Youth deer rifle suggestions

[mmanincor]

I prefer the 7mm-08. More bullet options for deer. If you reload that makes it very easy to have ammo. I currently have a "Tikka T3" that I love. Shoot it all the time. Smaller stature kids and women have no issues shooting it so far. I would suggest you take your son to a gun shop and see how each one fits him and guess as to how well he will continue to grow into it. Good Luck.

 

[WCB]

I echo what another on here suggested...Get a savage with the Accu Fit stock... You can fit not only length but cheek weld height..then as he grows you can resize it for him. I have a couple guns with this and it is the best factory stock on the market just for that reason. I even use it on my Varmint rifle. Add length for Prairie dog shooting in short sleeves then shorten it for coyote calling in the winter when I have heavy clothing on.

 

[Spoonbill]

If you are not wanting an AR, Howa and CZ make/made a 6.5 grendel bolt action. Can’t comment on the recoil in a bolt action, but in an AR-15 it is non existent, definitely a round to look at along with the 6.8 spc.

 

[Packin_packout]

So my boys have both the savage compact (308) and tikka compact (7mm-08). Both shoot well, the tikka is better from an accuracy perspective and trigger ( in my opinion). The big difference comes down to how handy you are with working on rifles. Neither of them come with threaded barrels out the door or decent butt pads. I have a lathe so I threaded both and put brakes / suppressors on there as to help with recoil and flinching. That makes a ton of difference. If you want to start with 243 and move them up to larger calibers...the savage is easier to do this...and find a short threaded barrel as well.

The bigger functional difference is the safeties. The savage has a three position tang safety which means the bolt can be locked down, mid position safety allows unloading w/ safety on. The tikka is a two position safety which means it is live when cycling and unloading. (Regardless always be pointed in safe direction) My boys had already been shooting 22's for a few years before I transitioned them to centerfire so they had the drill down as far as finger off trigger and chamber checks. Both have now switched to tikka's full time ( when the youngest one hit 12 he basically said he liked shooting his brother's tikka better).

Something to also think about is when having kid carrying rifle when walking into stand...rifles with non-tang safety can get easily pushed one way or the other on gear. Mine have learned that it is carried on right side (slung), in the pack or left side kifaru gunslinger ( scope forward ).

 

[Ndbowhunter]

223 and 77gr tmk aka watch the drop

that’s what I take for all my deer hunts.

 

[TxxAgg]

You can get a CZ 557 .243 for around $535 (with price match on Buds). These are A LOT of gun for the money. Beautiful walnut, great bluing, adjustable trigger. All metal...no plastic.

Put some 95 gr Federal Fusions in it and have a ball. I've had this gun in .243 and 2 in .308.

 

[Shot]

Thank you everyone for all the advice.

 

[NW307]

.257 Roberts is a great gun to start out with. Normal ammo is low recoil and the Hornady superformace turns it into a little tack driver for the future.

 

[howl]

Anything with more powder than 223/6.5G/30-30 and bullets more than 130gr will kick too much. We think .243 doesn't kick, but it does to them.

Kids have a hard time with actions other than semi-auto or lever and that's with you charging the semi. Even with small capacity cartridges, if the gun is light enough for them to wield easily it will kick too much. Well, except 223.

You probably have an AR. Use it and teach rested aim. Practice enough to know what shots they can make and stick to those shots.

 

[slatebuilder]

Our kids started off with a Remington 700 youth in 243. It has a 3-9 Leupold on it, and it shoots Hornady American whitetail ammo really well.

edit. This thing is ugly black plastic. This rifle was not intended to be “an heirloom” thing for them, just something to get them started.

 

[Dust Rider]

I went with the Tikka T3x lite compact in .243. Great price for the accuracy and quality. I also like the detachable magazine so rifle can be carried by the kids with mag on me for weapons training

 

[rgroves79]

If you are not wanting an AR, Howa and CZ make/made a 6.5 grendel bolt action. Can’t comment on the recoil in a bolt action, but in an AR-15 it is non existent, definitely a round to look at along with the 6.8 spc.

I started my son on a Howa youth rifle in 7.62x39 two seasons ago when he was 9. Accurate, reasonably priced, and recoil was very manageable for him. The same gun in 6.5 grendel would be a great choice as well.

 

[flatlander51]

243 or 6.5. Put a muzzle break on it to reduce recoil! Depending on his size you may want to buy a youth model for the short length of pull.