Help on first gun for son

[beagletrainer]

My son just started hunting last year he`s 13 and i bot him a 410 single to hunt rabbits and squrrels with he did real good with it on rabbits ahead of the dogs last year he killed 6. Now he wants to hunt deer and wants a rifle i just don`t know what kind to get him that has the power to nock them down and not him any suggestions.

[Catfish]

A good Rifle for him would be a 243. A lot grown Men and First time hunters us that gun. Trust me it will knock the Deer down and not him. Hope this Helps.

Catfish:

[bluecollar beagler]

definitely a 243.... recoil is hardly anything too . it makes a great starter gun but dont under estimate it either... you can load it small and predator hunt with it or load it heavier and hunt deer with it with no problems....

[cburchett77]

Look at a 25-06. A friend on mine has got one and it seams to be a sweet shooting little gun. Has a lot of distance. He has got me to wanting one. I think it would make a good gun for a teenager.

[bluemouse]

walley world has a mossburg T100 in a 270, built in recoil system, becareful if you buy one the young fellow might never get to use it, its a nail drive for 250.00 bucks

[Cutemloose]

I started out with a 243 it kicked just as much as my 30-06 he will never feel it when hes shooting at deer and it only takes 5 or 6 shots to get sighted in i would say go with a 270 that way when he gets to be 16ish he wont be saying dad i want a bigger gun (thats what i did)

[B-man]

My vote also goes to the .243. It will kill any whitetail on the planet and with proper training and earmuffs won't give him a horrible flinch for life.

When you go to the range, have him shoot a box of .22's (slowly at paper), emphasizing squeezing the trigger, not jerking. Then have him try the centerfire for a couple shots, and finish with another round of .22's.

Eventually he will want a bigger gun, by then you might have a niece or nephew who would love that youth .243




Shot placement is 10 times more important than the caliber. A 300 win mag won't kill a deer if you can't hit it

[Cutemloose]

Agree with you totally on shot placement but why get a gun he is gonna want to get rid of in two years i would go with 270 3006 or 308... 308 has a huge variety of bullet weights and if i didnt have the 3006 i would own a 308

[big mike 50]

I would go with the .243 as well. My dad bought my sister a .243 and she killed her first two deer with it. He owns and has hunted with a .300 Winn Mag for years but due to health problems the last two years he has used her .243 and had great success (5 shots 5 kills) with it. Very nice little gun and by the time he out grows it he will buying his own guns.

p.s. My first gun was a single 410 and after 10 plus years of rabbit hunting with a .22 I dusted off the old 410 and used it the entire season.

[Shotgun John]

For a young shooter or a person with slight frame, a .243 or 25-06 would be about right. I've shot .308's and .270's that were right unpleasant to shoot both recoil and noise. I am not a rifle man even though I have and do own several. The .243 is easy to handle and is accurate. The .25-06 can be loaded a little heavier. Accuracy is the Key to these guns.

[BCBeagles]

I started with a 760 gamemaster in 30-06 and took years to recover to hit anything with any caliber. 243 is a potent deer rifle. Also the 25-06 is to but has more recoil.
I would definitely want accuracy over power. I'd rather smoke one with a smaller cal than send them runnin' with a big one. Another tack driver is a 7mm-08, as well as 260.
All of these guns are more than enough power out to 350 yards if you know how to shoot them. I have personally shot deer at 300 plus with at 243 with venison on the table
results. You could not go wrong with an thompson center that you could get other barrels for later. My dad has one in 25-06 and it is very accurate! Low maintanence as well.
JMO. Thanks

[bamabeagler]

my first deer rifle was a New England Firearms 243 youth model but now ive got a New England Firearms 308 single shot and i recomend it for any deer hunter. the best flat-shooting gun to me

[DRamey]

What about a Mossberg 500 w/youth stock. Get a slug barrel and a 26" barrel for choke tubes. he can hunt anything from rabbits, squirrels and quail with the shotgun barrel and deer with the slug barrel and you are out less than $500 and he can hunt anywhere that has restrictions on rifles. just a suggestion. When he gets older you can get the adult stock and he can still small game hunt with it then he can pass it down.

[beaglerun]

The 243 can't be beat when it comes to youngsters. Don't worry about him outgrowing it. Once he experiences success with it; you'll have a hard time getting it out of his hands. Besides that, most youngsters will want something different in a year or two regardless to what you buy them.

Come to think of it, a lot of grown men (myself included) like to get new rifles claiming we need them. Don't tell our wives, but we need new rifles like we need a summer cold. Set the young man up for success. Go with the 243. He may outgrow the gun, but he'll never outgrow the memories.

BeagleRun

[hogbody]

I bought my son a 243 when he was 14. I figured he'd want a bigger gun when he got older, but now he is 23 and still likes his 243. I agree with the posts on shot placement. I taught him how to shoot straight and wait for a clean shot. He has shot deer every season with his 243 and dropped every one in its tracks. One shot - one kill.