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My son turns 9 in a few months. I never hunted much, but he loves deer hunting. He killed a doe the second time he went hunting. I need to purchase him a gun and have no idea what kind of gun to get him. Note: He's a little guy. A few buddies have suggested a 243 youth model or a 708 with low recoil bullets. While I am quite knowledgeable of MSU sports, my knowledge of hunting and guns is very elementary. Any suggestions/help would be deeply appreciated.
consider a Ruger American Compact or youth model Savage Axis if you don't want to spend a bunch of money. I'd go with 7mm-08 with reduced recoil. That setup will let you go to full power rounds as he gets big enough to handle them.
The Savage Axis XP and Savage Axis XP II youth combos are some of the best deals out there on a starter rifle that will last for life, all for less than $500 (and some searching can get these for less than $400). These come with a scope borsighted, and reportedly can get less than 1.5" groups at 100 yards of the box.
XP Youth: http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/axisxpyouth
XP II Youth: http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/axis2xpyouth
The differences in the XP and XP II: The XP II has a better (read smoother, lighter pull) trigger than the XP,;however the XP II only comes in a .243 youth model, where the XP youth comes in .223, .243 and 7mm-08 calibers.
I am partial to the 7mm-08, and the Hornady SST 120 grain Custom Lite round is plenty enough round to take whitetail at reasonable ranges in the South.
http://www.hornady.com/store/7mm-08-...ST-customlite/
how big is he now?
what did he kill his deer with?
243/7-08 are great choices for most younguns, regardless....
the most important thing is the optics, not the rifle manufacturer or caliber... 3rd is projectile/load (in this situation)...
I will also recommend the 7mm-08. I have shot a couple that were borrowed and I'm sold on them. My wife shoots a Ruger 7mm-08 and is deadly with it. Some reduced recoil rounds in 7mm-08 would likely fit him well.
300 Win Mag or go home.
I kid. I was shooting a .243 at that age and had no issues what so ever with it. It was my granddad's rifle and now it is mine. It will be what I give my son when he gets old enough. Never shot the 7mm-08 so I have no opinion one way or the other. If neither of those appeal to you then there is always a 25.06 or a .223.
I always used a .308 as a child. Killed many a deer with it. I believe I was 9 when I started, and I was also small for my age. That being said, my brother used a .243 and it did quite well too. If he is noticeably concerned about the recoil of the gun, I'd go with a .243. It will kill a deer easily and has very little recoil.
A .308 packs a bit more punch, but is extremely accurate and reliable and would also be a good gun and probably would last longer. A .308 is still a good gun for adults too, but not as popular.
These would be a great two choices in either 7-08 rem or 243 win. Put a decent scope on one and he could use either one from now until retirement.Quote:
Originally Posted by msstatelp1
I shot a .243 up until a couple years ago and my little sister has always shot a .308. The 7-08 is a solid choice as well. I have killed a couple with that round as well. Like everyone has said get him a quality scope and he will be laying them down for years regardless of the caliber you choose.
I would highly suggest a 7mm-08 with reduced recoil shells. Even without the reduced recoil shells the recoil isn't that bad. The only real reason I suggest a 7mm-08 over the .243 is that I have been on several tracking calls and the majority of the time the weapon was a .243/.270 However, there are people that have hunted .243s all their lives and never had to track one. A lot of emphasis needs to be put on optics (depending on how long your average shot will be where you hunt) and practice.
I'd say go with a 7mm-08 w/ reduced recoil and take him shooting. Have him put a box of shells down range and he won't be thinking about the recoil in the stand.