Anyone have advice for a good rifle for an 8 year old? I am in search of a rifle for my son who will be 8 by next hunting season. I am looking for a rifle sized to fit him as well as limited recoil. He will be shooting no more than a 100-125 yard shot (white tail deer & hogs). Thanks for you replies

243 .. if you can move up the feeder a little ways 22-250. 7-08 not bad either my experience the best ear muffs money can buy will make him a better shooter and more comfortable... noise scares them more the recoil

Remington youth .243 with 85gr TSX. Deadly combo as you can see in my sig line

Another vote for.243, it was my first centerfire as a kid and I still have one.

Find him a .243 like mentioned above!

Another vote for the 243. My son actually enjoys hunting now since he got it. Maybe add a recoil pad until he gets accustomed to the recoil.

Yep, the .243 would be a great choice .

Savage .243 great gun great price

I've never seen the 243 in youth model although they may make them but they make a 22-250 in a youth model that comes with an upgrade to a regular size when they are ready for it. Thirty years ago I bought a cheap model 22-250 and cut 5 inches of stock off for my kids. I still carry that gun in my truck everyday even now.

Any of the guns mentioned above will work for an 8 yr old. I think the main thing to do if you can find the time is a lot of shooting practice. And the practice doesnt have to be with that particular gun. as long as he is shooting something, 22, BB gun, anything to get used to aiming and squeezing the trigger. I started my grandson at 5 yrs with a 22 Hornet, but practicing daily with a 22 and a BB gun. He is 12 now and uses a 220 swift and to date hasnt lost a deer or hog. The 243 is probably a better choice for your son, but a lot of shooting time will improve his chances of success. My 2 cents

22-250, shot many deer with it and most of them never went more than a few feet if that. great flat, accurate gun.

243

Another vote for the .243.

My 9yr old killed these two deer this past season with my 22-250. Double lunged both and neither went far at all. Will probably move up to the 243 in the future though.

I have a 22-250 and shoot haog ,deer & yotes with it. My main deer rifle is a 30-06 but i have killed saeveral with the 22-250.

.270 with managed recoil ammo. Then when he's ready to move up, you don't have to buy another caliber. Just step him up to big boy ammo.

I started my son out with a 260. Not much recoil and plenty of knock down power.

7-08

.17 hmr

Try a TC encore, youth stock in .243.. When he gets bigger you can get a full size stock and can change calibers at anytime.

an NEF .22-250 for starters, then a 7mm-08 with managed recoil ammo and when he grows into it he can use it for even up to elk with the right loads, light recoil and getting more and more popular.

My son is now nine, He has shot 3 deer and alot of hog using the 243. I would not do anything less than a 243, which he currently shoots. The weapon depends on the size of your son, but IMO the 270 is to large reguardless of managed recoil ammo. The 243 is just right, the main thing is PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. For white tail and hogs the 243 will do what you want it to do using the right bullet, we use the 100 gr. hornady BTSP and the 95 gr. nosler BT. I would not shoot anything lighter but that my preference.

The thing is and I am not trying to ruffel ANYONES FEATHERS is that the parents are the one sighting the rifles in, an having an adult sight a rifle in, they do not feel the recoil like a kid does. That is just MO.

i think 243 is too big for most kids to learn @ 8. for them to learn proper mechanics, breathing, steadiness, etc... i really think it is best with 22lr open sights, then 22mag. 22 mag hs plenty of killing power for small critters and hogs for that matter is shot placement is correct. cant shot deer with 22 mag by law but i dont see the hurry on getting them on a deer. i think it is better for them to go hunting for deer for at least a few seasons to learn how to hunt in the meantime shoot for smaller critters learning how to shoot at live targets with precision and respect for the animal.

everybody is different. 243 is too much for most young kiddos and will develop a flinch and jerk on the trigger method. if they shoot smaller guns for a while then when they are a little bigger and more mature they can shoot any rifle.

another point. a lot of the kid sized rifles and too light which means more recoil. i bought a 223 single shot for my kiddos last year and surprisingly it kicks more than 30/30. i dont even like shooting it. not to mention it will be too small for them in just a few years.

proper mechanics is far more important in the long run then bagging a deer when they are 8 vs 11.

coonsaw

We bought our sons a Weatherby Vanguard .243 youth model a couple of years ago. It came with a full sized stock as well so that we can change it out when they grow out of the youth stock. They absolutely love the gun. It was a little too much recoil for my youngest at first, but I agree with the earlier post that the noise was much more of a factor for him than the actual recoil. Once we bought him some quality hearing protection, his confidence, and accuracy, have improved dramatically. We love the gun. In fact, I haven't shot anything with my own rifle since we bought this gun, I have actually shot my last couple of deer with their gun.