Let’s build a youth forever rifle!

[Ucsdryder]

My oldest daughter, Gemma was lucky enough to win a chassis from @XLR in the cold bore challenge. She’s ecstatic. Shout out to xlr for being a great sponsor and group of guys. I’ve dealt with Matt at XLR a couple of times and every interaction was great. Thanks to @robby denning and @Justin Crossley for putting on the cold bore challenge!

I’ve been trying to build her a rifle for a couple of years and always get stuck on the stock; nobody makes a high quality short LOP youth stock. I believe the versatility and adjustability of an XLR chassis might make it the perfect choice for a youth rifle that she can grow with.

This is a Colorado rifle (6mm minimum), and should be good to 500 yards maximum on elk. It will also be suppressed with a TBAC Dominus.

I’ve had amazing luck with the gunsmith that built my 300nmi this year. Earl Fouraker builds a mean rifle and rather than going the tikka/prefit route I think I’ll go defiance classic with a barrel blank. I’ll post more about Earl throughout the process. If anybody is looking for a gunsmith that is a perfectionists I can’t recommend him enough.

I’d welcome any feedback on barrel length and twist, caliber, bullet selection, total rifle weight, components, and anything else that might be relevant! My goal is to have the rifle built by October for her first hunt but a lot has to come together for that to happen. She has 2 antelope, a mule deer, and elk tag this year. Last year she went 3 for 3 on tags. This will be an ongoing post.

Tagging a few people that I’ve seen post about youths or just talk a lot (LOL) and might be willing to provide help. I can’t mess this up so let’s hear it! If you’ve gone down this path, what did you like? What would you have changed?


@sndmn11
@spdrman
@ResearchinStuff
@MallardSX2
@KsRancher
@Marshfly
@nodakian
@Laramie
@nphunter
@Marbles
@GODEEP
@huntnful
@fngTony
@mxgsfmdpx

 

[Hnthrdr]

Do you hand load? Or prefer factory ammo? I would think a 6mm creedmoor 18-20 inch barrel, 1/7.5 or 1/8 twist would do everything you want and more, folks seem to like preferred barrel blanks for a balance of price and accuracy

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I'd go with a 16" 6 creed, probably 7 twist but I live at 400', not 4000. This is also a way fancier build than I've done for a kid (or myself).

Looks like she's going to need you to be the gun carrier anyhow, so try for 9-10 pounds or so fully decked out and you should be golden.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Awesome!

Love to see the next generation hunt and kill.

Lots of great choices for cartridge in the 6mm family these days. I’m still a bit partial to .243 and 95 grain SSTs just because my wife and I have killed so many big game animals with them. 10 years of success with that combo is hard to deviate from.

I’ve had good success with 8 twist Sako and Tikka barrels shooting the 108 ELDMs lately as well. When I shoot out my next .243 barrel I plan to go 6 ARC on a Tikka action and solely shoot the ELDMs as they’ve been quite destructive on animals.

I think 6 ARC has amazing potential for a 500 yard gun and would probably be what I’d recommend right now in the 6mm world. 18” 7 twist barrel suppressed would be a great setup for her!

 

[SDHNTR]

I started my son with a .243. Chopped the barrel down to 20” and the stock down 1”. If I were to do it over, it would be a 6 creed, it just wasn’t a thing years ago when we started this journey.

As he’s grown, he shot out the barrel and it now wears a 20” .308, which I imagine he will own forever. I did add a thicker recoil pad for another 1/2” lop and could easily add a spacer after his next growth spurt.

Sorry, I can’t help you on the chassis thing. Not my jam.

 

[spdrman]

Congrats on winning the Chassis! Really do love all my XLR's

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect rifle for my boys and starting to think it doesn't exist.

I try and keep the bare rifle weight as light as I can then adding suppressors and heavier scopes doesn't seem so bad.

