Starter hunting guns for my sons

[steve863]

I'll never understand the philosophy behind looking for a mild recoil gun for a 14 or 15 year old boy.  People will let their kids play contact sports like football, soccer, hockey, wrestling, etc. and then they are afraid that his shoulder might get hurt with a gun like a .30-06 or 12 gauge??  Come on now.  These guns really aren't that punishing.  Put on a good recoil pad, and you won't even feel them.

 

 

 

[Guest FrostyLeaves]

Jjb4900 That is a good point I just never thought of it because I grew up having a 22 with a hammer on it and knew how to use one

[HuntOrBeHunted]

Steve I do agree in some ways but then I think of the recoil in a smaller rifle like a 243. then I compare it a 12g with a hunting slug. Recoil pad or not theres a ton of difference in kick I would say.

 

[covert]

I've never been a big fan of guns with exposed hammers for kids just starting out, unless they have prior experience handling them. The fact that the hammer has to be let down by holding it back, pulling the trigger and easing it forward once it was fully cocked makes me a little uneasy.

Any of the newer Marlins and Winchesters have an additional safety.  The only time I use the crossbolt safety on my Guide Gun is when I am uncocking the hammer so in case it should slip it will still not go off.

 

I think that fit is more important than caliber.  You'd be better off going with a rifle that fit them well now and selling it for a full size one later when they outgrow this one.  If you hit a whitetail in the right spot it doesn't really take that much to kill them so cartridge isn't really that critical, within reason.  A .30-06 that fits well will kick less (and cause fewer bad habits to undo later) than a .243 that doesn't.

Edited October 15, 2013 by covert

[CuseHunter]

might have been me, I bought a Ruger M77 ultralight in .308.......kicks like a mule, so he's been shooting the managed recoil ammo out of it.......I also picked up a T/C Venture for myself in .308, recoil is hardly noticeable.

I have the venture in .308 and am not at all bothered in the recoil. Nice shooting gun for the buck. The bolt at first on mine was stiff as hell but after some time, it has become smooth. Like that gun a lot. Drops the deer like a train too.

[CuseHunter]

Either way, when I have my crosshairs on a deer, I didn't even know my 12ga had recoil.

With that being said, a .308 is a pretty versatile round and I don't think of any recoil unless you are bench rest shooting for a long time.

[steve863]

Steve I do agree in some ways but then I think of the recoil in a smaller rifle like a 243. then I compare it a 12g with a hunting slug. Recoil pad or not theres a ton of difference in kick I would say.

 

 

Yeah, the .243 will kick less, but it will deliver less of a punch on deer too.  In my opinion the .243 is on the bottom of the list of where adequate deer cartridges start (and YES this means that the .223 is even worse. LOL).  Yes, the .243 will kill deer, any cartridge will for that matter, but I see it being more of a cartridge for the experienced gunner who can hit his mark with certainty, and NOT for an inexperienced shooter like most kids are.  I rather have the kid kicked a little by recoil and at the same time have a cartridge with a bit more punch down range.  

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Either way, when I have my crosshairs on a deer, I didn't even know my 12ga had recoil.

With that being said, a .308 is a pretty versatile round and I don't think of any recoil unless you are bench rest shooting for a long time.

 

 

I agree on the 308 and with the reduced recoil rounds they are very easy to shoot. I am no great hand gunner and not a fan of heavy recoil but I have no problem with the 308 in my pistol when using reduced recoil rounds.

[Cabin Fever]

One caliber that hasn't been mentioned yet is the .257. My 14 year old daughter used one during the youth hunt and dropped a deer in its tracks. Doesn't appear to have any kick either. I had never heard of a .257 before, but my Dad won it (Ruger) in a gun raffle 8 years ago and passed away before he ever had a chance to use it. I thought it would be a good gun for her to take her first deer with...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

One caliber that hasn't been mentioned yet is the .257. My 14 year old daughter used one during the youth hunt and dropped a deer in its tracks. Doesn't appear to have any kick either. I had never heard of a .257 before, but my Dad won it (Ruger) in a gun raffle 8 years ago and passed away before he ever had a chance to use it. I thought it would be a good gun for her to take her first deer with...

 

 

.257 Roberts?  I have heard good things about the round. It is usually regarded as a step up from the 243.

 

What grain bullet are you using and have you had any problem finding ammo for it?

[Cabin Fever]

.257 Roberts?  I have heard good things about the round. It is usually regarded as a step up from the 243.

 

What grain bullet are you using and have you had any problem finding ammo for it?

 

 

Yeah, .257 Roberts. She was shooting a .117gr Remington factory load. My Dad had a full box of ammo for it, so I haven't looked for any more. I was talking to my cousin in MD over the weekend and told him that I had never heard of that caliber before. He said it is probably the most popular caliber for youth and women down in his area. He just bought one for his son too. I did a lot of Google searches over the past month or so and guys just love the .257 Roberts. Figured I would just let her use that, as it's right inbetween a .243 and .270. Did the job! 

