New Circuit Judge by Taurus

[TubaDr]

Just read an artical about the new Judge and tought it might be a great starter for my son. 45cal. is big enough for deer without the recoil. Or am I going down the wrong road? Also by the time he is big enough for the 30.06 I will be old and crippeled enough to need a lighter recoil weapon.

Ideas and thoughts wellcome.

[picksbigwagon]

It's not 45 acp, it is 45 LC which I have never shot, but judging by the case length, it is going have a thuimp with it....granted it is not a magnum but it will not be a .22 either. The judge looks to be a heavy weapon as well, not sure how old your child is, but I know my almost 10 year old would not be able to hold it steady....wait is the circuit judge the version with the stock and longer barrel? but still looks like a revolver? If that is the case, it might be a good start, but there are better lower recoil rifle rounds out there (.243 or 7mm-08)

[TooTallTom]

You could also go with a lightweight .30-06 bolt or single-shot and sight it in using low-recoil rounds. That way, if he forgets his ammo he can borrow a few rounds off you and still be in the hunt. (We actually had a "forgotten ammo" situation in my camp one year. Poor kid not only couldn't hunt that morning, but we still give him a hard time for it.)

[LightningBG]

The CJ weighs about 4.75lbs.

Personally, I would look towards a smaller caliber bolt action. Something like a 243.

[TubaDr]

Thanks guys, to answer the age question my son is 12 and weighes about 70-75#. The other issue is he is left handed and I thought that this would be good as it is a revolver at its heart. This would also be a weapon that I would use in the future....Maybe.

I'm right handed so you can see where I'm coming from.

[LightningBG]

Here is what I would do:

I'd go with a left handed, 243, stevens 200 or savage (for a little more $$$)

They are relatively cheap (the stevens).

Low recoil.

Good range.

Enough power for deer.

Fast

Low enough power for varmints/coyotes.

Great gun to practice proper handling of a gun.

The final reason is, if he's left handed (left eye dominant), he's always going to want / need a lefty gun. If he gets his "very own gun", he's going to cherish it, take care of it, keep it forever and always remember where it came from.

Only down side is, it wont be very handy for you to use, but maybe that's better in the long run and will make it more special to him. In all honesty you could use a lefty bolt pretty easy if you really needed to.

And just because he might move up to a bigger caliber later, doesn't mean he isn't going to want to keep the smaller one too.

[SmilinBob]

This would be a great gun for a new hunter, 5 shots of either 45 long Colt, which you can get in a +P, have ballistics very close to a 44 mag. or if you are in the shotgun zone, 410 slugs. And with the switch of the included choke tube its a 5 shot shogun, even comes with a plug for the cylinder for waterfowl hunting. After handling one I would say the hardest thing a youth could encounter is getting it out of your hands. Plus, its just a cool gun.

[TooTallTom]

Also keep in mind that he might be game for (and capable of) more caliber than you give him credit for. I started shooting a borrowed .308 at 12, and a .30-06 of my very own the next year. I still shoot the '06, it's a Savage 110 with a synthetic stock, and weighs maybe 6 pounds or so. Once the gun is sighted in (which you can help out with) he won't have to spend lots of time shooting from a bench. Practice can be had with a .22, and with a snap cap or two in the rifle itself. And in the field, he probably won't even notice it. Isn't it funny how all the worries about recoil and cold go away when there's a deer in the scope?

If your son already loves hunting and shooting, he probably won't be turned off by the recoil.

[TubaDr]

OK thanks for all of the input. I guess I will do some more reserch on this and make up my mind by this summer. Thanks again to all.

[TooTallTom]

Please let us know what you decide and how it goes. Good luck!

[picksbigwagon]

Tuba, that is a cool looking gun ta boot as well.........I can understand your desire to hope he grows out of it......

[jkcmj]

This gun is an awesome looking piece. I think I may add this to my christmas list...