Rifle for kids
 

Hi- I' ve a grandson who' s turning twelve this year before deer hunting. He' s bigger than most of his classmates and we' re wondering about what would be a good rifle and caliber for him. We both feel as though he would be more comfortable with a pump vs. and lever action of a bolt. Thanks for any help you can come up with. Looking forward to any and all replies. BEEB

RE: Rifle for kids
 

If you are looking for a shotgun I would look at the remington 870 express magnum 20 ga. That' s what I used when I was 12 and it is a high quality gun for beginners. Or you could look into a 410 ga. If you are looking into a rifle I would suggest getting a marling model 336. I also had one of these when I was 12 and it doesnt produce too much kick but some.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

Pump rifles will limit your choice of chamberings, and there aren' t that many made anymore. Another thing is sometimes smaller folks have difficulty with cycling the action all the way. They tend to short stroke it and the rounds don' t chamber. Lever guns ar one of the worst things to start a kid on in my opinion since one, they mostly come in the anemic 30-30 Win cartridge, two the stock isn' t designed to disperse recoil very well and three, the hammer sometimes slips out from under small thumbs. A good bolt gun chambered in a potent cartridge such as the 260 Rem, 7mm-08 Rem, 308 Win, etc. will serve him many years after any lever gun would be retired to the closet.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

another cal. I would recomend is the 25-06

RE: Rifle for kids
 

I second what frizzelr said. Despite the fact that most lever actions you will encounter will be chambered for the low powered 30-30 caliber, due to their small size and stock design they can still kick like a mule. I also don' t like the idea of giving a child a gun with an external hammer that may at some point have to be manually let down by hand. Very dangerous for a child to do. I would also never consider a semi-auto for a child because it automatically chambers another round and recocks the gun. Children ,especially when excited about something they just killed, can forget about this and leave the safety off creating a truely dangerous situation. Pump rifles can be found but will be much more difficult to find in a suitable caliber. I would go with a good bolt action in a 260 rem or 7mm-08. Both have light recoil and are lethal on deer out to any range a child (AND MOST ADULTS) can accurately shoot. A model 7 by remington is the perfect size for a 12 year old and many adults shoot them as well. It also comes in both calibers mentioned.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

I think a Thompson Center Encore may be your best bet. I believe single shot firearms are the best learning tool for a young hunter both for saftey and making that one shot count. He can also grow with the gun by just purchasing different barrels. Good luck.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

Yup. Lever' s and pumps for that matter are not a good bet for a 12 year old. Along with the other things mentioned - they are usually guns where looking directly into the magazine when unloading is hampered by design and even adults have forgotten on both types to count the shells in and out and to thouroughly look into the magazine and chamber. Too many maybee' s for a kid to me.

I would also recommend the bolt in a smaller cartridge. A small 30 in WI would be great, maybe a 308 maximum or one of the other cartridges mentioned like the 7mm08 as FRZZLR said. I grew up with a 16 guage single shot. Can' t beat the lessons learned. Great self imposed accuracy when you know you have but one shot.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

I agree with frizzellr on this one,a 12 year old will have more trouble with a lever or pump action rifle,a bolt action rifle will be easier for him to use & maintain,be more accurate & he will enjoy it more.

I' de get him something chambered for 260rem,7mm-08 or 308 if he doesn' t reload,put a 2-7 or 3-9 power scope on it & he will have a good deer rifle out to 300 or so yards.

Tumbo

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RE: Rifle for kids
 

DG ----He has some experience with weapons and is a rather good shot. He and I have shot targets with a scoped 10/22 so far only once. I plan on working with him all this summer in training him to learn safety, rules, etiquette, and all those things taught to me by my father. He' ll also be taking gun safety this spring. He has a good head on his shoulders and has a good outlook about learning good habits. I believe that he' s going to be a good and responsible hunter/sportsman. Thanks for your comment. BEEB

RE: Rifle for kids
 

I' m in agreement with all you guys on a bolt action vs. any other type. It' s his father we have to convince. I felt happy the other nite when he and I talked when I swayed him away from lever actions. The caliber is a main stickler for us at this point. I think I can move his father toward a good bolt action with all your help. I believe that if I can get enough of you to on my side (which doesn' t seem like it' s going to be too difficult) I/we can sway him towards a bolt. He' s going to be shooting out of a stand over looking a field/feed plot with about 150 yards in front of him

RE: Rifle for kids
 

If it was me, I would look at a Rem model 7... in a smaller caliber of your choice (.243, .257, .260 etc). I think those guns are well suited to young folks.
Another option (if you don' t want to go bolt) might be a NEF single shot rifle. They have a wide variety of caliber' s available, and with the interchangable barrel' s, you can essentially have many guns just by getting a different barrel. They seem to be a decent gun for the money.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

My vote goes for the Remington model 7 in 260 or 7mm-08. I never cared for pump actions but thats just me.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

Defnately go with a bolt action Rifle.

