Youth Model Rifle Opinions?

[Dutch Dog]

RE: managed recoil loads, the .308 has always seemed to be the hardest to find but I've always been able to eventually stumble upon some. I actually load my own now using H4895 which is, to my knowledge, the only powder deemed safe to load down to "managed recoil" levels.
RE: felt recoil, I can tell you that a 150 grain bullet out of a bolt action is gonna have some recoil, no doubt. As someone stated, at the moment of truth when shooting a deer they won't even remember the recoil.

[tombstone]

Look at a weatherby youth model. It also comes with the different pads that will lengthen the stock. It has a great trigger: not too light to be unsafe for a young shooter, but also not a crappy lawyer trigger they need to pull with two fingers. The .243 my kid shoots is very accurate.

[Roach]

bought my son a CVA Scout (and an adult stock for later) in 7mm-08 two years ago.
He's shot two nice bucks and a doe the last two years.
highly recommed it for the money.

How is the recoil on the scout? Been looking at this one but was worried about the recoil since it such a small gun.

He shoots the Remington Reduced Recoil 140's and now that he's 8 he only weighs 70 lbs, and he started shooting it at 6.

[DrakeDemon]

Bought my son the micro browning .243 he has killed several deer with it. He's 9 and has had it for a year now. He started with a .260 model seven with the managed recoil loads. But like posted before there are just so many ammo options out there for the .243 is the reason I went with that caliber.

[Matt S]

Look at a weatherby youth model. It also comes with the different pads that will lengthen the stock. It has a great trigger: not too light to be unsafe for a young shooter, but also not a crappy lawyer trigger they need to pull with two fingers. The .243 my kid shoots is very accurate.

I bought my 8 year old the vanguard 2 in 7mm08 this year. He weighs less than 55 pounds so I have him shooting the Remington reduced loads. The vanguard 2 has and adjustable trigger and comes sub moa. Very good gun for the money. Last year he killed 2 deer with an hr 243 youth model. Between him and my 10 year that gun has killed over 10 deer. Just wanted something with a little more knock down now that they are older. I would suggest starting them with a 243 or 223 if they are real young but if they are big enough to handle it the 7mm08 is a very good round. My 10 year old got an xbolt this year in 7mm08. Very nice gun also. He killed 2 deer with it this past weekend in la it is youth week. He weighs 100 pounds so he is shooting regular loads. One deer dropped the other I watched fall maybe 40 yards.

[Dutch Dog]

We still shoot the .243, but I will say that the blood trails are less than spectacular. I have yet to have a blood trail that was super easy to follow. Some blood trails have been non existent...with 2 deer we just finally stumbled upon, both of which were great shots. The .308 punches a much bigger hole allowing more blood to come out. I'm not saying that sometimes people don't get a good blood trail with the .243, because I would imagine there are some I am just saying that I haven't had one yet.

[cwink]

We still shoot the .243, but I will say that the blood trails are less than spectacular. I have yet to have a blood trail that was super easy to follow. Some blood trails have been non existent...with 2 deer we just finally stumbled upon, both of which were great shots. The .308 punches a much bigger hole allowing more blood to come out. I'm not saying that sometimes people don't get a good blood trail with the .243, because I would imagine there are some I am just saying that I haven't had one yet.

What bullet type are you using for the .243? A .243 is a smaller bullet traveling at a faster speed therefore will have greater penetration when using the same bullet types as a .308.

Read this article on the 243 vs 223 vs 308..

http://www.chuckhawks.com/243_service_rifle.htm

[Dutch Dog]

Started out using the 80 gr core lokt's now that I'm reloading I'm using the 100 gr Sierra game kings.

[cwink]

Started out using the 80 gr core lokt's now that I'm reloading I'm using the 100 gr Sierra game kings.

Do you know what velocity they are running? I have had 243s go through both shoulder blades and exit with a quarter sized hole and the deer drop in it tracks..

[Matt S]

Started out using the 80 gr core lokt's now that I'm reloading I'm using the 100 gr Sierra game kings.

Do you know what velocity they are running? I have had 243s go through both shoulder blades and exit with a quarter sized hole and the deer drop in it tracks..

I shot 100 grain Nosler partitions for years and that's what they would do.

[Dutch Dog]

Started out using the 80 gr core lokt's now that I'm reloading I'm using the 100 gr Sierra game kings.

Do you know what velocity they are running? I have had 243s go through both shoulder blades and exit with a quarter sized hole and the deer drop in it tracks..

I honestly don't, but the 80's were probably coming out the barrel around 3100 (factory) and I load the 100's on the hot side and they're probably coming out around 3000. I've had deer drop in their tracks with shoulder shots (high shoulder) as well as base of the neck shots. Behind the shoulder shots always end up lethal, it's just that the blood trails have been less than spectacular.