I am trying to find a rifle for my son who is almost 8. I really like the Ruger American Compact guns.

Is a 7mm-08 going to be too much gun for a kid his age?

At the moment, I am trying to decide between 243 and 7mm-08.

Will be used mostly for whitetail.

His weight and build is more important than his age. I have a boy who is a few months from 9 but weighs 55 lbs.... He shoots an AR in 7.62x39 and handles it fine. He has friends that shoot .243 or similar....but he isn't there yet.

He is about 55lbs...thin build.

I personally would prefer the 7mm-08, but don't want to get too much for him...which is causing me to be indecisive.

rem 700 243 with magpul adjustable stock so it fits them right and doesnt kick the tar out of them...buy a good scope with decent eye relief so they dont scope them self and large enough lens so they can field judge and not accidentally shoot a nub'n buck...teach gun safety on pellet gun first...teach marksmanship with single shot 22...then move to deer rifle.

This is likely to be flagged as a very typical OB response, but this is what I've done for both of my boys at that age.

When my oldest was 8-9, I got a Rem 700 in .243 and then ordered a new stock from Bell & Carlson. It was a great shooter, but I noticed he would pull his head and shoulder back right before he pulled the trigger. This wasn't due to recoil, it was the loud report.

The next year I purchased a Ruger Gunsite Scout in .308. It's got more recoil, but had a threaded barrel so I could run it suppressed. He shot it very effectively because it was not as loud. The can also cuts down some of the recoil.

For my youngest, who just turned 10, I got him a Ruger American Compact in 300BLk. It too will run a suppressor.

So in short, my experience is report is more of an issue than recoil. Whatever you buy consider getting with a threaded barrel so you can put a suppressor on it.

If you expect him to hunt for many yrs, get the 7mm-08 and get a suppressor for it. Perfect gun for a lot of game. (I shot my first elk with mine) And the suppressor makes it fun to sight in and hunt with. You can thank me later.

I have a Sako A7.

My son started shooting a Rem 700 varmint barrel 7mm-08 when he was 6 with reduced recoil loads. He has had no problem with it and has shot a boatload of deer and hogs.

I cannot say enough good things about this combo for a young hunter starting out and it will last him a life time. He is now 11 and handles 120 grain full strength loads no problem.

I believe Remington was making a 6.5 Creemoor with a heavy barrel that would also be a great choice for a young shooter.

Check out Hornady Lite Ammo for a reduced load option.


Good Luck!!

I did have the cheap Remington stock the gun came in cut down to 12.5" which I believe really helps the smaller shooters. When he got older I dropped to action and barrel into a full size nicer composite stock that he shoots now at 11 with no problem.

I started my son off on a Rem 700 Youth Model in .243. Once he got older I picked up a takeoff SA stock on ebay and swapped them out.

Not sure where you are located but I have a 7mm-08 I planned on cutting down for my wife and son in the oven after I kill something with it this year. He can shoot it and see what happens. I am in BCS.

I started with a .308 because it was the only deer rifle my dad had and we could not afford another but I was probably closer to ~75 pounds.

It could also give you and excuse to buy a .308 AR. Very little recoil.

Depending on where you are located, I have a Remington Model Seven in 6mm and another in 7mm-08. You are welcome to let him shoot both and see what he thinks. The 6mm is almost identical to the .243.

Also, when buying a you gun I recommend the Savage 11. It can be had for the same price as the Remington 700 and you could buy the .243 now if you want and inexpensively swap the barrel when/if you want to change to a 7mm/06, 6.5CM or 308.

My 8yr old daughter wieghs about 55lbs. She is hunting with an AAC 300blk with micro 7 action this year. Been to the range several times with her. She is crazy good with that gun.

I'd get something in 7mm-08 and a compact stock, shoot reduced recoil rounds until he can handle full loads. Once he outgrows that stock, upgrade to a B&C, Magpul hunter or boyd's stock that is full size

another vote for the 7mm-08

I bought my son the Savage Trophy Hunter XP Compact in 7mm-08. It came with a good quality Nikon 3x9 already mounted so it was hard to beat from a value perspective. It's available in multiple calibers.

My older son has a Weatherby Vanguard youth .243 and the deer he's shot died within a few feet of impact.

My son:

22.250 at age 10. 3 shots, 3 kills. One runner, found.

6mm at age 11. 2 shots, 2 kills. Both runners, hit back of target. gun not shot in, due to range closing and no practice.

According to young shooter, no discernable difference in recoil. As aged shooter, I know there is some between the two.

But then again, I love shooting my 7mm Mag. Let loose the boom.

However, I am a fan of the 22-250. Believe it or not, I have NEVER had a whitetail take even more than a step using the gun my dad gave my son, using the 55 grain Core Lokt. Amazing damage when the bullet expends every small ounce of its energy inside a body cavity.

