LUCKYDAWG13
Member
i think a 357 in a lever action would be in ideal rifle and a lot of fun when he gets older
Childs Deer rifle
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The_Armed_Therapist
Member
Slip a good recoil pad on one of the .243s and let him get used to it.
WALKERs210
Member
Choice for Youth
My grandson who is now 13 has been shooting since he was around 6 or 7. My son was shooting when he was 2-3 yrs old. My grandson is by no means a larger kid, taking after my side of family he is lanky (or skinny) but he can handle every thing in my gun cabinets. Let him make a choice, recoil when pulling trigger on a deer and especially the first deer will most likely never be felt. In this part of Alabama 30-30's have taken more game possibly than any other caliber. A Rem 700 in .270, 30-06 is a fine choice and it would be a caliber that would stay with him until he is older and might pass it down to his son one day.
My grandson who is now 13 has been shooting since he was around 6 or 7. My son was shooting when he was 2-3 yrs old. My grandson is by no means a larger kid, taking after my side of family he is lanky (or skinny) but he can handle every thing in my gun cabinets. Let him make a choice, recoil when pulling trigger on a deer and especially the first deer will most likely never be felt. In this part of Alabama 30-30's have taken more game possibly than any other caliber. A Rem 700 in .270, 30-06 is a fine choice and it would be a caliber that would stay with him until he is older and might pass it down to his son one day.
DanTheFarmer
Member
Have you considered 7mm-08 using Remington's Managed Recoil loads? I have no experience with them but if you've got a way to test it seems worth a try. I shoot the 7mm-08 in its full powered version and it doesn't kick very hard (for an adult) so the managed recoil version might be just what you need.
I didn't see 243 Remington Managed Recoil listed as an option on their site but perhaps another manufacturer has an appropriate product.
Good Luck.
Dan
I didn't see 243 Remington Managed Recoil listed as an option on their site but perhaps another manufacturer has an appropriate product.
Good Luck.
Dan
between the two you named:
.223 or .22-250? (your thoughts)
Due to age and probably the urge to hunt other animals as he grows up. I'd choose the .22-250 between your two choices.
A .243 or .30-30 would give better penetration, but the .22-250 is a stone cold killer. I have buddies who live in Arizona, and their guides carry .22-250 for Elk hunts. A few of my buddies use .22-250 to kill large Elk cleanly.
I personally have experience with a .22-250 and whitetail deer up to 200 lbs. It is a very impressive round, and one that I'd like to own myself. I just cannot justify the purchase because I own rifles in .223 and I have a .25-06. The .25-06 really knocks the .22-250 out of the game when it comes to power, power retained at distance, and with the ability to go from 85 grains to 120 grains. The .25-06 pretty much has it covered.
Have you thought of a .25-06? With a 100 grain Remington Core-Lokt they recoil is nothing. Less than a .243 in my book. Of course it is all dependent on rifle design and fit as far as recoil goes when the cartridges have similar ballistics.
The only thing about a .25-06, mine has a 22" barrel, is that the report is huge. It jumps more than recoils, and the report is quite heavy.. The shooter definitely feels the boom coming from that long action speed demon. This adds to "perceived" recoil.
For a 12 year old boy I'd be looking for something in a short action. Which you are. I'd skip the .223. Just because a 30-30 would be a better choice despite felt recoil for a 12 year old when buck fever hits.
If legal to hunt in your area with a .22 centerfire rifle then of the two you mentioned, .223 or .22-250, the .22-250 wins hands down. It is accurate, it keeps the power up down range, and is just devastating with 55 grain soft pointed bullets. Once it gets into the chest cavity of deer or whatever you shoot with it. The organs are turned to soup. I have rarely had to track any medium sized game hit with a .22-250 in the boiler room. The shock and awe of that 55 grain soft point is just an awesome sight to be seen and experience.
If you hand load you can go for 69 grain Sierra Game Kings if your rifle shoots them accurately, but I think you'll be fine with the plain jane .22-250 offerings by any major manufacturer of that round.
With all that being said, I'd opt for a .308 Winchester, and buy a Boyds stock. Have a gunsmith make the rifle fit the boy, then use a nice recoil pad such as the recoil pads that come with the Marlin XL7 or XS7, and as he grows older for $80-$100 upgrade the stock to a full size stock. Or use an aftermarket recoil pad that still left the rifle fitting correctly to the boy's size.
He'd have the rifle of a lifetime. Able to hunt small varmints to large and some dangerous game without worry of "do I have the right gun or enough gun". If the rifle fit him well, and a good recoil pad was used, not to mention the extra clothing for staying warm. Then a .308 Winchester would be the best choice in my book. Especially if you reload, but store ammo would be available anywhere.
