Youth model firearms

John Flores

Biologist Technician, Brad Launey, assists both youth hunters and their chaperones to and from stands during hunts.

Youth hunters come in all shapes and sizes, especially considering that young hunters 15 years old and younger can apply for LDWF’s youth hunts on the various WMAs around the state.

So what rifle is best? It really boils down to what caliber they can comfortably handle.

The youth model New England Firearms single-shot .243 that Wolfe used during his hunt is a good choice for size, but also caliber.

The .243 is accurate and packs enough punch for deer without the recoil of larger bore calibers.

Other calibers adults should consider for youth are the .30-30 Winchester, The 7mm-08 and .257 Roberts.