Youth hunters

kawboy

kawboy

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My kids are almost to the age they will be able to hunt. I plan to take my daughter out for her first deer next year.

I see good things about the Savage youth model rifles... what other options should I consider?

What calibers should I consider?

I am in the early stages of research, I would definitely say there is more pressure to make sure a kids hunt goes well than pressure for any of my own hunts.



I'll tell you who it was . . . it was that D@MN Sasquatch!
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-11-18 AT 01:33PM (MST)[p]Yep, the .243 is a good starter for a kid or women. However, I'm seeing more and more guys going to the 7mm-08 for their kids and wives. They can be loaded down and then the shooter can move up to full charges as they mature.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-11-18 AT 02:14PM (MST)[p]Savage rifles are great!
Can't go wrong with a 6.5 Creedmoor.
 
Hmmm all the same answers I gave you except the 6.5 creedmore... don't buy one of those.

4b1db2ac644136c4.jpg
 
kawboy,
Any light weight, light caliber rifle that fits YOUR youngster will work. It's a great time of year to buy one with the holidays approaching. Lots of sales, etc. I got a Ruger 77 in a 257 Roberts to start my son on and it worked great for him.
I think more important than the weapon itself is the time you spend helping the youngster get familiar and comfortable with the gun and how to use it in hunting situations. Nothing is worse than finding a novice nimrod a nice animal to shoot, only to have them get frustrated fumbling with an unfamiliar gun or shooting set up and not getting a shot. Too many first time hunters have felt the pressure to kill something, only to miss and then decide hunting is too hard to go again.
So once you find the rifle you are looking for, spend some time busting rocks, or hunting rabbits before big game season rolls around.
Good on you for getting them involved. My son is now my only hunting companion and after two decades, we have some serious stories to tell.
 
Advantage of a 6.5 Creed is the short bolt throw, basically a cold short magnum load (.308...).

When the phrase "kids" is used, that means more than one coming up through the ranks over time, so more than one rifle (eventually)? Two hunting the same time? Starting off with deer and antelope and then working up to elk (both cow and bull)?

Three calibers: .25-06, .270, 7mm Rem Mag will cover all the bases over time. Buy one rifle now to start and as they get older by the next one up and pass the other down to the newest hunter.
 
After a bunch of research I ended up buying my daughter a Savage Axis in a 7mm-08. Great gun!
My son will be old enough to hunt next year - I think I'll end up buying him a Savage 110 in a 7mm-08 as well.
 
We just bought a Savage Axis 25-06 for our 12 year old daughter. It shoots really nice.
We also have purchased Tikka T3 for our other two daughters. They both shoot .270 win. They're a great shooting rifle as well.

Good luck.

hwy
 
I like Slams idea of the 6.5 CM, But then again if a fan of the caliber, i have a 6.5 CM, a 6.5X284 and am thinking of cambering an old Stevens action in 6.5X55 Sweed.... But those are not my recommendations for your Daughter. While I was out Shooting this COLD morning a feller ask if i could spot his sons shots,With my spotter. They had only binos. I told him to just borrow it and we could use my sons. I peeked at his 100 yd target and was impressed that the kid had 4 shots inside a 50cent piece in the 10 ring, he looked to be 10-12. Talking later with his dad he showed me a the gun , it was a TC Compass in 243. the kid said he just got it for his birthday the day before. It looked like a solid rifle and held 5 rnds. the best part is dad said he got it on sale a cabelas for 280.00. thatas even less than the axis, or patriot. I dont know anything about the TC other than what I learned today. Its making me almost sorry about the savage 111 in .308 i have hidden in my attic for as grandson for x mas.
 
For me at my kids ages 10 to 14 and being city folks, it was taking them to the rifle range to learn gun safety, how to shoot, and actually shooting everything from a 22 to a high power rifle to a shotgun and even handguns. I would then take them hunting with me. First in fixed ground stands that would hide their movements, then in tree stands that were 10 - 12 feet off the ground. The first few times we would (try to) sit still and just watch the wildlife. That progressed to me carrying a rifle, having them look for the game we were hunting, and then, if the game was appropriate, me shooting. Finally, the child carrying the rifle and the child shooting.
 
My youngest daughter started with a .308 at 12 yrs old...she's still using it and she is 21 now..My oldest daughter started with a 30-06 rem auto...and she still uses it...she's 37..middle daughter started shooting basketball hoops...being an adult now she shoots a 7mm mag..
 
My daughter tried a 6mm for one hunt. But since we hunt deer and elk. It was a little light for elk. So she went with a Ruger M77 ss 270. I ended up trading a guy for a water heater. She shoots it well and is still shooting it today.
 
Thanks for all of the good feedback, I agree that time spent with the gun is more valuable than model or caliber. We are doing a lot of work with a BB gun and 22 for now.

I ended up finding a used Weatherby Vanguard compact youth model in 7mm08 at the local sporting goods shop. It is in great shape! I'm going to put a muzzle break on it and lighten up the trigger, thanks to a good friend.

What are your thoughts on a scope for a kid. I want her to focus on cross hairs and be comfortable for a reasonable shot. (I'm not going to set her up for long range, but learning to shoot is always good).

I'd like a turret, but I feel like more moving parts complicates things. Do I go with a bdc reticle or just start training her with a dial???


I'll tell you who it was . . . it was that D@MN Sasquatch!
 
You won't go Wrong with the Vanguard!

I'd go Simple but Quality on the Scope!

Kids can Learn & Work their way up to Bigger/Better Guns!

They're gonna start Banning Long Range/Turrets and etc here in Utah before long anyway!

