JD's First Deer Rifle

Do you remember your first deer rifle?  If you're like me you probably can remember just about everything about your first rifle.  My first deer rifle was a Remington Semi-Auto .243 that my Dad bought at a local gun shop.  It was a heavy gun and because of that we traded it for a Remington Model 700 .270 the next year.  It was with the .270  that I killed my first deer. 

Choosing a rifle is one of  the most important things you do when preparing a young hunter for their first season.  Confidence in your rifle is very important and with a young hunter it is imperative that you build that confidence by choosing the correct rifle.  We often hear debates about what is the best caliber but to me it more about confidence than caliber.  You can build that confidence by finding a rifle that fits.

I think JD has found the rifle that fits him.  JD bought a Remington Model 700 Youth .308 from Sportsman Inc. located in Newport, SC over the weekend.  I wasn't able to tag along when he bought it but based on what JD told me it sounded like an awesome experience.  The staff at Sportsman Inc. went above and beyond to make sure JD had everything he needed for his first rifle.  On Saturday we packed up and headed to my friend Rick's house to get the scope mounted and sighted in. 

As we arrived at Rick's house and stepped from the car a cool breeze signaled that deer season was just around the corner.  I couldn't have been more excited about watching JD shoot his first rifle.  It didn't take long and Rick had JD's scope which is a Nikon 3x9x50 mounted and ready for the shooting range.  We set up a bench at 25 yards and got everything ready.  We took some time to give JD some safety instructions and get him comfortable with his set up.  Again safety and getting familiar with the rifle goes along with building that confidence that is so important.

We had a minor hiccup before JD made his first shot.  The mount screw for the scope was a hair too long and wasn't allowing the bolt to close.  Rick was on top of it and within minutes he had the screw filed down and the gun ready again.  JD got set up and made his first shot at 25 yards.  I was eager to see the recoil from the rifle because that is definitely something you want to manage when starting a youngster out shooting.  To help with this JD bought Remington's managed recoil ammunition.  On the box it stated that it reduces recoil by 50% and I was sold after watching JD make a few shots.  We shot about three rounds at 25 yards and then backed up to 50 yards.  After making a few more shots we finally backed up to 100 yards.  JD shot about nine rounds down range and with each shot you could see his confidence rise. 

It was a fun day of shooting and I can't thank Rick enough for his help.  We got to teach JD a few things about safety and shooting and we watched JD start to build a bond with his rifle.  He's a pretty darn good shot!  Now it's time to go hunting!

What do you remember about shooting your first rifle?  Check out JD's first shots in the video below.