Go Back  HuntingNet.com Forums > Firearms Forum > Guns
Best gun/ caliber for a youth >

Best gun/ caliber for a youth

Guns Like firearms themselves, there's a wide variety of opinions on what's the best gun.

Best gun/ caliber for a youth

Old 07-19-2018, 11:02 PM
  #11  
Typical Buck
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: North East PA. but not home.
Posts: 743
Default

Champlain I, I back you %100 on the 30-30 lever not being a starter rifle for a youngster just learning .
There is a lot for a young person to think about in the spur of the moment of seeing a game animal ? It doesn't seem like much to us older gun handlers but that hammer use has to be really embedded in a persons mind.
A bolt action is better to train them with. IMHO,it is easier to train them for a thumb safety to slide then to move their whole hand to lower a trigger .
mounting man is offline  
Old 07-20-2018, 01:28 AM
  #12  
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
 
Champlain Islander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,438
Default

Thanks everyone for all the good advice. I just want my grandson to develop a love for shooting and hunting and don't want to ruin it by either doing something that discourages/ burns him out like a gun with too much recoil or giving him a gun that just isn't right. The concept of using a hammer does come second nature to me since I have used them quite a bit but I also have seen people either at the range or in the woods who didn't have a clue and caused an AD. Not the guns fault just the idiots who used them improperly. I am sure I could teach him how to handle that gun right but think there might be a better first gun for him.
Champlain Islander is offline  
Old 07-20-2018, 07:56 AM
  #13  
Giant Nontypical
 
JagMagMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Neches, Texas
Posts: 5,514
Default

I agree with Champlain Islander's original thoughts and also Mounting Man! I know I'll catch some flak but, I don't feel that the 30-30 is the best gun to start youngster's out with. A single-shot rifle would not be my first choice either, as most of them use a hammer like the lever actions do, and they are lighter than bolt actions,so you will have more recoil. (Probably not enough to be a real issue though)
Other than that, any good bolt action, in .243 or 7MM-08 that can be later modified for LOP, will be a gun he can use for life!
JagMagMan is offline  
Old 07-21-2018, 04:55 AM
  #14  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NC
Posts: 1,284
Default

The calibers mentioned are all great calibers and would certainly fit the bill. I went through the same ordeal with my daughter and started her off at age 9 with a Rem youth model .243 and she used it for one season and killed a couple deer with it. For her 10th birthday I bought her a Rem model 7 in .260 rem and she used it until she was 15. She wanted a full size rifle so I bought her a Rem 700 SPS chambered in .260 rem and she's still using it today at age 18. The .260 rem is a mild recoiling caliber, it's accurate and she shoots it very well as does my wife. We handload for her rifle but looking around on the web it appears that factory loaded ammo is easier to find for the .260 than it use to be. Mike
Mykey is offline  
Old 07-21-2018, 05:12 PM
  #15  
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
 
Champlain Islander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,438
Default

Originally Posted by Mykey
The calibers mentioned are all great calibers and would certainly fit the bill. I went through the same ordeal with my daughter and started her off at age 9 with a Rem youth model .243 and she used it for one season and killed a couple deer with it. For her 10th birthday I bought her a Rem model 7 in .260 rem and she used it until she was 15. She wanted a full size rifle so I bought her a Rem 700 SPS chambered in .260 rem and she's still using it today at age 18. The .260 rem is a mild recoiling caliber, it's accurate and she shoots it very well as does my wife. We handload for her rifle but looking around on the web it appears that factory loaded ammo is easier to find for the .260 than it use to be. Mike
My friend Rob got his 12 year old daughter a Remington model seven in 7mm-08. She is deadly with it and now she is all grown up and still using it. Great gun.
Champlain Islander is offline  
Old 07-22-2018, 05:56 AM
  #16  
Nontypical Buck
 
Nomercy448's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,898
Default

If I were designing a “starter rifle” for a youngster - although 12 is pretty capable - I would look for an 18-20” sporter barrel bolt gun in a Remington 700/Howa 1500 (or mini) weight action, adjustable stock (up and out), in something middle of the road like 6.5 Grendel to 243win, threaded muzzle for either a brake or a linear compensator.

