I am helping a dad who is wanting to purchase a gun for his young son. He want stainless snd something that the guy can grow into and use later possibly for bear and elk. To start with he will be using it for deer. So are there options that have a stainless barrel along with an adjustable stock? The kid is currently 8 or 9. We were planning on getting something that we can buy reduced recoil loads for to begin with. I amtrying to stay away from replacing the stock if I can. I am also somewhat open to suggestions in clambering. Was seriously thinking 7mm08 or 308

The Tikka Stainless compact fits that bill. Comes with a short LOP stock and an extra spacer to add length if necessary. Can be had in 7mm-08 or 308.

The Tikka Stainless compact fits that bill. Comes with a short LOP stock and an extra spacer to add length if necessary. Can be had in 7mm-08 or 308.

Ran into the same scenario with my nephew a few years back, though bear and elk weren't discussed. All we have around here are whitetails and wild hogs. I ended up locating a Model Seven CDL in 260Rem and I bought a youth stock off the classifieds here. He's used it with the youth stock and reduced handloads for the past 3-4 seasons. I'm working him up a full power load for this season. I figure he'll be ready to step up to the full size walnut stock next year. He's already killed a few deer with it, including his first buck. Thankfully, I talked my BIL to getting him a nice rifle as his first so he'll have something worth keeping and passing down one day. I killed my first deer with an el cheapo Rem 710 that is long gone. I wish I had gotten a quality rifle to start with, then I probably would have kept it.

My 9 yo is currently shooting the AR15 platform, she will use for deer next year. I will get her on the bolt gun in in two years or so, will find a takeoff tikka stock and cut it down for my 6.5 CM. She won’t be hunting elk until she’s 12.

The AR15 carbine stock is great for kids since it’s so adjustable.

So Pa does not allow semi auto for deer. Also I was looking at youth rifles..i suppose the short stock can be easily replaced with a full sized one later?

Although they aren't available in stainless I'll mention the two Mossberg Patriot Super Bantams I handled in the past month. Both were .243's. Both were equipped with a scope. I was so impressed with the first one that belonged to a friend's wife that I bought one for my granddaughter. The scopes are just ok so I traded out the one on my granddaughter's for a 3-10x40 Weaver Grand Slam I had on hand. They are available in .243,6.5 Creedmore,7mm-08,.308,and 350 Legend. I'd get one without a scope. All links are just for reference.

https://www.mossberg.com/category/series/mossberg-patriot/mossberg-patriot-bantam/

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/97064/moss+27865%2apatriot+20+308+y+synthetic

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/97054/moss+27852%2apatriot+20+7mm08+y+synthetic

https://www.cdnnsports.com/bushnell-3-9x40-trophy-xlt-multi-x-matte-scope.html#.XatlBfZFyUm

Don't rule out getting an adult size rifle/chambering, and then putting the barreled action into a youth stock with reduced loads.

I bought a Marlin XL7 in .270 Win for my petite grand daughter a while back. Ordered a Boyd's laminated stock with Decelerator recoil pad at 12.5" LOP. With good fit, a good pad, and the added heft of a laminated stock, she had no issue shooting full power 110gr hand loads. She is never going to be a "big person". However, the factory stock is in the safe with her rifle if she ever wants to go the full size route.

Midway has two different factory reduced recoil loads for .270's in stock at the moment. Would bet that there are same or more for .308's and .30-06's if you look around.

Re: the stock: Consider a youth model and a slip on recoil pad later. If you hunt where the season allows hunting in warm and cold weather this is a good system to account for heavy layers making your stock too long.

The Model Seven is as trim an action as you'll find. Pick your cartridge based on ammo availability, but the fact is most reduced loads you can buy aren't reduced enough. Thirty something grains of powder or less, mostly less, and a 130gr bullet is low recoil.

You could get a Lee Loader to make some truly low recoil loads for a .308. The Lee Loader allows you to whack your loads together at the kitchen table if you want.

Kid is 8 or 9? He wants to keep it fun and keep recoil to a minimum. I’d encourage good hearing protection, a stock with good fit, and something with recoil along the lines of a 243/6 creed - max. I’d worry about the “possible” bear or elk later. The “possible “ elk is not so different than the “possible big bears” that so many worry about ... but so few end up pursuing. Choose the cartridge for the predominant role at hand.
Certainly not knocking the reduced load ideas either; but a reduced 7/08 or 308 is still quite a bit more than a reduced 243. My 2 cents.

