What is the best cal rifle for a youngster to deer hunt with?

Question

I have a encore rifle and want to buy my son ( 10 years old ) a barrel . Shots less than 100 yards . THANKS

Answer 1

.223 or 243 awesome rounds and doesn't kick like the 30 06 or 30 30.

Answer 2

I started out with a 22 and a 410...(interchangable barrels) and I was just fine. But it all depends on how big he is also. When I was that age, I was into sports so I had some muscle, which helps. If he's a frailer build, you might want to try something a little bit softer...  :)

Answer 3

first check your state game laws

used to be around here that a .24 / 6 mm bullet was minimum for deer and other big game

I would recommend a .243 (or smaller if legal in your area) - some macho types think if you can't handle a 30/06 when you are 6 months old then you are a sissy but I would rather start with minimum legal and work your way up

and I know some very skilled marksmen that prefer a .243 or even an old .250 Savage since it will do the job and doesn't slam you too hard (arthritis in your shoulder will make those guys look smart)

need to be careful with length of pull - I seriously doubt that a 10 year old can get a grown up's gun up properly - get him something that kicks in a gun that doesn't fit and you will just about guarantee that he will never hunt

Answer 4

I'd go with the .243 myself I've raised three boys and all took there first several deer with this cal. I hand load myself and the New England Arms .243 we have likes 58gr. hornady hollow-points loaded a little hot but the recoil is still light. Topped with good glass a.243 can be a tack driver. Just what your son needs.

Answer 5

Remington offers their model 799 "Mini-Mauser" in 7.62x39, the cheapest center-fire cartridge. This round has minimal recoil and ample power for such ranges.

BTW, kudos for passing on the timeless art of hunting to the young ones.

Answer 6

I got my Winchester Model 94 .30-30 when I was a shrimpy little 12 year-old, and I could handle the recoil. For shots less than 150 yards or so, it's a great deer round. I learned to shoot with open sights, so the .30-30 was good for me. If you want to start your son out with a gun that he will grow into, and has a little more range, I'd go with a .243.Get one with a decent scope, and he will be good for at least 200 yards in the future. The .30-30 is better for short shots, especially through brush, and the .243 is better for long, clean shots, but the smaller bullet makes shot placement even more important.

Answer 7

I would go with a .270 but if he can handle a .30-06 that is a better deer calibre. the .270 doesn't have as much recoil though.

Answer 8

.243 in a Remington Model 7

Answer 9

.22

Answer 10

Above guy said it. CHECK LOCAL LAWS.

In NYS, you can't use .223. IDK if you can use anything under .30, but I could be wrong.

30-30 is a good choice, especially cuz the bullets tend to be cheaper than many  other comparable sizes. The kick is nice. Rewarding, but not shoulder-breaking.

Other cheap deer-killers are the older military rounds, 8mm, 30-06, .303..

Out of the old mil bunch, 6.5x55 Swedish is my favorite. It can be gotten rather cheap (in mil-surplus form), and is a nice round for a beginner deer slayer. I'd like to say it's less kick than a 30-30, but I've only used the round in a million-pound m96. So, it's hard to make a fair comparison. Kick is hard to measure when a gun is heavy.

Ten is young, but only you can decide if the boy can handle a deer round.

Answer 11

I personally think an 30-06 is a bit much for a ten year old, Id go with a 270

Answer 12

A .270 or 30-30 should do perfectly fine. All of these calibres have a moderate recoil, and are perfectly capable to take a deer. A 30-06 might be a bit powerful for a 10 year old, but will still work. I would stay away from the .243 though, it is perfectly capable of taking a deer, but it is a tad small for a beginner.

Answer 13

.243 or .223

Answer 14

.243, thompson centerfire .30, .300 savage

.300 savage and t/c 30 are almost the same round. t/c is a little smaller. neither gives a large kick. and are 30 caliber.

.243 does not kick alot, either.

