What is a good chassis/stock/action/caliber to start a 10yr old into the precision game.
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Youth Precision Rifle
- Thread starter LC 6.5 Shooter
- Start date
My kiddo has a Tikka T3 .223 sitting in a Boyd's AT1 stock with a Burris XTR2 5-25 on it. it's short enough and light enough to easily handle for her and almost no recoil out of the 223. If i had to do it again and had a bit more to spend I would have gotten a ARC nucleus action. But the Tikka has been solid, reliable, accurate, and easy enough for her to operate.
Nice thing about 223 is match grade ammo is reasonable. This one has been sub MOA with every match ammo I have tried. I ran across the Lapua deal Sportsman's Warehouse had and bought 1000rnds and it shoots nearly 1/2 moa. I barely have enough time to load ammo for my rifle let alone another.
Nice thing about 223 is match grade ammo is reasonable. This one has been sub MOA with every match ammo I have tried. I ran across the Lapua deal Sportsman's Warehouse had and bought 1000rnds and it shoots nearly 1/2 moa. I barely have enough time to load ammo for my rifle let alone another.
I'd look into the 224 valk, it will keep them competative but less recoil. Frank has been talking about it lately and it makes sense.
I'm personally debating a BH Origin action so that's probably what I'll recomend there. It possible that this new snipers hide edition rifle will work best though. Sounds like it has all the adjustments in the world to fit kids and adults.
I'm personally debating a BH Origin action so that's probably what I'll recomend there. It possible that this new snipers hide edition rifle will work best though. Sounds like it has all the adjustments in the world to fit kids and adults.
For centerfire my daughter started out with a 223 bolt gun. Cheap and low recoil. This year she is moving to a 6 or 6.5 creed most likely.
For a young shooter ask yourself a few questions:
Are they interested in shooting currently ( they love plinking that 22 until the bucket of 500 rds are gone and beg for more) or is this their very first shooting experience?
I would say most young shooters already enjoy the sport so more than likely its moot. I am going to suggest a practical/frugal approach ( for those of us with modest income and high passion for the sport). Caliber selection is your first hurdle. I think for this many may agree the 6mm world as a good place to start. It offers all the things for the young and old shooter alike. Good factory ammo is available for most like the 243 or the 6mm Creedmoor. If you handload its moot cause your gonna make better on avg, even with moderate skills. You get good bullet selection, great BCs for long range pills and very low recoil. Now with that said the decision on what to go with is a bit trickier. You can build your rifle up with him/her, teaching them and allowing them to understand the entire system or you can purchase a ready to go and get them on the trigger asap.
For the predone you cannot go wrong with the Ruguer Precision in 6mm Creedmoor. Its a proven shooter and allows customization later as you desire. Swapping barrels is not too difficult and you can even bump up the caliber to the 6.5 or 308 as the shooter grows...( arguably the 6.5 would be the better choice but the 308 is a valid option as well) Paired with a good optic this is a hammer of a rifle for getting into the precision game. Downside.....if hunting is going to be a side hobby with it as well its a bit hefty and you wont see them enjoying trekking around with the beast.
The build up option is a Ruger American Predator ( they come in 6mm and 243 I believe....just have to shop around) Out of the box even with the crappy stock it is a shooter and will allow you to start quickly paired with a decent scope. You can then slowly build up the rifle adding a chassis or stock from Boyds, MDT etc....depending on the shooters desire. Its threaded so again you can choose a muzzle device or not...your option and the initial cost will be much lower and overall roughly the same. Just gives you time to build it up as a project and provides time together off the range as well. Having the RAP option also leaves you with a back up stock to use if they decide some light hunting is desired.
There are more pros and cons to consider but just some basic "food for thought" to get you and the young shooter started. Of course there are a great many other brands /actions out there and many are equal or superior to the Rugers. Your budget and the shooters desires are going to start you in the right ballpark.
Are they interested in shooting currently ( they love plinking that 22 until the bucket of 500 rds are gone and beg for more) or is this their very first shooting experience?
I would say most young shooters already enjoy the sport so more than likely its moot. I am going to suggest a practical/frugal approach ( for those of us with modest income and high passion for the sport). Caliber selection is your first hurdle. I think for this many may agree the 6mm world as a good place to start. It offers all the things for the young and old shooter alike. Good factory ammo is available for most like the 243 or the 6mm Creedmoor. If you handload its moot cause your gonna make better on avg, even with moderate skills. You get good bullet selection, great BCs for long range pills and very low recoil. Now with that said the decision on what to go with is a bit trickier. You can build your rifle up with him/her, teaching them and allowing them to understand the entire system or you can purchase a ready to go and get them on the trigger asap.
