Youth Hunting Rifles
One of the most rewarding activities a father can do is to hunt along with his son. The youth hunting activities are vital for the continuation of the hunting activities in the world. Nowadays on the market you can find youth rifles that come in many caliber configurations. One of the things that might turn them off very fast is the recoil from a rifle with a larger caliber. The good thing is that these days there are several calibers available and some of these have a light enough recoil that is most suitable for a young hunter.
For a young hunter, parents should look for the lightest rifle they can find on the market but without losing the accuracy a larger rifle offers, the trick is to find the perfect compromise. Recoil is one of the most important factors a parent must take into consideration before purchasing a rifle for the child. Beside the cartridge, weight plays a major part so you must be aware of the fact that a heavy rifle has less recoil in comparison to a rifle that has the same caliber but is lighte - but as we have mentioned, a child can’t carry around a big and heavy rifle so we recommend that parents search thoroughly the market before making a decision.
Recoil pads can diminish the felt recoil and many discoveries have been made in this domain. The problem with recoil pads is that they will add extra length to the rifle unless the stock of the rifle is shortened. The table below shows the recoil for most of the popular calibers:
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From our experience and from what we have discussed with other experienced hunters, the most suitable firearms for young hunters would be:
• Remington Model 7 Youth (bolt)
• NEF Handi-Rifle Youth (break-open)
• Marlin Model 336 SpikeHorn (lever)
• Weatherby Vanguard Compact (bolt)
• Savage Model 10GY Youth and 11FYXP3 Package w/scope (bolt)
• Ruger M77 Compact (bolt)
• Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter (bolt)
Youth rifles are in almost all cases single bolt action type models due to the fact that this type of rifle is considered to be the safest rifle an inexperienced hunter can have. These rifles are in most cases lightweight firearms that have reduced stocks so that the young hunter can not only hold but also shoot the firearm better. These firearms are appropriate for informal target shooting and plinking, and of course small game hunting at short-medium range but if these firearms are equipped with a good telescopic sight, they can take small animals as far as most of the other .22 rifles.
After finding the right rifle for your child make sure that he practices a lot with the firearm, he must accommodate with it so that when he will be on his first hunting adventure with his own firearm he will be as ready as it gets - you know the old saying: practice makes perfect. One last piece of advice, always pay attention to what your child is doing so that there won’t be any unfortunate accidents. Although hunting is a very exciting and entertaining adventure it is also very dangerous that is why (especially when children are involved) hunters must be very attentive.
Useful Info :
We will now offer you a small list of hunting rifles (besides the already mentioned) that are recommended for young hunters:
Henry Mini-Bolt .22
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Specifications:
Caliber: .22 LR
Barrel : 16 1/2 in.
Capacity : 1
Sights : adjustable Williams Fire Sights
Stock : Black synthetic
Weight : 3.25 lbs.
Finish : All metal is stainless
Remington 572 Fieldmaster Pump
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Specifications:
Caliber : 22 Short, Long, Long Rifle (LR)
Barrel Length : 21-inches
Overall Length : 40-in.
Capacity : 15 LR
Weight: 5 ½
Savage Steven’s Favorite
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Specifications:
Caliber : .22LR, .22 WMR, .17 HMR.
Capacity : Single-Shot
Barrel : 21 in.
Stock : Oil-finished American walnut
Sights : bead front, adjustable notch rear
Weight : 4.25 lbs.
Finish : Blue
Marlin 915Y
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Specifications:
Caliber : .22 S, L, LR.
Capacity : Single shot, youth model
Barrel : 16 3/4 inches; Micro-Groove rifling
Stock : Walnut-finished hardwood
Sights : Ramp front, adjustable rear; drilled and tapped for scope bases
Weight : 4 1/4 lbs.
Finish: Blue
Ruger 10/22RR
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Specifications:
Caliber : .22 LR
Capacity : 10 Rounds
Stock/Grip : Hardwood
Barrel Length : 20 in.
Sights : Fiber-Optic
Finish : Blue