First hunting rifle for my son

[Kimerazor]

I agree with many here that a .243 is a rifle that he can use for years. It has more energy than a .223. My 1st deer rifle was a 250-3000 Savage. Then a bolt .257 Roberts. Bought a Model 94 30-30 when I was 14. Had to split 3 pickup loads of wood for that $50. Still a great rifle.

 

[Freedom]

Maybe look thru a magazine or shotgun news when he's around. Tell him you were considering getting a new rifle for yourself, see what he likes. The tell him whatever he likes sucks (to throw him off). Then buy him that. Maybe get his opinion?

Must be how people from Westminster think (Carroll County gangsta here)! We were looking through American Rifleman together after dinner tonight. I should have thrown in a few "that one sucks"....

 

[offroaD]

remington 770 maybe? Or if you want to step it up the rem 700 is a good rifle.

 

[boss66tcode]

I think this is a good idea.

If you can get a good gun cheaper that's used I think that's better then a cheap new gun.

It's an item hopefully he'll hold onto for years if not his entire life. So I think quality has a potential over price.

However it might be something he only uses a few times and never touches again....it's really hit or miss.

+1 on this

 

[atimesublime]

check out the Savage Edge/Axis series .. they sell them at Walmart on the super cheap. Nice light, well built rifles.

 

[Screwtop.243]

OMG!!....The last thing you want to get him is a .243.!!

 

[WSM]

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/centerfireBoltAction/XS7.asp

Marlin XS7 in 7mm-08. Very little recoil form a 6.5lb gun and it's a bit smaller for small framed shooters. They are very economical and a great bang for the buck.

 

[BlackBart]

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/centerfireBoltAction/XS7.asp

Marlin XS7 in 7mm-08. Very little recoil form a 6.5lb gun and it's a bit smaller for small framed shooters. They are very economical and a great bang for the buck.

Another great over looked cartridge. Face it, compared to the 7/08, .243 and even the 308 the old 30/30 is obsolete.

 

[WSM]

Another great over looked cartridge. Face it, compared to the 7/08, .243 and even the 308 the old 30/30 is obsolete.

The guns chambered in .30-30 are far from obsolete and with the newer, quality loads available it's still a viable cartridge out to 200 yards.

 

[boule]

the old 30/30 is obsolete.

Yeah, but you still get it at any backcountry sports good store if you forgot to bring your ammo.

@OP: you may want to look into the Handi-Rifle by NEF. Neat little single-shot gun that comes in many calibers!

http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/youth.asp

 

[jmiller320]

7mm.08 I wouldn't recomend any rifle with an exposed hammer to start out with. I helped carry out the results of a 12 year old with a hammer gun on his first hunting trip. The poor preacher didn't have a chance on his first hunt. The kid tripped on a brush pile and shot the preacher through the heart.

 

[BlackBart]

The guns chambered in .30-30 are far from obsolete and with the newer, quality loads available it's still a viable cartridge out to 200 yards.

It's "ok" but there are MANY better, newer cartridges. Remember this is for a 12 year old, better rounds with more accuracy and ballistics. Step outside of the John Wayne box for a minute and look at the data. The kid in question may outgrow the older round, not many 30-30 shooters that are serious target people so why not get something more versatile to begin with?

The older round does fine within it's parameters but there are better alternatives for the same money. Both the 243 and 7/08 and if he's a big kid able to handle it....the 308.

 

[Kinbote]

Yeah, no doubt a .308 is a better round than a 30-30, and a .243 is flatter shooting, but a lever action Winchester has an appeal that a factory bolt action does not. If the kid does want to start target shooting, he's not going to be satisfied with an inexpensive bolt rifle in .243 for very long, and he'll be upgrading to a better bolt anyway, or an AR.

A lever action you can use for driving deer your whole life. Although I don't know if they drive deer down here, seems they are more for baiting and shooting them from trees with shotguns, but maybe they drive them where the kid is going to hunt.

 

[SRD]

7mm.08 I wouldn't recomend any rifle with an exposed hammer to start out with. I helped carry out the results of a 12 year old with a hammer gun on his first hunting trip. The poor preacher didn't have a chance on his first hunt. The kid tripped on a brush pile and shot the preacher through the heart.

Sorry you had to see/deal with that.But people are killed every year with Bolt guns,single shots,Muzzle-loaders,etc.A lever,revolver,single-shot with a hammer is as safe as anything else.(User can be factor with anything deadly)

 

[BlackBart]

7mm.08 I wouldn't recomend any rifle with an exposed hammer to start out with. I helped carry out the results of a 12 year old with a hammer gun on his first hunting trip. The poor preacher didn't have a chance on his first hunt. The kid tripped on a brush pile and shot the preacher through the heart.

So why are you blaming the cartridge? Was he 8 miles away?

 

[SRD]

T/C Contender or whatever they call it now.Pick a caliber and shoot,if he doesn't like it you can sell the barrel and try another (used or new).









But I'll stand by my original post,but add .243 as an option.

Depending on budget and use for his 1st year hunting,10/22 or a Lever-action 30-30.

 

[Sirex]

Maybe get him an AK-47. Millions of youth in 3rd world countries have learned to......., uh, hunt with them.

 

[xtreme43s10]

my question is where to you plan on hunting? Most of MD is shotgun only. If you have a place to hunt where you can use a rifle I would go with a .243 or .308 depending on your son. Something else to think about it maybe a combo shotgun with a rifled slug barrel, and smooth bore barrel. It would open up the hunting options if you two ever go bird hunting, or just to shoot clays.

 

[Blue Falcon]

My son turns 12 in few days and I'll be taking him to the hunter safety class. My wife suggested getting him a rifle, as a gift (see why I married her?).

What do you recommend as a good, not too pricey, starter rifle? Something with an optic would be perfect. He knows how to operate and shoot bolt actions, repeaters and semi-autos.

I appreciate the advice!

Gun Connection has a nice little Remington 770 in .243 for sale.

 

[BlackBart]

my question is where to you plan on hunting? Most of MD is shotgun only. If you have a place to hunt where you can use a rifle I would go with a .243 or .308 depending on your son. Something else to think about it maybe a combo shotgun with a rifled slug barrel, and smooth bore barrel. It would open up the hunting options if you two ever go bird hunting, or just to shoot clays.

That's an interesting claim that many seem to think is true. With the western rifle counties and eastern rifle counties combined I bet there are MORE rifle acres for deer than shotgun.

The Chesapeake Forest Lands are most of the former land holdings of the Chesapeake Forest Products Company, comprised of 238 parcels totaling more than 58,000 acres in five lower Eastern Shore counties

This isn't including the WMA's, State Forest and Demo forest that have been around forever. Green Ridge has some 46,000 acres alone. Remember, this is ALL deer country...I doubt the non rifle counties even approach these numbers.

Here's the real kicker.....lower shore is UNDER hunted anymore.