So my choices of the two you were thinking again: .22-250
For my son when he gets older as we do not have long distances to shoot will be a 30-30 which I can load down and use 125 grain Sierra FNHP. If not a 30-30 then a .308 Winchester.
Or if he likes long action as every 12 year old into hunting and guns has a preference. I'd opt for a .270 or a .25-06 for him.
That is another good point. Ask him. What does he like? Let the boy shoot some rifles and decide. Then discuss the pros and cons with him. Example. A .223 has less recoil, but doesn't have the potential to knock down a large buck that is on high alert, and a .22-250 would be a better option in that scenario. Also, that a .22-250 may recoil a little more, but you could shoot with confidence at longer distances for example, and at shorter distances he would have a greater percentage of knocking the deer down without tracking if a good shot was taken.
We all have opinions here, and some don't agree. But you should speak to the boy and ask him about what he likes. If he doesn't like it, no matter how much or how little recoil it has. He isn't going to shoot good with it.
Good luck, and let us know what you decided on.
.223 or .22-250? (your thoughts)
Due to age and probably the urge to hunt other animals as he grows up. I'd choose the .22-250 between your two choices.
A .243 or .30-30 would give better penetration, but the .22-250 is a stone cold killer. I have buddies who live in Arizona, and their guides carry .22-250 for Elk hunts. A few of my buddies use .22-250 to kill large Elk cleanly.
I personally have experience with a .22-250 and whitetail deer up to 200 lbs. It is a very impressive round, and one that I'd like to own myself. I just cannot justify the purchase because I own rifles in .223 and I have a .25-06. The .25-06 really knocks the .22-250 out of the game when it comes to power, power retained at distance, and with the ability to go from 85 grains to 120 grains. The .25-06 pretty much has it covered.
Have you thought of a .25-06? With a 100 grain Remington Core-Lokt they recoil is nothing. Less than a .243 in my book. Of course it is all dependent on rifle design and fit as far as recoil goes when the cartridges have similar ballistics.
The only thing about a .25-06, mine has a 22" barrel, is that the report is huge. It jumps more than recoils, and the report is quite heavy.. The shooter definitely feels the boom coming from that long action speed demon. This adds to "perceived" recoil.
For a 12 year old boy I'd be looking for something in a short action. Which you are. I'd skip the .223. Just because a 30-30 would be a better choice despite felt recoil for a 12 year old when buck fever hits.
If legal to hunt in your area with a .22 centerfire rifle then of the two you mentioned, .223 or .22-250, the .22-250 wins hands down. It is accurate, it keeps the power up down range, and is just devastating with 55 grain soft pointed bullets. Once it gets into the chest cavity of deer or whatever you shoot with it. The organs are turned to soup. I have rarely had to track any medium sized game hit with a .22-250 in the boiler room. The shock and awe of that 55 grain soft point is just an awesome sight to be seen and experience.
If you hand load you can go for 69 grain Sierra Game Kings if your rifle shoots them accurately, but I think you'll be fine with the plain jane .22-250 offerings by any major manufacturer of that round.
With all that being said, I'd opt for a .308 Winchester, and buy a Boyds stock. Have a gunsmith make the rifle fit the boy, then use a nice recoil pad such as the recoil pads that come with the Marlin XL7 or XS7, and as he grows older for $80-$100 upgrade the stock to a full size stock. Or use an aftermarket recoil pad that still left the rifle fitting correctly to the boy's size.
He'd have the rifle of a lifetime. Able to hunt small varmints to large and some dangerous game without worry of "do I have the right gun or enough gun". If the rifle fit him well, and a good recoil pad was used, not to mention the extra clothing for staying warm. Then a .308 Winchester would be the best choice in my book. Especially if you reload, but store ammo would be available anywhere.
So my choices of the two you were thinking again: .22-250
For my son when he gets older as we do not have long distances to shoot will be a 30-30 which I can load down and use 125 grain Sierra FNHP. If not a 30-30 then a .308 Winchester.
Or if he likes long action as every 12 year old into hunting and guns has a preference. I'd opt for a .270 or a .25-06 for him.
That is another good point. Ask him. What does he like? Let the boy shoot some rifles and decide. Then discuss the pros and cons with him. Example. A .223 has less recoil, but doesn't have the potential to knock down a large buck that is on high alert, and a .22-250 would be a better option in that scenario. Also, that a .22-250 may recoil a little more, but you could shoot with confidence at longer distances for example, and at shorter distances he would have a greater percentage of knocking the deer down without tracking if a good shot was taken.
We all have opinions here, and some don't agree. But you should speak to the boy and ask him about what he likes. If he doesn't like it, no matter how much or how little recoil it has. He isn't going to shoot good with it.
Good luck, and let us know what you decided on.
