Best Youth Rifles (2026): First Rifles for Young Hunters

Hand a seven-year-old an adult rifle with a few inches hacked off the stock and watch what happens. The muzzle sags, the eye never finds the sights, and the kid decides shooting is hard and boring. That is how you lose a future hunting partner before the first box of ammo is gone.

Ivan Loomis put it best when he went shopping for his son. A 5-pound rimfire sounds light until you do the math. For a 55-pound kid, that is about 10 percent of their body weight held out at arm’s length. Fit and weight matter more than anything else on the spec sheet, including the price tag.

This list was built by dads who actually did it. GunsAmerica Digest reviewers bought these rifles for their sons and daughters, mounted scopes with them, sat in deer stands with them and kept score at the range. One kid outshot his father at 25 yards and made sure everyone knew. Another missed her first buck, kept practicing and took a nice 8-point the next season.

The best youth rifle for a first-grader is not the best deer rifle for youth hunters in middle school, so the picks cover both: two .22 LR bolt guns, a .22 lever action and two centerfire deer rifles. Every one is still in production. Prices are marked as the maker’s current number or the price at the time of the review. If you want more rimfire options for older kids and adults, see our best .22 LR rifles guide.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Youth Rifle in 2026

Length of Pull Comes First

Length of pull is the distance from the trigger to the end of the buttstock. Adult rifles usually run 13.5 to 14 inches. Youth rifles shorten that to somewhere between about 11 and 13 inches. The Savage Rascal is 11.25 inches, the CZ 457 Scout and BL-22 Micro Midas are 12 and the Henry youth model is 13. A quick test: have your kid shoulder the rifle with their trigger finger on the trigger. If their elbow has a comfortable bend and their head sits upright on the stock, the fit is close. If they are craning their neck forward, it is too long.

Weight Matters More Than You Think

Kids shoot standing and kneeling more than adults think, and a heavy rifle wobbles. The Rascal weighs about 2.7 pounds. The CZ Scout is around 5. A centerfire youth rifle with a scope can run 7 pounds or more, which is fine from a rest or shooting stick and tough offhand. Match the rifle to how your kid will actually shoot it.

Pick the Best Youth Rifle Caliber for the Job

Start with .22 LR. It is quiet, cheap and has almost no recoil, so kids learn the fundamentals without developing a flinch. When they move to deer, the best youth rifle caliber is one with light recoil and enough power: .243 Winchester, 7mm-08 and 6.5 Creedmoor are the usual answers. Both centerfire picks here use one of those. A good recoil pad and a properly fitting stock matter as much as the cartridge. Once they outgrow a youth stock, our best bolt action hunting rifles guide covers the next step up. Whatever you choose, buy enough ammo for real practice before the season, because a kid who has fired 20 rounds is not ready for a deer stand.

Simple Actions and Real Safeties

Single shots force a new shooter to slow down and make one round count. Bolt actions are easy to see and easy to clear. Look for a safety a kid can work with their thumb, and bonus points for a rifle that lets you open the bolt while on safe so a live round can be unloaded safely. Supervision is still the real safety, and no mechanical device replaces an adult standing within arm’s reach.

Room to Grow

Kids grow fast. Some rifles use removable spacers to lengthen the stock, and some makers sell full-size stocks. Others are fun for a few years and then get handed down. Either is fine. A rifle that fits now beats one that fits in three years. Hand-me-down value matters too, since a good youth rifle often serves a younger brother or sister next, and quality rifles like the Henry and Browning hold up to years of use.

The 5 Best Youth Rifles of 2026

CZ 457 Scout: Best Overall (2026)

The CZ 457 Scout is a youth rifle built with the precision of a target gun. Levi Sim said its short length of pull makes it a youth gun, but its precision-machined workings make it worth a spot in an adult safe too. It has a 16.5-inch barrel and a 12-inch length of pull, comes with a single-shot adapter for beginners and accepts magazines when your kid is ready.

Read our full CZ 457 Scout review here.