For LOP and keeping the weight down I pull the folding adapter off and just run it with the shorter LOP carbon buttstock, fits them perfect only downside is loosing the folding ability. As far as barrel lengths go seems like every rifle I get I keep going shorter and shorter to make the suppressor not seem so obnoxious on the end of it.

For Elk and Bears we'll always grab the 300 wsm or 300 prc, my 18" WSM with a suppressor is one of my favorite guns to pack but it also packs quite the punch.

For deer they've been using my 22" 260, I've had the gun for ever and the thing flat shoots. I've always been a 30 cal fan for hunting but was trying to get something more pleasant for the boys to shoot so we just started using that during the 2022 season. I've shot 147 eldm's out of it since that bullet came out but never hunted big game with it. It's a small sample of critters but I wanted to see how the bullets would do before I turned my boys loose with it. I shot a buck at 820 yards that fall and the bullet performed perfect, I then loaned the rifle to a buddy that was in the same debate on what to get his boys and was considering a 6.5 PRC, he had a couple cow elk tags and went and filled those with my 260, was very impressed by the performance of the bullet and bought a 6.5 PRC a few weeks later, he's now killed a few deer and a couple elk with that rifle and 147's, the elk where all shot behind the shoulder.

Last fall 3 of the 4 deer my boys killed were with the 260 and 147's and all died within 30 yards, as far as elk goes I have no doubt the bullet would kill a elk if it was hit behind the shoulder, I'm not sure how much I'd trust the bullet to punch through a elk's shoulder though not sayin it wouldn't but I'd like to see it first hand a time or two from someone other than my boys, chasing a wounded animal could ruin a young kid. I bought them a 6.5 prc this spring to give them a little more speed and hopefully keep the recoil down compared to the 300's but I moved in April and my brand new house has been nothing but problems and I haven't had a chance to even put a scope on the rifle yet.

In my mind I was planning on building the boys a 20" 7 PRC when KGM had the killer Sale on their cans last year I ended up with a couple R6.5's and thats the only reason I ended up going 6.5 PRC over the 7 PRC.

 

[sndmn11]

I can't come up with a reason not to use a Tikka action. I'd be buying an 8 twist 22-250, stick a 16" 6creed prefit on it, and then you are finished in your own garage.

Save the take off barrel for WY and practice with cheap bullets.

I think you'd spend under $1600 for new t3x, new barrel, a couple polymer mags, and some rings.

 

[sndmn11]

Done, youth rifle solved without pretending like money equals results.

 

[Wrench]

My son drew a once in a lifetime type tag here in Washington. I built him a 6xc 7tw because I have endless srp's and I found good brass cheap.

For an off the rack round it's hard to beat the 6cm.

I chose to put his together in a xlr 4.0mg because of the weight and packability.....and he thinks it looks cool. Stock options allow for anyone who has a finger long enough to hold the grip and trigger the rifle to be fit.

I'm not a tripod guy....but the kid shoots from it well and it is arguably an excellent platform.

 

[robby denning]

subscribed!

She's the most versatile young girl i know!

@Travis Bertrand , didn't you do something similar for Petyon or was she just using your XLR build? Can't remember. Chime in if you have any helps for OP.

 

[wind gypsy]

I'm a big fan of benchmark #4 contour as far as standard available contours go. Has 0.100" shoulder w/ 5/8" threads at 18" and is lighter than any of the other standard options i see that could do that. It's identical in weight to a PVA taperless 750 at that same finish length. You could definitely go lighter contour if you weren't concerned about 0.100" shoulder for 5/8 threads or using smaller threaded muzzles but to me, its just easy and clean to go that way and it results in a 2lb 6 oz barrel which isn't heavy.

7.5 twist, 4 groove, .237" bore 6 creedmoor is my vote.

