Youth deer rifle suggestions

[mikewd1983]

Hello all! My son is 11 and has started to take an interest in deer hunting with me. I've used a 450 bushmaster for the past 3 years and love it with great success. The rifle is a bit long for him and he's not a big fan of the kick. Im looking for something he can grow into. Any suggestions on a decent rifle and caliber? I was thinking 350 legend or .243. Also, something that wouldn't break the bank as he will eventually grow out of it. Thanks in advance and hope you are all doing well!!

 

[Dinny]

The 350 Legend gets rave reviews from all the youth hunters I know. Shop around, there are a bunch of them out there for reasonable prices. Factory ammo seems abundant. If you reload look no further than Fury Bullets.

 

[mikewd1983]

The 350 Legend gets rave reviews from all the youth hunters I know. Shop around, there are a bunch of them out there for reasonable prices. Factory ammo seems abundant. If you reload look no further than Fury Bullets.

Appreciate it. I'd love to get into reloading but I lack the work space...

 

[Dinny]

I started reloading on a Black & Decker workmate bench with a piece of plywood screwed to the top and 1/4 round trim around 3 sides to keep stuff from rolling off.

 

[yetti462]

243 and use it for life .. coyotes, deer you name it, best rifle for Indiana.

 

[ECS686]

A 350 Legend would be a great choice however a 243 could do double duty as he gets older if it’s a possibility he gets into varmint hunting. 243 is a great round for coyotes and will get a lot of range over the 350 for coyotes
And it would be something you could also use in that role.

So if I had a youngster starting out it would be hard to pass up running a 243

Good luck and teach them right and make some memories with whatever caliber you decide

 

[gassprint1]

With alot of rifles, there are quite a lot of aftermarket stocks for them. Some shorter than stock ones. Look at what rifle you might want, then see if there is a stock for it. Reason i answered this way is because when my daughter was 11, i got a marlin 22 to teach her. The stock was too long and i found an ATI skeleton type that fit her perfectly. I still have that same setup 9 years later. It only took a year after the marlin for her to start shooting her AR15 i built for her.

 

[BlueDrew2]

I will be the one to echo the 350 legend. Ammo is prevalent (much like your 450), length of pull adjustable as you can either go youth, adult, or adjustable (with AR platform*which I would recommend with your request to adapt to him growing*). Will accomplish most ranges in the midwest and will cover a number of different species while being able to stay within the constraints of the midwest straight wall requirements.

Hope this helps,

-Drew

 

[Mij]

243 and use it for life .. coyotes, deer you name it, best rifle for Indiana.

A 350 Legend would be a great choice however a 243 could do double duty as he gets older if it’s a possibility he gets into varmint hunting. 243 is a great round for coyotes and will get a lot of range over the 350 for coyotes
And it would be something you could also use in that role.

So if I had a youngster starting out it would be hard to pass up running a 243

Good luck and teach them right and make some memories with whatever caliber you decide

If I may make a suggestion? The .243 NEF/H&R Handi-Rifle. And as suggested up thread, for life. The stock is already short, you can make it shorter if needed. You can always replace it with original or aftermarket when the need arises.

The caliber is widely available, will kill anything in most states. Mild recoil, single shot=economical, will except optics, great training rifle for young sports. Known for it accuracy.

A big plus is your young man can with good maintenance pass it on to his young sportsman. And even further generations. Can’t say that with many of today’s latest and greatest.

That’s it for me, good luck.

 

[Tradesylver]

.243 gets my vote

 

[Mgderf]

.243 Winchester would be a more versatile cartridge than the .350 Legend.
The .350 might hit a little harder, but the .243 can be up or down loaded for many different applications.

 

[ISP 5353]

Look at the CVA Scout. We have one in 350 and it is remarkably accurate with a great trigger.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

It was discontinued 5 years ago but I bought all the boys a CZ527 Youth in .30RS. Maybe you can find one?

Little girl got a Howa 1500 in 6.5Gren.

 

[greg]

I get a caliber that legal on private and public land for deer….

 

[ironjaw77]

He'll never grow out of a .44 mag rifle. Legal on private and public land.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Although I am a fan of the .243, I'm a bigger fan of the .44 mag. Both my kids have shot multiple deer with one.
And don't buy ugly damn guns. Buy something to keep and actually be proud of.

 

[MrSmitty]

I've never owned one, but the .243 is the one almost all my customers say that will do it all.....I do like the .350 legend, but, again, No experience with it...so this helps not one bit....

 

[dak109]

AR15 with adjustable stock would be my first choice for your requirements. Different uppers will allow for different uses.
Lever gun in a deer legal caliber comes in second. Many deer legal calibers for use in on private and public ground. Usually have a little shorter LoP allowing for long term use. Light and handy. The cool factor should have it at number 1, but the AR platform is just versatile.
243 bolt gun comes in third. Versatile caliber for Indiana. Stocks can be changed to allow for growth.
Not really a bad choice. Just depends on what his likes are. I do recommend trying out as many as possible before picking one.

Edit to add:
Budget May play a role. Lever guns are currently expensive.
A quality bolt gun can be expensive, but doesn’t have to be.
AR’s seem to be affordable for now.
Ammo availability and cost should be considered as well.

 

[Michigan Slim]

A quality bolt gun with a youth stock can be had for around 400.00. Full size stock can be had later when he hits 6'. Lol. The Mossberg Patriot is a darn fine gun, for example.

 

[duanewade]

I'd go with a lever gun in either .357 or .44. Both work great on deer and can be loaded with light loads