She'd probably Love a DURA-MAX Truck as Her first Truck as Well!

Just Sayin............................!








I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!:D:D:D
 
I would go with a turret with the yardage on it. Simple to range it and dial the yardage up. You don't have to keep track of what circle or hash mark equals what yardage. With my kids after they got comfortable shooting off the bench and comfortable with the rifle we would do more live type practice. We would put gallon water jugs out at 200 yards then have them stand with the gun slung on their should and glass them. Then tell them oh the 2nd jug is a nice Buck and have them practice getting down prone or on some shooting sticks, load the chamber, find the jug in the scope and shoot. This made it fun but also put some pressure on them. Seems the hard part out in the field is for kids to find the target and get steady on their rest when they are excited. Make it fun so they want to go do it with you.
 
Anyone got a “kid” gun that they want to sell??

I got a 71 lb 10 year old that is gonna need a kid gun in a year or two.

I sure hope he puts some weight on soon cuz the smallest gun I have is a 30.06 with adult stock!

he’s my last chance as my older two don’t care to hunt!
 
7-mm-08
Ruger American

Accurate gun, good trigger. Ugly, so as they are learning to not beat a gun up i dont care as much
 
How about bows? Or muzzleloaders to start kids out?
> Rifle. I started my son with a 7mm-08. It was purchased and taken to the range I should say. By the time hunting season rolled around at 12, he grabbed and carried the 30.06 and shot his first antelope, and weeks later, an elk.
Get them a pellet gun and make them practice, practice, practice.
 
BLooDTRaCKeR said:
Anyone got a “kid” gun that they want to sell??

I got a 71 lb 10 year old that is gonna need a kid gun in a year or two.

I sure hope he puts some weight on soon cuz the smallest gun I have is a 30.06 with adult stock!

he’s my last chance as my older two don’t care to hunt!
Click to expand...
If he likes shooting - he will shoot anything!
 
My daughter has been shooting a 6.5SLR since she was 10. Similar to a 6.5CM or .260 Rem.
Her first kill was at 10 yrs old, a javelina w. .223 AR @ 18 yds.
Second was a bull elk at 11 years old, with a .300RUM @ 160 yds.
Then a bunch of deer, a couple more elk, and a pronghorn. Hopefully another pronghorn next week too.

Just get them shooting. .243 Win, 6 Creed, .260 Rem, 6.5 Creed, etc.

Just build them a custom...
 
Last edited:
When I was 12, many years ago, my grandpa gave me an '06 and we had load for a 100 grain Sierra bullet that I could shoot. It was awesome , and I killed my first few bucks with it. Wish I could remember what bullet and load, but it was great on those little blackmails back then. Easy on my 12 year old shoulder. I started my boys out with a 260 rem. and a 243.
 
I was able to find a Weatherby vanguard in a youth model 7mm-08 with a shorter LOP and a 20” barrel. It is the rifle my son will use on his youth elk hunt this year and possible deer hunts.

We worked up a load of 41.2 grns Varget with 140 Accubonds. His gun, with the short barrel, will push the140 Accubonds at 2650 and will shoot sub MOA. It has a very manageable recoil and is topped with a Leupold VX3I 4.5-14x40 CDS. I also added a Timmney Trigger set at 2.5 lbs.

We have also set up a shooting schedule. We were shooting once a week until we got it all dialed in and are now shooting every other week.

I can’t say enough about the 7mm-08. I really think it’s the perfect rifle for a kid. I believe we are at about 1K into the rifle and he loves it! I plan on buying a new stock in a couple years when he grows a bit. It shoots to nice to get rid of. More importantly, he is proud of his rifle and really likes shooting it because of the light recoil. These two factors have made this a great father son activity. There are only two things he would rather do than shoot his rifle...shoot his bow (another topic) and hunt! I am very proud of my son!
 
Utah400Elk said:
I was able to find a Weatherby vanguard in a youth model 7mm-08 with a shorter LOP and a 20” barrel. It is the rifle my son will use on his youth elk hunt this year and possible deer hunts.

We worked up a load of 41.2 grns Varget with 140 Accubonds. His gun, with the short barrel, will push the140 Accubonds at 2650 and will shoot sub MOA. It has a very manageable recoil and is topped with a Leupold VX3I 4.5-14x40 CDS. I also added a Timmney Trigger set at 2.5 lbs.

We have also set up a shooting schedule. We were shooting once a week until we got it all dialed in and are now shooting every other week.

I can’t say enough about the 7mm-08. I really think it’s the perfect rifle for a kid. I believe we are at about 1K into the rifle and he loves it! I plan on buying a new stock in a couple years when he grows a bit. It shoots to nice to get rid of. More importantly, he is proud of his rifle and really likes shooting it because of the light recoil. These two factors have made this a great father son activity. There are only two things he would rather do than shoot his rifle...shoot his bow (another topic) and hunt! I am very proud of my son!
Click to expand...


Went through the same ideas/thoughts as you and many others. Back and forth, backhand forth.

Plus, the 20 year ago mindset.

Finally begrudgingly almost, went 7mm-08. Fun to shoot, but "this is a toy gun, an elk will laugh it off" was my thought.

That thought ended on morning when my son dropped a 3 point muley in its tracks.

Then to remove all doubt, a 6point bull the next year.

All worries are gone. I trust that 08' 100%.

And its still fun to shoot
 
Whichever make, model, caliber you get, if it's a youth sized stock, try to make sure there are full length stock available as the child grows. Either Savage or Ruger used to sell a youth package that included both stocks, not sure if that is still an option. If I remember correctly the combination package was one of the less expensive actions, like an Axis or American.
 

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