Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Deer Rifle for a 7 year old?

Off the topic, but Charles Daly apparently lost the contract with the manufacturer, to remington. Remington appears to be selling the mini-mauser as the model 799, and the standard m98 as the model 798.

FWIW

tq

I have hunted in S AR since i was a kid. There i see kids around 4-5 going out and sitting the stand w/ thier fathers and mothers. by the time they are 7 or so most have pulled the trigger on deer and by the time they are 10 they are sitting stands alone and hunting. theres not many 12 year olds that dont have thier own 4 wheeler and rifle and favorite stands for that matter. most 12 year olds can clean and butcher a deer pick a stand sight and blood track as well if not better than some of the "Hunters" i run into here in SC.
If your kid is mature enough to do it and be safe, fine. If someone else has a kid thats not mature enough to handle it or doesnt have the disipline to be trusted w/ a loaded gun then you need to put the guns under lock and key so the dont blow thier own brains out by accident.
I owned my first firearm at 11 and bought my first at 13. when i was in the 7th grade i bought my first pistol and would save up my money to get a box of 38's every couple of months to shoot.

I probably wouldn't have become a hunter either if my dad would have told me to buy my own gear. Guess if I wanted to hunt I should have dropped out of school at 12 to get a job to pay for stuff? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Can't fathom how buying firearms for your kids can be considered a waste. They're your kids so do what you want but right now I'm feeling like I should call my dad and thank him for not having your point of view when I was growing up.

Well said LSU fan. See theres another perspective to all of this for our kids. The society that many of us live in is about as bad as it can get for raising kids. Everything that our kids think is cool has something to do with a gangbanger rapping, living in video games and learning 0 work ethic. I choose to guide my son into healthy hobbies that teach life long values and ethics. If I sit back and let all the little jackasses kids that go to school with my kid whos parents have zero interaction in the upbringing of then my kid will be just like the rest of the little losers that try to negatively influence him daily. Spending a day chasing small game or prepping him for his first black bear allows him and I to spend quality time and maybe build a healthy life long hobby, hunting, which he will hopefully share with his son someday. Having his own tools for the job makes his involvement much more exciting for him. Call it what you will, in Alaska at 10 years old they can draw for youth hunts and my son will be plenty proficient when that day comes next year.

1minute
What are the odds you would know two families with an accidental firearm death? There are long aoods against that happening to one individual as hunting is remarkably safe for all the inherent potential for bad things to happen.

My son got his first gun from honorary uncles at about 4 after shooting rabbits with a 22. I built a 243 for him at 5. A friend threw a Chipmunk his way at 6. He then restocked a 20 gauge pump gun for himself at 10. Along the way he picked up a couple other guns and now seems to be eyeing the 270 my father built for me in '69... He is still only 12...

Being with him hunting makes hunting far better...
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257 Bob would be a good one, long as it fits correctly.....

wow i didn't know it was legal to hunt so young in your state i live in ny and you have to be 12 for small game 14 before you can bowhunt big game and 16 for gun

here is a copied and pasted straight from missuri conservation website
To participate, the youth hunter must be at least 6 and no older than 15 on the season opening day; however, there is no minimum age for resident landowner youth hunting on their own property and for lessee youth hunting on leased

i shot my first when i was 9yrs old

Actually the mini-mauser is in 7.62x39, 22-250, 222/223. I favor the 7.62x39 for a youth deer rifle.

The rifle doesn't have to be a youth model perse, but the stock will need to be cut down to fit.

With handloading you can make the 30 calibers on down very mild. I loaded up some 110 gr varmint bullets ~2000 fps in a .308 and all my kids have fired it with no flinching or problems. It is a light .308, and my daughter (the oldest) said she preferred shooting the 22rf. My 7 y/o (youngest) couldn't get enough of it.

As to when to start kids out hunting, it depends on their maturity and how often you take them afield and to the range. My kids have been handling guns pretty much from the time you could talk. I did this precisely so that guns would never be a mystery to them, and they would never be attracted to picking up a gun that they shouldn't. I just went through hunter safety with the two oldest kids this fall, and now they are correcting me on gun handling on occasions, which is great.

Hmm, this thread is making me think instead of turning the LVSF 221 fireball I bought into a 223 ackley for myself, I might just give it to my daughter for Christmas. I'd said I'd get the kids their own hunting rifles when they were 12, and need to make good.

I bucked the buttstock offa 77/22 blued/walnut Hornet,that were punched K-Hornet and bobbed at 20",then Teflon coated. LOP is 11.5"-ish.

6x42 on top and Sister can shoot the wheels off it from her hindlegs. Me,Momma and The Boy can drive it with equal enthusiasm.

It'll Venison nicely..................

The neat thing about 223's is with 13 gr of blue dot, it becomes a hornet. I've always wanted a hornet, but a 223 can do it all.

Now if I give the LVSF to my girl, I gotta figure what I'll put in the A5?

I like them all,but really dote on the 77/22 rotary mag and the K-conversion. Just a wicked little bastard,that is beyond fun.

The 223AI remains my favorite chambering,easily..................

+1 Elkslayer.....too young

Imagine the nightmares my kids are havin'?!!?







They think all them animals were Stunt Critters and really hate to Fish too.

Laffin'...................

I was hopin to see the puppy picture <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Twould be a crime to raise kids "normal" these days

That leaking Pooch of his,do crack me up...................

Cool pics.The top bear photo is from this spring?

Sitka: The probabality for me is 1.0. One 12 year old died bird hunting when he slipped and his shotgun took out the femoral artery. He bled out with dad, uncle, and 2 other brothers at his side. The second died from an accidental handgun discharge when he was home alone handling a revolver. His baby sister made the discovery.

With my exposure to kids over the years, I've seen a rare few who were indeed proficient with firearms. I also know many kids that relish their outdoor experiences. If that's the case, a bit of wait will not destroy their passion. Going along is OK, but even thinking of them as an independent participant scares me. I would not feel comfortable knowing the woods were teaming with armed 7 year olds, and my party would not welcome one in camp. There just might be a few out there that aren't getting the supervision they need. I just happen to think we should not habitually hand kids firearms and expect that their skills to be perfectly honed. It's an opinion only, and we're all entitled to our own. I live in a ranching community where most kids can drive when they're 6 or 7. I do not, however, want to meet them on the free way when something is going to hell in traffic.

As to my history, I grew up in a non hunting family, with no firearms in the house. I have no idea where my passion for the outdoors came from. The folks did spring for the first BB gun (which got me in trouble a few times). I would have bought it years earlier on my own had it been allowed. They also purchased my first 22 which experienced a couple of unintentional discharges (fortunately no injuries). I did not get the supervision I should have had, and will not knowingly let my children relive some of my experiences. The same goes for buying kids their first cars. I think they place more value on their own investments. I know I did and still do. Take care and good luck if you have any tags left. 1Minute

There's a world of difference between taking a youngin hunting, and setting a kid loose with a gun.

To me that means I'm not hunting, and I can only concentrate on one of my kids hunting at a time.

With good training and supervision, the tragedies you mentioned won't happen, and you'll have some wonderful responsible hunters joining the fold.

I'd venture to say my kids could show many adults a thing or two about safe firearm handling.

Couldn't have said it better my self, +1 on everything you just said 458 Lott.