Youth model rifle

Brian Rippelmeyer

Brian Rippelmeyer

Well-known member
Question for the rifle hunters: I am taking Jed on a cow elk hunt next year and was wondering what would be a good caliber,and brand to buy him. Any help would be appreciated,thanks Brian
 
Hey Brian
7mm-08 is a great round.The best two guns I've had in this caliber were Remington Model 7 and a Kimber Montana.They would both fit your kids needs.

I took a bull moose with the Kimber. Bullet was a 140gr Nosler Partition
 
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My Dad bought a couple of the Savage Axis youth combos in 7mm-08 for my nephews and they seem to shoot pretty well. Not sure if the 08 would be big enough for elk or not, probably depend on how far you are shooting. They put a hurtin' on a deer though.
 
I will second the 7/08 in a model 7. For a youth sized rifle you cant really go too far wrong with that. You could even find one in 308 and get some reduced loads or make them yourself. However, your son may not need those. It really depends on him and how he purceives recoil.

The other options are a Browning youth rifle that comes with a second adult sized stock for when he grows up.

Then there are the Ruger compact rifles. You could look for an older Ruger ultra light rifle. They can be rather whippy for off hand shooting. My 3006 feels like a little .22 when I am in the field. That may not be a joy to shoot for a youth without reduced power loads.
 
A model seven is an excellent weapon. You might also consider an AR10 with adjustable stock on it. 175gr hunk of lead in match grade ammo is very deadly.
 
Question for the rifle hunters: I am taking Jed on a cow elk hunt next year and was wondering what would be a good caliber,and brand to buy him. Any help would be appreciated,thanks Brian
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I'd get a savage 11 youth in .308 and not look back. I loooooove the 7mm-08 and have killed a pile fo deer with it (mostly with 120 grain barnes TSX, but a few with 140 grain accubonds). The .308 gives you the ability to step up to much heavier bullets (or shoot nearly the same as the 7mm-08), but recoil only increases a bit over the 7mm-08. I'm sure the 7mm-08 would be fine, but I'd like something heavier in the hands of a kid in case the shot wasn't perfect. I'm not worried about Bob threading a bullet perfectly, but a kid... well....

There are reduced recoil loads for the .308 to practice with as well, so that woudl make it even easier. The recoil on my 7mm-08 is very sharp and it does get to me towards the end of a session (I'm a PUSSY shooting a rifle and it is a light rifle). I can shoot my 35 Whelen better longer which generates a lot more recoil, but it is much less sharp. My .308 is a dream to shoot, but it weighs 10 pounds, so there is no comparison there. If you were closer I'd loan you the 7mm-08 for a test...

T
 
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yes, 7mm-08, shot bear ,moose, and lots of deer, all my buddy's have them now, very nice to shoot, mine is a winchester model 70 feather weight. scott
 
Thanks for the responces guys,i am trying to round one up for christmas and put it under the tree, Ive heard good things about the savage rifles,any thoughts on the .270 winchester round?
 
I shot a Savage 110E in .270 for years, rifle was made in the late 80's. It was a tack driver. And I hear the newer ones are even better, especially the triggers.
Mine liked 140 grain Federal Premiums.
I only shot deer with it, none ever went more then 50 yards and most piled up where they stood.
Now I shoot a 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser made in 1917, still in full military condition. It is SWEET!!!!
 
I bought my 16 year old son a Ruger in 243 2 years ago for Christmas. He loves the gun and shoots the Xs out of the target at 100 yards.
 
Thanks for the responces guys,i am trying to round one up for christmas and put it under the tree, Ive heard good things about the savage rifles,any thoughts on the .270 winchester round?
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I'd be real surprised if you are going to find a youth model in .270, since it is a long action and youth models are most often short actions based on the .308, like .243, 7mm-08 or .308.

You need to consider is he full-size? I was thinking he wasn't, but he could be by now. If he is not full size a youth model would be a big asset. Is he recoil adverse? If yes, the 7mm-08 and .308 have an edge (7mm-o8 a large edge) over the .270.
 
Yep, given how tall his is already, and that he has a year to grow, I would go ahead with a full size rifle he can use the rest of his life.
I liked my .270, but if I had a choice I would get a 7mm-08. But then I don't hunt elk. A 308 might be better choice and recoil difference is not that great.
 
He is a good sized boy,I am leaning towards adult sized rifle,he is 5'7" tall and 125 lbs, and the hunt is not until next fall
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Well, there you go, that opens up a whole lot of options! Wow, he has grown. If he can handle a slug gun, then the world is his oyster. .270, 30/06 etc...
 
He is a good sized boy,I am leaning towards adult sized rifle,he is 5'7" tall and 125 lbs, and the hunt is not until next fall
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Well, there you go, that opens up a whole lot of options! Wow, he has grown. If he can handle a slug gun, then the world is his oyster. .270, 30/06 etc...
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WOW ! even T can't handle a slug gun hahahahaha
 
He is a good sized boy,I am leaning towards adult sized rifle,he is 5'7" tall and 125 lbs, and the hunt is not until next fall
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Well, there you go, that opens up a whole lot of options! Wow, he has grown. If he can handle a slug gun, then the world is his oyster. .270, 30/06 etc...
Click to expand...
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WOW ! even T can't handle a slug gun hahahahaha
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You aren't kidding!
 
My vote goes to the .270, Jack O'Conner wasn't wrong. I have had mine since 1980 and have made a whole lot more one shot kills than otherwise. Whatever you get make him shoot it a lot before the hunt. You just can't beat confidence. Good luck and have fun.
 
Brian,

I hunted with a youth model 7mm-08 rem. model seven for about 10 years. I'm 5'8" 135lbs. Here are some of my thoughts on the rifle and the round.

The rifle fit me well. I'm not much bigger than your son so I imagine he would find the rifle to be a good fit too. The rifle is very light weight. This is probably a good thing for your son if he hasn't developed any man muscles yet. It was also a good shooter, very accurate. The gun kicked like a full sized 30.06. The rifle is so light that it just can't help but kick. If you shot a 7mm-08 out of a full size rifle I imagine it would be mild. Overall I found it to be a really nice rifle. I don't think you could go wrong with it but I suspect it will have a short service life. Your son will grow up and decide he wants a different gun. I got rid of mine because I wanted a heavier rifle. I didn't like the recoil. If I'm going to endure recoil like that I decided I'd might as well have a 30.06 or a .270. I still prefer the shorter stocks though.

You can always buy another stock and shorten it to fit your boy. When he grows put the original back on or buy another one. You can pick up a nice stock for $100 for any gun in the world from http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/

Another thing. 7mm-08 is a great bullet, but... It is not very popular. You will never find a box of ammo for less than $28 or so. And you won't find alot of options either. I reload so this wasn't an issue for me. Keep in mind you can find 30.06, .270, .308 anywhere any day of the week and often times you can pick up a box of Rem. Cor-Lokts for around $15. And if you get a .308 you can buy FMJ military stuff for less than $15 a box which will make it easier to give your boy more trigger time.
 
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