Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Rifle for 9yr Old

My daughter is after me to let her shoot a deer next fall. She's accompanied me to the stand the last 2 seasons and helped me all the way through field dressing and quartering. She's about 4'6" tall and even the youth models of the bolt guns seem to dwarf her. Is the really little NEF youth single shot a good starter option or should I get a model 7 or similar and let her crawl the stock from a chair in a stand?

The situation will be pretty controlled. Shot will be from 25 to 75 yards on small does in TX. What about .223 vs .243 for recoil? I've never shot either so I really have no clue about the difference. I've also heard the NEF .223's aren't real good with the 64gr PowerPoints. I've got twin 5 yr old boys coming so moving her up to something different in a few years when she grows some more isn't a concern. I'm thinking then I can get her something for the long haul. Thoughts?

Hey naug

Nef youth is a great starter my older daughters still love theirs 243 would be great.

Bearbeater

NuAg, I don't have any experience with the NEF rifles they might be ok but you will have to teach the drill whenever your girl transitions to a "real" rifle. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
If the various youth models are too long for her can't you cut the stock? It isn't hard to do. I believe she'd be better off with a rifle that fits her than with any compromise you can come up with.

As to the 223 VS 243 the 243 will recoil more obviously. It is a bigger, more powerful cartridge. It is also a much better deer round than the 223. That said, there have been and are worlds of deer taken with the 223 here in Texas. If you have taught her to shoot, if she can lay them in where she is looking then the 223 is fine. Only you can answer that.

BCR

You saw what my 6 year old did with a .222 varmint rifle? No felt recoil. He just lays on the stock to pear through the scope. That will continue to work for him until he can handle the recoil of the 243. By then he will be able to reach around the stock.

Hunting with your 6yr old looked like a pretty succesful undertaking. Having TWO 5yr olds, I'm wondering how the heck you kept him occupied/quiet long enough? I figure you had a good supply of crackers and other assorted goodies.

How do you have that rig set up in the stand? It was hard to see in the pictures but I assume it was more than sandbags?

NuAg, we have a little in common. My oldest turns 8 next month (daughter) and I have twins that will be 5 in a few days (boy and girl, though).

I'll be anxious to hear how the new rifle works out for your girl! Glad you survived the early years of having twins!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

how about a sks in 7.62x39, cut the stalk down later on as she grows add a rubber recoil pad, teach her to shot good, only give her 3 shells at a time



cheap gun and cheap ammo, you can cut the stock all you want, not out any money, fairly low recoill

The nef would make a fine rifle. There are some other calibers you may want to look into as well. The 30-30 and the 7mm-08. As for recoil, I would suggest the sims limbsaver recoil pad or the hi-vis x-coil. Both are out of this world at cutting back on recoil. I have one on my 300wsm. And believe me it works. My 11 year old who is very sensitive to recoil will shoot it. Glad you are getting a child into hunting. And the good thing about that crack barrel is they learn to make that first one count.

You might consider a Contender in a 7-30 waters.

How to keep them quiet in the stand..... A cheap pair of binoculars of their own, a small raido with ear buds, propane heater, and you guessed it, lots of snacks and goodies to ration out.

You have to have a solution for each "I'm thirsty-hungry-cold-have to potty". I won't make them stay when they are ready to go. If leaving means they don't kill a deer that's fine with me. I would rather have him learn that leaving too soon means you don't get one than have him hate going because he was miserable the whole time.

Teach them how to whisper in a low voice. My son can't keep from talking but he can whisper. I also have the blind 150 yards from the feeder.

Don't take your kid hunting when YOU really want / need to kill a deer. I took my son after I had filled all my buck tags and I was through trophy hunting. I have to be able to let anything walk (including that big eight pointer that was bigger than the bucks I shot) if the kid does not have a good shot. You just can't rush them or get frustrated. They have to have a good experience whether they kill a deer or not. If you let yourself get disapointed because a deer "got away" or a shot was missed the kid will know it. And they think you are disapointed with them.

I have some friends whose kids will not go hunting or fishing with them. In each case, the child feels that their performance was not satisifctory or they were kept out too long after it stoped being fun.

You have to be patient and have a sense of humor.

The set up: I took the cordless drill and screwed in the shelf to rest those sandbags on. He was on his knees in the chair to shoot.

NuAg, pds has got it right. I raised three boys who are all hunters and started with me when they expressed and intrest in going hunting years ago.
One thing I would add to what pds said that helps a lot if you can do it. Take her when you are just looking or scouting or what ever you call it. That is the time to introduce the idea that while hunting we have to be as quiet and still as we can. They can see for themselves how easy it is to scare off deer.
Get her intrested in looking at nature too. Birds, squirrels, rabbits,things like that. Kids get bored easy if there is nothing to look at but a focus object.

BCR