For the predone you cannot go wrong with the Ruguer Precision in 6mm Creedmoor. Its a proven shooter and allows customization later as you desire. Swapping barrels is not too difficult and you can even bump up the caliber to the 6.5 or 308 as the shooter grows...( arguably the 6.5 would be the better choice but the 308 is a valid option as well) Paired with a good optic this is a hammer of a rifle for getting into the precision game. Downside.....if hunting is going to be a side hobby with it as well its a bit hefty and you wont see them enjoying trekking around with the beast.
The build up option is a Ruger American Predator ( they come in 6mm and 243 I believe....just have to shop around) Out of the box even with the crappy stock it is a shooter and will allow you to start quickly paired with a decent scope. You can then slowly build up the rifle adding a chassis or stock from Boyds, MDT etc....depending on the shooters desire. Its threaded so again you can choose a muzzle device or not...your option and the initial cost will be much lower and overall roughly the same. Just gives you time to build it up as a project and provides time together off the range as well. Having the RAP option also leaves you with a back up stock to use if they decide some light hunting is desired.
There are more pros and cons to consider but just some basic "food for thought" to get you and the young shooter started. Of course there are a great many other brands /actions out there and many are equal or superior to the Rugers. Your budget and the shooters desires are going to start you in the right ballpark.
My six and eight year old are getting Nucleus, .223 Wyld PVA button rifled hand lapped barrel, MDT LSS XL Gen II chassis, Carbine buttstocks.
Start em with a 338 Lapua. If they stick with it the sport is for them....
Jk.
224 valkery makes a lot of sence. I would also consider a 6br if you are willing to load for it.
Jk.
224 valkery makes a lot of sence. I would also consider a 6br if you are willing to load for it.
Yeah, if reloading then 6mmBR would be a great choice, that is if you can get feeding and ejection nailed down.
I have a barrel and mag kits for AI mags, I'll be trying them out next week. Crossing fingers??!!
Sierra just came out with those new 90gr TGK's. Estimating .49BC at 3100 fps/ it will have very low recoil and rifle upset.
I have a barrel and mag kits for AI mags, I'll be trying them out next week. Crossing fingers??!!
Sierra just came out with those new 90gr TGK's. Estimating .49BC at 3100 fps/ it will have very low recoil and rifle upset.
On a budget Ruger Precision Rifle in 223. You can run $.32 ammo for practice and then run the higher bc more expensive ammo for longer range. https://grabagun.com/ruger-precision-5-56mm-20-10-1-mb.html. If your not on a budget I still recommend a 223.
Well speaking from experience there is nothing better than getting to shot with your sons/daughters!
I bought my 12 and 9 year old a Ruger RPR 5.56 (I guess they discontinued them) and it shoots the Hornady 75gr black box right around 5/8" MOA.
I bought 1000 rounds of black box last Christmas on sale for around $.55 a round and my only regret was not buying more!
I have handloaded the 80gr ELM-M and easily get 3/8-1/2 MOA with a progressive press using their once fired Hornady brass.
I found one used on here for $850 a year ago and at that price I will never sell it.
Best thing about this rifle is that when our family all go to our ranch we all used to shot the .22's but now we have started shooting the RPR rifle more than anything else.
Between my wife, myself, two boys and a few nephews we all have different settings marked on the stock so we can quickly adjust the stock to fit us like a glove.
I even started to use it as a trainer rifle and I feel like I know it better than my AI now and hell I'd feel pretty comfortable running this rifle with the 80gr ELM load in a 100-600 yard match.
Only draw back to the rifle is that I heard that the RPR rifles sometimes need 200-300 rounds to break in the barrel and mine did for sure. I was a little frustrated at first because it seemed like it was a 3/4-1 MOA rifle and after 300 rounds it was shooting factory ammo between 1/2-5/8 MOA.
I've been tempted to take the factory barrel and have it rechambered to a Valkyrie but at this time I just don't see the need.
I bought my 12 and 9 year old a Ruger RPR 5.56 (I guess they discontinued them) and it shoots the Hornady 75gr black box right around 5/8" MOA.
I bought 1000 rounds of black box last Christmas on sale for around $.55 a round and my only regret was not buying more!
I have handloaded the 80gr ELM-M and easily get 3/8-1/2 MOA with a progressive press using their once fired Hornady brass.
I found one used on here for $850 a year ago and at that price I will never sell it.
Best thing about this rifle is that when our family all go to our ranch we all used to shot the .22's but now we have started shooting the RPR rifle more than anything else.
Between my wife, myself, two boys and a few nephews we all have different settings marked on the stock so we can quickly adjust the stock to fit us like a glove.
I even started to use it as a trainer rifle and I feel like I know it better than my AI now and hell I'd feel pretty comfortable running this rifle with the 80gr ELM load in a 100-600 yard match.