I go back and forth on what I think should be done for legacy and heirloom planning. In general, a kid will want something new eventually, so sometimes it doesn’t make sense to spend too much on the first rifle. Alternatively, some models could be restocked or adjusted to fit a kid as they grow, and handing a rifle down from one generation to the next is a grand tradition. One easy mistake is to put too much rifle on them, either in weight, size, or recoil, such they don’t really enjoy the rifle and either don’t enjoy shooting at all, or can’t wait to get something else.

In general, I wouldn’t recommend a .30-30 for a first rifle, but I can absolutely appreciate the interest in handing down a legacy. If the kid likes the rifle, then maybe father and son (and grandpa?) could plan a hog hunting trip to put the rifle to good use, instilling a sense of legacy in the rifle and making memories together at the same time. I handed down my grandpa’s/dad’s single shot .410 to my son. It had 3 generations of use and abuse all over it - extreme neglect before I got ahold of it - so I refinished it, replaced broken parts, bought a new barrel to cut down for youth use, and two new stock sets; one to fit my son now, one for when he grows into a full LOP. I also spent money to rebarrel and rescope my first deer rifle to make it more useful for my son when he gets big enough to manage a Ruger weight rifle with the recoil of a .30-06.

For my son, I have a 5.56 SBR build planned, plus a Remington 700 short action. He’ll get the PT&G 700 first, running a single shot insert and a short stock, with a 16” barrel in 6 Dasher, and a low magnification red dot on top. As he grows, it’ll get a new barrel in whatever cartridge he prefers, a new stock, and a new scope. It’ll be expensive, but it’ll grow with him.

Last edited by Nomercy448; 07-22-2018 at 05:59 AM.
Nomercy448 is offline  
Old 07-22-2018, 06:55 AM
  #17  
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
 
Champlain Islander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,438
Default

Lots of great information there NM448. LOL I am in death valley and you are at the summit of Mount Everest when it comes to all things guns. Nice to have some experts on the site.
Champlain Islander is offline  
Old 07-22-2018, 07:26 AM
  #18  
Nontypical Buck
 
Nomercy448's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,898
Default

I just think too many folks have gotten used to the paradigm where we buy what is on the shelf, regardless of how well it fits our frame or fits our wants and needs.

A few short generations ago, it was more common for sportsmen to access gunsmiths much like a mechanic or watchmaker. If something didn’t work quite right or fit quite right, they’d have it changed. Guns were few and craftsmen worked cheap. Then labor costs went through the roof, and skill fell off, so sportsmen got used to living with what the factories offered, instead of making their firearms their own. Now we’re seeing a bit of the reverse pendulum swing, going back to more customization - but the manufacturers are answering with broader model offerings.

I’m a firm believer in this: if what you want can’t be found on a shelf, build it. I’m also a believer in customization over replacement. Doing both of these gives the sportsman a closer intimacy to the firearm. Sort of a twist on the mantra: “this is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one is mine...” but with even more personal sentimentality, because there AREN’T many like it when you build something just how you want.
Nomercy448 is offline  
Old 07-22-2018, 08:26 AM
  #19  
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
 
Champlain Islander's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,438
Default

Seems I remember SuperHunt 54 felt the same way. I miss him .....may he RIP.
Champlain Islander is offline  
Old 07-22-2018, 01:12 PM
  #20  
Giant Nontypical
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,227
Default

Pretty hard to go wrong with a 7mm-08 but there are a couple of golden oldies that would also be good. Either a 257 Roberts or a 6.5x55 Swede would also be really good with my nd going to the Swede. It is a very light recoiling round and it is extremely effective on game. I have a Rem Model 700 Classic in the Swede and it is my favorite gun for pronghorns. Normally I handload for just about everything but the Seller & Belloit factory 131 gr round is so accurate in my rifle that I have never found a handload that will beat it. So I laid in 500 rounds of that ammo and called it good.

Everyone forgets about the golden oldies for some reason.
flags is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.