My daughter is jealous her friend shot a doe and is bugging me. I wasn't going to have her shoot anything this year but now I'm contemplating it. She's a stick though so don't want something that will pack a lot of oomph. I've got 30-06 and 7mm mag and I'm not going to do that to her. This will be cycled through three girls as they grow up but I also don't want to break the bank.

Thanks for your input.

It was a hand me down, but my son used a 22-250 from 8-11 yrs old. He wasn't afraid of the recoil so was usually able to make a well placed shot.

I have a lightweight 7mm-08 that I don't enjoy shooting at 47 yrs old. It seems many like the 7mm-08 for youth. I'm just saying there is more to it than just the caliber.

I've got a couple ARs (not suppressed) in .223 and I'm sure they are up for the task but I am worried that a less than ideal shot would lead to a wounded deer. They would be ideal and save me some money, but idk if it is the way to go.

I saw that as well as the Savage rifles as well. Was starting to look at both of them more in depth.

Vortex Nation did a pretty good review a few weeks back on their Youtube Channel of like seven different budget friendly rifles. It included the Mossberg, Savage, Ruger American, and maybe four others. They were reviewing the full length stock versions but the youth version is just going to be a shorter stock.




Also worth checking out their other videos. Best gun/outdoors podcast that I know of.

Son has killed his deer with a 22-250 and it's been great. Pops got him a 308 for his 10th birthday. Yet to sight it in.

Next door neighbor's 3 boys have slaughtered them through the years starting at 5 or 6 years old with an AR in .223. Now, I'll grant you, I think those boys were shooting before the rode a bike…..

I like the single shot H&R rifles in .243z

Super safe, accurate, and easy to use.

I started on one and it's a great rifle.

I started my son with a bolt action .223 around 8. Moved up to a .243 around 10yrs. Now at 14yrs he shoots a 7-08.

Lightest shooting gun would be an AR in .223/5.56

Oh yeah it can certainly be done. My nephew used an H&R .223 for his first couple. But if someone like the OP doesn't think its a good idea for his kids I wouldn't try to talk him into it.

Oh no! I'm good with that. I'm always thinking "recoil" and "anticipation of recoil" with kids.

B-1 83 said:

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Oh no! I'm good with that. I'm always thinking "recoil" and "anticipation of recoil" with kids.

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Yea recoil is definitely a concern. She's maybe 50 lbs soaking wet.

Heck yea. Issue number one for the little ones.

Hey sea speed what I did was buy some Hornady reduced recoil rounds for practice then subbed in the real stuff for the hunt. The buck fever kicks in and they never knew the difference. The reduced recoil stuff is downright pleasant to shoot.


Word of warning though. I forgot to make the change once and my son, probably 9 then, shot an old bruiser cull buck with one from like 90 yards. Fortunately he put it where it counted and the deer fell after running about 100 yards. After dressing down that deer and looking at the wound I wouldn't do it again. Maybe on a doe inside 50 but that's it.

My boys started with a browning micro Midas in 22-250. Worked great for them.

My daughter is very small. She started on my 204 in AR platform with collapsible stock at about 7-8 years old.......then at about 11 years old moved up to Remington Model 700 youth stock 243 with a little lighter loads for numerous deer and hogs.....and then about 16 years old moved up to her Browning Micro 7-08 with Hornady lite reduced recoil loads is her every day shooter. She is 23 now and you couldnt buy that Browning for any amount of money. She has killed train car loads of deer and game with it. If she ever got into some larger game she could move up to some full house loads....

The reduced recoil loads are absolutely brilliant.

I bought a box just for fun once for my 30-06 and the difference is striking. Easily cuts the recoil by more than half but more than that reduces the shock/stun/noise to the point where it shoots like a .222 or something. My son shot a big ole cull with it in .243 and maybe not again but I may break the other half of that box out for my 30-06 one day. I saw it in there just last week. Great stuff


Also Barnes just came out with reduced recoil load too but I haven't seen any testing on it.

Are there any long for caliber 223 loads which would work?

A 243 bolt is a great idea. Or a single shot, but I would stick with suppressed, no matter the caliber.

Nothing about them is cheap, but my niece loves skeet shooting with her 28 gauge Benelli. Are there slug loads for those?

Have a single shot, break over, youth model, 7mm-08.

I love shooting it. Tack driver. Killed everything I've ever shot with it.

300blk bolt action. Suppressed if you have a can to match. Soft shooting and great at super sonic 130ish gr

You said you already have ARs, why is this not the answer? https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-18-rifle-length-6-5-grendel-1-8-stainless-steel-15-lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-bcg-ch3.html

Or this https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/rifle-parts/rifle-receivers-parts/m1500-mini-6.5-grendel-barreled-action/ and this https://www.boydsgunstocks.com/accessories/plat-howa-1500-mini-dbm-hvy-6-bc-2dc198743zz can't seem to link directly to the stock... it's item 2DC1988041ZZ

Tikka youth model 6.5 creed. Or .243. Not any harder

Sea Speed said:

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I've got a couple ARs (not suppressed) in .223 and I'm sure they are up for the task but I am worried that a less than ideal shot would lead to a wounded deer. They would be ideal and save me some money, but idk if it is the way to go.

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Is the wound channel of a .243 going to be so much larger that a bad shot turns into a good one?

Check out this thread on rokslide of .223 usage on big game (moose and grizzly included). There are 4 or 5 posts about the performance of the 77gr tipped matchking on whitetails today alone.

6arc with Hornady precision hunter or precision match would work very well if you just buy something.

A 50 lb kid shooting a .223 would roughly equate to a 200lb man shooting a .270 win or .308. A .243 would be worse than a big .300 like a PRC or RUM comparatively. Add in the ability to easily adjust length of pull with the AR as others have said, and it'd be ideal even if you personally feel you need an upper for a different cartridge.

Going to throw a curve ball into the mix. I was recently at a gun shop that had a Ruger rancher model 7.62 x 39 on clearance for cheap. My sks always puts down a hog on the spot so why wouldn't it also be useful for a youth to use 7.62 x 39 for deer?
What are y'all's thoughts on 7.62 x 39 for a caliber that youth and women could use for deer/hog hunting?

Suppressed 6.5CM has worked great for our crop of kids. My 9yo nephew who is very small got his first this last youth weekend.

Good point! We want to keep it Made in the USA or Made in TX.
Just trying to help out a father trying to get his son into hunting and keep it within a budget. Especially in this world of inflation and rising costs of living. Keep it local I agree