Youth Rifle Options

[eric1115]

I just finished setting up a new 6mm ARC Howa mini kid's rifle. A fair bit of work to the factory stock, magazine, trigger, etc to make it work to my liking, but happy with how it turned out.

 

[Wickedwagens]

Looks like a sweet little rifle.

 

[EMAZ]

Tikka makes a nice rifle. Any ideas on a scope?

My son used a 7mm-08 for his first elk hunt. He was smaller in size weighing probably 60lbs soaking wet. I think either of you thoughts on the 6.5 or .260ai would work well…the 7mm-08 recoils just a bit more than the 6.5CM. LOP will be the biggest issue as well as overall rifle length. A compact or youth model with a 18-20” barrel will be more manageable. Also having shooting sticks to give a good rest is essential (I’d say better than a bipod…first stalk we had the bipod on, but when he sat down with it, he wasn’t high enough to take the shot, and trying to reposition him caused noise-branch under him snapped-spooking the elk)—bog pod storing sticks worked perfectly for his eventual opportunity/success at 120 yards.

I had a 2.5-10 Nikon Monarch 5 on his rifle set at 6 while hiking. These aren’t sold any longer, unfortunately, as they are great optics for the $. I recently picked up a Meopta MeoSport R 3-15 for another rifle, that I think punches way above its price point and would highly recommend as a quality optic for a youth setup. A leupold vx-freedom in 3-9 or 4-12 would be another lighter weight option that would be a great youth optic.

 

[TXHunt]

Get a suppressor. I find young kids flinch more from the sound than the recoil. A suppressor takes care of both.

 

[TR0UBLE SH00TER]

I got my son this Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic Compact for his first elk hunt when he was
10 years/ old and about 85lbs as pictured below.

Vanguard® Synthetic Compact Blue - Weatherby, Inc.

Growing up in the Weatherby family is an honor, and I’m proud to say I make that happen by being among the most affordable Vanguards available today. Plus, my unique adjustable spacer design lets me grow bigger as young shooters grow older. FINISH Barrel/Receiver/Bolt/Bolt Knob/Safety - Tungsten...

weatherby.com

It's chambered in .308 Win. We originally took off the adjustable butt pad and added the limb saver to reduce recoil and yet save an inch. He really never had any problem with the recoil
and now at 110 pounds he doesn't use the Limbsaver, so I never a muzzle brake.

This is something, he can use at least throughout his youth...
















To get more big game animals like this one that he got last October here in AZ:

 

[Yoteassasin]

Im torn between the cva scout if i go single shot and the ruger american ranch if i go bolt action.

The cva hunter is no slouch and it teaches the kids they only need one and to make it happen

 

[Wickedwagens]

I took my 12 yr old son (65 lbs & small in stature) out yesterday and let him sight in his rifle. Mossberg patriot super bantam in 7mm-08. We use the 120 grain Hornady reduced recoil load. Nice little rifle, accurate, great trigger, light and he said “it doesn’t kick at all!”

 

[spdrman]

My boys are currently 9 and 11, I got my first chassis for them 4 years ago and now I have 6 of them. When they were smaller going from a stock that didn’t fit them quite right to a stock with proper length of pull and solid cheek rest their groups shrunk in half. Little peoples faces are a lot smaller than ours, you don’t want them free floating over the stock trying to get a good sight picture through the scope. All my chassis have vertical ergo grips on them as well, that grip puts their hands farther forward and gives them good trigger control. I think it’s worth buying one and trying to out, my boy has killed 3 deer standing off a tripod, super quick and simple to lock them down on the tripod.

If your state allows I'd also consider a suppressor as well, the blast of a brake bothered my kids more than felt recoil, I originally put a brake on their 260 and they enjoyed shooting it a lot more without the bark of the brake, but they'd get sore after a few shots, now with the suppressor they'll shoot all the ammo I bring to the range if I'd let them.

Here's a picture of my younger boy behind a factory tikka stock and a Chassis, on the factory stock I have that 2-10x42 NXS as low as I can get it and his face is still free floating above the stock, the chassis you can see he has a good cheek weld, you can also notice the grip difference between the 2 setups. Here's some of the success photos from my older by the last 2 seasons, 4 of those critters where shot either standing or sitting off a tripod and the rest where prone off a bipod.

 

[Roguemountainhunter]

So my daughters had a bit of a progression. This is what worked for them after my mistakes. It was trial and error.
1. Savage 110 youth model: 7mm-08 custom lite loads. Did not shoot well at all.
2. Ruger American Predator: 7mm-08 150gr ELD-X. A bit heavy for them, but shot great.
3. Tikka T3X lite: 7mm-08 150gr ELD-X. The winner!
4. Christensen Arms Ridgeline: 6.5 CM 143gr ELD-X. They loved it at first, then went back to the Tikka.

They only shoot the Tikka now...their choice. If I had to do it over again I would have bought 2 Tikkas to start. One in 6.5CM and another in 7mm-08. The tikkas seem to fit them well and they enjoy shooting them.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Man, post 30 before the true rokslide special gets mentioned.

For kids, the tikka 223, wearing a tikka compact stock, a swfa 6x in sportsmatch rings, and the barrel cut to 16.5" with a suppressor (where legal) simply cannot be beat. My 70# 6 year old was shooting that thing shirtless the other day and loving every second of it. The recoil is legitimately zero, ammo is cheap enough to practice a lot, and the 77 tnk is a very lethal bullet.

Makes a sweet dad set up too btw, I swap stocks between us, only takes about a minute.

