Mr. Zesterhouse

whats the best first deer rifle for a 12year oldkid and what calibre. this is a question for my buddy's kid. we live in florida if it matters. nothin too expensive, lets keep i under 500

braveheart1621

The answer to your question all depends on where you hunt. If you live in open areas I would suggest a bolt action with a 3x-9x scope. If you hunt in the really thick stuff I would suggect a lever action.
I would say if you want an accurate deer rifle that's good for a 12 year old and under $500...
For the first scenario, let's say youhunt in an open area...
try this one out for size
http://www.remington.com/firearms/youth/700spsyth.htm

I would personally recommend either the .243 or the .270. Both calibers are very accurate and don't deliver much recoil. Notice though, that the gun I showed you is a youth model. If you plan on this gun lasting for many years, you may want an adult model. Either way, I would stick with a Remington. The synthetic stock will also cut down on weight and increase durability. Pretty much anything by Remington or Winchester will get the job done. If you want, Remington does make a pump action rifle that is around the $400 range.

If you hunt in an area with dense foliage I would suggest something like a Winchester model 94 Trapper
http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=534&type_id=094&cat=003C

though it is on the smaller side, it provides a lot of power. You a caliber on that gun, I would suggest the .357mag or even the .44mag.

As for the action of the gun, I believe bolt action to be the most reliable and accurate.

For the best calibers of a deer rifle: .243, .270, 6mm, 7mm-08, .264mag.
In my personal opinion, any .30 caliber gun is an overkill for deer. But all the same, a .308 or .30-06 make good deer rifles as well.

If you need any more help just email me at [email protected]
I wish I could be of more help to you, but hopefully I have helped a little.

Mike

Mr. Zesterhouse

thanks alot, really appreciate it

hoghunter22-250

NEF 243 would work great for deer

JagMagMan

The NEF is a good, cheap, first deer rifle. The caliber should be whatever he/she can comfortably shoot accurately! Anything from .243 on up!

Rebel Hog

6.5mmSwede or .260 Rem

DevoMR

For a 12-year old, I would consider calibers with a relatively moderate recoil (as others have stated). Look at the 260 Remington or the 7mm-08 - they are almost identical in performance and have very manageable recoil.

Since I'm not able to get a new rifle for my own 12-year old this year, I am having him shoot my 30-06 using Remington's Managed Recoil ammo. We've been to the range and he went through a box of this ammo without flinching once.

Take a look at this page for some info on recoil: http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm The numbers may not be perfect, but I think they give a relatively good idea.

As far as brands go, I think there are a number of good options, including the economical youth models from Savage. I have heard some very nice things about Savage's AccuTrigger, and that might be enough of a reason to give 'em a look.

I like bolt action guns, especially for my son. They're reliable and slow to cycle the action.

Rossi Arms also has some combinations where you can get a rifle/shotgun setup (interchangeable barrels)for under $200. A 20 guage/.308 combo might be just the ticket...

Braveheart1621 mentioned a 270. The 270 is a fantastic round, but I wouln't get one for my 12-year old. It's a necked down 30-06 so it still pack about the same amount of recoil. The 7mm-08 is a necked down .308, which has milder recoilto begin with. Just my thoughts.

Georgetownboys

The rem model 7 also comes in a great .260 caliber. That's that same brass as used for the 243. and .308. I have one that i picked up for my boys, now 8 and 12. but when i first bought it the youngest was 6 and had no trouble firing it. Although he did sit on my lap when doing so.

Once you get the trigger done you will love it. . . . .