Savage Storm
Stainless, stock is adjustable for LOP as well as height of comb. I own two, .223 and .308. Wife has a 7mm/08.

I say screw it and get a 223 or 22-250 for starters. The one rifle for 8 or 9 to adulthood is ridiculous.

Maybe grab a $300 223, or 243 for now, make it fit, for now.

Mag capacity limitation? How about the Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel that comes with two stocks? $359

More random thoughts. 243 and 6.5 Creedmoor works for deer, bear, elk. As does 7mm-08.

Tall order in some ways, but (FWIW) a reduced 308 load with a 125gr NBT/AB at 2300-2550, will be enough to 200 and kick and blast less than a 90gr 243 at 3000+..JME. You’re talking 30-30 leverevolution performance,.....if you gotta have one gun. I always figure in muzzle blast with smaller/new shooters, as often it’s as much a factor as recoil, when you actually get to work.

CDNN still has the Marlin XL-7 in .243 for $250. Great intro rifle. Buddy and I bought one for our daughters and it has been a great rifle.

Kent

This was just posted in classified. Not mine.

4. Marlin XS7S stainless 7mm-08. Very light and handy rifle. It is a 3/4" shooter with Hornady AWT 139 ammo. Trigger is very light and crisp. Limbsaver recoil pad has been added. It has Leupold Weaver style scope bases. Just a few very light scuffs. It has not been carried much.

$335 for the rifle and scope bases.

I have a Tikka in 7mm-08 that the kids (9 year old girl mainly) shoot 120s comfortably with.

Expensive, but a ruger hawkeye laminate ss compact would be a great gun. Stock would work well now and I know many adults including myself that hunt with them without changing the stock. I have one in a 260 that my 8yo has already taken two deer with this year. One in a 708 or 308 with reduced loads would be awesome for a kid.

This is what I did. Bought my son a Tikka T3 Lite in 7mm-08, Bought a compact stock to put it in, and had him shoot Hornady Reduced Recoil loads thru it. Now he just turned 14 and has grown some, sold the compact stock, put it back in the regular stock and he is now shooting 120gr BTs thru it. Going this route we were also to stay with a 22" barrel and reduce some of the muzzle blast (i.e. did not want the 20" or shorter barrel found on many youth models)

I made the choice to go with a 7mm-08 last year for my son. I am glad I did. He took his first deer with it and had no trouble with recoil.

Tikka T3 compact in 7-08 loaded with 120 BT and Re-15 are a great combo. Although it does have the 20 in. barrel, muzzle blast is unnoticeable.

Here is what I did for my daughter, and it is even easier now.

Picked her up a Tikka T3 Lite (plastic stock) .308, and had the barrel cut to 20"s and threaded for a brake.

Picked up a wooden stock and cut it down to fit her, and put a flip flop pad on it.

She shot the cut down wood stocked rifle the first few years, then switched to the full sized stock later.

Now days you can get a compact T3, with a shorter length of pull and a 20" barrel from the factory. That said, you might still consider still doing as above, depending on the size of the child, and the amount of clothing he will be wearing when shooting it.

With a brake, my kid could not tell the difference between the .308 shooting full power 155 scenar loads and a custom 6mm Remington T3 (no brake) she used on a deer her first time out. I made sure that during practice she doubled up on ear plugs and ear muffs. Then in the field I had her use ear plugs. She has never complained about the recoil, and she is a pretty petite kid.











It now wears the full size stock, and she loves that rifle.

Howa used to make a youth model rifle. Not sure if they still do but it was pretty handy. It came with a short stock with recoil pad, and you could pull off the recoil pad and add the extension and put the pad back on. I believe Legacy Sports brought them in, and they have some available at Bud's Guns. At the DU event I used to do, we would have a separate event for the women that helped out and just hand out tickets. They were pretty popular with those women. I believe they were mostly short action rifles. Might check those out.

Grandkids have Savages Axis. All three, as well as the three Savage bolt rifles I own are sub inch rifles.

I picked up a Ruger American Compact in 6.5 Creed witha 20" barrel for my daughter. I have her shooting a book starting load of 8208 XBR with a 120 gr Gold Dot. Recoil is minimal, and the gun fits her 4'9" inch frame well.