Best rifle for my son?

[Dogariffic]

I am not a big hunter....although I do shoot and hunt from time to time. That said my son has opportunities every year to hunt with his uncle and grandfather on family land. They provided his first gun and he is 12 and learning things the right way. He is a good shot and taken deer from 150 + with his previous gun ....according to him.....he can also shoot a bow well. His rifle was stolen in a Belhaven robbery recently and I want to replace it. Any suggestions?

Rifle, rifle/shotgun combo? Best place to buy one? I am into old rifles myself and shoot with a Swedish Mauser, not really up to speed on what is available.

Thanks in advance

 

[Flowooddawg]

.243 or a 7mm-08. Find a respectable pawn shop or hell even walmart but don't go to BAss Pro for a gun. You will pay too much

 

[coach66]

7mm 08 youth rifle, he can shoot it all his life if he chooses to do so.

870 shotgun .

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Planned Budget?

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Colt M4

Good for deer and Zombies, plus .223 ammo is cheap! Tough rifles, easy to break down and clean. Good investment also, if there is another gun ban panic, you can sell it for twice what you paid off it.

 

[Dogariffic]

Good question! Safe, reliable, accurate matter I believe. Also something he can learn with. We can find him his forever rifle once he has the basics and really values the experience. Any brand recommendations as well?

 

[MaxwellSmart]

I would be comfortable giving him a .243, .260 or 7mm-08 in a quality bolt rifle. If you have an FFL that won't rape you on the transfer, I have picked up some very good deals on gunbroker.com. The Rem 700 is always a good choice, the Howa 1500 is a very nice rifle for the price (same as a Weatherby Vanguard.) My daughter uses my old Ruger .243 varmint rifle to deer hunt with and hasn't lost one yet but I hand load all my hunting ammo.

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

What was his last rifle? If he liked it and shot it well, duplicate it. Get the hell out of Jackson, too while you are at it.

If you own a Swedish Mauser, you already have a fantastic caliber for white tail hunting. Very manageable recoil, deadly on deer, and very good for shots out to 300+ yards. I've got a couple of Swedish Mausers and a Winchester Model 70 featherlight in 6.5x55. Love it! My go to whitetail rifle is a .270, but I have used the 6.5x55 Swede with good results. I do NOT feel "under gunned" with the Swede.

I agree with previous suggestions of .243 Winchester and 7mm-08 as other great calibers for a youth hunter. He will outgrow the .243, but I'd argue that the 7mm-08 and 6.5x55 Swede would both be a great choice for a lifetime of whitetail hunting. An AR-15 in .223 is a fun rifle, but not the best choice for white tail deer in my opinion. Get an AR type rifle in 6.8 SPC though and you would be well set.

I am not a big hunter....although I do shoot and hunt from time to time. That said my son has opportunities every year to hunt with his uncle and grandfather on family land. They provided his first gun and he is 12 and learning things the right way. He is a good shot and taken deer from 150 + with his previous gun ....according to him.....he can also shoot a bow well. His rifle was stolen in a Belhaven robbery recently and I want to replace it. Any suggestions?

Rifle, rifle/shotgun combo? Best place to buy one? I am into old rifles myself and shoot with a Swedish Mauser, not really up to speed on what is available.

Thanks in advance

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Calibers, 243, or maybe a 308

if he can shoot a 12 gauge he can handle a 308.
Plus they have managed recoil ammo, that would make about like a 30-30.

Rifles, Remington 700 or Savage then Ruger.(for this purpose).

Plenty of others...

 

[jwbigcreek]

Don't get the Remington youth model version of the 700 (770?) unless they started putting a decent bolt in it. Bought one for my son & have seen two others with the same issue (really rough bolt). And scope/mounts were not very good (had my nephew, on Jr Olympic Shooting team, trying to sight it in & he couldn't get a good group out of it). Not a huge Remington fan, but ain't no way I can badmouth the 700. That's a very solid weapon. And I do like the 870 as someone suggested below for a shotgun.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Agreed, that's why I said a 700.

...

 

[DerHntr]

Remington 700 adl .243

Great gun. Durable. The kick is about right for his age.

I have the 700 bdl .270 and it is a hell of a weapon. I likely won't ever buy another rifle for myself.

 

[AFDawg]

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

.243 is a great starter rifle.

I started off with a 6mm (almost the same) myself.

