Youth rifles??

[buck1]

Hello fellas!
I am getting old I guess I have 2 boys that are ready for some real hunting.
11 & 13 ish years old. Great safe shooters of RFs.
I need to get a coupple of smallish deer rifles set up.
Both boys are of small size and a full size gun is just still too much I think.
This will be their first departure from RF so I dont want to over whelm them with big hard kicking ammo (YET)! LOL
I am thinking a .243 would be a good starting point, Light recoil and good range as well as good for small deer.
My main trouble is I need two light short reliable guns ,. I dont want to throw a lot of$ in to theese as in a short time they will want 270/3006 ish class of bolt rifles.
Any Ideas? I am thinking about a NEF handy rifle shortened ??
Any advice is welcome ...Thanks.....Buck [smilie=b:

[monadnock#5]

The first thought that comes to mind would be a Ruger .44 carbine lever action. The magazines can be a PITA though.

[clong]

I purchased a Remington 700 youth in .243 for my boy. And as he got larger I put a standard stock on it. At 17 he still takes it hunting.

[RU shooter]

Mossberg Has just the thing for your situation in their ATR line up its a youth model that comes with additional stock spacers that will increase the LOP as the shooter grows Also comes in several good deer calibers and their prices are very good for a bolt action rifle http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=8&section=products
Heres a pic of the adj stock model
http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_Guns/930/New/26245.jpg

[fatnhappy]

I purchased a Remington 700 youth in .243 for my boy. And as he got larger I put a standard stock on it. At 17 he still takes it hunting.

I was thinking exactly the same thing, except caliber. The 7-08 is a stellar cartridge and since you handload.........

[Blammer]

NEF in 243 will be the cats meow!

Get the wooden stock so you can shorten as needed by sawing off and get a good thick rubber butt pad you can't go wrong. 85 to 90 gr bullets will do well and recoil will be non existant. Get a 22 or 24 inch tube to reduce the muzzleblast and you'll be set.

The safety of a hammer having to be cocked and a single shot will do well!

Accurate buggers too with winchester silver box 243 ammo, at least mine is.

Can be had for $200 or so each.

PLUS you can get extra barrels for them in other calibers relatively cheap, only hitch is you have to send the frame in to have it fitted but no big deal.

Get ya a little 2-7 compact scope for it an you'll be hard pressed to want to give it to the kids! :)

[Morgan Astorbilt]

If you handload, what about an '06, loaded down to .30-30 velocities? If they're going to use open sights, an inexpensive military bolt action also comes to mind. Low$$$'s, and you won't mind cutting the stocks down
Morgan

[DLCTEX]

My grandson took a buck, doe, and turkey this past week with a handi rifle youth model in 243. I has a bipod and 3X9 scope on it and is plenty accurate for hunting. He took the turkey in the neck at about 75 yds., the buck with a frontal shot to the throat at the same distance, and the doe at about 125 yds. behind the shoulder. He's 13. Dale

[MT Gianni]

I would look at a youth model in 308 and download it to 30-30 velocities. Then they can increase velocity as they need to. When they out grow things add a recoil pad or sell it and involve them in the choice. I have a friend who's #2 son wanted a 270 in the worst way. Dad told him "I load for the 300 Weatherby, brother has a 30-06. If you want a 270 I'll buy it but you will buy bullets as I have all the 30's we will ever need." Son went with an 06. Gianni

[buck1]

GREAT HELP GUYS!!!
I cant belive I didnt think of loading down a larger cart! I have been a die hard shooter since I was a kid and except for rf I NEVER SHOOT FACTORY FODDER!
A lightly loaded .308 with light condums wouldnt have much recoil and still be fairly flat , the .308 cal would let me introduce him to casting with lots of mold choices for practice and the BOOLITS could become heavier and cast as he grows and replace the condums all together.
You guys are all right!
I will do some pricing of the REM, NEF, And Mossburg this week Thanks again guys!!!....Buck

[carpetman]

buck1---I shot some jacketed 110 grainers in 30-06 and really couldnt tell that much difference in them and 150's. The .308 downloaded would be ok for your boys,but I'd not go lighter than 150 on the bullet.

[jhrosier]

...I need to get a coupple of smallish deer rifles set up....

Buck,
You might want to consider the Mosin M44 carbine, in 7.62x54
If you "dehorn" one by removing the folding bayonet and grinding the base flush with the front sight base they are pretty handy.
You can probably pick up a couple of them for a couple hundred, total.
The cartridge is somewhere between the .308 and 30-06.
They can be scoped by adding a base that replaces the rear sight and using a long eye relief scope.

Jack

[725]

I got to say that the NEF is a fine first rifle in any of the suitable calibers. They have to load each round and fan the hammer to make it go boom. You can monitor that from 10 yards away and they will never know they have an overseer. You can rest assured that during the early learning years they will develop safe habits, confidence, and a one-shot outlook on hunting. (With your guidence, of course) The things are durable, well made for what they are, and accurate. Wood stocks are easy to cut down and recoil pads go on easy, too. Drilled and tapped for a Weaver rig. Down loaded they won't recoil any teeth filings out and if you go for a full power load, it's easy to install a mercury recoil dampener in the through bolt hole in the stock. (So equiped,my .45-70 shoots like a mild .30-30.) I've made alot of meat with mine and almost without exception, I outshoot my buddies with their expensive and finikie fancy rifles. Bless you for taking some kids in the woods.
725

[twotrees]

Use 30-30 J word bullets in them or better yet CAST BOOLITS then load them up as they grow.

