Youth Longer Range Hunting Rifle??

[Deleted member 48126]

.308 family

.243, .260, 7mm-08, .308 cant go wrong.

Can also go smaller

.223, 6.5 grendal, 6.8 SPC, .300 BO....

 

[7magcreedmoor]

I started my son with a 243 for his first deer season, in Ruger's short stock/barrel model since he was a rather little fellow for his age then. Now he is taller and longer limbed then the old man, so when he went off to college I had that rifle re-barreled with a 25 inch varmint fluted tube in 6.5 Creedmoor, and restocked in a full size laminate with pillars and a new trigger. I carried it for 2 seasons myself while he was away, and it still resides in my safe, with a brake now ( I was curious to see if it made that much difference, and can now see the hits past 400 yards thru the scope). If recoil is an issue for your lad, the Creed is very friendly, with or without the brake. If you get a 260 or a 6.5/284 in a long action receiver, it will do most anything he might be interested in and could be re-barreled to something heavier if he outgrows the original cartridge at some point.

 

[HARPERC]

....Loaned one to a coworker for his 12yr old daughter to try and she did well.....

Very Nice! Most of us have something, or several somethings suitable in the safe. Loanings good, taking them, better. A chance to try several before buying makes for an informed choice.

 

[Snyper708]

I vote the 7mm-08. Loaned one to a coworker for his 12yr old daughter to try and she did well. They settled on the Ruger American, she has been shooting 1/2 to 3/4 with a couple different factory loads.

I second the 7mm-08 suggestion.

There's nothing in North America it won't take with the right bullet, and there are lots of projectiles in a wide weight range.

 

[WildRose]

A Rem 700 or Model 7 in a .260 mounted in a youth stock is a great way to go.

The Ruger American in a .260 if they make one or 6.5CM would be another.

With a wood stock you can always remove the butt plate, drill dowell holes into the stock, then cut the stock off to fit.

When the kids outgrows it, reinstall the cut off piece with glue/dowels and refinish the stock.

 

[JTB]

My two 11 y/o grandkids shoot the 6.5-06 with 142gr bullets. It is light and has no brake and they shoot it with no problems. Has a nice limbsaver pad that works well. This year they shot deer at 560 and 200 and an elk at 530 yards. All one-shot quick kills. I keep a 3-15 power scope on it so they can easily locate the target. I just have them set-up on the bipod and backpack and take a couple of dry fires before loading. We also go out before the season starts and practice acquiring targets until they are comfortable. That seems to be the biggest challenge for kids at longer distances. When one of the boys was getting ready to take the shot at the elk this year, and taking too much time, he turned to and said "this is the scary part grandpa, what if I miss." They need to know they can do to. Practice works

 

[dgarrett]

I vote for the 280ai... This gives your kid lots of room to grow before the big magnums... Start off shooting light bullets and move him up to the 168's if elk are ever on his menu...

 

[lancetkenyon]

My 15 year old daughter shoots a 6.5 SLR (basically a sweet version of a .260 Rem) for the past 3 years pushing a 140 HVLD @ 2940fps. She took her big muley @ 637 last year. DRT.

But, she has also shot my .300RUM with a brake since she was 11 and took her 1st bull elk with it. She took a cow elk with my 7RM with a brake last year.

She also has shot my .223, .260 Rem, 6.5 SS, .270 Win, & .280AI.