Nice rifle for a teenager to pass down

[WVmike]

My favorite rifle I currently have is my Seekins PH2 in 7mm Rem Mag which I would think would be a little much for him. I also have my dad's Model 70 Sporter in .264 Win Mag and that's about the same situation with the 7mm. The .308 that I do have is an adl with a pretty heavy Choate stock that I bought years ago to replace the cheap stock that came with the rifle. I'm getting some intriguing info on here.

 

[brymoore]

I agree with the M70 comments.

I bought my first rifle as a Jack O’Connor classic - Winchester Model 70FW in 270. It’s killed all the classic western animals. It’s been retired for over a decade; however, it’s still the prettiest rifle in my safe. Butter smooth action.

I should carry it bear hunting this year.

 

[WVmike]

I sat down with my son and we checked out numerous sites for rifle manufacturers from Winchester, Remington, Ruger, Seekins, Bergara, Tikka, Browning, and a few others and he was between the Winchester Model 70 Super Grade, Bergara Ridge Carbon Wilderness, Seekins PH2/PH3 and the Tikki T3x UPR. Pretty solid choices for only being 10 I think. I had him pick between all of those and he narrowed it down to the Tikka and Bergara. He is kind of hung up on the color of the stock which I said we can change it if need be except for the Model 70 which is an absolutely beautiful rifle to begin with. After telling him that he picked the Bergara for now. He may end up changing his mind, but I wanted him to pick the one he liked. More to follow.

 

[Addicting]

I sat down with my son and we checked out numerous sites for rifle manufacturers from Winchester, Remington, Ruger, Seekins, Bergara, Tikka, Browning, and a few others and he was between the Winchester Model 70 Super Grade, Bergara Ridge Carbon Wilderness, Seekins PH2/PH3 and the Tikki T3x UPR. Pretty solid choices for only being 10 I think. I had him pick between all of those and he narrowed it down to the Tikka and Bergara. He is kind of hung up on the color of the stock which I said we can change it if need be except for the Model 70 which is an absolutely beautiful rifle to begin with. After telling him that he picked the Bergara for now. He may end up changing his mind, but I wanted him to pick the one he liked. More to follow.

I’ve owned one and they are cheaply made. The action was smooth but had a lot of play in it. Also the action screws never stayed tight. The issue was the pillars they use are flat and are expected to hold on to a round action. Bedding it was absolutely necessary to stop the random flyers. Stock felt good in the hands but was plastic and had a ton of warp/twist.

They are not a rifle to pass down, they are a get you into the woods rifle. I would absolutely not buy one off a 10 year olds opinion. Looks are very deceiving.

 

[WVmike]

I’ve owned one and they are cheaply made. The action was smooth but had a lot of play in it. Also the action screws never stayed tight. The issue was the pillars they use are flat and are expected to hold on to a round action. Bedding it was absolutely necessary to stop the random flyers. Stock felt good in the hands but was plastic and had a ton of warp/twist.

They are not a rifle to pass down, they are a get you into the woods rifle. I would absolutely not buy one off a 10 year olds opinion. Looks are very deceiving.

Thanks for the info, this is why I am asking for advice. I have no experience with Bergara. My personal pick would be nudge him towards the Model 70 or Seekins which I do have experience with. If you you don't mind me asking what model did you have?

 

[6mm Remington]

A Model 70 Supergrade would be pretty sweet.

Ruger Hawkeye Hunter would also be an outstanding choice. Solid good looking rifle.

Maybe a Sako 90 Hunter rifle. Wow is all I can say!


Weatherby Model 307

Bergara B14 Timber

 

[Addicting]

Thanks for the info, this is why I am asking for advice. I have no experience with Bergara. My personal pick would be nudge him towards the Model 70 or Seekins which I do have experience with. If you you don't mind me asking what model did you have?

B14 Ridge. It was pretty heavy and I sold it.

 

[Austinw8]

Man an M70 with a wood stock would be hard to beat!
It’s the classic American bolt action hunting rifle but proven across the globe, blued steel and wood with a controlled round feed action just scream CLASSY and they’re consistently accurate out of the box.

 

[cgasner1]

Something you can put a suppressor on and something that’s can be easily have a new barrel put on would be my suggestion.

 

[kiwi hunter]

Win mod 70, best in the USA.

