243 for my son

[Andy L]

My son used one for 5 sesaons, starting at age 7. It was a handi rifle youth 243. Much the same as the Rossi. It was great for him. He couldnt cock it for the first couple of years and I liked it like that. I had to do everything but aim and pull the trigger. Thats not all bad for a youngin.

As for bullets, 100gr would be better, but I had him using 80gr. Less recoil, and yes, you could feel a big difference. Especially on young shoulders. The compromise was taking only good shots and making sure he was confident shooting it. I would much rather have a kid shooting 80gr bullets with confidence than shooting 100gr and closing his eyes and flinching at the last moment. No question.

Thats up to you. He had 5 clean kills with the 80 gr bullets.