I built a 250 Savage on a 93 action for my first wife, but she didn't want to hunt, so youngest boy strated with it. 7 Lbs all up with scope and sling. 13" lenght of pull and he never looked back. J word bullets full speed didn't bother him and he was 115 lbs soaking wet.

I'll second the Handi Rifles in youth model, when they grow just change the butt stock for a full sized one


Good Hunting ( With your boys)

TwoTrees

[S.R.Custom]

When I was 12, I wanted a Savage .243 so bad I could taste it. (Still do, lol. This is one I actually bid on not long ago... Not a bad little rig for three and a quarter, is it?)
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=85254454

The .243 isn't a bad choice for a youth rifle. It's not exactly something you grow out of, and it's a good round for varminting, which is something all kids love. Whatever kid ultimately got this gun will be hunting deer and plinking woodchucks with with it until he's 80. :-D

[testhop]

if you get a wooden stock and have it cut down first have 2 1/4 inch holes drilled past the cut save the peice when theboys grow thay can apoxythe peiceback on by useing 1/4 dowl rod for alinement
as for the cal all i can say is all the guys have given good ideas but dont forget the 7-08
and the greatest the 270 i use the 270 but i load 110 horney loaded down to 2700 but it could go lower i use both cals and NEVER had to shoot twice

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive been doing the same. Ive got 4 grandsons and i want to give them each a deer rifle on there 12th birthday. So far ive accumulated two 243s both howas. I got great deals on them and there like new. I need to more and am considering buy a couple of the atrs myself. I looked at them last year and there a hell of a gun for the money. Ive never killed anything with the 243 and believe it or not have never even loaded a round for one but have hunted with and loaded the 6mm rem. for years. it was my first bolt rifle and has killed many many whitetail. Its become kind of the family gun. Just about everyone at camp has killed deer with it. Dont be fooled by people telling you its not enough gun. My 6mm has killed a truck load of deer at ranges out to 300 yards and ive yet to see a deer walk away from it. I have a buddy whos a fanatic of the 6mm/243 and hes used his for elk, caribou, black bear, boar and deer and has never lost an animal yet with them. The absolute only trouble i can see with them is they dont allways leave a good blood trail on a marginal shot. But they usually dump a deer in its tracks so its never really been a problem. I think there a great beginners hunting rifle but for a kid that has a fathter that will spend the time to insure they know how to use the gun. there not for a father that buys a kid a gun and a box of shells and bore sights it and puts his kid in the woods.

[jawjaboy]

NEF in 243 will be the cats meow!

Get the wooden stock so you can shorten as needed by sawing off and get a good thick rubber butt pad you can't go wrong. 85 to 90 gr bullets will do well and recoil will be non existant. Get a 22 or 24 inch tube to reduce the muzzleblast and you'll be set.

The safety of a hammer having to be cocked and a single shot will do well!

Accurate buggers too with winchester silver box 243 ammo, at least mine is.

Can be had for $200 or so each.

PLUS you can get extra barrels for them in other calibers relatively cheap, only hitch is you have to send the frame in to have it fitted but no big deal.

Get ya a little 2-7 compact scope for it an you'll be hard pressed to want to give it to the kids! :)


I agree 100%. Scroll down to Youth Handi at this link

.http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/youth.aspx

[Scrounger]

SuperMag, you can pick up a new Stevens 200 (Savage) for $275 in just about any caliber. Wait no more.

[JeffinNZ]

When does your "youth" season open o'there? [smilie=1::-D

[Blammer]

as an aside, if you get a NEF make sure you get a RIFLE frame, that way ANYthing else can be put on it.

IF you buy a shotgun frame only shotguns can be put on it.

[7br]

My route was to buy contender frames for my kids, added .22 carbine barrels as I went. I have a7tcu carbine barrel that will do for a short range deer rifle. A 7-30 waters would probably be better, but I haven't came across one cheap enough yet. You might consider the encore also. They are available in .22lr now. Gives the the chance to go anywhere from .22lr to 338mag. Also gives them a chance to convert it to a pistol should they want to do that later or a muzzleloader, or a shotgun. I do shoot silhouette and that has colored my view somewhat.

[Scrounger]

Don't say"convert it to a pistol", you'll get someone's shorts in a wad...:kidding:

[RugerFan]

My son shot his first deer with an SKS at age 12. Short stock and light recoil = just the ticket. When he turned 14, I upgraded him to a 30-06 bolt and hand loaded 125 gn bullets at Sierra book minimum. Light recoil and accurate. As he got older I upped the bullet weight and powder charge.:Fire:

[buck1]

Well I went to my local gunshop and couldnt find much. But When I asked he went to the back room and returned with a Rossi combo youth setup.
A .243 bbl w/mt , a 20 ga bbl, and a 22lrbbl, and stocked action/ forarm.
He said he had ordered it by mistake and would let me have it neer cost!

So for $200.00 I got one of the boys set up for now.
When his boyscout outing is done today, its Reloading 101 .
I feel I have reached a point where as my kid is transforming into my life long shopoting buddy!
I am excited about shooting again for the first time in a long time!! Thanks to all....Buck