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While I am a newcomer on this board, I've foraged this forum for years and have come to respect everyone's knowledge and opinion.

I'm looking for anyone's input on a rifle I should get my oldest son (6 years old), that'll last him a lifetime hunting in the northeast. He's one hell of a shooter at 25yds with his savage rascal smacking a squirrel spinner target using peeps and has shot my AK & AR without a single fear.

Where we live, white tails and black bear are the game we pursue and shots are typically 100 yards or less.

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My vote would be for a .30-30 or .35 Remington in a Marlin 336. Or perhaps you could go for a Savage 99, in say .300 Savage. Hunting in our N.C. mountains is similar to hunting in the Northeast, and the Marlin 336 is my go to rifle for this type of hunting. Heck, once in a while I use it to hunt a field in the Piedmont area of the state and stretch it out a bit.

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Winchester M70 featherweight in 30-06.

It may be slightly heavy a caliber for a 6 year old, but when he gets older, short of wanting to shoot an elephant or cape buffalo, he can hunt pretty much everything. The M70 is also a nice basis if he decides he wants to customize it.


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Last year I helped my BIL with the same situation for my 6yr old nephew. Ended up choosing a Rem Model 7 CDL in 260Rem. I found a youth synthetic stock for it in the classifieds on here. He can bang up the synthetic stock for a few years while the nice CDL stock is safe in a closet. When he's older and can take better care of it, the walnut stock will go back on it.

I've worked up some reduced loads for it with a 100gr Hornady SP. Figure he'll move up to something in the 120gr range in a few yrs and that should handle anything around here. If he ever wants to go hunt elk someday, I'll load up some 140gr Partitions for him.


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I bought my son a Rem 700 7mm-08 when he was 6yrs old. He is now 10 and has 8 Texas whitetails and several hogs to his name.

I have been loading it with reduced 120 grain ballistic tip loads and will slowly work him up to full strength loads as he grows.

I had the original tupperware SPS stock cut down to 12.5" when he first started shooting but have since dropped it into a B&C stock that is 13" LOP and he shoots it just fine.

If your not a handloader Remington makes a reduced recoil load that is really easy to shoot.

Good Luck!

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I wasn't going for beauty, just function, so I got mine a savage in 243. I lopped the stock off and when he was bigger, put an adult stock and a 308 Win barrel on it.

He had 3 or 4 kills with the 243, and killed a huge cow elk with it in 308 with a 150 partition.


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Good suggestion on the trustworthy 30/30. I'll have to look into the 336Y

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Please let me know if you decide to find that stock a new home!

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Check the WEIGHT of that 336.

I'd think it's HEAVY for a 6 yo.

Good Luck

Jerry


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Originally Posted by eastcut96
I bought my son a Rem 700 7mm-08 when he was 6yrs old. He is now 10 and has 8 Texas whitetails and several hogs to his name.

I have been loading it with reduced 120 grain ballistic tip loads and will slowly work him up to full strength loads as he grows.

I had the original tupperware SPS stock cut down to 12.5" when he first started shooting but have since dropped it into a B&C stock that is 13" LOP and he shoots it just fine.

Good Luck!


This would be my suggestion as well. I'd also throw it out there that a Rem700 Mountain Rifle in 7-08 is a really light and easy package for a kid to handle. My daughter shot mine quite a bit and enjoyed it. Very light up front, so much easier on little arms. Load 120 NBT's at 2600-2800 fps to start with.... as he gets older, the sky is the limit with a 7-08...


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A stainless M7 in .223..
Cut the cheap synthetic factory stock to fit for now and replace it with a lt. wt. Wildcat stock out of Alberta when he quits growing.
A .223 is a rifle that he can use throughout his lifetime cheap and fun to shoot.
And the more you shoot the better you get.
Everyone should own a handy lil' .223 .
Or two.


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What about a 25/06 or some sort of 257?

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A light bolt gun in 6.5 Creedmoor or 7/08.