My daughter shoots a 6mm Remington which is essentially the same thing as a .243 Winchester. The rifle is a Ruger MK II with a "bull" barrel. It does not kick hard at all and she is deadly with it. The big barrel takes out a lot of the kick but it does make the gun heavier. I also bought a second stock for it off of eBay and cut about 4" off of it. The shorter stock helped out when she was younger.

She started shooting when she was 10. When she was about 16, she was big enough that I could put the regular stock back on it. She is 20 now and a junior at A&M. She still loves to hunt..

7mm 08 was my first deer rifle, I was a little fart too. Try and borrow one and let him shoot it. If he can handle it then get it.

bump03 said:

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I am trying to find a rifle for my son who is almost 8. I really like the Ruger American Compact guns.

Is a 7mm-08 going to be too much gun for a kid his age?

At the moment, I am trying to decide between 243 and 7mm-08.

Will be used mostly for whitetail.

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I got the Ruger American All-Weather Compact 7mm-08 for my son. Here are my thoughts:

• He is 10 yo. Recoil was obviously bigger than our 22LR but he was more worn out by all the noise of the other rifles and ARs at the range than the kick on the gun.
• We shoot the reduced recoil rounds which gives less kick than 243 regular rounds. 120 grain bullet with reduced recoil. Wanted this so it a big deer did come by, I wanted to make sure he could take it. Catch is that reduced recoil have significant drops after 200 yards but not letting him shoot that far anyway.
• He could hit a 3 inch circle at 100yds after 1 time at range. That is with shooting table, sandbag, etc. That Ruger American has a cheap stock, but the rifle is accurate. Vortex 3x9 scope on it.
• Great gun to grow up with. He can switch to regular recoil and get up to a 160 grain bullet. Also, can switch out stock. Plan for him to shoot an elk with it in his teenage years.
• Chose all weather model so no threat of rust and maybe he teaches his kiddo to shoot on it.

Let me know if I can answer any more questions about the gun because i labored over this decision for a long time but ultimately, the 7mm-08 was such a versatile gun, I went with it and I am glad i did.

another thought, download DH 2017 on app store and let him play that hunting game (we just play the rifle hunting although you can play a lot of scenarios on that game like spear fishing, targets etc).

This helps him visualize the hunt and have many "practice shots" aiming for the vitals. In the game, it has scenarios that require a lung shot, and when he can do that without turning on the infra-red on the scope, he is at the spot that he is going to aim accurately at the whitetail.

also, great father-son time watching him play the game... "wait for the deer to stop"... "wait for the broadside shot"...

Another +1 for 7mm-08

Start with some managed recoil loads and maybe recoil pad. It is a fantastic round that you will likely never have a need to outgrow. My first rifle other than a 22 was a Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08. I used it as a kid to take my first deer. This year I will be letting my wife use it when we go out.

I'd get a Winchester Model 70, .22-250 in the shortened youth model. He'll never be a good shot if he's anticipating a big bang. He'll make better shots with a gun he isn't afraid of. I took my wife hunting with a 7mm-08. She got scope bite, trigger flinch, and now doesn't want to go anymore.

I'm sure you'll be sitting in the stand with him for a while, so you can coach him on shot selection. Most hunters will agree its more about where you put the shot than it is about caliber. It will also be easier on the shoulder, so he can get off more shots at the range. Harness the good, block out the bad. All good things.

Get the 7mm-08 or .243 in a few years when he's comfortable shooting a bigger gun, and has developed some marksmanship skills. Keep the .22-250 for 'yotes.

First I'd get something besides a Ruger American for a first gun. I don't like those guns.

Second, Hornady makes a reduced recoil round for the 7mm-08. I've never shot them but have shot the .243 and 30-06 reduced recoil rounds and it does seem to take the edge off. I have no doubt they kill just the same inside 200 yards or so.

Was never a fan of Ruger centerfire rifles...until the American came out. Outstanding value and performance. They know they have a winner, and keep expanding the offerings (and when they brought out the 7.62x39 rifle, it was setup to run Mini-30 mags).

My first American was a 22-250, primarily bought because Ruger opted for a 1:10 twist, no longer handicapping that cartridge to <60 grain bullets.. It's performance with the Barnes 62TTSX and Sierra 65 ProHunter has been spectacular (Hodgon's Superformance powder acts like it was made for the 22-250).

I really like my .270. Especially now that it's in a boyds wood stock.

Just picked up one of the 7.62x39s that needs a scope still

I have a Magpul American Hunter stock for my son's Ruger Ranch. Hoping it is delivered before Christmas. Replacing the cheap factory stock should make his rifle even better.

Would you happen to be near B/CS? I'd like to get behind one in a hunter stock if I could.

It's a youth gun and the New England single shot 243 was what all three of my kiddos used. We still take down whitetail with that gun even though my youngest is sixteen.

FIDO 96 said:

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I have a Magpul American Hunter stock for my son's Ruger Ranch. Hoping it is delivered before Christmas. Replacing the cheap factory stock should make his rifle even better.

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for youth stock size?