My kids are 9-11 right now so I am living right in the middle of this dilemma.

I don't believe that the .223 is the best choice here. I've killed numerous deer and feral hogs with a .223 and, sure, it can be done. We can't assume, though, that a child is going to place a bullet perfectly every time. I like the 6.5 Grendel or even supersonic .300 BLK loads for this role.

As for rifles, I've basically gone three routes:

-Traditionalists may balk but I've found that AR-style rifles are a good starting point. Train them up on a .22LR style AR and the crossover to a centerfire gun is simple. The real benefit here is the adjustable length-of-pull. I put together a 6.5 Grendel AR for my kids to hunt with. I run the stock all of the way forward and, suppressed, recoil and muzzle blast are very tolerable. My oldest daughter is using this setup currently. She shoots it well on the range but, so far, hasn't been comfortable enough to pull the trigger on something live. I don't push it, she'll shoot when she's ready. If she doesn't, that's okay too.

-My son, who is my youngest, is very comfortable shooting just about anything. Shooting just comes naturally to him. He's killed deer and hogs with a variety of guns but his "go to" is my Fieldcraft in 6.5 CM. The LOP is a bit long but he shoots it well. With a suppressor, the recoil is very tolerable. He has killed two bucks, three does and three hogs with that rifle this year alone and our rut doesn't kick in for another few weeks. Ranges have been from 30 to 150 yards.

-I'm in the process of building my "perfect" kid gun and am hoping to get the time to finish it before our season ends in February. This will be a Mack Bros EVO II action with a DBM. Chambering will be 6 CM with an 8" twist #4 Brux cut to 16.25" and threaded-- that profile will give me plenty of meat at the muzzle. Weight isn't much of a factor since we are hunting from stands/blinds. For a stock, I chose a Grayboe Eagle-- I can manage the LOP using spacers and the adjustable comb is helpful as well. The rifle will be suppressed.

The real key is choosing a rifle that the kid will be comfortable with-- handing them a .30-06 that they're scared to death of is a recipe for disaster. Get them close to game (ground blinds are great to mask their inevitable movement) and help them find success. A solid rest is a huge advantage.

Last edited by Woodhits; 12/16/23.