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stickbow
07-21-2007, 10:47 PM
Well my son turns 10 this sept.and wants to go hunting with dad,he has been shooting a bow since he was 3 and shoots very well,problem is to bowhunt he needs to be able to draw 40#in his draw length.I don't see this happening for another year or two,so he needs a rifle.He is 85# on a good day,what caliber would you guys recommend he start with.We'll be hunting deer this fall and possibly bear next spring.Any info would be great.Thanks J

Derek_Erickson
07-21-2007, 10:53 PM
A 22-250 shouldnt be bad kill anything he'd need to kill with it, recoil is minor

Steeleco
07-21-2007, 10:57 PM
I got my son a Tikka T3 in 7-08, but he was shooting a 30-30 prior to that,
Some of the rifles I thought about were 257 Roberts, 260 Rem, 243/6mm Rem
Lots of good kid size calibres out there, it's much easier if your reload also, then you can consider 308, 30.06 and down load them.

My son is now 11, the one thing I have trouble with is the length of his arms, he has no trouble with the recoil from the guns he's fired thus far, but he most definitely needs a firm rest as he can't shoulder the stock 100% yet, I don't want to cut the stock down as they grow so damn fast, I'll be needing another stock before I know it!!

stickbow
07-21-2007, 11:26 PM
Thanks Derek,never thought of that cal.Steeleco did your son handle the 30-30 ok,recoil and overall size?

moose hunter
07-21-2007, 11:38 PM
ill sell you my model 70 30-06 for 550 bucks:D

todbartell
07-22-2007, 08:28 AM
if you shoot factory ammo, I'd suggest the 243 Win or 30-30 Win

if you handload, the 260 & 7mm-08 are the two best choices

as far as guns go, something short and compact that fits him is very important. Remington Model Seven youth is an excellent model, WillyQBC has one for his son and I think they really like it. Another good model is the Ruger M77 compact, the one with the 16.5" barrel. Both of these rifles have short stocks and are built light. I believe Marlin makes a youth sized 30-30 but I may be wrong on that, if he prefers lever action it may be an option.

243 has pretty mild recoil, and there are a few real good options for hunting bullets in it, such as the Federal 85 grain Triple Shock load, and the Federal 100 grain Nosler Partition load. 30-30 has low recoil but is more limited in range than a 243 or similar, but for a new hunter that isnt too much of a problem, as they probably should keep their shots to moderate ranges of 150 yards and closer anyways.

If you handload, the 260 and 7mm-08 are better options because you can load a heavier bullet, but load it to a slower velocity to reduce recoil. A 100 grain Nosler Partition in the 260 @ 2800 fps kicks no more than any 243 or 30-30 load, and a 120 grain 7mm-08 load @ 2700 fps would do the same. An advantage of these two is you can load his ammo up with a heavier bullet and high velocity when he is bigger in a few years, to something like a 130-140 grain bullet @ 2800 fps.

stickbow
07-22-2007, 09:28 AM
Thanks guys,since I don't hand load I'll look into the 243 or 30-30

Steeleco
07-22-2007, 09:35 AM
Stickbow, my son shot the 30-30 reasonably well but as I reload and it was a seldom fired gun I only had stout loads, he didn't like it too well!!

Now I have fun loads for the range, and firm loads for hunting, he doesnt shoot those for practice. I do!!

moose hunter
07-22-2007, 04:07 PM
What about 308??? it has a good selection of factory ammo aswell,light recoil and can drop a moose alot better then a 243.

todbartell
07-22-2007, 06:15 PM
30% more recoil from a 243 to a 308

moose hunter
07-22-2007, 06:49 PM
throw a big recoil pad on there and you would not notice

Derek_Erickson
07-22-2007, 06:54 PM
take the 22-250

kennyg826
07-22-2007, 08:02 PM
My son was ten last year and he my mom's browning 308 lever. On the bench his accuracy is excellent and he doesn't mind the recoil. However, with bullwinkle staring him in the eye, we're not sure how good his accuracy will be, but as with most hunters, when the time comes to take an animal nobody remembers the recoil unless the scope tattoos you.

Seth
07-22-2007, 08:29 PM
My dad bought me a Ruger M77 Compact when I was ten in .243. I can't say enough good things about it. Still my favorite rifle. Lightwieght, making it easy to pack around, and easy on the recoil. I believe the compact is also available in 7-08 and .308 but I'm a firm believer in the .243.

willyqbc
07-22-2007, 08:55 PM
I bought a model 7 youth in 260 for my little guy. He is about 60#'s and is quite easily able to handle a 90% load. This is also a calibre that will grow nicely with a young shooter I think.

Chris

The Dawg
07-22-2007, 08:57 PM
Another vote for the 243....mild recoil, easy to find ammo, etc

stickbow
07-22-2007, 09:59 PM
wow thanks for all the replies,I guess I'll just have to take him out shopping and see what fits

Steeleco
07-22-2007, 10:13 PM
Go see Rodger at Hub's, they have a line of the Savage packages that should be good for a young man to practice with and learn how to look after. Under $500 scoped ready to go IIRC

Fisher-Dude
07-23-2007, 10:05 AM
If you see a 250-3000 Savage around, it would be a great starter gun for him. The 100 grain bullet is flat shooting and recoil is low. I killed my first deer with one, bang flop. I weighed about 90 - 100 lbs at the time.

You might come across one in a Savage model 99 for a pretty reasonable price, and cutting down the stock to fit him won't be a big deal on a cheap gun. The lever action is simple and the feed is fairly smooth for excited hunters. 8)

MRP
07-23-2007, 04:28 PM
My boy is 10 small for his age. I got him M77 Ruger compact S/L in 308, he loves to shoot it, 20 rounds or more at outing if I will let him.

http://www.huntingmag.com/guns_loads/rugers_compact/index.html

http://www.centerfirecentral.com/productreviews/rugercompact.htm

coyotejoe
09-11-2007, 11:27 AM
i would highly recomend a 243 or 270. the best deal i've seen around is at Italian Sporting goods on 1st and renfrew..either one is sold with a scope in a box....its savage made....hell of a good deal and sized for youth too...

270WIN
09-11-2007, 11:30 AM
what about an 6.5 x 55 i find mine has very little recoil.

Paulyman
09-11-2007, 11:37 AM
A 270 would be good for a starter gun as it has little recoil

Vanguard
09-23-2007, 11:41 PM
a 308 would be perfect,its nice and small but with a 30cal bullet and is qualified for everything in b.c.,recoil isn't bad,i've moved onto a 7mm Rem. Mag now that im 15,but i started off witha .303,that was a good calibre too,but it might be a bit of a kick for your son since he's just starting witha rifle,and the accuracy isn't nearly what the 308 is,i'd say the .308 is perfect.