Rifle for 10 yr old

tayhot

Active Member
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344
My son passed hunters ed and it will be his first year hunting to fill his own tag. Anyways, we have put in for the typical big game hunts of Elk and Deer. My question for all you experienced hunters who have had young kids is what caliber rifle and which brand? Right now I'm looking at a Savage or Weatherby (both youth models) and calibers in .243 or 7-08. I will be reloading to reduce recoil as a side note. So which is it..... .243 or 7-08?

Please dont let this thread be hijacked that a .243 is unethical for elk hunting. Ill save the ethics police to the campfire section. HAHA
 
im concerned with reoil and if 7mm-08 is too much, I dont want to start a bad habit with him flinching because hes scared
 
.243 is a great cartridge. My boy did some major damage to the wildlife population with a .257 Roberts. Never tried it on elk, but wouldn't have hesitated with a good bullet. It's killed mule deer, antelope, coues deer, javies and a mountain lion.
 
I went with the Rossi combo guns for my daughters as starters.

$279 for a single shot .243/.22/20 gauge at SW.

They use the heck out of the gun, but my oldest (now 13) won't shoot anything other than my 30.06

The .243 was a great starter for my kids. I also have a .243 youth savage with the accutrigger. Out of the box it was a TACKDRIVER. But, it was about 2x the cost, and didn't come with 2 more barrels.

Congrats to him for passing Hunter's Education
And Congrats to you for passing on this great heritage of hunting to the next generation.

NMYB


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teach your kids to hunt now, and you won't have to hunt for them later.
 
hey Tay, I'm sure you are aware that both the .243 and 7 are both necked down versions of the .308 case, the .260 rem is the other...recoil is generally quite mild when using light bullets

I'd go with the 7-08, as it will allow for using a much heavier bullet (140-160gr) for larger game like elk or oryx...you can start him off shooting a light (120gr) bullet loaded down, and gradually build up to max loads as your son develops his shooting technique

with decent velocity and a strong bullet, there is nothing in the lower 48 that the venerable 7mm-08 cannot handle...the .243 is somewhat more limited in ability

as a personal preference, I'd go with the Savage, but any good make that fits him well will probably be just fine

cheers and Good Luck to you guys!
 
Tayhot why are you wasting time asking a question like this? I know you well enough to know your son could be fine using a .600 Nitro, because the fact of the matter is he'll never get to fire a shot anyway. You guys will be sneaking along some ridge and the buck of a lifetime will step out in the open and Daddy's gonna be letting lead fly so fast your boy won't know what happened. The advice you should be asking for is "How do you break it to your son that you accidentally filled his tag for him?" :)
 
Put a muzzle brake on a bigger caliber, say 270 or 270 short mag. Or any thing else.

i own a 7mm-08 and a 338 Win mag with a break. The 338 kicks less!!! But it is loud... Always ware ear protection with muzz brake...
 
A brake is a great way to give a kid a head start toward permanent hearing damage...I flat out refuse to take anyone hunting that has one of them obnoxious things on their rifle

been blown out by a hunter one time, and NEVER again!
 
I started my kids with a remington youth model 243 it works great they've taken antelope and javelina with it.When they got elk tags I took my old 30-06 and put a muzzle brake on,cut the stock down and put a decellerator pad on.They really like the 30-06 lots more range and knock down but still kicks like a 243.Just gotta make sure they wear ear protection.I have never had a 7mm-08 but have buddy's that do and there kids have killed elk and oryx with it.Good luck.
 
A good friend of mine bought his son a weatherby 7-08 and has killed two bulls an antelope a deer and an Oryx with the rifle. A great priced gun that comes with two stocks one for now and one for when he is a little older and needs to move up to the adult version. This will still leave you with enough cash to buy good optics which is more important than rifle selection in my opinion. Best of luck with what ever you choose.
 
+1 elk! Take a look at the howa combo in 7mm-08. Great accurate rifle a d with 2 stocks he can use it for a lifetime. Put a leupold on it and let him start shooting. Since you are reloading I'd say the 120gr ttsx Barnes would be great for a reduced load bullet on deer and elk. The 120 nosler ballistic tip would be good on deer and antelope. I'd load it with some imr4895 imr4064 or rl15.
 
My kids killed a lot of animals including elk and oryx with a model 7 youth 7mm08. This with a 40 grain bullet.

The elk and oryx were all one shot kills.

