guns

[fishinjosh98]

i am a youth should i buy a 30-06 or a 7mm rifle

[Archerysniper]

It depends on your size and what you are hunting but a good gun for a youth in minnesota is a .243 great for deer and predators you can use it for bear also but it is a little light another good one to consider is a .308.

[picksbigwagon]

Archerysniper is right, I would go with the 243 or the 308, no matter what your size is, unless you are looking for an elk, moose and caribou gun, I don't see the need for the two you mentioned.

[troutned]

Don't overlook 7mm-08. After living out west (Montana and Idaho) for years, I found that this was a very popular youth cartridge. It was often a young (age 12-16) hunters general rifle, as it was considered (by many) adequate for elk. It is a fine deer cartridge. Recoil is very manageable, and ammo is not very difficult to find (not as easy as .243, .308, .30-06, but not bad). Westerners consider it a "best of both worlds" cartridge for their young'uns. Happy shooting, and let us know what you decide! Good luck!

[candiru]

A 30-06 or 7mm Mag is probably a little more than you need. It is a whole lot more fun at the range when you are not getting beat up with recoil. If your just hunting deer a .243 is just fine. The 7mm-08 is a round that I have heard some good things about. Light on recoil and with proper bullets like a Barnes TSX I would not hesitate to use it for moose, elk, or bear. The 308 is another good one. It is only about 100 fps slower than the 30-06 but the recoil is about 25-30% less the an ought-six. No animal that you shoot with it is going to know the difference.

Howa makes a youth model rifle that comes from the factory with a youth stock and a regular sized one, that way you can change stocks when you get bigger. It comes in all three of the calibers I mentioned. I just got a Howa 308 with the scope for $500 and love the way it shoots. That Hogue stock is nice.

To me it is all about having a gun that you are comfortable shooting and handling. If you go too big early; you can start to flinch when you shoot and that can lead to poor accuracy. You need to build your confidence that your bullet is going to go where you want it to go. That is more important than having an extra couple hundred foot pounds of energy when it gets there. There are also reduced-recoil factory loads available for most popular calibers. That can be a good starting point. They should be fine for deer out to about 200 yds.

A friend of mine drew an cow elk tag a couple of years ago. He borrowed a 7mm Mag. He took it to the range and got "scope-bit" with it on the first shot. (Back end of the scope hit him above the eye when he shot - cutting him). He went hunting with the gun anyway and ended up missing a few shots that should not have been too tough.(flinched) He wishes he would have just stuck with his 270. Sometimes bigger is not always better.

[paul pachowicz]

I just love to hear guys just getting into shooting and hunting. I agree with what others have said about the choice of caliber. However, I would add that the 06 will cover anything on the north American continent up to grizzly with bullet weight selections. The .243, .308 and the 7mm-08 are all based on the 308 cartridge and will give more then adequate performance. Economy wise and availibility of factory loads the .308 and .243 would probably fit your need better then the 08. I just ordered am 08 to fill the gap between my .243 and .30-06 and .270. I've never been a fan of belted calibers so I would recommend avoiding the 7mmMag. That's just my opinion and nothing intended for you big bore fellas. Take your time, do alittle research and choose accordingly. You could try to shoot friends guns in different calibers. Good luck with what ever you choose, son. By the way, welcome to the world of ballistics.

[gunmunky]

If you don't mind single shots you could get an Encore. This way if you add calibers later at a fraction of the cost of another complete gun.

[harvey lee]

I would agree with a .243.

[sparkydm]

Another excellent round in the .308 family is the .260 Rem. Not as easy to find a rifle chambered for it but Ruger and Remington both do. I bought a new Ruger a few years back for $425.00. Very accurate and mild recoil.

[Johnsonator]

When I was 16 I got a lightweight .270 (very similar to .30-06) not thinking that recoil would be much of an issue. To my surprise it's recoil seemed harsher than some of the 7mm mags I have shot probly due to the weight of the gun. I have been out west hunting a couple times and wished my .270 was a 7mm mag for the flatter trajectory so if I could have done it all over again I would have a)got a bigger caliber rifle like the 7mm mag or 300 win mag and learned to shoot it or got a lightweight low recoil rifle like the .243. Depending on your size and if you can handle the recoil now you will get older and bigger, besides I have never felt recoil in hunting situations. Another thing I highly recommend is a high quality scope with long eye relief to keep you from getting scope bite(not fun). Just my 2 cents.