 

[RS3579]

Look at the Hobbit rifle thread. It’s built on a TC Encore frame. The OP listed all the components with links. This is what I did for my young sons. https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/the-hobbit-rifle.181028/

 

[qotsa23]

I would suggest a suppressor and a caliber of 6mm or below. My kids used a 243, downloaded with 55 grain bullets (ESP Raptors). Very low recoil.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

They grow up fast. I bought my boys 7mm-08s but we hunt a lot of elk and they quickly became comfortable and proficient shooters of magnum rifles in no time. Now, the 08s just sit in the safe during hunting season, everyone preferring to use the mags.

 

[kevin11mee]

Get a suppressor. I find young kids flinch more from the sound than the recoil. A suppressor takes care of both.

I'm in CA, so a suppressor isn't an option. Yet

 

[kevin11mee]

I got my son this Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic Compact for his first elk hunt when he was
10 years/ old and about 85lbs as pictured below.View attachment 556657

Vanguard® Synthetic Compact Blue - Weatherby, Inc.

Growing up in the Weatherby family is an honor, and I’m proud to say I make that happen by being among the most affordable Vanguards available today. Plus, my unique adjustable spacer design lets me grow bigger as young shooters grow older. FINISH Barrel/Receiver/Bolt/Bolt Knob/Safety - Tungsten...

weatherby.com

View attachment 556658

It's chambered in .308 Win. We originally took off the adjustable butt pad and added the limb saver to reduce recoil and yet save an inch. He really never had any problem with the recoil
and now at 110 pounds he doesn't use the Limbsaver, so I never a muzzle brake.

This is something, he can use at least throughout his youth...
















To get more big game animals like this one that he got last October here in AZ:
View attachment 556660

Nice, AZ has some nice youth opportunities

 

[kevin11mee]

My boys are currently 9 and 11, I got my first chassis for them 4 years ago and now I have 6 of them. When they were smaller going from a stock that didn’t fit them quite right to a stock with proper length of pull and solid cheek rest their groups shrunk in half. Little peoples faces are a lot smaller than ours, you don’t want them free floating over the stock trying to get a good sight picture through the scope. All my chassis have vertical ergo grips on them as well, that grip puts their hands farther forward and gives them good trigger control. I think it’s worth buying one and trying to out, my boy has killed 3 deer standing off a tripod, super quick and simple to lock them down on the tripod.

If your state allows I'd also consider a suppressor as well, the blast of a brake bothered my kids more than felt recoil, I originally put a brake on their 260 and they enjoyed shooting it a lot more without the bark of the brake, but they'd get sore after a few shots, now with the suppressor they'll shoot all the ammo I bring to the range if I'd let them.

Here's a picture of my younger boy behind a factory tikka stock and a Chassis, on the factory stock I have that 2-10x42 NXS as low as I can get it and his face is still free floating above the stock, the chassis you can see he has a good cheek weld, you can also notice the grip difference between the 2 setups. Here's some of the success photos from my older by the last 2 seasons, 4 of those critters where shot either standing or sitting off a tripod and the rest where prone off a bipod.
View attachment 563346
View attachment 563347
View attachment 563354
View attachment 563348View attachment 563349View attachment 563350View attachment 563351View attachment 563352View attachment 563353View attachment 563355

Nice. Which chassis is that?

 

[kevin11mee]

Man, post 30 before the true rokslide special gets mentioned.

For kids, the tikka 223, wearing a tikka compact stock, a swfa 6x in sportsmatch rings, and the barrel cut to 16.5" with a suppressor (where legal) simply cannot be beat. My 70# 6 year old was shooting that thing shirtless the other day and loving every second of it. The recoil is legitimately zero, ammo is cheap enough to practice a lot, and the 77 tnk is a very lethal bullet.

Makes a sweet dad set up too btw, I swap stocks between us, only takes about a minute.

Questions:
1. You swap between a Tikka compact stock and a regular size stock? Did you bed either?
2. I like the idea of a .223 but would be hesitant to use on say a cow elk hunt.
3. The SWFA is a fixed 6 power?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Questions:
1. You swap between a Tikka compact stock and a regular size stock? Did you bed either?
2. I like the idea of a .223 but would be hesitant to use on say a cow elk hunt.
3. The SWFA is a fixed 6 power?

I have pillar and glass bedded both stocks, and heavily free floated the barrel. The swfa fixed 6x is mounted in sportsmatch rings, there's no poi shift or change in group size swapping between stocks and torqueing to 65 in-lbs.

223 with the right bullets hammers elk. Being in California limits your options though, maybe go tikka 8 twist 22-250 or ream it out to 22 creed if you're hunting with monos.

.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

rokslide.com

Swfa 6x info:

SWFA SS 6x42mm MQ Field Evaluation

This is a field evaluation of the SWFA SS 6x MQ scope. This scope was brought to me from Ryan Avery for an evaluation. The ammunition used was Hornady 168gr ELD-M that was purchased by Ryan. The 20 shot proof group with this ammunition was just over 1.1 MOA. The scope and weight- Turrets...

rokslide.com

Q&A for SWFA SS 6x MQ Field Eval

Link- SWFA SS 6x MQ Field Eval

rokslide.com

Post in thread 'SWFA SS Optical Quality' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/swfa-ss-optical-quality.319159/post-3188102

 

[dreamingWest]

Hard to argue the rokslide special. I have one and my kids are using it to learn.

But I have my eye on a Browning X-bolt Micro Midas with nice wood. Probably go 6.5 CM. I'd love to see them chamber in 6 CM.

 

[cmahoney]

Left handed kids make it a little difficult. I waited forever for a LH Tikka .223 to come in stock, then got email from Midway that a 22-250 was in stock. I am really happy with this rifle so far. I put it in a chassis so it has a little heft while he is learning g to shoot it, cut the barrel to 20” and topped it with a SWFA 3-9.

We have been shooting cheap 55 grain bullets over TAC for lots of practice and I have a pile of 77TMK’s for hunting.

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