My first centerfire rifle 30 years ago was a 243 which I used for a few years,even saw some large deer dropped convincingly with it but i would consider it a little light for deer,then came the 25-06,a great cartridge but loud & has a large muzzle flash especially in a shorter barrel,next came the 270,what a great cartridge I thought,until a friend bought the same rifle in 7mm-08,at first I wouldn' t believe A cartridge with the same case as my old 243 shooting heavier bullets would be any good but at the range I was impressed with its accuracy & lack of recoil & how much more pleasant to shoot off a bench it was than my 270.

On that first hunting trip with the 7mm-08 I was so impressed that I traded my 270 in on one,it would cleanly drop large pigs out to 300 yards,easially as good as the 270.

I also played around with a 30-06 & 7mm rem mag for a while but would consider them way over the top for a 12 year old.

I' ve just bought my 3rd rifle in 7mm-08 a tikka continental,i' m mainly going to use it as a silhouette rifle(knock down metal targets out to 500 yards)

I do not believe that there is a deer on this plannet that cannot be taken cleanly out to 300 yards with a 7mm-08 & the right bullet selection.

I have not used a 260 so have no experience with it but from what i' ve read I beleive it would also be an excellent deer cartridge out to 300 yards or so

For your grandson I' de look for a bolt action rifle weighing around 7 to 8 pounds with a barrel no shorter than 22 inches In 260 or 7mm-08.

If you consider a 25-06 get a barrel at least 24 inches long.
I think a 270 might be a bit much for a 12 year old.

Sorry to be so long winded but hope this will help out with your father.

What cartridges were you thinking of?

Good luck

Tumbo

RE: Rifle for kids
 

If your grandson' s average range will be 100 yards or less, a Ruger .44 magnum semi-auto will do fine. My brother and also a friend of mine have used this rifle for many years with success. It has very low recoil and is rather short overall and, scoped or open sighted is very accurate.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

A rem model 7 in 7mm-08 ( or .243) since .308 and .30/06 are essentilly the same I wouldn' t recommend them to a youth ( unless the youth was big enough to handle them) But the 7mm-08 has very impressive ballistics and it' s a calliber I' m looking to get.

NEF at this time doesn' t offer a 7mm-08 ( I hope they do soon) but they do have a nice youth model that is offered in .223 or .243 It' s a single shot (exposed hammer) and is what I use and my son ( age 11)

RE: Rifle for kids
 

Tumbo---- If by cartrige you mean brand and bullet type, I have a preference for Federal Premium with Nosler partition bullets. From what I' ve been seeing in the postings the 7mm-08 seems to be the caliber that I' m going to take a hard look at. Again I appreciate all the responses you guys have been posting. By the way---- I talked to his father today and he is now leaning quite favorably toward the bolt action.Yea!! BEEBX2

RE: Rifle for kids
 

I have a Remington model 788 that I had rebarreled to 7mm-08 Rem. It was my go to gun this past season. My 300 Win Mag didn' t even leave the closet. The 7mm-08 has plenty of knockdown power, great ballistics, and very little recoil. If there ever was a perfect deer cartridge the 7mm-08 would be a top contender for the title.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

No I meant what caliber are you thinking of,technically speaking a 7mm-08 is 7mm caliber,a 308 & 30-06 ect is 30 caliber,I know its splitting hairs but i' ve been pulled up a couple of times on this forum for getting it wrong.

As to your choice of ammo,Federal premium 140 grain partition in 7mm-08 would be excellent for deer,dont overlook remington express with 140 grain core-lokt bullets,also excellent for deer.

Good to hear your son is comming around.


Tumbo

RE: Rifle for kids
 

Another vote for the Remington model 7. I have a young guy who uses one in .260 & I use a Remington mountain rifle in .260. Either the .260 or 7mm/08 are perfect choices for young hunters or adults.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

Get him a Model 7 in 7mm-08. I have one with a Nikon 2-7 scope on it that i have been using since i was 8 and i love that gun! He will use it for many many years i can assure you that. Its a great gun for anyone, with its light weight and even lighter recoil. I have taken deer out to 175 yards with it and it has performed flawlessly. Use nosler ballistic tips or winchester fail safes and that thing will drop any deer alive with the right shot placement. Hope this helps, and congratulations on helping introduce another young person to the sport. Tell us how it goes.

RE: Rifle for kids
 

My choice would be a Winchester Model 70 Compact Classic in 7mm-08. I' d put a Leupold Vari-X II 2-7 or 3-9 on top, and let the boy have a rifle he will be proud to pass down to his own son or daughter. Only problem may be that he will love it so much he may not ever want to give it away.

If you like the Remington Model 7, I' d go with a .260 Rem in that rifle. That really is the perfect cartridge for your needs. I just like the Winchester rifle much more.

And don' t forget the .257 Roberts and the 7x57mm Mauser. If a used rifle is being considered, these are perfect, light-recoiling cartridges that will do the job with plenty of authority.