What is the right size of rifle for a 11 year old boy? I plan on taking him to Wyoming next fall for an antelope. I don't want anything that will knock him over, but need something capable of a 200-300 yard shot if needed. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You can't go wrong with a good .243, flat shooting and light recoil. I've got a Ruger M77 Bolt action in 6mm and I dearly love it, loaded with 85-95 gr bullet it's a pretty deadly combination. Happy hunting...

i would go for a .270. it has relatively light recoil, only like 17 foot pounds. it will shoot 200-300 yards effetively, as long as:

a. your sope is powerful enough to see that far (4x or 5x)

b. the kid knows how to shoot that far.

it doesnt take much to teach someone to shoot 200-300 yards. i learned in 2 or 3 monthes.

if you dont like the .270, and dont mind a little more kick, go with a 30-.06 it kicks a little more, and it will do the same job. it just goes a little farther.


the .308 is also a great caliber. it shoots flat, at relatively high speeds, and you can get the bullets CHEAP, like 7 bucks a box.

for the action, i would get a bolt or a single shot. they hold the tightest groups, and they usually are heavier, reducing the recoil. the pumps, levers, and semi-autos, they may shoot fast, but they dont shoot as accurately.

I am afraid the 270 Win may be a bit much in the recoil dept for an 11 year old unless you plan on either using managed recoil loads, or reloading your own reduced loads. You might want to look into the 7mm-08, which give 270 like performance with less powder and recoil and it is a short action cartridge. The 260 Rem and 243 Win would also fit the bill.

I would get a .243 or a 7mm-08. The .243 might be easier to find ammo for. I killed a antelope with my NEF .243 at 350yds last year. Dropped in its tracks!

I good 6.5x55 swedish would fit the bil nicely as would the 25-06 and the 7mm-08

For antelope, a 25-06 would be hard to beat. It has a nice, flat trajectory, yet will handle 120 gr. bullets very well. That gives it a litte more whammy than a .243 or 6mm, which might make a differrence for an inexperienced shooter.

With all the managed recoil ammo out there I would get a 270 or 308win. Not a expensive one. And change out the stock to actually fit him. It annoys me when I see some parent stick a gun in a kids hand and expect him to use the scope when it can't even reach the trigger.

200-300yards is a stretch for a grown kid never mind a 11 year old.

For an 11yr old, I'd look into the "youth" model rifles available from Remington, the
Winchester "compact", or possibly a Ruger Ultra-Light. Of course, you could go a standard rifle with longer LOP, and have a 'smith shorten it if needed.
As to chambering, probably should stick to the milder cartridges such as 243Win.,
260Rem., 270Win., or maybe the 6.5x55. A good quality 3-9x scope is all you should need for optics.
Then, practice, practice, practice - at 100yds. + If you have access to a 200-300yd. range, all the better. And try to practice on a few breezy days.
Good luck on your hunt.

I just bought a new NEF youth model 7mm-08. I got the youth model because it felt better on my bad shoulder. It lets me hold the shoulder lower and closer to my body. I took it out yesterday and shot a five shot group of just over an inch. The little gunwas 199.00 At Gander Mountain.

The made to order gun to fit the bill is the 250 Savage. I can't imagine why that gun is not more popular. Its recoil is almost non existant and its terminal performance is better than the 243. I bought one for my wife when Reminton brought it out in their 700 classic. She loves to shoot and does it well but she hates recoil. Really Hates recoil. She shot the Handi rifle 7mm-08 yesterday and thought it was pretty mild. BUUUT not as mild as her 250.