Strongly recommenced DO NOT get a muzzle brake.

I have hearing damage and the last thing I want is my son and wife to get it also.

Zach was shooting my 300 win mag at 11 years old and he is not a big kid.

Start with a youth rifle so the stock feels right, always carry a bog pod or get them on packs to shoot. A .260, .243, or 7mmO8 will all do the job. I liked the 7mm08 if you are gonna be hunting elk or oryx.
 
The 7mm08 is a fine caliber.But you should consider the 308 also,started my kids with a remington youth mod 700 with composite stock,its short and lite and can handle elk. If you load it down it wont kick much more than a 243. My daughter now 24 still caries that sweet little gun.
 
>Put a muzzle brake on a
>bigger caliber, say 270 or
>270 short mag. Or any
>thing else.
>
>i own a 7mm-08 and a
>338 Win mag with a
>break. The 338 kicks less!!!
>But it is loud... Always
>ware ear protection with muzz
>brake...


That is the best advice given!! MUZZLE BREAK!!!
 
I'm in the same boat as Tayhot. Need a rifle for my 10 yo girl who is a pipsqueak at ~55lbs and short. I'm having difficulty finding a youth model with a short enough trigger pull length and that is light enough for her. I've pretty much decided she'll have to be shooting off a foreend rest, but still need her to be able to shoulder it and reach the trigger while looking through the scope. Any recommendations on a specific rifle models? Thanks.
 
7-08 is a great round for low recoil and decent knockdown with premium 140 grain bullets for the bigger critters like elk and oryx. It'll out-perform the 308.

Get whichever rifle fits the kid well.

Don't get carried away with powerful optics on a youth gun...good quality, but lower power is better, IMHO.

Check out the recoil pads, but a brake can be just as bad for creating flinching habits as a gun that recoils hard.

Ammunition is harder to find than the 308 or 243, but if you're reloading, that shouldn't be an issue.
 
I find lots of opinions about caliber. I'd really love to hear from people about specific rifles for a smaller body. Talking with Tayhot (as our kids will be hunting together if they get drawn), I've pretty much come to the conclusion that, regardless of which gun is chosen, the kids are going to have to use a forend rest to steady the shot so barrel length and weight can be worked around to an extent. However, if the length of pull is too long, then they'll have a hard time shouldering the rifle while keeping their head in a good position and still reaching the trigger. I've tried the "go the store and see what fits" but even the local Cabelas and Bass Pro don't have much in the youth models. By online search, I've come across the Weatherby Vanguard, the Savage youth with acutrigger, the ruger m77 hawkeye compact, Tikka T3 lite, the Howa youth 2-n-1, and the Winchester model 70 featherweight compact. I ruled out the remington 700 SPS compact due to its 7.5 lb weight. I read too many bad reviews of the Rossi to keep it in the mix. Any suggestions from anyone who has used these rifles?
 
LAST EDITED ON Mar-31-11 AT 06:17PM (MST)[p]My daughters are 5'4" and right around 5 foot, and the youth model .243 savage with accutrigger fit them darn near perfectly.

I can measure it if you want.

I add a 1.5 - 2" thick slip on butt pad, and love to carry that lighter gun around for coyotes.



NMYB

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teach your kids to hunt now, and you won't have to hunt for them later.
 
When my son was 10, he dropped his first elk, a cow, in Valle Vidal With 1 shot of .243.

A couple years later when he drew oryx, he started shooting 3006 with light loads, and put in the full strength for the hunt.

He shot over 200 rounds practice in each rifle before hunting with it, and always shot from sitting with shooting sticks or prone, never off the bench.

I have a couple rem 700 cutoff stocks short and LA if you need them.
 
I started both my boys out with a 243..both at age 8. I got a good deal on it is the only reason I choose the caliber, plus the fact that it was a youth model.

When we first started practicing they both had a bad flinch at some point...

I set up video camera, on them while they practice, and loaded with empty case. That taught them so much! At age 12&15, they can hit a dinner plat just about every shot at 400 yards! Squeezing the trigger without a flinch is the ticket to shooting a rifle!

Either caliber would be good choice, but would realy think about youth model. Don't buy a kicker whatever you do.
 
.270 WSM Tikka with a muzzle break from Score High in Albq. Affordable, very accurate, kill anything, low recoil.

The 2nd bit of advice for a kid is to get a stoney point rapid pivot in both the prone & kneeling sizes.