Edited October 16, 2013 by Cabin Fever

[steve863]

I agree on the 308 and with the reduced recoil rounds they are very easy to shoot. I am no great hand gunner and not a fan of heavy recoil but I have no problem with the 308 in my pistol when using reduced recoil rounds.

 

 

I think the .308 is the absolute perfect round for a kid and even an older hunter starting out.  Honestly they will never need another gun for deer hunting.  Some will argue that the 7mm-08 kicks less and would be better for the young shooter, but I don't think there is too much of a difference in recoil between the two and you will have way more ammo choices available for the .308, and it will cost less too, since it's more popular than the 7mm-08.  For me it's an easy choice with the .308 if you are buying a new gun.  If I had an extra rifle in .270, or .30-06 to give the kid, I surely wouldn't buy something new in a lighter caliber just to spare him a few foot/lbs in recoil.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

And if you were concerned about recoil and had the 06 and 270 they have good offerings in reduced recoil loads for them also. There are a lot of options out there. Probably the most overlooked aspect of getting a kid into shooting is the fit of the gun. And this is much tougher than selection a caliber IMO.  Ther kids in the 13-15 years range can got through some serious growing. It is a fine line to walk to get one that will be managable  with a younger frame and not out grown as they age. If i was challenged with a very small framed kid I would probably stick with a popular bolt gun and by a cheap stock and cut it down for use until they grow. . A poorly fitting gun can exaggerate recoil.

[jjb4900]

I know it's off the topic of rifles, but what I did for my son for a shotgun was, got an adult size 870 and picked up a youth stock for it............only let him shoot skeet loads while he got used to shooting it and when it came time to turkey hunt, I just slipped 3" hevi shot loads into it and when the time came to shoot, he never even noticed.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I can get beat up by any gun on the range but with game in the sights I never seem to remember any recoil.

[Hoss315er]

Just picked up a 25-06 for me and my kids that will be hunting in next few years.

[Pygmy]

Since the OP originally asked about the TC Encore, I'll pass along some info, albeit second hand.

A buddy of mine used an Encore in 7mm Rem Mag as his deer rifle. He said that he had formerly owned a Ruger M 77 in the same chambering. According to him, the Ruger kicked like a mule, while the Encore was much more comfortable to shoot, perhaps because of it's stock design.

I've had 3 M77's,and they do tend to be kickers . I had one in .338 Win Mag that used to beat the SNOT out of me off the bench.

I have never and WILL never own an Encore, because I think they are ugly as a side order of s**t, but that is only my personal taste. Many of my friends own them and I think they are a solid, reliable, versatile firearm.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Pygmy

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Since the OP originally asked about the TC Encore, I'll pass along some info, albeit second hand.

A buddy of mine used an Encore in 7mm Rem Mag as his deer rifle. He said that he had formerly owned a Ruger M 77 in the same chambering. According to him, the Ruger kicked like a mule, while the Encore was much more comfortable to shoot, perhaps because of it's stock design.

I've had 3 M77's,and they do tend to be kickers . I had one in .338 Win Mag that used to beat the SNOT out of me off the bench.

I have never and WILL never own an Encore, because I think they are ugly as a side order of s**t, but that is only my personal taste. Many of my friends own them and I think they are a solid, reliable, versatile firearm.

Their stocks can be found pretty cheap and the barrels and stocks can easily be modified to accommodate a youth as well. I have seen 2 with 20" barrels for youth as well as short stocks. Both were sub MOA and in 308

[NYbuck50]

Take a look at the NEF single shots. great starter guns

[Danny]

7mm-08 will be his favorite deer rifle for many many years i guarantee it

[WNYBuckHunter]

Im on my second Encore. I love it. I do agree though, the let down of the hammer can be tricky for a beginner.

[gfdeputy2]

never had the Encore but I bought my 14 year old daughter the Ruger American in .308 & it is a dream to shoot I also have shot a ton of calibers ( I own a M77 Ruger in .270) & don't think they kick that bad & I am the size of a 14 year old Kid till you get into the Large Calibers

[jjb4900]

one thing to keep in mind, is kids grow fast once they hit that "growth spurt" time.....if you spend $300 now and in two years they outgrow it, you just spent money on a gun that is obsolete.

[covert]

If you make sure they take care of it and keep it in nice shape there's not much chance of getting hurt on resale.

[bluecoupe]

My 12 Ga. Mossy 500 does not kick.  Seriously, I can shoot slugs through it all day in a t-shirt and my shoulder won't hurt.  It's the best of all worlds for NY.  If I put the cantilever barrel on with the 3x9 Leupold, I'll reach out with it comfortably to 150 yards, no problem. It'll take down anything that the NE has to offer.

 

For birds, etc; just take off the rifled barrel and put on the smoothbore with my choice of 3 choke tubes.

 

Well, with slugs it does feel about like a 20ga with skeet loads but that's it.

Not only doesn't it kick, but there really no muzzle climb. Anyone can shoot this gun the way it's setup.

 

Plus the adjustable stock is nice, Adjust to person, how they're dressed, etc.

 

Now, why doesn't it kick? Here's why - I have one of these on it, and yes it is legal.

 

Stock Link

 

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2013 by SteveC