 

[_S_R_]

Howa 1500 mini 6.5 Grendel chopper to 16” lightweight stock

 

[Ucsdryder]

Do you hand load? Or prefer factory ammo? I would think a 6mm creedmoor 18-20 inch barrel, 1/7.5 or 1/8 twist would do everything you want and more, folks seem to like preferred barrel blanks for a balance of price and accuracy

I can do either! I have a 7saum and 300nmi that require hand loads, so having something that has good factory ammo is attractive! But I definitely am set up for hand loading. I have h4350 and h1000 on hand as well.

I also have 6.5cm brass, .264 bullets and dies, but I really think I want to go 6mm for her.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I'd go with a 16" 6 creed, probably 7 twist but I live at 400', not 4000. This is also a way fancier build than I've done for a kid (or myself).

Looks like she's going to need you to be the gun carrier anyhow, so try for 9-10 pounds or so fully decked out and you should be golden.

I’m struggling with barrel length. I don’t see her ever doing a backpack in, back country hunt. Do I go 20-22” and eke out another 150fps over 16-18” or with a MER of 400 (let’s call it 500) does the extra fps even matter.

It’s harder deciding on this build than my own! I wouldn’t do this build if it wasn’t for the fact that xlr is hooking her up with a big chunk of the cost is the total build.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Awesome!

Love to see the next generation hunt and kill.

Lots of great choices for cartridge in the 6mm family these days. I’m still a bit partial to .243 and 95 grain SSTs just because my wife and I have killed so many big game animals with them. 10 years of success with that combo is hard to deviate from.

I’ve had good success with 8 twist Sako and Tikka barrels shooting the 108 ELDMs lately as well. When I shoot out my next .243 barrel I plan to go 6 ARC on a Tikka action and solely shoot the ELDMs as they’ve been quite destructive on animals.

I think 6 ARC has amazing potential for a 500 yard gun and would probably be what I’d recommend right now in the 6mm world. 18” 7 twist barrel suppressed would be a great setup for her!

I listened to the Hornady podcast recently talking about the 6arc. Are you talking 108s with it?

 

[Ucsdryder]

Done, youth rifle solved without pretending like money equals results.
View attachment 743585

That’s not fun! The build is the exciting part!!! I bought her a savage long range hunter, and she and I both hated it. I don’t think I want to go down a similar path again.

She does love my 7saum tikka and that might be the easy button.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I listened to the Hornady podcast recently talking about the 6arc. Are you talking 108s with it?

I'll have to give that a listen... Was going to see what the barrel liked, but plan was for 108's. I'd be okay with 90 Grain ELDX's and 95 SST's as well.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I can do either! I have a 7saum and 300nmi that require hand loads, so having something that has good factory ammo is attractive! But I definitely am set up for hand loading. I have h4350 and h1000 on hand as well.

I also have 6.5cm brass, .264 bullets and dies, but I really think I want to go 6mm for her.

Honestly when you beak down, recoil, MV, shootability, the 6mm CM really is about the perfect caliber with a fast twist and heavy for caliber bullets sounds like guys find a lot of success with the 108 eld-m’s they can be found pretty inexpensive as well. 6CM will be a go to caliber for me in the future, I just have so much 6.5 that it will be a while before I get one put together, unless tikka starts making them or I buy a seekins

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Honestly when you beak down, recoil, MV, shootability, the 6mm CM really is about the perfect caliber with a fast twist and heavy for caliber bullets sounds like guys find a lot of success with the 108 eld-m’s they can be found pretty inexpensive as well. 6CM will be a go to caliber for me in the future, I just have so much 6.5 that it will be a while before I get one put together, unless tikka starts making them or I buy a seekins

When you factor in recoil and barrel life as well the edge starts favoring 6 ARC... Both are phenomenal though and can't go wrong with either of those. I'd be happy to own both.

 

[sierracharlie338]

My daughter is in the same boat in terms of reaching an age where she needs something she can grow into. I went with a 6cm because of the factory ammo option so when the time comes that I can’t be here for her, she can buy it at the store instead of using my hand loads.

Short, light and suppressed.