Might Mite

What is a good gun for a youth hunter? 8 years old. Short with minimal recoil.

mike bell

good question, my girl is about to get one as soon as I figure out which one I want to get her.


Im leaning torge the New England single shot in 243

48thguns

Please don't take offense at this post but IMHO until a child can shoot at least a 30-30 with no problem and consistantly hit a 3 inch target at 100 yards, you are asking for trouble. An 8,9,10,11 year old child is too young period. Take them with you a few years and when they turn 12, start them shooting. Practice, practice, practice. Then put a real rifle in there hands when both of you are totally in-synch. The child will get just as much fun on the "hunt" as actually shooting. Kids have been traumatized when killing something as a child. You may want to consult an expert on the subject. Regards, Rick.

700bdl870exp

id say the remington 700 sps youth in 243

longrifle1000

I would go with a chipmunk or a cricket rifle. Single shot 22, with youth stock, perfect for kids to learn on. I am going to buy my daughter the cricket with the pink stock for when she is older. Good luck.



http://www.crickett.com/


Edit: Sorry, didn't see you were referring to something bigger. I would look at the Remington youth model in 243.

fufanu360

shooting pop cans with a 22 is perfect for building shootings skills when they are at that age...

even a grow person with experience needs to shoot .22's just for good ol practis

spuddog

I'm with 48th and Longrifle. My son is a very big 11 year old. He has a "cricket" rifle (bolt, single shot .22) and does a good job. Sometimes I have him carry it unloaded while I hunt so that I can watch him. I think the most important part is training and marksmanship. He's ready to graduate to a bigger gun. I'm going to take him bird and rabbit hunting before I let him in the field with a centerfire. Legal age for big game is 12 in CO.

Calibers: 243, 7mm-08, .308 and 30-30 are all considered light recoil and can be found in youth guns. All are based on the .308 casing except the 30-30. In CO 243 is the legal minimum. All are capable of taking up to elk with the proper bullet (this is a judgment call). Recoil can be managed with lighter bullets and a good recoil pad.

Rifles: Single shots are good for trainers. Both NEF and Rossi have single shots of good quality that can be had for just over $200. The Rossi does not come in 7mm 08 but in 243 and .308. Both come in either youth models or adult. Rossi has a 'triple play that comes with a barrel for each; 243, 20 ga shotgun and .22 rimfire. It was on sale at Cabelas last week for about $260. They are also working on a barrel program to add barrels to the existing receiver. An NEF will run you about $250, but you can send it to the factory and have any barrell; shotgun, black powder or other centerfire caliber added for about $70. Both have websites with good info.

Both Rem and Browning make good bolt youth guns. Youth guns usually have shorter barrels. I might opt for a regular sized gun and then put a stock with a shorter LoP on it. Either way you end up buying a new stock as your kid grows.

Spud

spencer0071

I have been mulling over this questions for the past 3 years. I have come to this conclusion: Thompson Center Encore. Advantages: single shot (simple operation) and it hasinterchangable barrels (shotgun, rifle and muzzleloader). Disadvantages: weight, barrel length (24 inch)and (i believe) lack of a safety. I believe that knowing that you only have one shot,youare more likely to make itcount. My son who is 5 now,has a cricket 22. I have plenty of time to refine my opinion, but as of today this is it.

A.D.D. BOY

Best way to go is with a .22 then to a .410 has the kick but still not that much. Then to the 20 gauge. And then start with the rifles. And the 22 and .410 will teach how to group and use the sights, And also the .410 will teach the differnce between slugs and buckshot, even if u wont hunt with a shotgun, still good to have the knowledge down. I would say for rifle .223 dosnt really kick, i shoot our AR-15 with one hand.

mike bell

[:-]Well, it depends on your kid I guess. My boy shot his first at 10 years old with a lever action 44 mag which he still uses when ever I can get his lazy teenage arse out of bed . My girl is nine (going on 20) and is only 51 pounds and not strong enough to shoulder and hold a rifle yet. But dont tell her that...She is a hunting nut!! I have to tell her no when I go bow hunting cause thats the only time I really get to hunt and use my climbing stand. But when it is gun season, she goes out with me and my dad, she sits there quitely reading a book.I dont think there has been a weekend since mid-October when she hasnt gone deer hunting and we get up at 4:30am! We got some hand-me-down bootsfrom her brother that are to big but perfect for an extra pair of socks and stuffing toes with some hand warmers to keep her feet warm. She is dead on with a BB gun at 15 yards so I moved her back to 25 now for more practice. She tells everybody shes ready to move up to something that shes can actually hunt with. She helps gut and skinour deer, she has no problems with dead animals. Unless they are our family dog or horse, then she getsupset. But so do we all. She knows where meat comes from and that we eat the deer we shoot.

I will need to shoot a 243 before I buy one but thats what I want to get. I may have to but some slugs for her 410 shes fixin to start shooting as soon as I get a recoil pad for it.