debated all the vanilla calibers and settled on .308. I likely would have been just as happy with any of the others like .243, 6.5cm, .270, etc. I wanted a caliber I could shoot light and use with full throttle ammo later.

I bought several boxes of Hornady Custom Light and HSM Reduced Recoil for the Tikka .308 I purchased. Both loads are extremely gentle and accurate out of this gun. Put any of the standard caliber rifles in a tripid or fieldpod with light loads and you'll be ready to roll.

 

[roymunson]

i'm in a straightwall cartridge state, my 9 year old took care of business with a 350 legend. high shoulder, bang-flop

 

[IDMountainman]

I put a brake on a Ruger Preadator 6.5 CM, a leupold vx freedom with 5" eye relief mounted rearward and a slip on adjustable comb raising kit. A 6 year old can shoot it depending on their size.

 

[TheHammer]

7mm 08 savage 110 lightweight storm

If that’s out of the budget there is a apex version without the accustock

 

[Gseith]

I’m also in a straight wall cartridge state, and my 10 year old loves shooting his 350 legend. Got his first deer last year with it.

 

[InteriorAKPopsicle]

tons of great rounds.
.243, .220 Swift, .25-06?, 6.5 Creedmore, .260, .280 (i am shooting a 280AI), possibly a .204

Some sweet choices out there. Just don't get em a gun that kicks like a mule or way to big for them. I hated the first rifle I got, couldn't wait to get rid of it.

 

[ryjack70ss]

My son is 8 but is the size of a 5-6 year old. I too was worried. For his birthday I got him a savage rascal and put a TBAC takedown 22 on it. With subsonic ammo it is more quiet than his BB gun.

For deer I built an AR pistol in 300 BO. I put a TBAC dominus on it. With subsonic ammo the action is the loudest part. He has practiced and is good to 50 yards consistently so that is a limit I will have for a while. I put it on a bogpod deathgrip head screwed to a primos trigger stick. Last week I re-zeroed with Winchester deer season ammo so he won’t worry about the sound.

I forgot the tripod once and he shot free hand and it rattled him a little and he got emotional. So I would say do whatever he is comfortable with because it is likely to gain confidence if broken and likely hard to fix a flinch at that age when it develops. I have not pushed him in any way and when he says he is fine, we are done. I hope that helps a little.

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[49ereric]

I downloaded a 30-06 with 110 grain bullets for my grandson at 10 & he was good with it. I’d probably prefer a heavy bolt action in 243, 30-30, or similar low recoil round. Not an option in my state but a can on a 243 would seem ideal.

I have done the same using blue dot and 125 tnt Speer bullets for .308 win for when the grandkids get older.

 

[GAHunterJim]

I started my three sons with a bolt action 7.62x39 and a custom 250-3000. If I were to do it again today, I'd go with a 308 with a reduced load of something like this

Hornady Custom Lite Ammunition 308 Winchester 125 Grain SST Polymer Tip Box of 20​

And a suppressor, that way they can grow into the rifle and it can be used as an adult as well.

 

[JS1622]

My first deer rifle for my 4 kids was a .223 Ruger predator. They did kill deer with it, however there is little room for error with that round. Since then we added a 6.5 creedmoor, heavy barrel, pretty much next to zero recoil, good for all my kids. I tend to carry the rifle for them and use a tripod to steady for the shot. It works well.