Only draw back to the rifle is that I heard that the RPR rifles sometimes need 200-300 rounds to break in the barrel and mine did for sure. I was a little frustrated at first because it seemed like it was a 3/4-1 MOA rifle and after 300 rounds it was shooting factory ammo between 1/2-5/8 MOA.
I've been tempted to take the factory barrel and have it rechambered to a Valkyrie but at this time I just don't see the need.
The lower the recoil, the more they’ll shoot. I have 2 boys, 6 and 11. They both started shooting 22 of course but when the oldest turned 7, I built him a 22-250ai on an adjustable A5. It was still a tad big. Just put a 6.5-47 barrel on that for him. He said it’s a bit much for him to shoot too much but he’ll grab my 223ai and shoot every piece of loaded ammo I have!
Building a 22-250ai right now for my 6 year old in an Xlr Evo because it’s really adjustable and similar to his RPR rimfire. Mild load with 80s won’t kick much and we can crank up the speed when he’s ready
Building a 22-250ai right now for my 6 year old in an Xlr Evo because it’s really adjustable and similar to his RPR rimfire. Mild load with 80s won’t kick much and we can crank up the speed when he’s ready
This will save you some money over the previous post I posted. https://www.cdnnsports.com/rugerr-precision-rifle-556-hybrid-mb-gen-2.html#.W98PO4pMGhA
If u load go 6br. No recoil. 30gr of Varget and a 105 of just about any flavor will let them shoot all day long and not leave them frustrated fighting wind.
If you don’t load, a set of Wilson hand dies and an arbor press can be picked up at Brownells fairly cheap.
Built a TL3 with a HawkHill 6br prefit marksman on a foundation exodus stock for my 15 year old. Stock fits her extremely well and the last time we shot she was almost half a mil less windage at 1k then I was with a 6.5x47 and 139 scenars.
We shoot the hell out of 223’s and it’s certainly a cheaper way to go but with a br they won’t likely outgrow it.
If you don’t load, a set of Wilson hand dies and an arbor press can be picked up at Brownells fairly cheap.
Built a TL3 with a HawkHill 6br prefit marksman on a foundation exodus stock for my 15 year old. Stock fits her extremely well and the last time we shot she was almost half a mil less windage at 1k then I was with a 6.5x47 and 139 scenars.
We shoot the hell out of 223’s and it’s certainly a cheaper way to go but with a br they won’t likely outgrow it.
My 9yo shoots a 243 in a MDT chassis with an Athlon Ares on it. I put a magpul ACS stock on it so he can collapse the stock to fit him and it can grow with him. We also reload which re really enjoys doing. We use H4895 and make reduced loads for the rifle. We use cheap Speer varmint bullets for inside 200 yards and load 87gr BTHP bullets for his long range loads. We load them to shoot around 2800 FPS which gets him out to 700 yds without a problem.
He also has a 223 that we both shoot the heck out of and he has a Ruger precision rimfire. Honestly he enjoys shooting so much I can’t afford to keep him supplied with ammo without throwing the 22 and 223 in there. A few weeks ago we went to our long range shooting facility. I was doing some load development and he basically had all our other rifles at the long range bench. He had AR15’s in 6.5 grendel, 224 Valkyrie, and 223, as well as his 243, my 6.5 creedmoor and my 308. At the end of the day when I helped him load up and collect our brass we completely filled a 30 cal ammo can with expended brass. Now that was an expensive day at the range but it sure was fun. I helped him shoot some of the ammo while my other rifle was cooling but he shot the bulk of it. He just kept rotating through all the rifles letting them cool down. I don’t think there was a spot of paint left on the 600 yd gong anywhere when he was done either.
He also has a 223 that we both shoot the heck out of and he has a Ruger precision rimfire. Honestly he enjoys shooting so much I can’t afford to keep him supplied with ammo without throwing the 22 and 223 in there. A few weeks ago we went to our long range shooting facility. I was doing some load development and he basically had all our other rifles at the long range bench. He had AR15’s in 6.5 grendel, 224 Valkyrie, and 223, as well as his 243, my 6.5 creedmoor and my 308. At the end of the day when I helped him load up and collect our brass we completely filled a 30 cal ammo can with expended brass. Now that was an expensive day at the range but it sure was fun. I helped him shoot some of the ammo while my other rifle was cooling but he shot the bulk of it. He just kept rotating through all the rifles letting them cool down. I don’t think there was a spot of paint left on the 600 yd gong anywhere when he was done either.
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She has taken a liking to my Savage 12 LRP in 6.5 CM and was down right offended when I mentioned selling it to finance my Tikka.
I may be putting a chassis on the LRP for her to shoot...
When I get my lathe set up and start making accurate parts, there's no telling what she may talk me into building her...
