Ruger American Compact - good youth first deer rifle?

Excellent rifle, it’s a tack driver. Both my boys have one.

I highly recommend this gun to anyone!

Im in the same exact boat. Both my boys (10/11) currently shoot 350 Legends but Im leaning on getting them another rifle. Im considering this one or a .270 with reduced recoil rounds since me and the wife both shoot .270s. Also heard the 6.5 is an option for kids but I really don’t want to have a bunch of random bullets around the house and would like to keep the same caliber if possible

I have one, and it is nice, but if I had a do over I wouldve bought the Savage Axis XP, I have both and I just like the Saage better and the longer barrel is nice to have in the stand. The Ruger is too compact for my taste. And I have had two magazines break as well.

BIL just bought a gen 2 predator and it is a slick little gun, would recommend spending the little extra over a regular first gen American. With the adjustments you can make to the stock it will grow with them and is a fine gun for an adult too.

I would also look at the tikka T3x compact just because it’s the best barreled action in that class. Savage makes a good cheap accurate rifle but the fit and finish are behind the new rugers and tikka, the finish will rust if you look at it funny. My savage is a bench gun that has never seen a drop of rain and I have to wipe it down every time it leaves the case, just no sense in that with as far as finishes have come.

I bought one of these for my son in 308. I wanted the threaded barrel and I added a supressor so he doesn't wind up with the same constant ear ringing I have. He's since lost intrest in hunting and this gun is the one I grab most often.

Ruger

Ruger is a good gun.

I ended up with the savage, with the stock shims all out it was .5" longer pull then a compact. When they get bigger stock shims go back in. $700 combo deal rifle out shoots most of the gun safe.

I think that would be a great choice. When the time comes they could drop it into a krg bravo and get the barrel threaded and have a really cool gun.

Id maybe consider going with a cartridge that has better ammo availability even though the 7mm-08 will be great.

If I was looking to spend more, the tikka compacts are sweet and they have some crazy sales going on along with the $75 factory rebate. They also have more aftermarket support than the gen 1s for a rebarrel, stock, whatever accessories.

Really short barrels are just the right length with a suppressor too.

Typically the only reason anyone talks themselves into a longer barrel is to retain velocity, very few reasons to lug one around otherwise. Many a grown man has stolen his kid’s “youth” rifle after carrying it to the stand one day and recognizing it kills them just as dead but is a lot more handy.

Went and looked at these at lunch and they are SHORT. Not a bad thing, just smaller than what I assumed a 'compact' would be.

Local gun shop had this setup as a combo with a Vortex Diamondback 3.5-10x for $699.

Thoughts on the combo package? If not what's a good entry level optic as well?