Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles FIRST DEER RIFLE

My baby boy is going to turn 11 this fall and I'm going to buy him his first deer rifle for his birthday. I'm thinking 25-06 or 7mm-08. I had him at the range shooting my 25-06 and he shoots it well, but from what I've read the 7mm-08 is almost the perfect deer round and a good cartridge to start a kid off with? I've never owned a 7mm-08 so I don't have first hand experience.
I'm having more trouble with what action to buy....single shot or bolt. He has a single shot .410 that he shoots and works just fine. The thing I like about the single shot is that when its broke open you know its safe. When I finally let him hunt by himself I can watch him from a distance and tell if he has it boke open or not...hauling up to the treestand, walking to and from. He's going to have a very strict set of rules for the first couple of years or until I feel comfortable with him hunting with his own rifle. He's good kid and listens well...I'm probably a little more paranoid than I maybe should be, but you don't usually get second chances if you mess up.
The thing about buying the bolt is that it would be more permanent...something he could hunt with untill he handed it down to one of his kids. The other thing would be to get him acustomed to the bolt right out of the gate because thats what he says he wants to hunt with. So if I get the single shot eventually it would be replaced with a bolt. I know alot of you guys on here have already been down this road so I'm looking for your opinions.

get a bolt that he'll have forever. you never get a second first rifle!

I bought my first son a Remington youth model 308. Remington did not make a youth model in 7-08 which they do now. My second son who is now 11, I bought him a 6.5 X 55. The 7-08 would be good too. You can make that bolt action a single shot. Give them one round.

+1 for 7mm-08, a great round! The 257 Bob, is another great cartridge to start kids out on.

The cartridge is secondary to the rifle. No matter what, be sure to get him a rifle that fits him well. "Youth" rifles usually are smaller and the stock can be replaced with a larger one as he grows. Even a light caliber will kick like the dickens, and perhaps make him develop a flinch, if the rifle does not fit him right. Single shots tend to be lighter, which makes their recoil greater than with a bolt gun.

Bingo.

And, either the .25-06 or the 7-08 will be just fine.

I bought my son a Youth Model 7 in 260 for a first rifle. It served him well until 4 years later when he took my 280 Mountain Rifle! I'm keeping it for the daughter and grandchildren someday. I just bought a full size stock for it on the classifieds here, and will make a little more family history with it.

Weatherby used to sell a youth package vanguard in .243, .7mm-08 and .308. they come with a cut down wood youth stock that is painted black AND a ful sized synthetic stock.

Seems i gave in the neighborhood of $450 for the gf's sons 7mm-08 and its been a great rifle

There are many things to consider when buying a 1st rifle for your son or daughter.

How big, physically, is he/she? You ought to buy a rifle that fits the shooter, rather than buying a rifle that the shooter will need to grow into.

How mature is he/she? Mature enough to hunt at arms length, alone from a stand, or by himself/herself within a specifically defined area?

How much do you want to spend? I have been recommending the Marlin XL-7 and XS-7 for new adult or nearly full grown teen hunters who are just getting into hunting.

Jeff

Me too........Me too...

Their is a stainless sps 25-06 in the classifieds for $500. Also a 708 cdl for same.

Buy something you can have restocked later on as he grows; in fact, kids grow so fast that you might just buy a rifle with a full size stock, cut it to length, and then just add spacers as needed. A Remington 700 ADL with a synthetic stock would do the trick, just cut, install a pad and glue it all together. Then hit it with Krylon in whatever color the kid likes. When he outgrows that length of pull, add a spacer and repeat.

Keep your eyes open, there are several companies that offer a youth/full stock package and as it gets closer to hunting season, the dealers will offer them on sale.

I got a Remington 700 SPS for my son. Cabelas had them on sale for $450, Remington had a rebate ($35?, $50?) and I had a Cabelas bucks coupon for $150 if I spent $500. Bought the gun, then used the coupon to buy a scope and mounts. It's a 30-06 (I loaded some mild ammo to start with) so he's set for most anything.

Pa. requires the adult to be within voice range of junior hunters and I usually share the stump with him so I don't see a safety advantage to a single shot.

Dale

And get it in 22-250. Schooch the scope back a little and zap things!

Ruger #1 in 7x57 Mauser. Shorten the stock to fit him, put on a Pachmyer Decelerator pad. When he grows near man size in a few years replace the butt stock.
Use regular slow poke american 140 grain factory ammo to start. When he's ready for more recoil use the faster Hornaday Light Magnum ammo. If he ever thinks that he needs more velocity and heavier bullets he can have a gunsmith rechambered the rifle from 7x57 into a 280 Remington.
Good luck...

I like the 7mm-08 suggestions. Great cartridge. I personally think it makes more sense than 25-06 in this case.

Any idea what HE wants? What's his fantasy rifle/cartridge, just out of curiousity.

My kids are pretty hip on the 700's in .243, and 85 Grain TSX's.

Easily converts to an 87 grain Vmax varmit duty rig, or so I've heard.....

I personally don't see how a 25-06 could ever not make sense as a "deer" rifle. I started with a 243 and 270win and shot them fine. I'd think any 7 or 700 in 308 or less would be great.

It kills me when these dad's get their kids these little dinky guns and say "it's good enough for a first gun". Thank you for getting him a good one and putting a little thought into it.

I agree that you should get a bolt gun for him. I would also go so far as to say that the rifle will be more important than the cartridge it is chambered for.

My son will be 12 in September, and although he is tall and skinny, he still struggles with the LOP on his Ruger 77mkII Ultralight. I bought that rifle for him when he was 8, I think, and haven't regretted that I set him up with a .257 Roberts. He would be better served to shoot the SPS Youth model I bought for him to try though. He has confidence in his .257 and shoots it well, it just takes him a little longer to get set up for a shot.

A kid's first deer rifle should be something that he can make an heirloom out of.

If I was your son and I liked your 25-06,then I'd rather have that for a first gun than anything else.