Grayrock
Member
My daughter has been shooting with me and I think for next deer season (2014-2015) she will be hunting for the first time. I plan to have her take the hunter safety course with me in about a year. She is 11 now. I have built her a .243 from a Remington 700 I inherited from my father. I got a synthetic youth stock for it and had a KDF muzzle brake installed. I did a trigger job on it and installed a new Nikon Buckmaster scope. She has shot the rifle before and nailed her target better than I had anticipated. I think she is ready.
tdoyka
Member
300 whisper or blackout on a encore frame with 16 1/4" - 20" barrel. or you can get a 243 in savage
+1 on .357 mag lever
+1 on .243 (85gr)
+1 on 30/30 lever.
I would almost put them in that order. I think the .243 and 30/30 would scale better than the .357. But man that 357 would be a hoot to shoot in the long run.
I have no xp on the 22-250...but I am sure it would fit nicely in there too.
I will say this too...although I haven't let her hunt deer yet, but she does shoot my crossbow at targets. She hit's bulls with it. She was 12 when she started shooting that and she isn't a big girl or even very athletic.
+1 on .243 (85gr)
+1 on 30/30 lever.
I would almost put them in that order. I think the .243 and 30/30 would scale better than the .357. But man that 357 would be a hoot to shoot in the long run.
I have no xp on the 22-250...but I am sure it would fit nicely in there too.
I will say this too...although I haven't let her hunt deer yet, but she does shoot my crossbow at targets. She hit's bulls with it. She was 12 when she started shooting that and she isn't a big girl or even very athletic.
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Legionnaire
Contributing Member
My kids who have taken deer all started with a youth-stocked Remington Model 7 in .243. My daughter found it much more comfortable to shoot than a .30-30.
cpt-t
Member
SimplyChad: My Son and I have let several young kids and small framed adults shoot our CZ 762X39. And all of them that has shot out little rifle seems to really like it. A deer, a pig, a coyote at 2 Hundred yds or less is not a problem at all. And we have used Wolf 124 GR HP`s most of the time so far so it has been very cheap for some one to learn to shoot with and it is very accurate an inch at a 100 yds most of the time.
ken
ken
SimplyChad
Member
I slipped a Limb saver on a SKS I cut the stock down to the min and he loves that. Not as good as the 22-250 but he is still Minute of bambi inside the required ranges.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
.357 levergun would be perfect.
Sapper_Daddy
Member
.44 brother, preferably out of a lever gun of the marlin type. But anything .44 will do. You do lose a significant amount of range but its a great brush gun or even a blind gun depending on your setup. I know here in the west you'd be lucky to see 350 yards let alone squeeze a shot off. Best of luck, your nephew is lucky to have a great uncle like you!
Hokkmike
Member
.243, 6mm, .257 Roberts, 6.5X55, 7mm08 - All good choices. I would shy away the .222, .223, and 22. - 250. Accuracy is too critical with those round. The same MIGHT be said for the .243 on larger game.
Good luck in your decision.
Good luck in your decision.
oldpapps
Member
Ask the boy what he would like and work from that.
I shot my first deer at 8 and was shooting a fully stocked SMLE in .303 British. The stock didn't fit me but I didn't care and got two rounds into the shoulder/neck before the deer hit the ground (went maybe 15 yards - I was pumped
and not going to lose that deer, smallish doe).
I shot my first deer at 8 and was shooting a fully stocked SMLE in .303 British. The stock didn't fit me but I didn't care and got two rounds into the shoulder/neck before the deer hit the ground (went maybe 15 yards - I was pumped
and not going to lose that deer, smallish doe).KansasSasquatch
Member
I have a 12 year old nephew. At the age of 9 he killed a big 8 point Kansas buck at 150 yards with a 7mm-08 with 139gr Hornady SST ammo. He's not a huge kid for his age, he might have 10lbs on a "normal" sized kid his age but that's it. If it's mainly going to be a deer rifle I don't see any reason he shouldn't be able to handle it. If necessary Hornady sells 120gr reduced recoil loads (exclusively through Cabela's) that should allow him to handle the recoil http://www.hornady.com/store/7mm-08-Rem-120-gr-SST-customlite/ . And if he has to shoot reduced recoil loads for now, he'll still be able to step up to full power loads when he's a little older.
Hornady also makes reduced recoil .243 ammo http://www.hornady.com/store/243-Win-87-gr-SST-customlite/
AABEN
Member
A 243 with a 80 gr bullet will do a very good job using a slower powder 4350 or slower will take some of the kick out of it.
Boxhead
Member
My middle son, now 22, at age 9 or so used a Ruger 243 RSI.
Son number three used a 250 AI on his first big critter hunt. Age 11.
Some years later, last year, all three did very well in Africa.
Son number three used a 250 AI on his first big critter hunt. Age 11.
Some years later, last year, all three did very well in Africa.
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