Which caliber for my son.

[baddave]

If he's going to grow up to be a man buy him a 6.5 Creedmoor. 243s and 7mm08 are for 6 year olds. You don't want him to get picked on in school do you?

dang boy

 

[Humboldthero]

I just ordered a mossberg patriot youth in .243 for my daughter. Shes 6. Its the lightest kids deer rifle with the shortest length of pull (12")

 

[stringmusic]

I went by academy today at lunch and looked at a Ruger American .243, and Mossberg patriot walnut stock with a 3x9x40 scope and a sweet lil compact savage axis. All of them would be a nice lil gun for an 8 year old to shoot as their first gun. I’ll buy him something real nice when he’s older.

Not sure what I’m gonna go with as far as gun but it sounds like most folks agree that the caliber needs to be a .243 or 7mm-08

 

[COYOTE X]

Delacroix is on to it.........
I built a 16' flat-top 223 AR-15 w/ full floated tube that reached the tip of the barrel (no worry of propping on barrel), with a collapsible stock for my oldest when he turned six. Nikon 2x10x50 and loaded some 62 grain trophy-bonded bear claws.
Minimal recoil, accurate, lightweight and most important, small enough for him to shoot.
We practiced all summer (I have a range at home) and he loved it.
Opening day he got his first, a double main-beamed nine pointer at 90 yards.

Note: I loaded the rifle with one round out of a 5 round mag, and kept a second mag loaded and ready.......just in case ol' buck fever made a visit.

Best of luck!
COYOTE X

 

[stringmusic]

If you’re just buying a budget gun, then get him a 30/30. Don’t worry about a scope or anything else. He’s 9 and will be hunting with you anyways. More than likely have a rest. And I’m hoping he’s already got a BB gun or pellet gun so he should be used to regular sights.
After he gets a few under his belt and decides that’s what he likes, then go buy something he can hunt with the rest of his life.
Bought my son the gun/caliber of his choice when he turned 18 or 19 and he picked a Ruger American LH in 7mm’08. He swears by that gun and caliber. He’s taken a limit every year with it.

Yea, he’s got a BB gun and has shot my .22 a few times but I need to get more serious with him so me and him both have confidence when a deer steps out.

 

[stringmusic]

Delacroix is on to it.........
I built a 16' flat-top 223 AR-15 w/ full floated tube that reached the tip of the barrel (no worry of propping on barrel), with a collapsible stock for my oldest when he turned six. Nikon 2x10x50 and loaded some 62 grain trophy-bonded bear claws.
Minimal recoil, accurate, lightweight and most important, small enough for him to shoot.
We practiced all summer (I have a range at home) and he loved it.
Opening day he got his first, a double main-beamed nine pointer at 90 yards.

Note: I loaded the rifle with one round out of a 5 round mag, and kept a second mag loaded and ready.......just in case ol' buck fever made a visit.

Best of luck!
COYOTE X

I thought about this too but I really want him to get use to shooting a regular rifle platform.

 

[Tadder]

7mm08 Rem has some nice ones. Got one for my wife many yrs ago both kids been through it . Both Bow hunt all season know. 7mmo8 has been a awesome firearm.

 

[Mark K]

If he's going to grow up to be a man buy him a 6.5 Creedmoor. 243s and 7mm08 are for 6 year olds. You don't want him to get picked on in school do you?

Yeah, pick the caliber of the year...for now.
I bet the OP of this post has a Buck Commander hat and the latest camo pattern.

 

[4HAND]

My son killed his 1st deer @ 8 years old with my 308. Limbsaver recoil pad & managed recoil ammo. That Christmas he got his own.

 

[glynr329]

If it was my choice 6.5 creed or 7mm-08. 243 is also a good youth gun.

 

[biggdogg]

You can't go wrong with either caliber. My son has used a Savage .243 since he was 8 (he's 17 now) and has killed a pile of deer from 40 yards out to 200. My 12 year old daughter, who's 90 lbs soaking wet, has used an NEF NEF 7mm-08 for the last 4 years and she loves it. The only real issue to take into consideration is the .243 amm will be cheaper and easier to find.

 

[stringmusic]

My son killed his 1st deer @ 8 years old with my 308. Limbsaver recoil pad & managed recoil ammo. That Christmas he got his own.

Yea but he’s like 7 ft tall now, he was probably almost 6ft when he was 8.

 

[4HAND]

Yea but he’s like 7 ft tall now, he was probably almost 6ft when he was 8.

Not quite ??

 

[BeefMaster]

Dad started me at 8 years old, and 5 other kids, on a Parker Hale 22-250 topped with a 3-9x40 Bushnell.

 

[oops1]

I bought my son a savage youth model 7-08 and now my daughter pews it. Once she’s done.. I’ll take it over. Great caliber/combo

 

[baddave]

Yeah, pick the caliber of the year...for now.
I bet the OP of this post has a Buck Commander hat and the latest camo pattern.

dude - he was being sarcastic - a little southern humor

 

[Mark K]

So was I...
Unless he really has a Buck Commander hat!

 

[4HAND]

I put quite a bit of thought into it when my son was little. I didn't want a caliber with too much recoil, but I wanted a caliber big enough to maximize recovery if he made a bad shot. I can't think of anything worse than a kid hitting his/her 1st deer, but not being able to recover it.
308 worked well. I'm not familiar with these new calibers.

 

[Mark K]

Just an FYI...put ear muffs on the kid boy or girl and they can shoot a 300RUM and laugh about it. They never notice the recoil...it’s the LOUD BOOM that’s scares them. Same when shooting a shotgun.

 

[transfixer]

For someone his age I would want a break open single shot like the H&R someone mentioned, or a bolt action in either .243 or 7mm-08, either one is more than capable of putting any deer down , and with various bullet choices have minimal recoil. I wouldn't want an AR for a beginning hunter for a couple of reasons, one being the .223/5.56 round is very minimal for deer, requiring precise shot placement for human kills, two,,, a youngster needs to learn to make the first shot count, with an AR it would be too tempting to keep pulling the trigger.