Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What rifle for my little-guy???

You're right about the fixed power scope, I have a brand new K4 sitting on a shelf in the safe above the Winchester.

I would go with a Howa 1500/ Vanguard youth model in 7mm-08.
The actions are built like a tank and heavy enough to tame recoil. They grow up fast and you will be shopping for a full size stock before you know it.

I appreciate all the caliber suggestions guys, but I am going for the .223 (possibly re-barrel AI in the future) as I have an ass-ton of brass and components from when I shot highpower matches pre-little-guy.

And thanks everyone for all the rifle ideas. Shopping is fun, even if it is for a 4-year-old's future rifle.

I bought a Savage/Stevens .223 and cut down the stock. I can always get a full sized stock later, but bet it never happens. I like the "custom Krylon" color(S).
I like the three position safety for kids and the gun is very accurate. Killed lots of feral pigs with it.
My daughter also has a Savage with wooden stock cut down in .243. With a new pad, it has very little felt recoil.
Good luck and I am sure he will like whatever gun you pick.

stumpy

Yep, sure is. I think I have the rifle side pretty well in hand, now I need to get the shotgun side sorted out.

ruger compact

A flat topn AR might not be a bad idea as you can adjust the stock lenght to fit.

My wife doesn't read the forum. She also doesn't realize that any one of the AR's in the safes would be fine for the little guy to hunt with eventually.

So, enough of that line of thinking and back to bolt-action, .223, youth appropriate rifles.

My boy started out when he was 9. First we tried the Ruger compact, fit was fine, but it was really heavy for it's size. He liked it OK until he shot at his first deer. That barrel is real short, and that translates to very loud. This year I bought him a Marlin x7 youth. He really likes it, and after he shot his deer he said "that wasn't loud at all". Scope is a Loupy 6x.

What caliber?

700 all the way...unless you go kimber. Still like was mentioned above 700 stocks are cheap and can be swapped easily as he grows. Can be a starter rifle now and don't know a guy that wouldn't love to have a 223 done up right as an adult.

I also looked at the compact and decided that for weight and size and price that the CZ 527 Carbine was the way to go.
I am glad I did as the rifle without scope weighs less than 6 pounds .Scoped up with a leupold 4x compact and loaded, with sling swivels and Simple leather strap weighs right at 7 pounds .Is a delight to carry,I put a barrel band up front about halfway down the 18 inch barrel and when slung the muzzle is just a couple of inches above my shoulder so it doesnt snag on anything when slung.
I love the single set trigger .use it as a regular trigger or puch forward on it and you have a veeery light trigger. The action is scaled down for the 223 size cartridge .
Rifle has a one in 12 twist but will put 3 Federal premium 60 grain Partitions into less than an inch and a half at 150 yards.I dont know how loud the Ruger compact with its 16 inch barrel is but the 18 inch barrel on the CZ does not seem overly loud to me.
I was concerned that the safety would be a problem for me as you pull back on it to fire and push forward on it to put it on safe but in reality it has been no problem at all.
I also shoot a Mauser , A Remington 7600, the safeties work differently on these 3 rifles but as I said no problem.
If you have never handled one you owe it to yourself to pick one up and see if ya like it.One thing though is the length of pull which is almost 14 inches so you would need to take the buttpad off and cut the stock to size for him.
I am certainly not affiliated with the company in any form or fashion,just like it so much I gotta spread the word !!
Craig

Yeah, I love my CZ452

Decisions, decisions, decisions.....

Started mine out with a mod. 7 and it worked out fine.

Ruger was a 260, marlin is a 7-08, both using reduced hand loads.

Thanks for the reply. That is good to know, as both will likely have less muzzle blast than a .223 will.

Considering where I hunt and the fact that a hundred yards is about the max distance 90% of the time, and 200 would REALLY be stretching it, the .223 will get 'er done.

Started my son out with a Rem Model 7 in 243 WIN with a 4x scope. A 257 Roberts would be great if you could find one in a light rifle, maybe a Ruger Ultralight.

T/C Contender or Encore

I'd pick up an original Remington Model 7 in 223, then pick up any old Model 7 youth stock. The .223 is plenty for deer out to 200 yards.

When my son was 9, he hunted with my AR .223 and killed his first buck. The adjustable stock was the deciding factor for choice of rifle. At 10, I put a youth stock on a mdl 700 .257 Roberts and this will be his 3rd year hunting with it. Next year I may let him shoot one of my 7mm-08s so I can get my .257 back.