re: First Deer Rifle For 5 Year Old?

A lever 30-30 is about the dumbest youth rifle you can come up with. AR platforms, single shots or bolt rifles make much more sense. I like a bolt the best, as it is inherently the safest action.

7MM 08 with reduced recoil round.

Didn’t think anyone would be triggered by 30-30 lever actions. Joking.

I understand your point. But me, my brothers, mom, aunts, grandpa, and every other hunter in my family, along with 10s of millions of other hunters used a 30-30 as their first rifle.

My kids will as well.

The 6.5 Grendel and 6 Arc are definitely good choices and I’d look at an 18” AR to help keep velocity up.

But don’t discount the 300 BO either. I loaned a 16” 300 BO to my nephew for his 5 year old daughter to shoot last year. He liked it so much he killed several does and a stud 8 point as well as the buck she took. Used 110 grain AAC tipped bullets that I gave him.

The 8 pt was shot at 80 yards and ran 0 steps. Bullet was recovered under the hide on the offside. I don’t think I’m getting that upper back ??. They went and killed 3 hogs with it last week.

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A 6.5 Grendel or 6mm Arc suppressed AR is what I think I'm leaning towards. I think with either of those the recoil and sound will be minimal and it won't scare him. Thoughts? Better options?

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For the past few years I’ve been absolutely waxing deer with a 6.5 Grendel on an AR platform. I’ve shot 12 now with it and have yet to have one make it farther than 30 yds. Shot distance has ranged from 20yds to 250yds. It’s loud, so I’d put a suppressor on it. Recoil is pretty much non existent.

Barnes vortex tac-tx 115grain bullet does some serious damage.

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6.5 Grendel on an AR platform.

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Such a good round for anything in the southeast.

I don’t know if my post was downvoted for the caliber or what. I’d guess some dumbasses who think you need a 300 win mag because they can’t shoot for shite.

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I’d guess some dumbasses who think you need a 300 win mag because they can’t shoot for shite

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Or somebody that has a 7 mag with a brake that “probably” kicks less than a .223.

I bought my son a crack barrel .243 at 6 or 7. But now that I have been introduced to a suppressor, the answer would be .308 with a suppressor. It is UNBELIEVABLE the difference they make.

The most important thing for a 5 year old will be appropriate length of pull. That’s hard to get with most of the synthetic stocked rifles these days. That makes an AR platform most attractive for very young shooters.

I believe the Ruger American gen II will go down to a 12” LOP, but that’s still likely too big for a 5 year old unless he’s really big for his age.

You are a jackarse if you think a 5 year old should be shooting a high powered rifle. Lil baw can’t even count to 50, but you might not be able to as well. Guys like you are why I refuse to hunt public land.