My Son's New Hunting Rifle

HHB Guns · Sep 21, 2011

My son has been showing great interest to harvest his first deer so I ordered him the New Marlin X7Y in .308 this week. $287 with a scope wasn't bad. It was $285 for the same gun without scope and rings so I figured I could take the mounts and scope and sell it on gunbroker for more than $2.00. I put talley lightweight rings and my redfield 3-9x40 Revolution on it for him. I found in hogdon's 2009 book they had a few youth reduced recoil loads that make the .308 feel like a .243. So I bought some 130 Grain Barnes TTSX and H4895 with 36.5 Gr. and its still pushing it at 2500 FPS without the recoil. This was the gun can grow with him and when he is ready he can go to regular .308. Can't wait to get it to the range this weekend and see what the gun, loads, and my son can do. Will give a full review. I heard nothing but good reviews for the price so we will see.

HHB Guns · Sep 24, 2011

Boy I couldn't be happier. I loaded up 20 youth loads and took my son to the range today. I wasn't sure if he was going to cry with the .308 but boy was I surprised....The gun and my son made my day. I went to the range expecting a 6" group out of cheap rifle and a inexperienced .308 shooter. I can't say enough good things about the gun. I bore sighted it yesterday and within 4 shots I was zeroed. I was shooting at a 2" orange paster and put all four shots in the paster. I let the barrel cool and gave it to my son. I could tell he was nervous but he aimed and took 4 shots and held a 3" group. He absolutely loved it. That .308 youth load has no recoil. He was begging to shoot more. I was trying to stress the importance of reloading quickly in case you need a followup shot. To encourage this I put up a few zombie targets and told him that they were coming to get him. Me and my buddy were yelling in his ear putting the stress on him to reload and actually aim correctly and I swear he looked like a sniper reloading that rifle. I was thinking when we went to 100 to check the target he would have shots all over but he didnt aim at the body of the zombie. lol He aimed at the 4" head and with stress he got all four shots in the head...One was not a kill shot as it grazed his head but still. Not bad for a first time high power rifle shooting. I am one happy dad. Can't wait for him to kill his first deer.

biganimal · Sep 24, 2011

nice!!!

Dave29461 · Sep 24, 2011

A chip off the old block. We underestimate our children sometimes. Great shooting.

PCShogun · Sep 24, 2011

Very Nice.

BenMara · Sep 25, 2011

SWEET!!!

qwikshot · Sep 25, 2011

You got one headed in the right direction!

Enjay · Sep 25, 2011

Great shooting!

DuraCoat29483 · Sep 25, 2011

that was a lot of fun brother man to watch him shoot

HHB Guns · Oct 2, 2011

Well I am the happiest dad on the planet....Clayton is a little marine scout sniper. His first day hunting was a success. He shot 3 deer in like 20 seconds like it was the cool thing to do. Dropped two on the corn pile where they stood and one ran 20 yards and stopped and he shot that one high in the back. Blood was everywhere and I saw the dust fly off when he hit it. It fell and got up and ran into a thicket. I am going back in the morn with a bush ax to find it. He is already asking to go again. One thing is for sure. The redfield scope and Marlin are here to stay.

BHE · Oct 3, 2011

Awesome report!!!! Great shooting by Clayton!

fordnut · Oct 3, 2011

You have every right to be proud of your son...He did a great job...

Steve

mark_b · Oct 3, 2011

Henry

It sure did not take him long to get the hang of his 308! Congratulations - I am sure he will never forget the time you spent together hunting and shooting.

I wish you both the best luck for the rest of the season.

Mark

HHB Guns · Oct 3, 2011

Thanks guys. Now that he has it out of his system we will let the does walk in hopes of a big buck chasing her.

Enjay · Oct 4, 2011

He did an awesome job!
Did you find the third deer?

HHB Guns · Oct 4, 2011

Yes. Me and my bush ax found it about 60 feet inside the thicket. It amazes me how deer get through that mess.

Enjay · Oct 6, 2011

For as delicate as deer are, they're tough suckers.
Looks as though you won't be wanting for venison this year

HHB Guns · Oct 7, 2011

Gotta go buy another chest freezer. LOL Got my wife her apprentice license this year till she can get in the hunter safety course. Took her out this evening for her first hunt and what do you know. Three does came out at 6:15. I told her to wait for a buck since were in the rut but nope. She just had to get one for her first. She was shooting Clayton's rifle and load and she shot a 105Lb doe at 125 yards perfect broad side shot in the lungs. Deer ran 60 feet into the woods and dropped. I can't say enough about Marlin, Redfield, Talley Mounts and Barnes Bullets. This gun has a home for life!!!