 

[Dogariffic]

His last rifle was a Taurus 243. A gift from his grandfather.

 

[DerHntr]

His last rifle was a Taurus 243. A gift from his grandfather.

Too bad you weren't home to catch the ******* who stole it. That pisses me off more knowing it was from his grandad.

 

[BIGDAWG44]

I've got a .243 Rossi youth single shot that comes with 2 extra barrels in a .22 and a 20 gauge if you're interested. I also have a 870 mossy oak hardwoods camo and shoots a 3 1/2.

 

[Double Dawg]

My brother got my oldest nephew a Ruger American 7mm-08 (his 1st rifle) a couple of weeks before this deer season. The kid got a deer on both hunts he's been on so far. Check out safefireshooting.com. My brother got m nephew's gun from here. The owner lives in Brandon and is just what a previous poster recommended.

 

[cowbell88]

When I was 12, I wanted a .243. Worked all summer cutting grass to make some money. A couple weeks before the end of summer Dad talked me into getting a .270. Said it may be a little much now, but in a couple years, it will fit you fine. He said .270 was bigger and more versitle and you can up the bullet size and could hunt a wider range of game. I'm 39 now and that .270 has long been retired to the gun safe, never hunting anything but whitetails, but I am sure glad I stepped up and went with a little bigger gun that I could grow into.

Since your son has already gotten his first, I would get him something he can grow in to, but still have confidence in when it's time to fire.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

How big a boy is he? Not a joke question. If he is big enough you can go with a larger caliber bolt action. I never much cared for the smaller caliber rifles unless the shooter needed something with a smaller recoil.

I had one son who was not a big kid in weight or height so I always went with less kick with him till he was older. My other son was much larger and was able to shoot a higher caliber gun.

There is a lot of great advice below, I just wanted to give you something else to think about. I would suggest a bolt action. If he is shooting a bow already he will appreciate the accuracy over how many shots can I make.

 

[hydrodawg]

recoil energy and velocity table. This will let you compare one to the next.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Recoil Energy being the key collum

I do believe.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Yeah I use a Weatherby .270 on my long shot Delta deer stands. Reach out and touch someone.

 

[Big Sheep81]

7mm-08 is an excellent choice. Guns-Remington 700, Browning A-Bolt, or Savage. Ruger is ok. You didn't ask but optics that are not bank breakers are Leupold VX 2, Nikon Monarch, or Vortex. Get at least a 40mm objective. Don't skimp on the mounts/rings. You will regret it if you do. No matter what gun, good optics are a must. The best gun in the world is just a loud noise w/o decent optics. You can do this for $600 or less if you trade sharp.

 

[Big Sheep81]

62 gr M855 LAP FMJ is NOT an ideal deer cartridge there Gizmo......

And where is this "cheap ammo" of which you speak? Prices are coming down but still high.............

 

[Snog]

As mentioned, a .243 or 7mm 08 are great flat shooting weapons.

Personally, I'd save yourself some money and go ahead and buy him a .30-06. He will out grow the first two in three years and you're looking at buying two weapons instead of one.

Just go ahead and buy him the bone crusher.

 

[Lachien]

I couldn't agree more. 30-06 ftw

I, like the above poster skrimped and saved as a kid for a rifle and I bought the youth caliber. I still have the gun and can't wait to pass it down one day, but I quickly outgrew it.

One might think the 30-06 is vanilla, but the availability and range of the loads you can buy is awesome. It's been a while since I researched, but I think you can buy ammo now that roughly matches the ballistics of the .270 if you're stuck between the 2.

Get the kid the 30-06. He'll thank you 2 years from now.

As mentioned, a .243 or 7mm 08 are great flat shooting weapons.

Personally, I'd save yourself some money and go ahead and buy him a .30-06. He will out grow the first two in three years and you're looking at buying two weapons instead of one.

Just go ahead and buy him the bone crusher.

 

[dawgstudent]

Best one I have found...

 

[Digging dog]

Last year I bought my then 12 year old daughter a Mossberg 243 from Academy sports. Great little youth gun with a black synthetic stock. Didn't cost a whole lot and it shoots great. Once she got past the noise a rifle makes, she got very comfortable shooting it.

