Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Looking to set my 6 year old son with a rifle that'll last a lifetime

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...C_Venture_Compact_243_FS/FT#Post11143397

That is a GOOD deal.

I would recommend purchasing a Youth sized bolt action rifle, Rem 700 or a Howa/Vanguard, in .243 Winchester and let him shoot the heck out of it. As he gets older you, or he, can replace the stock with a quality full size one and have a great rifle to use the rest of his life and he will still know it is the one you gave him. He or you can have it rebarreled to any number of good short action cartridges later if desired.

I found a great Remington Stainless Youth Model 700 at Sportsman Warehouse (I think the stainless model is an exclusive for them) for one of my grandsons and it is a great little rifle. His is 7mm-08 but it was available in .243 also. Another grandson has a matched set of Weatherby Vanguard Youth rifles in .223 and 7mm-08, and he shoots the .223 for practice and hunts with the 7mm-08 with reduced loads.

For someone as young as 6 years old do not over gun him, a .223 Rem would be best but no larger than .243 to get him started.

Or a Featherweight .270.

Either one would be a great choice.

Youth 223 tikka stainless super lite.
he can use that for deer, varmint, target.
When he gets older buy a full size stock.
I wouldn't give him anything bigger so he doesn't get turned off by recoil.
If he was 10 or 12 I'd say 243 or 7-08

My first deer rifle was a 94, 30-30. Less than 2 yrs later it was GONE and I haven't looked for another one.
BTW, I was 22 yo, not 6.

FWIW in comparison.

Jerry

There are 3 good reasons to look for something else.

I've always like the 336 better than the 94 BUT...

Everyone of them I picked up was HEAVY. For a 6 yo. ? ?

Jerry

I'm not a fan of typical 30-30 lever guns for kids/wives/new shooters. As others have noted they are HEAVY. Many are quite easy to reload and not ease the hammer down thus a safety issue. I DO like a 30-30 bolt gun for new hunters if you can find one. The 99's are a bit pricey these days.
I'd concur with many who would opt for a youth or ltw bolt as many have special stocks now and the stock can be replaced when needed.
I have found the 243's have more bark and I prefer a bit more bullet on game so I'm in the group suggesting 260, 7/08 and even 308 (anything in that caliber range). If you do not hand load the reduced recoil ammo is available and more than adequate in killing power.
Lots of options these days in youth compatible rifles so shopping should be great fun!

lightweight 7-08 would be my choice

My first was at 36 when I bought myself a Rem 710 in 30-06. It's long gone and I don't miss it, but I wish I'd had the foresight to buy a quality firearm as my first so I would have kept it. It would mean something to still have the rifle I killed my first deer with, but I just had no desire to keep a crap rifle once I started collecting.

When it came time to help my BIL find a first rifle for my nephew, I wasn't going to make that same mistake. That's why we chose the Model 7 CDL. I understand being on a budget, but when buying a first rifle for a child, buy the best you can afford. You never know when the child may want that rifle to be an heirloom to be handed down to future generations. Do you want your grandchildren and great-grandchildren to start out with a RAR,Savage Axis, or Rem 770? Or would you prefer an M77, Rem 700, or Win Model 70? JMHO

A .223 will get more use year round for a shooter's life than most any other centerfire. May not be the deer/bear rifle the OP is looking for but it's one that can be enjoyed as a 6 yo and a 76 yo. Easy on the shoulder, easy on the ears, easy on the wallet to feed, etc.

I started out with a .35Rem in a 760 that didn't fit well at all. Next was a .35rem in a Marlin 336C. I wouldn't do that to a kid, JMHO.

In life before kids, I bought my wife a Model 7 in .243. When #1 son was ready, I picked up a youth stock on here. Cut it down and added a slip on Pachmyr recoil pad. He killed a few deer with it. Changed stocks when he grew then eventually bought his great grandfathers 788 in .308 for him.
#2 son is getting ready this year and will do likewise for him. He too has a 788 in .308 for when he gets older. I may rebarrel the Model 7 then so all 3 will be shooting the same caliber.

I would suggest a lever gun or a single shot of some sort, firing a cartridge that will serve him well if y'all venture out of your bailiwick. (You can load it down to levels he finds tolerable, and increase them as he grows into the gun.) Reason for a lever gun or single shot: You can fit a shortened stock to fit him, and save the original stock for when he outgrows the short one. If you shorten a bolt gun stock, that's it- it'll look bodgered no matter what you do to it 10 years from now.

A Savage 1899 carbine, takedown or solid frame, weighs but 6-6½ pounds. I wouldn't call that heavy. I never saw a M94 that weighed a whole lot more than that. Most anything in the realm I suggested will weigh in at between 6-8 pounds- if a kid can't handle weight of that nature, then perhaps he needs to grow up a bit more before taking him into the woods. You go too light and it'll belt him even with reduced loads and may well turn him off from shooting.

308 or 7-08 would be my choice.

This in .223.


http://www.weatherby.com/products/rifles/vanguard/vanguard-synthetic-compact.html



dave

Flave's in a drunken stupor again/still.......The 7-08 is a great choice.

+ 1- - S O P

I'm going thru the same thing with a 5.5 year old. In a local shop the other day,I ran across a Ruger 77 mkii compact in 260 Rem. I figured that the 16.5" barrel won't be to blasty with reduced loads. When he moves up to full house loads I'll send it back to Ruger with a check for $110 and get a 20" 260 barrel screwed on.

Outstanding opinions & advice fellas!

My list is narrowing down to a bolt in 7-08. I currently run a Kimber Adirondack in .308 and absolutely love it.

Has anyone had a smith install peeps on a Remington M7 or any lightweight Kimber offering?

Yep, a 7-08, in bolt is what immediately came to mind when I read the title.

I have my personal preferences, and you have yours. Any way to get his input?

Remington, Winchester, and Rugers are easy to tweak as he grows. Start with a short stock/barrel and change as needed or desired.

Built my son a 308 with a blueprinted Rem 700 SS action, 1-11 twist Lilja SS barrel at 21" with NECG express sights, bedded in a Brown Precision stock. Doubt he'll need another rifle unless he starts hunting elephants.