Sika2

I am looking for a 223 that is easy for an 11 year old to carry and shoot game with but will also provide good grouping and accuracy for paper punching. At the moment it appears the Remington Model 7 is winning. Any thoughts appreciated.

Menoman

Can't go wrong with Remington 700s.

They all have swivels on em so you could easily purchase a nice sling for the child. My personaly choice would be the Remington model 700 VLS. It's got a bull barrel (thick heavier for accuracy). If you don't want a sling though the VLS wouldnt be a good choice. It's a weighty gun.

Although I don't think I have to tell you the more weigh the better it sits on sandbags/stands.





I'll assume this child is your boy? grandchild?

Kudos to you sir for showing a young one how to responsibly enjoy the outdoors and the wildlife. If more people were out showing their children how wonderful hunting/fishing. Hell... even frog gigging. I garrentee there would be a much higher respect for those of us who take pride in what we are doing, and less bitching about boo hoo they killed an animal. (Which I usually reply by telling them better the back of my truck than smashed into the front of your car... but thats another thread!)

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blockmaan2000

CZ makes some great smaller centerfire rifles. Check out www.cz-usa.com

Exodus

Personally I would take a Remington 700, Winchester 70 or a Savage 12FV. I havent had the chance to shoot the Remington but I know their reputation. I have shot the Winchester in 7mm Rem Mag and its an ass kicker. If you can get it chambered in .223 it would be much easier on the shoulder and if you get the feather weight model it would be extremely light. I have a Savage in .308 and its a damn fine rifle as well.

Congrats for showing a youngster the proper way to shoot and how to be safe!

MrTuffPaws

If you are into the carbine rifle thing, try a Kel-tec SU-16. The thing weighs about 5 pounds, has a fold out bi-pod, can take AR mags, has a build in rail, more accurate than a mini-14, and all for around 4-5 hundred.

Thing is, the thing is almost entirely made of polymer.

Here is a review:


http://www.ktrange.com/articles/a6/a6.html

Sika2

Thanks all for your thoughts. Yes it is for my boy, but I have to confess that further research has left me debating whether the 223 is the calibre I should be looking at. I am now hearing that it is badly affested by wind so I shall continue to research further on a round and rifle that can be comfortably carried and fired by an eleven year old but will provide him with pretty good accuracy at 300 meters. Anyway thanks again.

peeweesbigbong

the welder from our wshop has an AK47 for his son who is only 10. kid loves it too. www.vectorarms.com order one and i'll build it with extra nice parts!

itlain

I'm in the Army and our m-16 is of course a .223 caliber rifle. We routinely qualify to targets out to 300m and I believe the marines do it out to 500 on a point target. Most of these are done with no bipod or optics other than an iron sight. I know I would feel extremely comfortable with an aftermarket ar-15. They are so customizable and you can get so many different accesories for them. I know it is mostly seen as a combat type rifle and I admit I've never used one for hunting but they seem pretty reliable to me. I carry one every day in the sand and dust over here and granted while I don't fire it that often it does get chambered every day and with just basic upkeep and cleaning it works well.

It is also made to be extremely easy to take apart and clean. I don't have any experience with any other manufacturer's .223 calibers but if some of the people in the Army can clean them and take care of them I'm sure your 10 yr old son (grandson?) can do it well also.

*edit* Oh and I've also seen some sub 5' and about 90 lb women handle these things quite well and not have a problem so I doubt that would be a problem. The recoil can also be managed quite well depending on how it is set up.

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peeweesbigbong

yea, the H&K .223's are amazingly over engineered. its around 85 parts in that gun!

Menoman

isnt 300 meters more than 300 yards?

Dang, I am having a brain lapse.. I know one is like 3 inches longer than the other...

Anyway, I'll just act likes its yards coz thats how I know guns.

.223 will definatly be highly affected by the wind at 300 yards. As will any small caliber hunk of lead. I'd say if you need a 300 yard gun and its for a small child. Your gonna have to brunt the wind and chill out waiting for a stop in it.

More weighty bullets buck the wind better but they also get much more significant drop in them.

One thing that comes to mind "maybe" is a 22-250. With a mid weight bullet your gonna get an even/even windage + drop from the bullets.



(Went to work and then came back)

I was also thinking that you could check out the .243's. They will have more drop, but windage will not be as bad either.

Just remember that its much much more difficult to judge windage than it is to know what your bullets drop at 200 or 300 yards.

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Big Cholla

Given his youth, I would recommend a New England Firearms single shot in their break action model in .223 Rem caliber. I believe that they even offer one in "Youth" sized stock. It is relatively inexpensive and will allow him to learn safe gun handling with safety for all around. Appreciation for maximum accuracy developes quickly with single shots. When he has successfully made a couple of years with the single shot, go for a bolt action. The Remington Model 7 is an outstanding choice. Or you might want to look in the used gun racks for a Remington Model 660 in .243 Win. Have a nice set of peep sights put on his rifles. He can use his great eyesight thru the peep sight to be more than accurate for hunting.

cd45

I bought the wife an Olympic Arms AR15. She is just under 5', so I put a short LE "entry" stock. It looks just like a standard stock except that it is only around 7" long. She shoots it very well with no problems. The rifle was $600 NIB. I would look at the H&R-New England Firearms rifles, they are very accurate and easy to shoot. They are also very inexpensive.

gcbrowni

I second this for all the same reasons. A break action will help reinforce firearm safety and accuracy.

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timalkin

I noticed that you didn't say what price range you are considering. If you have a spare $800-$900, I'd recommend an AR-15, preferably by Bushmaster. Very accurate and reliable if taken care of.

If you only have a spare $400-$500, I'd go with a mini-14. I first shot one when I was about 11 years old and I absolutely loved it. It was light enough for me to carry with no problem and very accurate as well.

Remember, your local hunting laws may regulate magazine capacity. This may push you more towards a bolt action.

Thanks for teaching a young person to shoot.

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Neo: "Guns. Lots of guns."

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BigJ11

I have a nice Savage that works great. I put a composite stock on it and it is pretty lite, but still accurate. The price point is great for a younger person that may drop it a few times. I paid about $300-400 for mine, minus the stock (about $75)

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saigon1965

Sound to me like you might need several weapons instead of one, what kind of game will you be shootin at? perhaps invest in a plinker and a higher power rifle for the longer range. The AR-15 family have a variety of different caliber uperrs that you can change out, and still be cheaper than buying different rifles. Someone sure will chime in about this. I am glad to see you are trainning your son in this hobby, enjoy.