Which rifle?

[keatonskidmore]

Not a fan of the 7mm 08.

It's the only gun I've ever been "scope ringed" by.
It doesn't look like it has a recoil so I relaxed a bit to much and paid the price for it. Lol

It now belongs to someone else. Lol

is it bad? i've never tried shooting one but i've just read and heard a little..i figured it was a good youth rifle..

My vote is definitely on the .223

[d_e_smith]

not much difference between one & a 243.

[Smokeater]

I like the lever guns. Gonna let my daughter shoot the .38/.357mag then slide into .30-30. Prolly cut the stock down then later on if she's still shootin'....go back to regular size. The only thing that bugged her about the youth .223 was how loud it was....yes, with hearing protection on...prolly cuz of the short barrel and speed of that rascal. Plus, she can practice with .38's and work rite on in to the mags. The 30-30 just does'nt seem as loud either. Gonna let her work into em though...shootin the .22 and .22mag first. Have fun!

[randtx]

That's not a bad idea Smokeater. A lever action .357 then up to a 30-30. How good of a deer/hog rifle is the .357?

[BoomerBucks]

.22-250 all the way! i know grown men that prefer that round over just about anything else. If you go the AR route i would get the ar in .308. He'll be bad to the bone before he starts to like girls

[baldybarton]

Get him a lever action .357!!!!!
I took my first deer with one. It is on my list of guns I will someday own, because it was a borrowed gun.

[hawgman_1]

I have an 11 year old. He loves his R-15. Took his first hog with it last week.

[dcw]

243 that is all I have to say.

[brrdnk]

My son is 12 and has been shooting a 7mm-08 for 3 years now. Not much difference between it and .a 243 recoil but I like the 140gr bullet vs the 100gr for a youngster who
might make a marginal shot. Weatherby has a model the comes with a youth stack and a full size stock that you can switch out with as he gets bigger.

[txfireguy2003]

They AR platform is soft shooting enough, but pretty loud IMO due to the short barrel and flash hider/muzzle brake effect (I think, all subjective, no concrete evidence other than my ears seem to ring more with the AR than with my .270 the couple times I've forgotten ear plugs). You said he likes the feel of your lever gun, but likes the look of the AR....we all know that how a gun looks doesn't make you shoot it well, but if it feels good, you'll probably shoot it better (maybe shoot it more and therefore better?). One though you might consider...D*icks Sporting Goods is currently running a sale on Remington 700 Varmint rifles in various calibers from .308 all the way down to I think .204 Ruger. It's a heavy rifle with 26" bull barrel and "varmint style" stock. The deal includes a 4-12X40 scope, mounts and rings for a grand total of $450. Actually, this is $499+ tax - $50 mail in rebate. The actual total when you check out is $541.XX, then you get $50 back later on. Mine in .308 weighs about 8.5 pounds which should tame the recoil if you got him a .243 or something along those lines. Granted, a heavy rifle isn't something he'll want to stalk around the woods carrying, but I bet he enjoys shooting the heavier rifle off of a rest more than he would a lighter youth gun. You could shop around and get a youth stock for it, and when he grows into it, put the varmint stock back on and be good to go for years to come.

[Bonesplitter]

My boy is 6 and he shoots my remington r15 and loves it. It has the adjustable stock and loaded with the barnes tsx it does a number on deer and hogs.

[Mike D]

My recommendation for starting out a young shooter is to get a bare bones TC Encore, cut the stock down and start them out with a 20" .223 barrel.

Makes for a nice light easy handling package with light recoil. Then as he grows and/or gets more comfortable shooting you can easily and cheaply move up in caliber. Plus I believe it makes them a better shooter because they have to get it right on the first shot.

[Mac...]

is it bad? i've never tried shooting one but i've just read and heard a little..i figured it was a good youth rifle..

My vote is definitely on the .223

It ain't bad.
Like d e Smith said, it's about like a .243. On the kick.
Ammo is harder to find for sure than the .243 so if you are considering between the two, go with the .243.

The gun just bit me and I didn't like it. Lol that's why I sold it.

[Artos]

6.8spc in the ar platform if that floats his boat...keep it m4'ish and no need to go longer than 16". Light, low kicking and same size as the 5.56. Very good round & can always change uppers later.

Doe killing machine

[mitchell82]

Well I go with a 22 Hornet it’s fun to shoot and doesn’t cost a lot. I have had mine for about 15 years and I still prefer it when hunting everything that’s not big game. I have shot hogs deer turkey squirrels and every bird you could imagine with it.