3rd bit of advice is to get a couple pairs of electronic ear muffs.

Congrat's and good luck! I wish I was starting over again with my boys at that age... this is my oldest sons last year as a youth & I will sincerely miss hunting with them both as kids!

"Windage & Elevation Pilgrim, Windage & Elevation"
 
Model 7 in 243 or 25-06 or 257 they all work good and the shortness of the model 7 is a dream rifle for a young hunter.
Find one and have them check it out for weight and lift and you will see.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
 
I bought my 12 yr old boy the Weatherby Vanguard youth .7-08 in 2010 for his first deer hunt ever. I also bought him a Ruger .243 compact when he turned 3 yrs old. Of course I had to break in the .243 for him on several hunts. I found the .7-08 to be a little kicker with 139 gr bullets because of the cut down youth stock and how an adult has to shoulder it. I took both guns to the range and after shooting both he said the Ruger kicked harder and was louder. I think it kicked harder and was louder due to the shorter barrel length. But when it came to the hunt he picked the Ruger because of the size and he could shot it better. He had a 1/2" group out of the Ruger at 100 yds and about a 1-1/2" group out of the .7-08. He carried the Ruger for his deer hunt that we didn't even see a buck (Unit 34 youth hunt with 1250 other hunts during the hunt). Bad hunt for youth.

But then I bought him a management BBSheep hunt and started shooting both guns all over again. But this time I loaded Barnes TSX bullets. I loaded 120 gr bullets for the .7-08 and 85 gr bullets for the .243. With these new bullets it reduced the recoil a ton. This hunt he picked the .7-08 and dropped a ewe at 225 yds with one shot. Both guns are good youth guns but loaded with the Barnes TSX bullets these guns are great. Now I want to get him a .25-06 for the Ibex hunt he is going to draw this year (keeping my fingers crossed).

If you are around Las Cruces give me a call and I would gladly let you guys shoot both guns to figure out which one would work for you guys.
 
Hey tayhot, You've seen me in person and keep shooting me down and giving away my size. You know I'm a small man. 4'9" tall and 98 lbs. I shoot a 460 wby mag and don't even feel the recoil. get him one of those your racist mormon, indian hating, sob!

On a serious note! You've seen my wife. She's 5 foot tall and 115lbs. When we went on that navajo hunt we stopped in at sportsmans warehouse in abq. We bought her a tikka t3 lite chambered in 300 wsm. I definitely feel recoil on it but my wife shoots if all day long with no problems. You can feel free to bring the kid down and shoot it anytime. If however you want my opinion then buy him a .222 remington. I hunted with that gun from the age of 9 until I was 14. I killed decent sized mule deer with it every year. One shot kills through the heart and even through the shoulder. Under 300 yards a 222 and 223 will kill a muley every time. Now if you want an elk I would step up to a 243 or .25-05! just my two cents.
 
Yeah, I should probably tone down the name calling. Sometimes picking on you is a fun thing to do though.

I like the .243 alot. In AZ, we would sit on top of a point during the javelina season and see who could should one the furthest away using the same rifle. So, three guys guys on top of the point and you each got one shot, then had to pass the rifle after your shot. Pigs scattering in every direction 400-600 yards out. What a fun way to hunt a stupid animal. I'm sure the ethics police will love this.

Does the Tikka lite have a short stock on it?
 
You must have already undergone the mormon brain sucking ritual im guessing?


MY WIFE IS 5 FEET TALL! do you think the t3 lite has a short stock?


Now whats this about you backing off the name calling? I don't think we can be friends any more if you do that!


Hey did you get that landscaper lined out in carlsbad? let me know and if not I will call around and see if i can help.
 
Name calling really isnt my style. Every now and then is fine, but I need to change it up now. I figured is should contribute more to MM so I have decided that I will be giving out my honey hole GPS coordinates. Thats what everyone wants anyways right.... "i got drawn for for unit 16d bull and looking for some pointers, not honey holes"

Think i just hijacked my own thread.
 
So you did already go through the mormon brain sucking ceramony then!

I have a honey hole! and I wipe it daily! anyone want the coordinates to mine?
 
yes, the mormon brain sucking ceremony has allready taken place. it only hurt for a few days.

Can it bee seen using google earth?
 
It's kind of tuff to suggest a brand when they're all so comparable performance wise, but I understand your situation about not being able to find them in person. I guess the thing to do is try what you can find, get the details of the length-of-pull, and see what the others make as far as shorter or longer to suit your needs.