[fishinjosh98]

for the .243 i want somthing a little more powerful for bear somthing that will take it on the spot and i want somthing really accurate

[troutned]

They're all "really accurate". When someone talks about an accurate cartridge, it generally means that they've hit on a load that works well for them in their rifle. Some cartridges are more accurate than others. If you're a benchrest competitor, you'll find that some cartridges do tend to shoot .1 inch better groups than others do. But you're hunting. Find a cartridge that has the combination of energy, trajectory, and recoil you need. Since you've mentioned bear, I personally would rule-out the .243 winchester. I feel the 6mm/.243 is a little small for bears. You don't want tons of recoil because you're a smaller person. Good choice! Kudos to you for recognizing that. Above advice was spot-on. Shoot something comfortable to YOU! If you don't enjoy shooting it, it's gonna be a tough mental game. I still think the 7mm-08 is a valid option. The .270 may be, too, though some have found it to be a fairly sharp rap. Understandably, this may be due to a light rifle. The recommendation of a .260 is worth exploring, but again I would hesitate with the idea of bear. Something else to consider is a .280 remington. It's a 7mm bullet, but not as stout as the 7mm rem mag.

Are you looking to buy new or used? If new, find one of these cartridges that you think fits the bill, and buy it. If used, become as familiar as possible with the various cartridges. Know them inside and out (a "gun digest" could be helpful). That way, when you find a good deal on a Ruger model 77 Mark II in 7x57 Mauser, you'll be educated as to whether or not that's a cartridge you want to have.

Also, as mentioned above, if you have the opportunity to shoot anyone else's guns, do it. You'll learn a lot about the cartridges, and various models of rifle.

Now I'm gonna start a fire. The .300 Savage is still a great cartridge, too. Don't discount it!

[sparkydm]

When the U.S. Military designed the 7.62x51(.308 Winchester) they based it off of the .300 Savage. So, I'll agree, great cartridge!

[swamptiger]

I'd recommend the .308. It has a little less recoil than the .30-06, ammunition is readily available, and there's a good range of bullet choices.

[Gordie]

.308 is my vote my son shots a 243 and he'll will move up to the .308 next season. as for dropping a bear on the spot it isnt the size of the rifle that does that its the shot placement.

[Musky Buck]

Go with the 30.06. Got mine when I was eleven and I never thought it kicked much more than my 3" super mags out of my twelve gauge. Easy to find shells, will be the only rifle you'll likely ever need, one you certainly year after year will grow into. Now at 39, it's the only rifle I have or need and it still looks nearly brand new as I take great care of it and like Gomer on Andy Griffith I can shoot a bugs ear off at 20 paces, mainly because I am 100% confident in the gun and scope, get a good bolt action and you're set, plus being a youth you maybe will get this for a b-day or xmas gift and won't have to buy a 2nd rifle down the road when it's your wallet doing the talking ?

[Gordie]

like Gomer on Andy Griffith I can shoot a bugs ear off at 20 paces,

or as my dad would say a hair off of a flys arse thats some mighty fine shootin Pyle...

[Fins-n-feathers]

I would say the 30-30 is a great gun for deer, but I think it really is a matter of personsal preference.

[Bowfin]

Go with the 30.06. Got mine when I was eleven and I never thought it kicked much more than my 3" super mags out of my twelve gauge. Easy to find shells, will be the only rifle you'll likely ever need, one you certainly year after year will grow into. Now at 39, it's the only rifle I have or need and it still looks nearly brand new as I take great care of it and like Gomer on Andy Griffith I can shoot a bugs ear off at 20 paces, mainly because I am 100% confident in the gun and scope, get a good bolt action and you're set, plus being a youth you maybe will get this for a b-day or xmas gift and won't have to buy a 2nd rifle down the road when it's your wallet doing the talking ?

I agree with Musky Buck. I got my 30-06 when I was 16 and it is still serving me well at 39. Its dropped many deer and a few bear in those years. It will handle all big game in MN and shells are common.

[Gordie]

I also have a 30-06 and if you dont really like all the recoil you could have someone or you could reload some shells of your likeing also. down load them to take some of the recoil out my dad did this for me when I was 15 yrs old and shot my first rifle.

[Fins-n-feathers]

If you so go with the ought six you won't notice the recoil if you're about to shoot the big one, and when you are sighting it in you can wear a real heavy jacket or something to give you padding.