Life long rifle for teen

I think its a fine idea as long as you go into it with the expectation that its a stop gap solution that's only going to be useful for a few years. Sell it and move on. Many of us just went to a full size rifle right off the bat, including myself, but I started late shooting rifles and I was 6 feet tall when I was 15. When I used to volunteer at sight in days at the local range I saw a lot of 100 lb 4'8" kids trying to shoot the full size 30-06 that dad bought them and it was rarely a positive outcome.

 

Have a nephew in law (?) who got started deer hunting at our farm about 10 years ago. His grandfather wanted him to have a "proper" deer rifle, so bought him a 30-06. Has instilled within him a permanent flinch. Another started last year. His father in law did same.......loaned him a 30-06 from gun safe. He is a big kid and can handle recoil, but doesn't like it. Shoots one or two rounds to confirm zero and then sucks it up in the field.

Not a fan of "big boy" guns for boys and girls who are not.

 

BTW, first "big bore" gun I ever fired was my uncle's 243. Was at my grandmother's house and uncle drops by and don't recall how the conversation went, but for some reason, he thought I needed to shoot his rifle. Fills up an old Lasso can......(5 gallon metal herbicide can) with water, sets it on a stump 50 feet away, hands me his rifle and has me plug it. Aimed for the little red dot in lower case a of Lasso and let fire. Can jumped 5 feet in the air, water flew everywhere and can split wide open. Mostly blown out flat. I was 1 inch low of the a.

I was about 12. What that one shot taught me was gun was 10X louder than anything I'd ever shot......recoil didn't amount to much.......damage on the receiving end was devastating. That instilled within me a profound respect for what happens with a high powered bullet hits a target. Big bore rifles are no joke. And that was just a 243.

 

243Win/6mmCM are no slouches. Certainty powerful enough for deer, and if he ever decides he wants something different he can keep the speedy 6mm's for coyote, pronghorn, ground hogs etc...

Or rebarrel an old favorite into something he'd rather use very easily. The .473 bolt face will all but ensure he'll have an option no matter if he wants to go small and fast or big and slow.

 

This is my thoughts as well. Buy a good 243 WIN in a youth stock, short LOP; utilize this for the kids hunting rifle. Then when each kid gets old enough for a longer LOP and can handle more recoil then discuss and buy/build their desired hunting rifle they leave home with.

There is always room in the stable for a 243 WIN restocked to an adult rifle to put in use for a ranch, varmint, predator roll. And this could be put back into the youth stock if a young hunter presents themselves and needs a rifle.

 

I'd hesitate to buy an actual youth model. I'd get a normal model and an extra factory take off stock and cut the extra down and add a nice recoil pad.

More options that way, and probably cheaper.

 

Lots of chassis’ are available which adapt for length of pull and comb height.

There’s also this from Manners - it’s adjustable to fit about 7yr old child clear up to an adult.

 

I know its just me and my personal preference, but I have a hang-up on fielding a chassis gun for hunting. But that would be a splendid option for those who don't have that hang-up.

 

I do have to agree. There are a few stocks that have adjustable length of pulls with spacers that can help a youth as they grow.

 

My first experience shooting a centerfire rifle was a 30-06 that belonged to my friends grandpa. He was sighting it in while I was there for the weekend duck hunting and let all the kids just take a single prone shot in the yard for fun. By this time I'd shot hundreds of 12ga 3" magnum duck loads and thousands of trap loads so I was not expecting much. Boy was I surprised when that gun rocked me pretty good. I remember standing up and trying to act like everything was normal as my ears were ringing and i was a bit dazed. I was glad I only had to shoot it once. Now it would be no big deal, I could shoot it all day. Glad I didn't have to sit and learn to shoot with that as a beginner though.

 

It is somewhat of a dilemma.


At 12, my son was wanting a "deer" rifle.
I found a '96 Mauser in 7x57. I loaded for my 7 mag, so dies was all I needed.
I cut the old wood stock to fit him and ordered a synthetic stock, for when he grew up. He was so excited to get that purty stock and be done with the military stock.

At 46, that 7x57 is his most used rifle.

My buddy wanted a rifle for his 12 yo. We found a Ruger 77 MkII .280, at a gun show.
He loads 7mag, so a set of dies had him set.

After shooting the .280, he sold his 7mag and bought another .280