gun for son?

[Andy L]

It all depends on the size of your son and what he can shoot comfortably.

I started my son off with a Youth Handi Rifle in 243 at 7 yrs old. He had to use shooting sticks, dont we all, to be very accurate, but the recoil was tolerable. I just didnt let him shoot alot of targets. Just enough to see that he could handle it, then they dont notice it when a deers out there. I also had him shooting 80gr bullets for less recoil. He killed 5 deer with 5 shots in 5 years. It served well to say the least. And they are only about $200.

Hes 12 now. And, even bigger than I previously thought. I had him at the doc last week and he was just over 5'10" and weighed 148lb. He has way outgrown that youth handi rifle. As you can see in the other thread, I bought him a CZ 550 American in 6.5x55. Its perfect for him.

The cartridge speaks for itself. I think I will be shooting one as well, very soon. The gun is pretty big. Its got a 25.5" bbl, I think, and weighs around 8lb. If your son is small, it might be a bit big. But, it will be a well made gun that he can shoot the rest of his life. Even if its marginal, with shooting sticks needed, I would consider that route. Kids that age are growing fast and it may be perfect by next year. That way you would have something that lasts forever instead of a two year toss away....

I looked at the Model 7 Rems and was very tempted. If he wasnt big enough to handle a CZ, I probably would have went that route. Probably still with a 6.5 of some sort. But Im very disenchanted with Remington nowdays. I was a diehard for them too, but they leave alot to be desired. IMHO, CZ by far makes the best affordable rifle on the market today.

Thats my experience with my kid. Hope it helps.

Andy