Opinion on youth hunting rifle??

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by MK2750

I ordered a 7mm-08 SPS 700 youth for my 13 year old a few months ago in lefty. I have had the chance to handle a few "700 youth" models over the summer and was not really impressed. I was also beginning to wonder if it was even going to show up this season.

My young fellow has grown like a weed this summer and he can handle a full size easily. We were out a couple weeks back and found a beautiful 700 BDL in 30-06.

I was in love with the exact same rifle when I was 13 but had to settle for a 303. Every chance I had I would go into that shop and ogle that rifle until it sold. Broke my heart.

We looked at all the shops and handled all the usual suspects. When I asked the guy at UFA what he had in left and he passed Mitchell that BDL I knew it was going to cost me. His eyes were so big I thought they were going to pop.

At all the other gun shops he would try to say something mature and intelligent every time he looked at a gun. With this one he lost it- couldn't speak at all just staring at the rifle and a grin from ear to ear.

Chip off the old block; everything I own is high gloss and blued. I'm told it's a red-neck thing.

I also picked up some of those managed recoil rounds for him to practice with. They claim more energy then a 30-30 with 125gr., lethal on deer to 200 yards. With half the recoil of regular 30-06 loads should be lots of fun to shoot. They also claim no scope adjustment to jump to regular loads of 150gr. I’ll be testing that before trying it on game.

He has been shooting 3 inch mags at ducks and it doesn’t bother him a bit so the transition should go smooth.

I think most important to me was to give him a rifle he will keep and be proud of for the rest of his life. I think equally important is that he got to choose his rifle. Even if it isn’t his go to gun in 10 years it will still be kept and cherished. I got no such feeling when handling the SPS.

Anyway, when and if the SPS shows up I will put a light weight scope on it and keep it as a spare. Or if it bugs me as much as the others I have handled you will see it in the buy and sell.

Good luck with whatever you choose,
MK

Some great points here. Especially the one about the "rifle for life". This is certainly the truth and something that is often overlooked when it comes to investment in a firearm.

The young man in the link that I posted has in his hands, with that kimber, a well balanced rifle that he can obviously handle. The rifle also obviously handles what it's pointed at as well. But, and this is what would seal it for me, that rife could literally last him a lifetime. He could possibly and literally never need to purchase another rifle again.

Great investment if you ask me.