Answer 15

not sure about all states but New Mexico has a law that it must be a .24 cal or bigger. My son shots his moms .243. That is a good round for deer if Under 200 yards. I prefer a .270 but I think that is to big for a 10 year old. I bow hunt so a rifle does me no good. But have seen many deer taken quickly with a .243. Just my 2 cents

Answer 16

I would get a .270 or .30-06 barrel.   Remington makes managed recoil ammo which kicks a lot less.   If you handload you could duplicate these.    In a couple of years he can move on to the full power stuff.

My son killed his first deer with a .30-06 at 8 years old.

Answer 17

At one time in my life, I worked in a sporting goods store. The question of what caliber to chose is probably the most asked question I encountered.

To begin with, the 30-06 is probably in my opinion the most versitile caliber in the hunting world. Look at the major ammo builders, and you will see rounds that can take african game. I do love my ought 6. and I own 2, one bolt, and one auto. I shot deer and elk with the caliber.

Lets keep in mind though that the 308 was a round developed to be a replacement for the ought 6, as that the "US 30 cal" was too hard to control in fully auto fire.

When the .308 was developed, the case became known as the most efficient 30 cal. This is not to say that it is more powerful than the ought 6, only that it takes less powder to push the same weight bullet 100 fps. The reason the 308 is so successful is that it is only about 200 fps slower than the ought 6, but has a very significant drop in recoil.

Due to the great success of the round, it has a ton of different rounds available. I own a custom 700 bolt, and an auto loading AR 10 T by Armalite.

I have used 190 grain Cor-Bon that push match grade bullets out to 2700fps. I also have 110 grain rounds that go 3300 fps.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that if recoil is an issue, I would get a .308, and use Tachtical low recoil rounds.

Then as your son grows, he can begin to take game at longer distance. The lower price of surpluss ammo will also help with keeping the cost of developing marksmanship skills at the range down.

Good luck.

Answer 18

I'd say that either a .243 Win or .30-30 WCF would be the best choice for a youngster's first deer rifle.

Doc

Answer 19

Do the kid a favor and stay away from marginal calibers like 243. He won't have the patience to wait for a shot with the little fellas that he could take with something more normal.

I'm not a TC guy, so I don't know what's available, but something like 6.5x55 or 7mm08 would have adequate power and mild recoil.

Answer 20

While a 30/30 would be good enought for deer at 100 yards, why not give him some versatility and get a 7mm/08.  It has lots better trajectory and more capable just in case of longer ranges.  It is a relatively mild kicker, and a very accurate round.  With lighter bullets it will work for varmints as well.

Answer 21

You're going to want something with a light recoil and bullets designed for deer hunting like a .243 or maybe a .30-30. (I think I'd go with the .243 personally since its got plenty of energy and a lighter recoil.)

Avoid the .223. It can kill deer, but the bullets aren't really intended to do that. Most of them are designed for varmint hunting and tend to not penetrate deeply enough to reach vitals, especially if you have to shoot through a major bone. As a result shot placement has to be perfect to use a .223.

Avoid the .30-06, .308, 270 or anything with the word magnum in it. The recoil will be unpleasant and your son will probably develop a flinch when he practices shooting the gun prior to going hunting. That could cause him to blow a shot or make a bad shot on his deer.

Answer 22

As long as the rifle fits him it he can manage recoil much better than a bad fit rifle.

I would recommend 243 for the first deer. PLUS now you have a super varmint barrel. 85-100 grain bullet for the deer hunt then 58-65 grain bullets for Coyote or what have you. After several years you can get him a personal rifle and you still have the 243 plus whatever calibers you may already own.

Answer 23

The .243 would be right on the money.... The recoil would not be objectionable for a 10 year old... The .270 would probably be a little much for a youth that age. The .223 isnt legal in most areas for deer so avoid... Also avoid the 7MM, .308 or 30-06. The recoil would be to much.......

Consider a Mossberg 100-ATR Bantom in .243. This is a youth model with a scope included... The stock can be adjusted as the fellow grows up.......

http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_...

Mossberg 100-ATR....

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default...

Specs page.... The youth models are near the bottom of the list.......

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default...

.243 Cartridge guide.... Although this page is generaly more for competition target info the info is still quite valuable....

http://www.6mmbr.com/243Win.html

Deer cartridge info at Chuckhawks...

http://www.chuckhawks.com/factory_loads_...