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My daughter, who is 9 now, can't wait to go hunting with me. I am going to take her deer hunting with me next year to show her the ropes. She has shot my .22 Marlin and is a very good shot and I've taught her about gun safety yada yada.
I need to buy a rifle in a caliber suited for deer yet a small enough stock for a 12 year old to shoot. She's a couple years out before she can hunt but I want her to be comfortable with her rifle before that time. I shot my first rifle two weeks before my first deer hunt and I was nervous as hell. There's a word for this but I can't remember it [crazy].
Anywho, I'm looking for suggestions on rifles-Makes, models, caliber, etc. and something that isn't going to be too expensive. If I could keep it under $400 I'd be happy.
Edit: Overzealous is the word I was looking for.
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I would look into one of the NEF single shots in 243 . That would be a great first gun and very suitable for deer with very little recoil. I have seen them on ksl quite often for 250-300$ with scope.
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I got a brand new Remington model 715 Youth Model in .243 at Cabelas and bought a 4x12 scope for it for about $400 (out the door) for my daughter this fall. The Youth model has a shorter (20" barrel) than the regular 24". Also it has a shorter length of pull to the trigger. There is another model is called a 770 Youth in .243 that comes with a factory installed Bushnell 3x9 scope Neither gun is "pretty" since they are black synthethic stocks, but its a Remington and its accurate! I was going through the same decision a few months ago as you are right now.
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I had the same issue this summer with my 12 year old. I wanted something that he wouldn't be afraid of shooting as well. Although, I wanted something that he could hunt deer and elk with. I just didn't think that a .243 would be enough gun for the elk. I ended up choosing a .270. He is not a big kid, but he had been shooting 3" duck loads out of his 20 gauge and the recoil isn't that different than with the .270. I didn't want to spend a lot of money and ended up with the Rem 770. Yes, it isn't really pretty. I wasn't too impressed with the smoothness of the bolt either. But once you work it a few times and get used to action, I had no issues. It does shoot straight. He ended up taking his first deer at 280 yards. One shot through the vitals. He was, and still is, stoked about the whole experience. You can scroll down and see my post on our buck/bull combo hunt. There is nothing better than seeing your son or daughter take their first big game animal. Whatever you choose, good luck!
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I would echo what BearLakeFishGuy recommends. The youth model is designed with a stock that accommodates the little ones and .243 is about as painless as they get (22-250 could be fun as well). Buying Remington is a good way to keep costs moderate without buying a piece of crap. Good luck.
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I was worried about the same thing with my 12 year old daughter earlier this year.
I contemplated getting a youth model, but after spending lots of time fitting at different stores we ended up finding her a Remington 700 ADL in .243. It was just a touch large for her in the spring but by time hunting season came around it was just about right. She shot it all summer long and was extremely comfortable with the recoil, and she is a bean pole. She loves the gun and I will not have to buy a new gun when she gets older because it will fit her as an adult.
Here is some pics of her shooting it early this summer.
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Speak of the devil (Reminton Model 770 youth). Cabelas has it RIGHT NOW on sale for $319.00 with the scope included. Thats a screaming deal. Just saw it in the last Cabelas paper that came on 12/4.
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Nice, I better check it out. From what I've read this is the best rifle for the money and highly recommended from coast to coast.
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Well I might be a couple days late but here is my 2 cents. Me and my buddy are going though the same issues with 4 dif boys with shotguns and rifles. 243's are a great gun but I seen someone say 22-250. Great choice as they are just bout flat shooting as they come with NO kick almost. (my buddies has a lot of bark though just no bite.) What I was shocked to see Or not see really was a little depth about the .223. that would be the one I would highly consider for a couple reasons.
1 hardly no kick
2 CHEAP CHEAP and easy to find (most of the time) which means more shooting in the off season to get the young one ready.
3 Fairly GUN to buy and made by almost all companies. ( I to like remington)
4 easy to fix and maintain or have fixed and maintained.
Also couple other things I seen was the talk of youth size and synthetic stocks. I personally believe bad choice. If you kid can shoot adl let them. That way the gun stays theirs for ever and get lots of use and also the weight the come with it will kick down the kick a bit, So will the bigger barrel. Also the same reason I dont like the synth stock for a child. the weight will help take some the *bite* away from the childs first big dog.
One last note for whatever it matters. I would consider single shot to begin with. Make them learn the first shot counts rule, Plus they are most of the time more accurate.
Hope that helps a lil bit.
Thanks
Hal
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