Deer rifle for my son

[gomer pyle]

My 11 yr old wants to try deer hunting this year. He is an avid shooter who is showing a lot of interest in hunting. I don’t have a good rifle for him to use. I borrowed a 243 for him to try and he loves shooting it but I can’t find many options in 243(gun or ammo). I find mostly 6.5. How is the kick on a 6.5? Should I stick with finding a 243, or any other more readily available round/rifle y’all can recommend?

[Grunt67]

31 minutes ago, gomer pyle said:

My 11 yr old wants to try deer hunting this year. He is an avid shooter who is showing a lot of interest in hunting. I don’t have a good rifle for him to use. I borrowed a 243 for him to try and he loves shooting it but I can’t find many options in 243(gun or ammo). I find mostly 6.5. How is the kick on a 6.5? Should I stick with finding a 243, or any other more readily available round/rifle y’all can recommend?

What area do you live in?

[gomer pyle]

Murfreesboro 

[TSG]

If you are talking about 6.5 Creedmoor, it's more powerful and has about 50% more recoil energy at a bit higher speed. It's still considered fairly mild recoiling and there's definitely kids out there learning with that caliber, but it's going to depend on the individual and the rifle.

6.5 Grendel would be more mild than the .243 and still pretty effective.

Cartridges like 7.62x39 or 30-30 wouldn't have the range of the other calibers mentioned so far but are also mild.

260Rem and 7mm-08 are just a bit heavier recoiling than the 243 but you might have the same troubles you are having with 243.

[Alleycat72]

My kids killed their deer with a 16 inch 300 Whisper and a 5.56. I've put my kids on ARs from the start because the gun can grow with them. A 243 will kill any deer your kid will ever shoot at normal range and so will a 6.5 CM. I have a 6mm CM I shoot quite a bit and it's a very close to a 243.

[Handsome Rob]

5.56/.223 with a GOOD bullet is exceptionally good for deer.

I'd be looking for a Ruger American in .223 (or an AR) & load it up with 77gn Sierra tipped Matchkings. 65gn Gamekings if you can't find TMKs.

 

[Jimbo100]

I got my grandson a used Remington Model 7 in .243 when he was younger.  It seems to have been a good choice.  It took me a while to find that one. 

Now that I am older I like it as well as he does.  I am sure there are other good options but I think the .243 is hard to beat for the young and the old.

 

 

 

[gomer pyle]

He decided to try my 308 and took his first deer yesterday! Nice little 9 pointer.

Any good/bad reviews of a Ruger American? He saw one in the store that he liked. He'll finish this season with my rifle but I plan to get him something for Christmas. I am keeping the price point on the lower end but can move up if needed. I know that he will keep it for life.

[scatman]

Honestly, the newer Savages are pretty decent and in my opinion a little better than the Ruger Americans.

[308TN]

Have several ruger American myself and many friends that do as well in many different calibers. All perform great and accurate  especially for the price point. 

[10-Ring]

The American is tough to beat for the price.  I have nice rifles and I have rifles that I actually use.  The current gun market is weird.  Most wood stocked guns have gotten to a price point where I no longer feel good about taking them into the woods.  The past few years I've begun hunting with ARs, a Cerokoted Mossberg 500 with a slug barrel, and synthetic stocked bolt actions.  I can take any of the above into the woods and not be concerned with them getting beat up, yet they all do their assigned jobs well.  

[gregintenn]

4 hours ago, gomer pyle said:

He decided to try my 308 and took his first deer yesterday! Nice little 9 pointer.

Any good/bad reviews of a Ruger American? He saw one in the store that he liked. He'll finish this season with my rifle but I plan to get him something for Christmas. I am keeping the price point on the lower end but can move up if needed. I know that he will keep it for life.

Glad to hear the young man bagged a nice buck! I’ll bet he didn’t even feel the recoil. I always loved taking a kid on the juvenile deer hunt. They sure would get excited. I wish I could still get excited like that about anything.

As far as the rifle, take the young man t a gun show and let him pick out what he likes. Nothing wrong with a well cared for used/vintage rifle.

Edited October 30, 2022 by gregintenn

[jeff43]

6 hours ago, gomer pyle said:

He decided to try my 308 and took his first deer yesterday! Nice little 9 pointer.

Any good/bad reviews of a Ruger American? He saw one in the store that he liked. He'll finish this season with my rifle but I plan to get him something for Christmas. I am keeping the price point on the lower end but can move up if needed. I know that he will keep it for life.

I have a Ruger American compact in 308 I really like so far. I hadn’t got to play with it much due to working 7 days in a week. What little I have shot it , l believe it will be very accurate.I do love my Savage rifles too, very accurate rifles!The target is 100 yards with the Ruger ,shooting 150 grain Federal Walmart ammo. I’m gonna load some 165 BTHP Sierra bullets and see what they do.

Orange dot is about silver dollar size

Edited October 31, 2022 by jeff43

[RED333]

7 hours ago, gomer pyle said:

He decided to try my 308 and took his first deer yesterday! Nice little 9 pointer.

Congrats Dad, you now have another gun person in the family.

Tell you son congrats as well!

[JonDaddy82]

I think a Ruger American/American Ranch in .223 would be a great entry level rifle for you boy. You can get the AR mag fed version if you want to have some versatility. Ammo is easy to find, the rifle is cheap and durable, and the shorter barrels are easy to get around the woods of TN with. 

[TSG]

Ruger Americans are great budget rifles.

If there's a Ruger American he likes, I'd get the good rifle he definitely likes over another rifle he might not like as much even if it's better.

[MidTNhunter]

Congrats to your son for taking his first buck!  The .308 and 30-06 are iconic and proven deer calibers and the heavier 165 to 180 grain cartridges excel for closer like 100 yards and in work on deer.  Personally I prefer the 165 and 180 grain Remington Core-Lokt tipped cartridges in my Remington 700 bolt action in 30-06, super accurate even at longer 100-250 yards, but because they are heavier and slower than a lot of the .243 cartridges you will get better bullet expansion especially at the closer ranges.  The recoil is greater than a .243 or .270 but overall the .308 and 30-06 are the best all around deer calibers for many and the ammo is abundant and not so pricey.