I have a buddy whose kid loves the Ruger, and another who bought a Howa that came with both youth and adult sized stocks, and they both love them...and yes both are chambered in 7-08.

Another option is like what I did with my .300 WSM: add an adjustable stock like the Blackhawk Knoxx Axiom. This stock is adjustable to not only fit different shooters, but can be tweaked for different shooting positions or heavy clothing, etc. I believe it adjusts length-of-pull from 11.25" to 15.25". It also featured a system that absorbs recoil. The only negative I have is that I think it might be a bit on the heavy side for a youth rifle, but the adjutable fit and recoil erduction might more than make up for that. It also looks very different...I think it looks really cool, but some may prefer a more traditiopnal style.

Howa offers versions of their rifles with this stock already on it, although I'm not certain as to what calibers are available. They even have combos with scope and all.
 
Tayhot, buy the Savage in .243. Load up the 100 gr Serra Game Kings by the 100?s and 100?s and turn the kid loose!
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-02-11 AT 02:59PM (MST)[p]whats the deal with some of you and breaks!!! they are awesome. you don't hear it when you are shooting at a critter and that one shot won't do much damage to your ears. practice with muffs on!! i love my 300 win mag with a break. puttin one on my 6.5x300 saum a.i. too.
 
My son has both.
The .243 SPS is his Coyote rifle, the 7-08 M-70 is his deer rifle.
He loves them both.
No recoil worth mentioning out of either.
He shoots them both extremely well having killed six blacktail bucks, two muleys & two antelope with the 7-08, a slew of coyotes & a bobcat with the .243.
Those calibers a great.

He shoots factory Fusions in 140 gr out of the 7-08 & 80 gr Federals out of the .243.

Either makes a superb youth rifle in my opinion.

HH
 
Hey all:

I inherited a couple of boxes of .243 BRASS. I hated to throw them away and will give them to any reloaders out there.

Just shoot me a PM.

Carl
 
>LAST EDITED ON Apr-02-11
>AT 02:59?PM (MST)

>
>whats the deal with some of
>you and breaks!!! they
>are awesome. you don't
>hear it when you are
>shooting at a critter and
>that one shot won't do
>much damage to your ears.
> practice with muffs on!!
> i love my 300
>win mag with a break.
> puttin one on my
>6.5x300 saum a.i. too.


Ditch that brake before it is to late. Shoot that thing a couple times a year without hearing protection and you will regret it. Anyone with you that is not way behind you or covering their ears will get punished also.
A gunsmith can remove it for you.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-04-11 AT 08:10PM (MST)[p]I don't think them guys can HEAR ya, Paul ;)

If shooters can't master the round they're shooting without a stupid brake, they should lose the machismo a step it down a notch or two

My good bud's 12 yr old daughter has been shooting a 7-08 Ackley Improved since she started on big game when she was 10, and she's always handled that hot little round without any problems...has killed 3 bears, one big bull, and 3 muley bucks with it so far; ALL one shot kills at ranges out to just over 300

2394mbb.jpg


This is her buck from last October...her rig is a Remi 700 action in 7-08 AI with a 22" Gaillard barrel on a Wildcat Composites stock, topped with a Leupy 2.5-8x36 in Talley Lightweight rings, shooting the Hornady GMX 139 gr @ about 3100 fps...rifle weighs in at just about 6.5 with 3 in the mag

So what's up Tayhot, you guys decided yet?
 
Greatwest,

I think im sold on the 7mm-08 after more research today. I like the better bullet choice compared to the .243. Now just need to find a small rifle someone is selling because their kid grew up. HINT HINT people
 
That's what I'm thinking too. I like the availability of a heavier bullet and with remington making some managed recoil in that caliber, it should be easy to have the kids at the bench for a couple of hours and then use a real load on the hunt. I made it to Bass Pro last Saturday with my girl and was able to try out the savage, the Weatherby Vanguard, the model 700 youth, and a tikka t3 lite. I liked that the model 700 had a wood stock but the others were a bit lighter. The tikka was light but longer. I think I'm leaning towards the vanguard. I had briefly toyed with the idea of getting a regular sized gun and then picking up a youth stock, but then I figured that my girl isn't ever likely to be anything but tiny so I think I'll stick with the youth size. Right now I am leaning towards the Vanguard followed by the Savage.
 

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