Gun for my 8 year old son...next year...long intro
01-02-2012, 01:02 PM
#11
I used to think I didn't want more of one caliber, either. Somehow though, I now have multiples in .223, 243, .308, and .30-06. What works - simply works. And sometimes it comes in different packages that work better in some situations than in others. Obviously, you have a youth situation that your adult .243 can't fulfill, but a youth .243 would easily take care of.
Good luck finding either .257 Bob or .250 Sav ammo at the hardware store. If you're dead set against .243, you can also consider the .260 or 7mm-08.
I think you might be rushing things a bit more than you think you are. If you want another rifle, don't use your young son as the excuse to go get it. Lots of people believe to the contrary, but "calibers" don't "dispatch game humanely" - that's the responsibility of the marksman holding the rifle. Until he's proven to you and to himself that he can reliably hit a paper plate at ranges you expect to hunt at, he probably doesn't need to be running a gun in the deer woods. Many of us started our hunting careers with Daisy and a Red Ryder, graduating to a .22LR before we started using a big-game centerfire. I would HIGHLY recommend that your son do the same, and over the course of two or three years.
A close relative took his daughter pronghorn hunting once she'd completed hunter safety and was of age (12 here) to hunt. She'd fired five rounds from a rifle (never a BB gun or .22) prior to the season. She shot (poorly) a little buck, and I'm sure having to watch him thrash around until her dad could finish him off, then and there decided to hunt no more. She won't even eat venison her dad's brought home since. Now she's working on her little brother who's about at the age he wants to go hunting with dad. Moral - don't rush things, especially when it comes to your sons and daughters. Let them grow into it.
Good luck finding either .257 Bob or .250 Sav ammo at the hardware store. If you're dead set against .243, you can also consider the .260 or 7mm-08.
I think you might be rushing things a bit more than you think you are. If you want another rifle, don't use your young son as the excuse to go get it. Lots of people believe to the contrary, but "calibers" don't "dispatch game humanely" - that's the responsibility of the marksman holding the rifle. Until he's proven to you and to himself that he can reliably hit a paper plate at ranges you expect to hunt at, he probably doesn't need to be running a gun in the deer woods. Many of us started our hunting careers with Daisy and a Red Ryder, graduating to a .22LR before we started using a big-game centerfire. I would HIGHLY recommend that your son do the same, and over the course of two or three years.
A close relative took his daughter pronghorn hunting once she'd completed hunter safety and was of age (12 here) to hunt. She'd fired five rounds from a rifle (never a BB gun or .22) prior to the season. She shot (poorly) a little buck, and I'm sure having to watch him thrash around until her dad could finish him off, then and there decided to hunt no more. She won't even eat venison her dad's brought home since. Now she's working on her little brother who's about at the age he wants to go hunting with dad. Moral - don't rush things, especially when it comes to your sons and daughters. Let them grow into it.
Excellent advise Homer! My daughter and niece started hunting with us the days they were born. They have seen animal killed, field dressed, hung, butchered...the whole process from day one. They both started shooting .22's before they were 5, passed their hunter safety classed before they were 7 and by 7 were shooting reduced recoil .243 and carrying a weapon in the woods. It's all about progression and commitment to teaching ethics and safety.
01-02-2012, 06:40 PM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: WY
Posts: 2,056
01-03-2012, 02:32 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 2,178
I think that Browning has a Micro-Hunter Rifle to fit Younger/Smaller Hunters, and as several mentioned here its best not to rush a Young Hunter and if they grow into a Rifle and learn to shoot it well and accurately it will be better for them as the get older.
If You hand-load Your own ammo You could get a .243 and possibly lighten it up so the recoil wouldn't be as bad....or simply start them out in a .22LR to learn good shooting habits then move up to the .223 Rifle if allowed to use for Deer Hunting in Your State?Its better to be accurate with a smaller Caliber Rifle than to miss with a larger Caliber.
If You hand-load Your own ammo You could get a .243 and possibly lighten it up so the recoil wouldn't be as bad....or simply start them out in a .22LR to learn good shooting habits then move up to the .223 Rifle if allowed to use for Deer Hunting in Your State?Its better to be accurate with a smaller Caliber Rifle than to miss with a larger Caliber.
Last edited by GTOHunter; 01-03-2012 at 02:52 PM.
01-06-2012, 04:55 PM
#14
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: missouri
Posts: 305
I started my daughter with a Ruger ultra-light in 243 with reduced 80 gr Hornady sst loads she has done very well with these she started hunting at 9 and is now 13 3 good bucks and 4 does and several coyotes and is always willing to go to our range my motto start them young and keep them shooting she will be a starter on the high school trap team next year and I couldnt be more proud
01-31-2012, 02:37 PM
#15
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Maine
Posts: 104
If you want a bolt action deer hunting rifle i recomend the Remington 770 compact in .243,
like said before the Rossi is also good that way you get 3 guns in 1
my friends little brother has a standard 770 in 243 hes rather small and shoots it comfortably.
like said before the Rossi is also good that way you get 3 guns in 1
my friends little brother has a standard 770 in 243 hes rather small and shoots it comfortably.
