I am looking a buying a rifle for my wife to use this season for the first time. She has shot 22 and my AR quite a bit but they are all to long for her. I need to get her a youth and since she doesn't know it she will like hunting I am not going to spend hundreds on her. I was wondering if any one know how the accuracy is in the .243 youth.

I had one it was a P.O.S dont buy one accuracy sucked. got rid of it and got a 6mm Model 7 remington never lookin back at another NEF! [:@]

There has been good discussion on the NEF Handi Rifle lately. Look at the Buying an NEF .223 thread. Most questions should be answered there. I have the Handi Rifle in .223 and it shoots fine. I am getting about 1" groups at 100 yds with my handloads. There are things that can be done to improve the accuracy of the rifle. They do not have free-floated barrels. I have not yet floated mine either, but have heard that an o-ring on the forend screw helps improve the accuracy some. I would not expect them to drive tacks out of the box, but with some work or good handloads, they can do quite well. Plus other calibers can be had in the rifle for not very much money at all. For someone to start deer hunting with, it would be a good rifle. They are also offering the youth model in the 7mm-08 caliber which might be better for deer with not much more recoil at all. My .223 with scope, (Leupold Rifleman 2-7x33) and Harris Bi-Pod weighs in at just under 10lbs, which should still keep the recoil down even for the larger calibers. Good Luck

My best friend shoots one. I'm thinking of buying it off him. It is accurate enough to nail gophers at 250 plus yards. For those who don't know, a gopher is about as big as your fist, minus the head. I figure that's pretty darn good for a cheapy, cheapy!

I have an NEF in .223 with the bull-barrel. It will shoot sub-MOA with factory Winchester. I highly recommend NEF for what you pay $$$

Good luck to your wife Bigbuck!

I got one for my 10 yr old daughter last season. At first we couldn't get a decent group at all. Then realized we that the scope rings were not tightend right. Now it shoots great. She got her first buck at the with it.

I had the 243 Ultra. It would shoot sub one inch groups with the lighter bullets but about 1 1/2 with 90 and 100 grain bullets. I had a 223 synthetic that easy shot 3/4 inch groups but it was stolen. I have a 280, 45-70 and 44 mag rifles as well all shoot pretty well.