Deer Gun for 8 year old
03-05-2008, 10:11 AM
#31
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,429
RE: Deer Gun for 8 year old
I bought my son a NEF handi-rifle in 243 two years ago. The light weight rig kick him too hard, so I downloaded some ammo for him. the recoil is miniscule now. Check out Hodgdon's website under Youth loads if you're interested.
03-05-2008, 11:18 AM
#32
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,688
RE: Deer Gun for 8 year old
ORIGINAL: The Rifleman
B - B
Can you say Daisey!
8 year old kids has no place in the woods with a loaded rifle - period!
you cannot show me a 8 year old kid that has the maturity to be a safe hunter.
I would in no circumstances let my 8 year old kid hunt with a rifle.
Some people ought to have their heads examined!
B - B
Can you say Daisey!
8 year old kids has no place in the woods with a loaded rifle - period!
you cannot show me a 8 year old kid that has the maturity to be a safe hunter.
I would in no circumstances let my 8 year old kid hunt with a rifle.
Some people ought to have their heads examined!
As to the question at hand. Place me in with the 243 to 7mm-08 crowd. A 257 Roberts would be good if you could find it in a rifle that fits him. Good luck, and good hunting,
03-05-2008, 11:26 AM
#33
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Texas and Arkansas
Posts: 1,496
RE: Deer Gun for 8 year old
ORIGINAL: MichaelT.
I would look into guns such as a Browning Micro Hunter, or a Ruger M77 Compact or a Remington Model 7 ( all are bolt action guns ) . Any of them in a .243 would be great. Another route to go is a single shot rifle like a Rossi, or a New England Firearms ( NEF ) in a .243. You can also get them in a heavy barrel model which will help cut down on recoil. And finally, you can get him a bigger gun ( depending on his size compared to other kids thatage....) in something like a 30.06 or .270 in a bolt gun and use Remington Managed Recoil rounds, which actually have a little less recoil than a .243. Then as he grows, he can move up to full size loads with the same gun. If you have not heard of the Managed recoil rounds, then go to the Remington website and read up on them. I have used them with a gun I bought for my wife, and they work remarkably well, and they are good to 200 yards.
One last note, you can get him a 30-30 and put a good recoil killing butt pad on it, and use the new Hornady leverevolution rounds. It is a 30 -30 with a soft point instead of a rounded nose, which gives the 30 -30 more down range energy, making it a true 150+ yard deer rifle. You can find info on that round at the Hornady website.
God Bless
Michael
I would look into guns such as a Browning Micro Hunter, or a Ruger M77 Compact or a Remington Model 7 ( all are bolt action guns ) . Any of them in a .243 would be great. Another route to go is a single shot rifle like a Rossi, or a New England Firearms ( NEF ) in a .243. You can also get them in a heavy barrel model which will help cut down on recoil. And finally, you can get him a bigger gun ( depending on his size compared to other kids thatage....) in something like a 30.06 or .270 in a bolt gun and use Remington Managed Recoil rounds, which actually have a little less recoil than a .243. Then as he grows, he can move up to full size loads with the same gun. If you have not heard of the Managed recoil rounds, then go to the Remington website and read up on them. I have used them with a gun I bought for my wife, and they work remarkably well, and they are good to 200 yards.
One last note, you can get him a 30-30 and put a good recoil killing butt pad on it, and use the new Hornady leverevolution rounds. It is a 30 -30 with a soft point instead of a rounded nose, which gives the 30 -30 more down range energy, making it a true 150+ yard deer rifle. You can find info on that round at the Hornady website.
God Bless
Michael
03-05-2008, 11:29 AM
#34
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Texas and Arkansas
Posts: 1,496
RE: Deer Gun for 8 year old
I borrow a BLR in 243 for my kids (7 and 9) to hunt with. Unfortunately, growing up in the suburbs of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, they don't get a lot of an opportunity to shoot, and are a little afraid of it. I guess over time, they will get over it.
03-05-2008, 07:48 PM
#36
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
RE: Deer Gun for 8 year old
I would certainly think a 20ga slug would kick way harder than a .243, any .243 that's a normal weight, even a lightweight model with a recoil pad I can't see kicking at all. If a kid can't handle a .243, I agree, hold off a year or two til he can. Not be able to handl ethe recoil from a .270 or .30-06 is one thing, but I think .243 is about as small as it should get for big game. Also I think my .30-30 kicks harder than my .270, so .243 all the way!
03-07-2008, 10:44 AM
#38
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,429
RE: Deer Gun for 8 year old
ORIGINAL: salukipv1
I would certainly think a 20ga slug would kick way harder than a .243, any .243 that's a normal weight, even a lightweight model with a recoil pad I can't see kicking at all. If a kid can't handle a .243, I agree, hold off a year or two til he can.
I would certainly think a 20ga slug would kick way harder than a .243, any .243 that's a normal weight, even a lightweight model with a recoil pad I can't see kicking at all. If a kid can't handle a .243, I agree, hold off a year or two til he can.
I'm not saying that it was unbearable because it simply wasn't. But it was more than I expected. I actually wasn't surprised when my boy complained. I actually think the muzzle blast was the worst of it. The first time I shot it I was a little taken back by the muzzle blast. So I simply loaded some reduced power loads, and he shoots it quite comfortably. Lets be honest if a deer isn't within 100 yards I won't let him shoot anyway, so the 85 gr partition traveling 2500 fps will more than do the job.
03-07-2008, 03:00 PM
#40
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location:
Posts: 1,784
RE: Deer Gun for 8 year old
ORIGINAL: The Rifleman
B - B
Can you say Daisey!
8 year old kids has no place in the woods with a loaded rifle - period!
you cannot show me a 8 year old kid that has the maturity to be a safe hunter.
I would in no circumstances let my 8 year old kid hunt with a rifle.
Some people ought to have their heads examined!
B - B
Can you say Daisey!
8 year old kids has no place in the woods with a loaded rifle - period!
you cannot show me a 8 year old kid that has the maturity to be a safe hunter.
I would in no circumstances let my 8 year old kid hunt with a rifle.
Some people ought to have their heads examined!
I sincerely hope this post was made in jest.
My kids started deer hunting when they were 6 with a NEF 223, and by age 7, I had both moved up to a Ruger M77RSI 243. My oldest son decided that hunting wasn't his thing, but I had my youngest son shooting an Encore 270 by age 10 (which he still shoots).
My youngest son is 10 in this photo and his first deer with his 270.