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For what it's worth, I grew up in similar country, northern NY, and learned hunting in Lewis and St Lawrence counties in the western Adirondacks. That's left me with some strong opinions that may fit your question:

I like hearing that your son is using a peep sight. Get a rifle that works well with iron sights and put a peep/receiver sight on it. Let him learn big game hunting and centerfire rifle handling for awhile before going to a scope. He will have better skills in the long run.

Generations of northeast hunters started with the 30/30. It's still just about perfect for deer and black bear within 100 yds. My first rifle was a Savage 99 in 30/30 (its not my only rifle, but I still have it, still has a peep sight, its 93 years old and going strong - not me I'm only in my 50s!). My brother still has his first deer rifle too, a 30/30 94 Winchester with a Williams receiver sight. My father (who is in his 90s!) started with a 38-40 Colt Lightning Rifle - I don't recommend that!

If you don't want/like/find a 30/30 there are lots of solid options. I'd recommend staying with short action cartridges. I just can't see starting a 6 yr old out on a long action rifle, and there are lots of very versatile short action cartridges out there. Please be careful about going too small in caliber. Yes, 223s, 243s and the like will kill deer, but a young hunter is not always going to make perfect shots. Larger calibers can be a little more forgiving and leave better blood trails. I'd probably not go below a .250 Savage or .257 Roberts, anything 260 or larger based in the .308 are good choices. The 7x57, 300 Savage, 32 Winchester Special, and 35 Remington are great classics. I don't know much about the 6.8 SPC but that might be an option.

I wouldn't start a new hunter with a semi-auto, but if you're a fan and he handles them Ok that's your business, but it will limit your cartridge options.

This is getting long. I'll quit for now.

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I wouldn't give a kid a lever action in 30-30 or 35. They are heavy SOB'S, the crooked stocks kick much harder than the numbers say they should, they are the most difficult to load, unload, and operate. The most likely to have an unintended discharge with as well.

I wouldn't try to buy a 6 year old one rifle forever. By the time he is 16 he'll want to pick his own. Most likely he won't really want the rifle you pick now.

My top pick would be a RAR youth in 223 or 243. He can add a longer stock as he gets older and still use the gun the rest of his life. 2nd option would be an inexpensive break action in the same calibers.

Save your money and for a HS graduation present let him pick out the one he really wants. IF he even wants to hunt or shoot by then. You never know how things are going to work out.


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Originally Posted by eastcut96
I bought my son a Rem 700 7mm-08 when he was 6yrs old. He is now 10 and has 8 Texas whitetails and several hogs to his name.

I have been loading it with reduced 120 grain ballistic tip loads and will slowly work him up to full strength loads as he grows.

I had the original tupperware SPS stock cut down to 12.5" when he first started shooting but have since dropped it into a B&C stock that is 13" LOP and he shoots it just fine.

If your not a handloader Remington makes a reduced recoil load that is really easy to shoot.

Good Luck!


That's what I did too. A 700 ss 7mm-08 with a few inches cut off the tube and the stock swapped for a youth model with Supercell pad. My girl killed her first deer at 7 with it. Reduced loads kill just fine inside 150yds.

Bob's mention of the 6.5 CM is a good one too. A 260 would also serve.


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Originally Posted by BobinNH
A light bolt gun in 6.5 Creedmoor or 7/08.



http://legacysports.com/hogue-youth-2-n-1-with-scope-package

I've seen them for $200 cheaper w/o the scope.

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Originally Posted by JMR40
I wouldn't give a kid a lever action in 30-30 or 35. They are heavy SOB'S, the crooked stocks kick much harder than the numbers say they should, they are the most difficult to load, unload, and operate. The most likely to have an unintended discharge with as well.



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I would go with a bolt gun in 7mm08. Probably a m700 or a m70. Synthetic or wood stock. This will allow you or him to easily customized it through out the years keeping things interesting. He may want a larger (or smaller) caliber later on but the 7mm08 gives him a solid start.


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I have a TC Venture Youth in 243 for sale in the classifieds if you're interested. It has a 12.5" LOP and a 1" spacer to accommodate him as he grows. It's practically brand new, only fired at the range less than 20 times.

With modern bullets there's not much a 243 won't do well up to and including elk.



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