Cheap bolt action rifles for son

[mbohuntr]

If we get another run on ammunition, you'll find out how easy it is to get, and how many choices you have..

 

[Lelandwelds]

Back in the 1980s, I bought two Mauser for $250 each. One was a Swedish 6.5 with the ugliest plain birch or fir stock ever carved from a 2 X 6. The argentine was in .257 Robert's improved with all the markings and corners polished off. Both were excellent choices that I wish I still owned. Any bolt gun can last for a century if taken care of.

Best thing about a choice in .223, 6.5, or .30 is the selection of bullets available. What ever you can imagine a need for, it already exists. With multiple alternate selections. At any place you want to buy components. But truthfully, pretty much anything between and including .25 and .30 would work well if it can top 2300 fps or so. Most .243 bullets I have tried are too solidly constructed( or too lightly) for deer.

Have you considered a H & R Topper or a Rossi? I have owned several that I paid $100 to $150 used. They were made in .30-30, .25-06 Rem, .45-70, etc. Surprising fun and fast to shoot.

 

[Jchonline]

You said 90% target shooting right now. If you are shooting much at all, then I would go .223 / 5.56. Ammo cost savings alone will probably pay for a larger caliber rifle in a couple of years.

500 rounds of 556 @ $0.28/round = $140
500 rounds of 243 @ $0.82/round = $410.

This is just an example, you may be able to find either caliber cheaper/more expensive. Do your own research. However, my point is if you plan on target shooting a bunch, then ammo cost adds up very quickly.

 

[paulsharvey]

Back in the 1980s, I bought two Mauser for $250 each. One was a Swedish 6.5 with the ugliest plain birch or fir stock ever carved from a 2 X 6. The argentine was in .257 Robert's improved with all the markings and corners polished off. Both were excellent choices that I wish I still owned. Any bolt gun can last for a century if taken care of.

Best thing about a choice in .223, 6.5, or .30 is the selection of bullets available. What ever you can imagine a need for, it already exists. With multiple alternate selections. At any place you want to buy components. But truthfully, pretty much anything between and including .25 and .30 would work well if it can top 2300 fps or so. Most .243 bullets I have tried are too solidly constructed( or too lightly) for deer.

Have you considered a H & R Topper or a Rossi? I have owned several that I paid $100 to $150 used. They were made in .30-30, .25-06 Rem, .45-70, etc. Surprising fun and fast to shoot.

I did consider a single shot, but my thought was he would out grow it Fast. By the time a kid is 15 and his buddies have levers, ARs, and Bolts, that single shot seems less intresting/wanted.

 

[LD1]

6.5 Creedmore- sure, even if it's new, it does about everything

And just what does it do that cartridges that have been around decades cannot do?

25-6 Remington Beats 6.5 Creedmoor? - Ron Spomer Outdoors

 

[Dadnatron]

Concerning all these calibers...

Remember... the CHEAPEST part of your shooting system will be your rifle.

If he actually wants to shoot it... take a look at ammo cost. There is likely a BIG difference in both what is available (ie ball) and what is affordable for these calibers. This is why .308 is such a popular cartridge. You can plink with ball and kill with a Hollow point. And you can buy it off the shelf wherever you go.

 

[airbiscuit]

I'll grant you that finding 6,5mm Grendel off the shelf isn't the easiest. Buying on the Internet is a different matter. For plinking, you can get 500 rounds of Wolf ammo for about $130, or 26 cents a round. For Hunting, you can get Hornady for less than $25 for a box of 20.

 

[atsah]

30-06 gets my vote.. The most used cartridge in Maine for everything from coyote to moose. Easy to find ammunition, it's just a good all around rifle cartridge.

 

[/pine]

30-06 gets my vote.. The most used cartridge in Maine for everything from coyote to moose. Easy to find ammunition, it's just a good all around rifle cartridge.

Will bring down any game in North America...extremely versatile with such a wide range of bullet types and weights...only drawback is the recoil...A shame they quit making the "Remington Accelerator" rounds that used a sabot to load a .22 bullet into the 30-06 cartridge...( still available to reloaders)...

 

[EddieWalker]

My every day, hog and deer rifle is a 30-06 using 165 bullets. My elk and Alaska and Africa rifle is a .338 win mag with 225 grain bullets. The difference is significant, but in no world are either of them suitible as youth calibers.