Kids rifle...again.

Tikkas with cut OEM stocks make good kiddo LOP options for cheap.

IMO compact stock won’t work till about 8YO (4.5’ or so).

I have a 7 YO whose 4’2” and his LOP is about 12”.

223 / ARC calibers are best. Mine was shooting a 6C for hunting and practicing with it was too much. 223 for practice has been great.

You will need a raised comb but those are easy and cheap too.

Chassis IMO don’t really work till about 12.5-13” LOP (again 8-10 YO range).
Curious why you say chassis dont work until 12.5" lop?
 
Curious why you say chassis dont work until 12.5" lop?
The ones I own and use don’t really have any shorter adjustment. KRG is about 13”.

XLR is close to 12.5 maybe a smidge longer.

ARs are only thing that I’ve found shorter but I think kiddos do better learning on bolts (I tried a SBR Grendel and I prefer a bolt).

Caveat: if you ditched an XLR folder and used the folder tube, you may get close to 12”.

Edit: I see your comment on chassis with a buffer tube…I haven’t tried that but if it’s adjustable that could make it shorter.
 
And your post reminded me of these that were just released. Really like mine (full
Size on my hunting rig). The K is 1” shorter likely good for 12” or so.


Maybe: the way?

 
Option 1 is the answer. My little girl started killing stuff at age 7… Tikka in a mdt chasis. Put a Arca rail on the bottom… Have them shoot off a tripod. View attachment 1000423View attachment 1000424
Concur tripod is a game changer. Cans help a ton too.

He’s got a big scope on there….im struggling with that a little currently. My kiddo struggles with eye box on my 15+ zoom scopes (5x erector). I’m bringing it back to 3-9 range to attempt to help with that.
 
The ones I own and use don’t really have any shorter adjustment. KRG is about 13”.

XLR is close to 12.5 maybe a smidge longer.

ARs are only thing that I’ve found shorter but I think kiddos do better learning on bolts (I tried a SBR Grendel and I prefer a bolt).

Caveat: if you ditched an XLR folder and used the folder tube, you may get close to 12”.

Edit: I see your comment on chassis with a buffer tube…I haven’t tried that but if it’s adjustable that could make it shorter.
They get down to 10" or so
 
Concur tripod is a game changer. Cans help a ton too.

He’s got a big scope on there….im struggling with that a little currently. My kiddo struggles with eye box on my 15+ zoom scopes (5x erector). I’m bringing it back to 3-9 range to attempt to help with that.
Yep… my 8 year old is capable of dialing however many MILS I tell her and banging 8” steel plates out to 400 yards off the tripod. Bet she would be capable of farther, just haven’t tried it yet. It’s definitely a game changer
 
.223. Caliber is not up for debate. They will be using 223, and barrel length will be 16" or less and suppressed.

My kids are 7 and 9 and once they started shooting 223 they haven't shot any more 22lr. When my 6 year old shot his tikka for the first time, after 1 mag he turned to me, still in the gun, and said "Daddy, I'm never gonna shoot that other gun again."


It HAS to have a short LOP that can be changed in seconds between the 2 kids.
You'll probably end up with 2 guns.

Here's where we are at right now:IMG_7669.jpeg
 
Any regrets on going with the short mdt vs the longer "xl"
None here… I didn’t really look that hard at either of them. Just ordered it on a whim and pieced it together… but with how we use the rifle, I can’t really see any benefit of having the extra length out front…. Maybe if you were wanting to run a bipod and also have an Arca back behind it, you could benefit from the extra real estate
 
Chassis IMO don’t really work till about 12.5-13” LOP (again 8-10 YO range).
The XLR with the most adjustable stock and a short buffer tube worked for us when our kids were 4 and 6.

The tripod was critical to our success though. My 9-year-old just figured out prone shooting and the little guy is copying him, but he has a really hard time with it still.

In hindsight I wished we'd skipped the chassis and just gone straight to field stocks.
 
Yeah I wasn’t using a buffer tube but a folder.

Forget they have a buffer tube option.
Actually that “thought” may have inspired me.

I have plenty of AR tubes. And a Luth AR stock (check them out for full adjustably and light weight). Nothing keeping me from using it on the XLR chassis.

I may try that next vs cutting up my tikka stocks.

Thx.
 
Option 1 AND Option 4. I have 4 boys from 6-15. My 10.5 AR is easily the handiest gun that gets passed around between everyone. Shoots 73eldm well, capable over 200y. I also have a RAg2 5.56 that has the LOP spacer removed, my youngest boys and my wife all shoot this rifle (6/8yr old shoot it supported off a tripod or from a stand rail). I would have liked a Tikka but it wasn't in the cards at the time, the RA has pleased me enough to get a second in 6arc. The 5.56 version we have has an arca rail attached to the factory stock to tripod easy, couple companies make them specifically for it. FWIW they are both going in chassis after the season is over to assist with size adjustment. Both My older boys at 13/15 have been using 16" ARs, why? They think it's cool to hunt with them, and if they are excited in any way to get out there it's good to encourage it.

Not exactly related to kids, but I built a 7.5" AR for a buddy as a stand gun this year and he shot a decent size boy at 70y with excellent results, 73eldm. I'm probably going to build one for myself for next season.
 
The ones I own and use don’t really have any shorter adjustment. KRG is about 13”.

XLR is close to 12.5 maybe a smidge longer.

ARs are only thing that I’ve found shorter but I think kiddos do better learning on bolts (I tried a SBR Grendel and I prefer a bolt).

Caveat: if you ditched an XLR folder and used the folder tube, you may get close to 12”.

Edit: I see your comment on chassis with a buffer tube…I haven’t tried that but if it’s adjustable that could make it shorter.
Get the TR-2. LOP adjustment is 10.5” - 13.5”. My kids and I can shoot the same chassis with a quick adjustment. They (and I) love it.

 
If you worry about the legalities of .223 caliber, you can always swap a 6 ARC upper on your SBR and call it a day. 6 ARC very kid friendly as well. I own the 6 ARC in a 22" Seekins DMR, 16" FN Scar / Deadshot Barrels, Franklin 16" / BA Barrel and currently having Preece Precision build an 18" Proof on a SS Tikka action.
 
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