 

[Dan O]

Give him some reading material from Jack O'Connor and sheep hunting. He will go for the M-70 in 270 and build his own legacy with it.
I'm kind of partial to the M-70. My Dad bought his M-70 270 win. in 1952 I shot my first deer with it and then a few years later got my own M-70 in 300 H&H. Shot my first elk, black bear, moose and antelope with it. Still have both rifles in the safe. My H&H barrel is shot out and needs replacing. The 270 still shoots great. They will be handed down to my daughter when the time comes but until then I will use the 270 occasionally.

 

[Bonasababy]

Full disclosure, I am a fan of lighter and trimmer rifles. But given that, I would steer towards a Winchester Featherweight Model 70, a Remington Model 7, a ruger ultralight, or a Browning Micro Midas in a caliber that is highly flexible with different factory loadings, including reduced recoil offerings. Those reduced recoil loads make a bigger caliber the equal of something like a .243 for recoil. .308, 30-06, .270, depending more on how big a critter he might shoot with it (although any of them are pretty versatile). To me the winchester is the most classic looking and the featherweights aren't so light they are hard to shoot without a very steady rest. I am a wood fan too, and while I know they are popular I have never seen a wood tikka stock that looks anything other than plain.

 

[WVmike]

Something you can put a suppressor on and something that’s can be easily have a new barrel put on would be my suggestion.

I want something that I can have muzzle brake for and when I finally clamp down and buy a suppressor I could easily put it on his rifle also.

 

[WVmike]

Full disclosure, I am a fan of lighter and trimmer rifles. But given that, I would steer towards a Winchester Featherweight Model 70, a Remington Model 7, a ruger ultralight, or a Browning Micro Midas in a caliber that is highly flexible with different factory loadings, including reduced recoil offerings. Those reduced recoil loads make a bigger caliber the equal of something like a .243 for recoil. .308, 30-06, .270, depending more on how big a critter he might shoot with it (although any of them are pretty versatile). To me the winchester is the most classic looking and the featherweights aren't so light they are hard to shoot without a very steady rest. I am a wood fan too, and while I know they are popular I have never seen a wood tikka stock that looks anything other than plain.

The featherweight model is an option and they also have a featherweight compact. I think he would do well with a .308 in a few years especially if I had a muzzle brake/suppressor.

 

[Bonasababy]

If it's just recoil holding you back No need to wait if you start him off with stuff like this:

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

First rifle should definitely have more process of selection than his first car or car he’s allowed to drive. Because we all know what happens there.
I think you’re just right buying him something in 6mm. A .308 might create a flinch. I know you could use a heavy stock, Pachmayer pad, brake and whatnot to make a real pussycat .308, but why when we know the .243 comes like that stock?

 

[WVmike]

First rifle should definitely have more process of selection than his first car or car he’s allowed to drive. Because we all know what happens there.
I think you’re just right buying him something in 6mm. A .308 might create a flinch. I know you could use a heavy stock, Pachmayer pad, brake and whatnot to make a real pussycat .308, but why when we know the .243 comes like that stock?

He has a .243 already just looking for suggestions when he's around 12 or so maybe a little older. He has already asked me about getting something with a little more knockdown power which is another discussion in it's own right. Maybe he is saying that because I use a 7mm and sees that hey dad is using a bigger bullet than me? Idk. Every deer he has shot with his .243 has been a successful harvest and I've taught him that shot placement is more important than having a bazooka for a rifle to shoot animals with. I'm looking for a rifle for him to use for years to come for anything from whitetail up to elk. I like the .308 since it's not overly hard recoiling (using a brake/suppressor will help with this), I already have a .308 I reload for so I have the means to reload it and also once he is old enough to go on an elk hunt I wouldn't be hard pressed to let him shoot an elk under 2-300 yards. I also don't want to do what my dad did to me when I was around his age and handing me a 12 gauge and saying go shoot that pop can and it knocking me on my butt either.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

handing me a 12 gauge and saying go shoot that pop can and it knocking me on my butt either.

Dude! That right there resonates with me. Not myself personally, but there was a whole generation in my family that was corrupted by a man doing just that. Give a kid a 12ga, don’t explain anything to said kid and then laugh when kid got knocked over.

 

[Bonasababy]

We had a kid bring a ten gauge single shot to a range day for firearm safety once. Thankfully that lack of thinking has become less common in parents.