Thread: What rifle for a 10 year old?

Wayback in the 60s a fellow I worked with had a 22-250. I'd never heard of such and he wanted a place to shoot it.( We were doing construction work, and he was from out of town)
I took him to an old pond in the woods where I sometimes fished. He set his scope on a turtle on a log about 75 yards away and pulled the trigger. There were two explosions. First one was the round going off and second one was when the turtle exploded. It seemed that pieces of the turtle fell back to the water forever. I stood there with my mouth open in amazement. I remember that shot to this day and akways wanted a 22-250.

I would like to add: I think .243 is the min caliber for deer. I know this will step on alot of toes, but. 223 is NOT a high powered round. Ask anyone who had served, it was designed as a WOUNDING round not a killing round. Just something to ponder

If in the future you plan on doing any elk or bear hunts with him in KY you will need at least a .270 per the hunting regulations digest. So all the cartridges mentioned below .270 diameter can be eliminated unless you want to buy multiple rifles. The extra rifles are a must for some and outside the budget for others. Just some info to consider.

One other piece of advice that works for new hunters - Keep the shots as close as possible. Don't be a sniper and shoot at extreme distances. Practice long shots at the range so you can make short ones in the woods with ease. Be a hunter and shoot them as close as possible. It is more exciting and shorter shots help build hunting confidence.

Hope it helps and good luck to you and your son no matter the choice you make together. JayW

Originally Posted by INDyak

I would like to add: I think .243 is the min caliber for deer. I know this will step on alot of toes, but. 223 is NOT a high powered round. Ask anyone who had served, it was designed as a WOUNDING round not a killing round. Just something to ponder

Any center-fire round is legal in Mo. for the last five years.


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My grandson- 9 years old- tried out his 270 Sunday on a doe and dropped it. His dad asked him how bad it kicked and he said he didn't even notice it.
We didn't let him shoot it off the bench, so he wouldn't be afraid of it. Worked just fine off the stand. He's small for his age too.
You would be surprised what a kid can do when they want to.

The .223 is plenty for deer , it is about shot placement. The military uses full metal jacket bullets per the Geneva convention , so yes it was a wounding round.

Originally Posted by Granite

The .223 is plenty for deer , it is about shot placement. The military uses full metal jacket bullets per the Geneva convention , so yes it was a wounding round.

to each his own. But I personally DO not think a .22 caliber projectile is enough. This is MY opinion..you do you

Originally Posted by moskeeter56

Any center-fire round is legal in Mo. for the last five years.


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not sure what this has to do with my comment? Again was asked opinions, I gave one. I WILL NOT nor do I reccomend use of any .22 caliber on game that size.