Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Youth Deer Rifle

I need to decide on which rifle would suit him best.

He is very conscious of weight with his outdoor equipment. From his bow to his backpack, it's always been about weight. He is rather small and light framed.

It will not be his first gun, he has a few, just not a deer rifle.

Been hunting around five years and has proven to be more than capable with firearms and safety.

Is an 223 AR unreasonable to consider?

An AR-15 in 6.5Grendel is the bee's knees for lightweight medium-sized game getting. Start with one of the ULW/pencil profile 16" barrels, choose a lightweight free float handguard, and KEEP ALL THE ADD-ON DOO-DAD BALONEY TO A MINIMUM. Will come in under 6lbs before ammo & optics.

My daughter's AR-15 in 6.5Grendel

Alexander Arms 6.5 Grendel 16" Incursion Complete Upper Assembly
Palmetto State Armory Lower Receiver and Parts Kit
Larue Tactical MBT-2S trigger
Leupold VX-1 2-7x33 Scope on one-piece Warne mount+rings.
Limbsaver recoil pad
Patrol-type 2-point sling to ease toting the rifle at the ready

Objective was a rifle light enough for my wife & daughter, with minimal recoil, but with enough power to reliably take medium game with a boiler room shot. Rifle weighs less than 6lbs before optics & ammo. To get lighter, I think you have to go with pricey exotic materials/parts or SBR. No complaints with any of the parts, though I might look for a heavier buffer as it slings brass a ways. Even the PSA mil-spec polished trigger was decent, though not nearly as nice as the MBT-2S. Several hundred rounds down range, zero malfunctions. Several good hunting loads (Horn 123gr SST, Federal 120gr Fusion & others) and super-cheap plinking ammo from Wolf.

Image of daughter with axis doe shot hit at 125 yards (Hornady 123gr SST)
http://www.65grendel.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13917&d=1552939649

Savage Axis[Jr Model], .243

Ruger American youth is right at 6lbs. As he grows, finding a take off full-size stock shouldn't be too difficult.
https://catalog.ngoabuyersclub.com/products/rifles-ruger-6908-736676069088-673

I'd let him try a Remington Model 7 or a Browning Micro Medallion.

If the lad is hunting anywhere near Ozello a SS break action 20 will serve purposes quite well. So will a Contender carbine in .30-30 give or take. Last thing I would pass to a son is an AR platform regardless of the chamber. Hunting is the objective, no?

That was actually being considered until the AR thought came to mind. The Savage is a tad heavier.

Recoil is also one of his concerns.

He lives in the NW.

Yes hunting is not only the objective, it's his obsession.

So, no go on the AR? That's what I am struggling with, is it an absurd idea, if so, why?

If I go AR, I already have a few, I'd just gift him one of mine.

He is leary of the 243 Savage, I've not mentioned the AR idea to him but I know he'd love it.

The wife, 66 years old, 5'2", 108 pounds, uses a Savage model 11 youth, 223. Virtually no recoil, VERY accurate, light.

No reason an AR wouldn't make a suitable deer rifle if properly equipped, and correctly loaded.

Remington model 7

A 223 AR would be quite reasonable.

What's the budget, game to be hunted, age? There are a ton of youth compact models out there. I'd look at a Ruger American Compact in .243 Win thru .308 Win.

Howa Micro Action in 6.5 Grendel.

OK, let's differentiate "hunting" from "shooting". The benchmark for a hunter is shot placement and perhaps stalking, depending on what "NW means. The .223 is an artist's cartridge, not a beginner's tool.

I doubt one can do this with an AR, but it can be done with a Contender, and was....

Budget really isn't a major factor. Deer is currently the quest. Age? He's quite young but soon to qualify (this season) for youth deer hunting options in his state.

He owns a couple 22's a 410 a couple different hand guns, some damn nice bows.
Quite prolific with the bows, squirrel hunts with them all the time.

I guided his father to his first elk, a bugling 6x6 bull when he was 13.
Now it's his son's turn.

Tikka Superlite in 7mm-08

Interesting, and under 6 pounds in a 223, I'll add it to the list.

I've got a T3X Superlite in 6.5Creedmoor, it's a real joy to hunt with and shoot.

Another one for the list, thanks