Deer rifle for 12 year old

30-06 too big in my opinion. I was in same boat and purchased a 6.5x55 swede for my son going on 5 years ago and now that is my primary deer round. Low recoil.

My 9yo girl shoots a 7-08 regularly. To be fair it is a heavy target rifle. And an M-4 is a tad brutal for her as she is a bean pole. I think your on the right track with the handi. There are low recoil loads in various calibers available OTC as well.* Managed recoil to be more term precise.

Handi-rifles are very safe, inexpensive, lightweight, and accurate enough to do the job. The break action doesn't lend itself all that well to consistent accuracy, but the one I had shot pretty well. Plenty accurate enough for hunting, just don't expect them to be comparable to a bolt action. A single shot is probably the best platform to learn on.

.243 is a fine caliber to start with.

I like both the 243 and the 7-08.

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243 is a good choice along with the 30-30, 300 savage, 35 Rem. Really any mild recoiling cartridge sufficient for taking deer would be a good choice. You could also try a 308 win with reduced recoil loads.

I would encourage a full sized or youth stocked rifle. Above calibers are good. I would rather not train or give an "inexpensive" rile.

ericuda said:

30-06 too big in my opinion. I was in same boat and purchased a 6.5x55 swede for my son going on 5 years ago and now that is my primary deer round. Low recoil.

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Oooh...forgot about the Swede. Good call, sir. Good call.

For a 12 year old I would suggest a .243 for deer. Carefully introduce her to the rifle, let her learn on light loads. Be sure to have quality hearing and eye protection. Once she is able to put 5 of 5 rounds into a 9" paper plate at whatever range you anticipate a clean shot, she is good to go.

I was gonna suggest the .260 Remington but ericuda covered it with the swede

How about a 44 or 45 levergun?

7mm-08, the .243 is what it is...the 7mm-08 can be loaded up in time to take almost anything in North America...the .243 never will.

Tikka t3x compact in 243, 12.5" length of pull at 6.5lbs and a 1" spacer as the 12yr old gets bigger.

Or t3x light in caliber of choice, 6.5x55, 260, 243, 7mm. . .and so on. I am currently trying to avoid buying a tikka rifle, i dont need one but i want one

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I would lean towards a 30-30 lever gun with a carbine length barrel. I really love the 6.5 swede round but you would need to find something smaller than the original rifle.....

The .243 would definitely be my first choice. It's a dandy caliber on deer when using the right bullet. There are plenty of options for "compact" or "youth" model guns in .243. Ammo is plentiful and relatively inexpensive.

You might also want to look into .257 Roberts, though you will have to find a used rifle as I don't think there are any factory models offered in that caliber right now.

If you reload and are willing to look into slightly "overlooked" calibers, you can get into some really cool calibers that are great for young shooters. Most of those "older" calibers were very mild recoiling.

Olympus said:

The .243 would definitely be my first choice. It's a dandy caliber on deer when using the right bullet. There are plenty of options for "compact" or "youth" model guns in .243. Ammo is plentiful and relatively inexpensive.

You might also want to look into .257 Roberts, though you will have to find a used rifle as I don't think there are any factory models offered in that caliber right now.

If you reload and are willing to look into slightly "overlooked" calibers, you can get into some really cool calibers that are great for young shooters. Most of those "older" calibers were very mild recoiling.

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I've seen a lot of people trailing deer shot with a 243 or 6mm. If you have the wrong bullet that tiny hole plugs up fast and there's little blood to follow. 6.5 and up is what I recommend. there is absolutely nothing wrong with an 1894 30-30 either.

when my son was 12 years old i got him a 20ga pump with a slug barrel
it was a bit much for him so i let him shoot my muzzle loader with a 240gr
bullet with 50g of pyrodex nice lite load when we went hunting i put 80g
of powder in it ( it was sighted in at 75 yards with that load ) worked out well
he got a nice doe

Is .223 legal for deer in your state? Look for a compact model CVA Hunter at Bud's. Get someone to load some Nosler 60 gr. partitions for a deadly deer round.

The 243 is the standard for youth rifles. Obviously, the combined weapon weight and energy matter. A good source of information is Chuck Hawks. Try the following:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

223 is legal in Alabama. I'm not an expert, I would suggest against it for a youngster.

BobTheTomato said:

So I will be closing on my own land in Alabama and my 12 year old daughter wants to go hunting with me. I will need a rifle for her as I think 30-06 might be a little big for her. What would most recommend? Would something like a handi rifle in 243 or another caliber be a good idea?

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I think the main attraction of the Handi Rifle is the economy and the fact they make a youth model. I don't think it's a bad idea. As for the cartridge, as I understand it, the only restriction on deer hunting cartridges in Alabama is that it must be a centerfire cartridge. With that in mind, the Handi Rifle could be chambered in:

223 Remington
22-250 Remington
243 Winchester.

All of those cartridges are of low recoil and are adequate. I think the recoil timid might not like 7mm/08, 30/30 Winchester, etc.

Despite those that will say to the contrary, the 223 and 22-250 with the right bullets are quite adequate for deer.

I also will put in a recommendation for .243 as a first rifle caliber. Low in recoil and flat shooting. Definitely puts the deer down fast!

Get her a 7mm-08 if you are a reloader or know one. Youth load data is available on Hodgdon's website using H4895. H4895 and a 120gr bullet will be very easy on the shoulder and yet very deadly on deer. Especially the smaller deer we have in Alabama. Then as she gets older and able to shoot "stiffer" loads then its as simple as adding more powder.

IMO a 7mm-08 can be a .243 and then some. A .243 can only be a .243

100 grain 243 or 140 swede virtually same recoil. Either one is good. I tend to go outside the norm. Let us know what you decide.

Just an FYI concerning the .243 Handi-rifles.

There is a problem with the lock-up, the guns tend to "jam" keeping the guns from breaking open easily, for whatever reason, the .243's are the only caliber I have ever heard of that has this particular problem.