[RWBlue]

Lots of options. The top recomendations would be Rem700, Savage, Winchester, Tikka....I think they all make lefties.

I would suggest a long action Savage in 30-06. It can be rebarreled to other options later on, OR get it in 308. 308 or 30-06 is big enough for deer or if you get tags for moose or black bear. OR if blackbear decides he wants to take bite out of you....

 

[Valmet]

I'd recommend a Savage in 243 or something like 7mm-08 (a 308 or 30-06 is a tad too big for a 9-yr old IMO) Savage makes one if the most accurate out-of-the-box rifles you can get your hands on.

 

[ronin.45]

I'd recommend a Savage in 243 or something like 7mm-08 (a 308 or 30-06 is a tad too bid for a 9-yr old IMO) Savage makes one if the most accurate out-of-the-box rifles you can get your hands on.

Agreed. 30-06 is way too much for most 9 year olds. I think a Savage in a light recoiling cartridge is a great idea. A short action will make it easier to handle for short, weak arms as well. The game you plan to hunt could make a caliber decision easier. If it's only deer and smaller, I will throw in the Ruger American Ranch rifle. It is available in a youth stock and .300blk is very capable on medium sized game at reasonable ranges. It also has almost no recoil. The nice thing about bolt guns is they are pretty much ambidextrous if you stay away from weird cheek rests and teach the lefty how to run the bolt.

 

[RWBlue]

Agreed. 30-06 is way too much for most 9 year olds.

I was shooting a 270 and 30-06 in rapid fire when I was 9, maybe 8. I had my nephew shooting my 30-06 and 308 when he was 9. If you know how to shoot, it is not an issue. If you lift the rifle and can hold it up, you can shoot the 30-06 or 308. IF you cna not lift the rifle, you cna not lift the 243.

 

[ronin.45]

The average 9yo boy stands about 4'4" and weighs around 63lbs. IF they could lift and hold a long action rifle on target the 18-20lbs of recoil would still be too much for most of them to comfortably handle. You may have been an extra stout lad, but Jeffe probably shouldn't punish his son because of it. You sound like the guy at the range who hands a new shooter a Desert Eagle.

 

[RWBlue]

The average 9yo boy stands about 4'4" and weighs around 63lbs. IF they could lift and hold a long action rifle on target the 18-20lbs of recoil would still be too much for most of them to comfortably handle. You may have been an extra stout lad, but Jeffe probably shouldn't punish his son because of it. You sound like the guy at the range who hands a new shooter a Desert Eagle.

I have handed a new shooter my Des. Eagle in 44mag. But I first taught the girl how to shoot 22LR. Then I taught her how to shoot 9mm. Then I taught her how to shoot 45ACP. Then I taught her how to shoot my Des. Eagle. By the end of the day she was shooting better than some of the guys at the range. It is all about knowing how to shoot.

 

[RWBlue]

If you don't like my original suggestion of buying a gun that will be used for the rest of his life, you are not going to like this either.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

Go away from longer range cartridges.
Go away from a heavier bolt action rifle with scope.
Get a lever action in 44mag or 45LC. The rifle is light weight. The cartridge works well in 16 inch barrel vs. needing longer barrels. If he can not shoot the 30-06 accurately, then distance shooting will not be his thing for a while. This rifle can be a life long use rifle also. I enjoyed hunting with the Winchester I had. I enjoyed shooting someone else's Winchester when I was 16. With no scope an irons, it would be less weight.

 

[ronin.45]

That I could agree with. A 44mag out of a carbine would be plenty for anything he would hunt without being overly long or abusive. He could probably handle the 4.8lb. Rossi 92 pretty well. The extra heft of the 6.5lb. Marlin would minimize recoil even more.

 

[Troy Stratton]

You sound like the guy at the range who hands a new shooter a Desert Eagle.

 

[PzGren]

A nine year old will struggle with a full sized rifle but if you want to get them started to appreciate real quality : Tikka is the answer!

 

[Jeffe]

Thanks for the advice. I think I would only go as large as a 308. Anything more might be just too much length and recoil. I started with a ruger in 44 mag so that isn't a bad idea.

 

[jp3975]

Id say Tikka as well. For the price, theres nothing out there that will beat it. Its nicer than a lot of higher priced guns too, like the Remington 700.

The 700 has to be customized to make it better.

Tikka are sub moa out of the box.

Id go with a 308 myself.

 

[Maine]

I really like the older Ruger M77 compacts. I had one in .243 that was very accurate and pretty soft shooting. Not sure if they make/made them in left hand models though.