Best youth gun?


Recommended Posts

Depends on the kid some I think. My oldest was shooting when she was about 7. She was shooting the ml'er with a downcharged load, and also shooting a .243 at that age. Laws from state to state vary, here it used to be a .24 min caliber and in the past 5 years they changed it to be any centerfire for deer. That means a .22 caliber centerfire is legal for deer, however I personally think the .22's are a little too light especially for a youth where shot placement may not always be great.

My wife shoots a savage model 10 in .243, that was what my oldest daughter ended up killing her first deer with at age 9. She got her own rifle for Christmas that year, a browning a bolt microhunter in .243. There are several youth model rifles out there, see what fits your budget and what you think your kid will like, really don't think you could go wrong with any of the top names lines of youth guns.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My kids took their first at 8 yrs old with a 20ga with a laser level I had taped under the barrel to assist with their shot placement. Now they shoot a .243 youth model, but I wanted a 7mm-08, but they were out when I bought it last year. I got the kids a Rossi youth trifecta (.243/.22/20ga combo) for about 300 bucks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought my son the Handi-Rifle in .243. I ordered an extra stock and had the original cut down to 11" LOP. Mounted a 3-9x40 Leupold on it. He has not done real well with it so far. I was suprised that it has a little bit more recoil than I would have anticipated. He is (7) and weighs 62 lbs. He is also shooting a Charles Daly youth 20ga. I cannot say enough good stuff about the CD, it is a fantastic youth gun. The .243 has not seen a lot of use to be honest, I have just noticed that he has trouble holding the rifle steady enough to be "accurate". the 20ga has been a lot more fun for him and an upgrade from his .410. He has actually become quite deadly with the 20ga. In VA we do a lot of dog hunting and shotguns with Buckshot and quite prevelant. So far this year he has rolled (1) doe and (1) turkey. I have really backed off the rifle with him and gone back to the .22 and .17. He shoots the .22 fantastic, and has really excelled with the shotgun rabbit season will be a blast for him. So with all that said my best advice would be to be cautious and not push him into a gun that is too much for your child. .243 was too soon too quick for my boy. I have also found my boy loves a good squirrel hunt way more than a deer hunt. Kid's love to shoot!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I bought my 9 year old the Rossi Youth Trifecta for Christmas. .22, 20 Gage and 7mm-08 (<---Didnt even know they offered it in the 7mm-08, but found it at a gun show.)

Overall, I think its a great first gun for a youth. the .22 is a tack driver at 50 yards. The 7mm-08 is ok. Not too bad for a cheap gun, accuracy is good enough that I know my son will have no problem getting his first deer. Recoil not too bad. He loves shooting it and hes pretty small for a 9 year old. 20 gage is another story. Made the mistake of letting him shoot a 3 inch shell first. Knocked the bejesus out of him. Even when I shot it, I was a little suprised at the recoil and my buddy swears he heard me say "Ouch". The good news is that after the giant yellow bruise healed on my sons shoulder, he says hes ready to shoot it again. What a trooper!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.