 

[downwarddawg]

Get him a 7mm-08. I hunted with a Remington Model 700 .243 most of my life. I killed more deer than I can count with that gun. My 14 year old son hunted with that same gun for his 1st several years of hunting and still does from time to time. He shoots my single shot H&R 45-70 most of the time now though. Reason being....I got tired of tracking deer. The .243 will kill any deer in America with one shot but you will have to do some tracking. A perfect heart/lung shot can sometimes result in a 100 yard track in the dark. I will be purchasing him a 7mm-08 this year.
I love that .243 and I can shoot a deer's eye out at 100 yards with it. But I can do the same thing with a Model 700 7mm-08 and as I've learned from years of experience, there is such thing as more dead than dead. I like watching them fall.

 

[coach66]

Safefireshooting.Com, I know the owner well. Never done any business with him

on guns but I know him to be a very honest guy. Chad's a good man.

 

[aTotal360]

Best bang for your buck. Savage Axis Youth in .243. $415

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/axisxpyouth
Super accurate, no frills gun.

 

[garndawg]

I'll third the Ought-Six recommendation. Like posters above, A Rem700 or Ruger American w/ good optics is your weapon brand of choice. As for the .30-06, Managed Recoil loads (Remington, $17 for 20 rnds) produce the same kick as a .270. Also, remember the weight of the weapon is directly attributable to felt recoil. Light youth weapons punch back harder than their regular size cousins in the same caliber.

Full Disclosure: I have an old Remington 760 slide-action (5.5lb carbine, 18.5" barrel) that will knock the ever lovin' crap out of you with 165gr full house loads. With the Managed Recoil, my nephew <100lbs can shoot it with no fear.

I would have no problem buying a full-up Remington 700 ADL or BDL in .30-06 for any child ~100lbs and up. Just use the Managed Recoil loads until their teen years, then try a 150gr Corelokt when they grow into their size.

On the optics, get one that has decent eye relief, so that they don't have to scrunch way up close to see the full picture. The nicer VX-II's have this already. Helps a lot as their smaller size and extra layers of clothing move them further away from the scope than a full size man.

Cheers!

I, like the above poster skrimped and saved as a kid for a rifle and I bought the youth caliber. I still have the gun and can't wait to pass it down one day, but I quickly outgrew it.

One might think the 30-06 is vanilla, but the availability and range of the loads you can buy is awesome. It's been a while since I researched, but I think you can buy ammo now that roughly matches the ballistics of the .270 if you're stuck between the 2.

Get the kid the 30-06. He'll thank you 2 years from now.

 

[Col. Forbin]

I got a Browning A-Bolt .270 when I was around 15. Great gun, does't have too much recoil for him and will shoot as far as you need it to around here. That being said my brother has a Ruger 7mm-08 and loves it. You couldn't go wrong with either of those.

 

[coach66]

I bought my son a Ruger 7mm08 three years ago with the camo lamenated stock and

stainless steel. He loves that gun and will hopefully cherish it his whole life and pass it on. I would suggest buying quality with passing it down the line in mind.

 

[boatsandhoes]

.308 is the best round ever for hunting. I'd get him a model 700 remington bolt action in a .308. I have a browning A bolt 308 and a remington model 700 .270 I use the browning but the remington is more accurate. a 243 or 77mm-.08 are great guns too, but if he keeps it up he'll grow to wanting something bigger. You can load a .308 from 110 grain to 210 or more. 30 caliber rounds are inherently the most accurate ever. Start out shooting low grain so the recoil is easier for him to learn on. a .308 chambered in low grain will be just like a 243. My preference is Federal sierra gameking boattail. http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=303

There is no better value, versatility, dependability in shotguns than the remington 870 express, just get him a variety of chokes. he can do everything with it, 28 inch barrel.

 

[KurtRambis4]

^This

Get him a Rem 700 in .308 and he'll never need another rifle, again.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

With it being a child I would go inexpensive and look for a combo. Some 11/111's come with Nikon pro staff scopes and is probably your best bet, and like others said 7mm-08 or 243, I had a 243 growing up and killed manga big deer in their tracks. One thing those models savages have is the accu trigger which is phenomenal and great for someone who is younger.

 

[Big Sheep81]

Ditto. Been using .308 Rem Mod 700 since 1991. Favorite load is a 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip BT with 44 grains of IMR 4064. But since this gun is for a 12 yr old, the 7mm-08 is a better choice for now.

 

[TailgateCo]

I agree with those voting for a .308. .308 is a great gun, and because it is a military/NATO round, you can get ammo relatively cheep.