youth deer rifle

[skin_dog1]

OK guys, I need some help. My 8 y/o is wanting to deer hunt but she is terribly recoil shy. We tried to get here ready for turkeys this year, but her 20ga pump with light loads kicked her too hard. Any recomendations? It needs to be available in something at $450 or less and compact (she's real smallm only 50 lbs!!). Someone recomended the .25WSSM but I can't find a youth rifle for it. I'm open to anything larger than .22.

[DBELL]

The youth model 770 Remington .243 may be a little heavy but the recoil is not bad at all. The price is right and comes with a scope. You might be able to make it work with a bi-pod. If you are going to be in Murray anytime soon let Nutcase know, my son's rifle is in his gun safe. Take a look at it and if you want to shoot it let me or Danny know. I bought it this year for my son.

[12 pointer]

Skinner,
Go to Uncle Lee's and get a youth model .243 single shot. Sweet shooting guns and ALL is needed to kill a good deer.

[redlickranch]

My son began with a .243 single shot h&r under $200 and it came with .20 ga barrel also. I put a tasco 3x9 and he was good to go. He used it up to age 15 and then I got him a .270.

[Hoot]

My daughters use the Rossi .243 single shot. My middle daughter is about the size of yours at 60lbs and she does not mind the recoil. The rifle in my opion does more jumping than kicking. I have not had any issues with the Rossi yet and the design is pretty basic so I do not see any issues in the future. I have not check but I think you can get the reduced recoil ammo for the 243 as well which should help even more.

[Auk1124]

Like they said, a .243 single shot would be the way to go in my opinion.
H & R is a great choice, but a Rossi would work too. Not too expensive, very little recoil, and should zap any deer she will find. Get her one of those and she could hunt with it for years to come.

[skin_dog1]

:DThanks guys, looks like I'll go with the .243, now just got to decide on the rifle and scope. Looks like I get to go gun shopping, I haven't done that in a while!!!:D I'll check out the rossi, H&R and remington. I will probably go with a bot gun for the slightly added weight and even less recoil. She isn't very "tough". Now my youngest daugnter, she's not as big as a minute either but is tougher than nails. I can see her wanting a .300 win mag at the age of 6! lol

[LittleJohn]

Skin_Dog take a look at the 243 Rossi package from Wal-mart,you can get different barells.

[steelslinger]

Have her shoot alot of .22lr to teach proper shooting technique.

Don't over expose her to the deer rifle (I agree with a .243 youth model).

Keep her off the bench and at close range. Off hand shooting will help with recoil allowing her to rock back instead of taking the full force like she would from a bench. Save the bench for the .22lr. You can do the bench work for sighting in and testing ammo for groups.

My 9 year old boy is very small for his age and even youth models are on the long side for him. Last year he used a .410 with slugs to get his first deer (button buck). This year he will be shooting my AR-15 with 60gr nosler partition handloads.

Though I wouldn't recommend a .223 for most ppl for deer, my son has become a very good shot with the AR-15 and he will be shooting a bullet that is designed for penitration, not some varmit bullet. Off handed he can group 5 shoots in 3" @ 50 yards (I know grown men who can't do that).

Hope that helps.

[GSP]

Ditto.

Find a .243, 6mm, 7mm-08 or even .25-06. Don't let her shoot it, but find another smilier in .22 version and let her wear it out. Come game day, let her pack the big gun, she'll never even remember it going off.


Proven formula;)

[rabbit16v]

try the Rossi Trifecta. 20 ga., .243 and .22. Adjustable stock and single shot. And perfect for a smaller framed kid. Looking at it for my sister who has absolutely no arm strength.

[Jarhead]

I got my cousin a Rem 700 youth black syn. in .243. He shot it for 7 yrs. adjusted the trigger down to 3 lbs and it is a tack driver.

[SmokeyBear]

:DThanks guys, looks like I'll go with the .243, now just got to decide on the rifle and scope. Looks like I get to go gun shopping, I haven't done that in a while!!!:D I'll check out the rossi, H&R and remington. I will probably go with a bot gun for the slightly added weight and even less recoil. She isn't very "tough". Now my youngest daugnter, she's not as big as a minute either but is tougher than nails. I can see her wanting a .300 win mag at the age of 6! lol


My wife is a very small framed woman and I had to get her a youth model rifle to hunt with. I originally bought the Remington 770 youth 243 because of the lower price and the fact that it came with a decent scope already mounted on it. I also liked the removable clip. The gun shot great and had a good trigger pull but the bolt action was absolutely horrible. The bolt was very stuborn and almost impossible for my wife to work by herself (my 9 year old nephew also shot it and had a really hard time with the bolt also). I traded it in on a Remington 700 youth model 243 because of the crappy cheap made bolt action design that the 770 had. I would not recommend the Rem 770 to anyone myself because of the poorly designed cheap bolt action they have. Now the Rem 700 youth 243 is a wonderful rifle. I have no complaints at all with it. It costs more than the 770 but their is no comparison in the quality of these two guns, they are like night and day.

[dutchboy]

My daughters use the Rossi .243 single shot. My middle daughter is about the size of yours at 60lbs and she does not mind the recoil. The rifle in my opion does more jumping than kicking. I have not had any issues with the Rossi yet and the design is pretty basic so I do not see any issues in the future. I have not check but I think you can get the reduced recoil ammo for the 243 as well which should help even more.
Just bought the rossi trifecta(243,20ga,.22) at Dicks sportinggoods for my 8 year old daughter, for 219 bones plus tax, and it is well worth the money.Comes with the weaver scope base already on the 243 barrel,and comes with a soft case,and recoil pad on gunstock.Also the stock is green,they claim they have the exclusive on that, for whatever that's worth.

[rascaldog]

I would look for a good deal in a Remington 700. Lots of used guns out there. If it is not a youth model just cut the stiock to fit her and put on a good recoil pad. In a few years when needed Remington 700 stocks are everywhere and you can change it back. You cant go wrong with a 700. I agree with the 243. Great cartridge. I would suggest getting her some good hearing protectors, especially before you let her shoot the 243. A lot of times it is more the muzzle blast than the recoil that intimidates a young shooter.

[Remington12]

When I bought a New England 243 for my boys I was also able to get online and buy an adult stock for the gun as well. I enjoy shooting it now.

[Marko]

I bought a NEF 7mm08 for my daughter this summer. She is also very recoil shy, but putting a small Limbsaver recoil pad (slip-on) made this gun kick no more than a .223. Cost $240 without the scope.

[JoshuaS.]

Why don't one of you nice guys let them come over and shoot your .243 single shot to see if it ok before he buys one. The recoil depends on the kid. I mean my 6 year old would shoot My 12 ga and his 11 year old brother wined about it kicking to hard and wouldn't shoot it. Just depends on the kid. The .44 mag single shot dosen't kick and will get the job done. I know it will not shoot as far but if the kid is shy or the recoil it dosen't matter if the 243 will shot farther.

[tex]

What about .22-250/ OR 220 swift. Both will kill every deer that every walked. Very little recoil in a heavy gun, but then eye relief becomes a problem. My youngest had a problem because the noise and blast of a short barrelled, light weight rifle. A heavier gun with a longer barrel eliminated the recoil aversion. 4 inch groups from a hasty sitting or prone at 150 yards now and getting better every time. I bet he'll be under 2 inches off the bench.