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    #1

    Am I pushing him?

    My son is 8 years old. Has been hunting with me since he was 5. He has seen me kill several animals and has several turtles, a jack rabbit and Boone and Crockett squirrel to his credit. He is ready to shoot his first deer, but I dont know if his shooting is proficient enough. He shoots a .22 and a .410 like a champ. He has shot nothing bigger. I put a scope on his .22, but he doesnt like it. At 20 yards he can hit a pie plate shooting his .410 with slugs. I am entertaining the thought of loading my youth model 870 20 gauge with 3/0 buck shot. I'm gonna put a full choke in the gun. That should be enough to knock down a Hill Country white tail at 20 yards (out of my bow blind), dont ya think?

    What are your thoughts?
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    #2
    i'm gonna say it should do the trick, just keep them in close.


    good luck

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      #3
      I would sure recommend a .223 or .22-250 over a 20ga. The recoil difference will be huge. Put a scope on his BB gun and let him get used to it. Take the .22 to the rifle range and plink away with the scope. He'll get it. If all else fails, go to open sights on the .22 centerfire rifle.

      My son is now 11. He shot his first deer with a Rossi .223 when he was 6. He's killed probably 15 deer now. But last spring we went on a hunt at Walter Buck that was shotgun only for turkey or exotics. I'll guarantee you, a heavy slug or buckshot load is way more than he wanted - even in a semi-auto. WAY more recoil than a dove load. He shoots my 12 ga Beretta over/under at dove, but he didn't want to practice any more with the slugs after only ONE shot.

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        #4
        Originally posted by theluckyhunter View Post
        just keep them in close.


        good luck
        The feeder is 19 yards. I wont let him shoot past that.

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          #5
          I killed my first deer when I was 7 using a 30-30

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            #6
            Skeeter,
            I think it all depends on the kid...My daughter will be 8 in a couple weeks and took a deer last year and she has been shooting a .22 with a scope since she was five, she made a 80yd shot on a long horn spike last year...IMO, if he is proficient with the chosen weapon then he is ready...
            Best of luck to the little man...

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              #7
              Originally posted by skeeter View Post
              The feeder is 19 yards. I wont let him shoot past that.
              sounds like your confident, if he can handle the recoil (he can) then let him have at it!

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                #8
                The 20 will work Skeeter. That is what my neice used last year when I took her. Layed one out at 30 yards with 3/0 buck.

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                  #9
                  I think the 20ga will do the trick w/buckshot @ 20 yards. But I agree w/ Shane about the recoil. Lot of difference between a shotgun(12or20) and a .223 or .243. If he doesn't like the scope and you decide for him to shoot the shotgun it ain't going to hurt him if it's against his shoulder (youth model shouldn't be a problem). My dad wouldn't let me shoot his .284 until I shot it at a deer. I never knew it kicked me because I was so excited (9 years old).

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                    #10
                    Come on, Dan ... I can't believe you didn't figure this out on your own!

                    Is that a Rossi or an NEF?
                    Get the barrel of YOUR choice and stick it on the gun.
                    Let him think that it's the 22 that he's used to shooting.
                    In the excitement of the shot he won't even know the difference.
                    After the shot you tell him that he just shot a grown-ups gun.

                    Now hurry up and post the LDP's!

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                      #11
                      My son killed his first two bucks when he was eight. He didn't care for the recoil of his 410 with slugs so I bought a 357 mag rifle. He was accurate to 75 yards. He shot that rifle until he was twelve and then he switched over to a 243.

                      The 410 with slugs will do just fine at the ranges you mentioned if he is comfortable with it.

                      JC

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Texastaxi View Post
                        Come on, Dan ... I can't believe you didn't figure this out on your own!

                        Is that a Rossi or an NEF?
                        Get the barrel of YOUR choice and stick it on the gun.
                        Let him think that it's the 22 that he's used to shooting.
                        In the excitement of the shot he won't even know the difference.
                        After the shot you tell him that he just shot a grown-ups gun.

                        Now hurry up and post the LDP's!
                        That was exactly my plan. Just slip the .243 into his hands and tell him it was his 22. I had a Rossi .243 and wasnt happy with it. I could never get it to shoot a good group. I shot about 5 different loads and never got better than a 4 inch group. The Rossi frame he has now will not accept any caliber larger than a .22.

                        I gotta admit I kinda dropped the ball. I have been swampped at work and havent had time to devote to his shooting or gettin him a gun that fits and shoots good.

                        What about the .410 with slugs vs 20 gauge loaded with buckshot?

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by skeeter View Post
                          What about the .410 with slugs vs 20 gauge loaded with buckshot?
                          If you were gonna pick between those 2, I'd say .410 with slugs.
                          That'd be pretty close to a muzzle loader and it should lay a deer down quick ... especially if he's shooting the shotgun good already, but does the .410 barrell have iron sights on it. That could make a big difference in the shot.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            It will more than enough gun at 20 yds. Good luck and lets see some pics.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Texastaxi View Post
                              If you were gonna pick between those 2, I'd say .410 with slugs.
                              That'd be pretty close to a muzzle loader and it should lay a deer down quick ... especially if he's shooting the shotgun good already, but does the .410 barrell have iron sights on it. That could make a big difference in the shot.
                              410 only has a bead. I wish I could find a 410 with iron sights. Can a gun smith mount iron sights on a shot gun barrel?

                              Aaron shoots his 22 with open sights better than me!

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