The trigger is what sold Levi. It broke at 3 pounds, and after 20 measured pulls it was always within half an ounce of that number. Consistency is how kids learn to shoot well. At 50 yards with the included iron sights, he shot sub-one-inch groups with CCI Mini-Mags, CCI Standard and Winchester T22. He was loading one round at a time through the adapter, too. The Scout weighs about 5 pounds, which is heavy for the very youngest shooters, so it is our pick for kids around 9 and up. MSRP was $365 at the time of the review. CZ still offers the 457 Scout. For more CZ options, read our best CZ rifles guide.

Key Specs

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Capacity: Single-shot adapter; accepts magazines
• Barrel: 16.5 in, 1:16 twist
• Length of pull: 12 in
• Overall length: 32.76 in
• Weight: 5 lb
• Trigger: 3 lb, adjustable
• MSRP: $365 (2019 review)

Pros

• Sub-one-inch groups at 50 yards with iron sights in our test
• 3-pound trigger stayed within half an ounce over 20 pulls
• Grows from single shot to magazine fed
• Quality an adult will appreciate

Cons

• About 5 pounds is a lot for small kids
• Costs more than basic youth rimfires
• Single-shot adapter slows loading

🛒 Check Current Price for CZ 457 Scout on GunsAmerica

Savage Rascal: Best for Young Kids (2026)

When Ivan Loomis went shopping for his son’s first rifle, his top requirement was weight. The Savage Rascal weighs 2.71 pounds, with an 11.25-inch length of pull and a 16.125-inch barrel, so it actually fits small humans. It is a single shot that cocks when you raise the bolt, and it still lets you run the bolt on safe so a young shooter can unload a live round. It even ships with Savage’s adjustable AccuTrigger.

Read our full Savage Rascal review here.

The stock peep sights on his son’s rifle held only fist-sized groups at 25 yards, which was disappointing. Then his son proved he could hold a group, and a deal is a deal. Ivan ordered a base, rings and a Simmons 4x scope, and the two of them mounted it together. After zeroing at 25 yards, his son put two rounds in the black to his dad’s one and pointed it out immediately. With Gemtech 42-grain subsonics, the Rascal grouped a little under half an inch at 25 yards. His wish was a drop-in adult stock. MSRP was $191 at the time of the review, and Savage now lists it at $179.

Key Specs

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Capacity: Single shot
• Barrel: 16.125 in, 1:16 twist
• Length of pull: 11.25 in
• Overall length: 30.625 in
• Weight: 2.71 lb
• Trigger: Adjustable AccuTrigger
• MSRP: $179 (Savage list price)

Pros

• Under 3 pounds, sized for small kids
• Bolt can be opened on safe
• AccuTrigger on a youth rifle
• Groups under half an inch at 25 yards with a scope in our test

Cons

• Stock peep sights shot poorly on our test rifle
• Outgrown quickly
• No adult stock option

🛒 Check Current Price for Savage Rascal on GunsAmerica

Henry Single Shot .243 Youth: Best Youth Deer Rifle (2026)

Sam Trisler wanted his kid’s first deer rifle to be simple, American made and still useful 40 years from now. He considered .30-30, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 and .243 and landed on the .243, then found Henry makes a youth single shot in that caliber. The youth model is the same rifle with an inch less length of pull, which comes out to 13 inches. Henry also sells youth stocks, so Sam converted a standard rifle and it can be grown into.

Read our full Henry Single Shot .243 review here.

The Henry did not care what it ate. With two Hornady loads and one from SIG, it easily made sub-MOA groups at 100 yards. Recoil was next to nonexistent, and Sam said it would be more than manageable for any shooter. It has a 22-inch blued barrel, walnut stock, rubber recoil pad, folding leaf rear sight and a brass bead front, with a Weaver 82 mount for a scope. One shot teaches discipline. That makes it our best youth rifle for deer and an easy hand-me-down. Henry lists the youth .243 at $625. Henry fans can see more in our best Henry rifles guide.

Key Specs

• Caliber: .243 Winchester
• Capacity: Single shot
• Barrel: 22 in, 1:10 twist
• Length of pull: 13 in (youth model)
• Overall length: 36.5 in
• Weight: 6.95 lb
• Sights: Folding leaf rear, brass bead front; Weaver 82 scope mount
• MSRP: $625 (Henry list price, youth .243)

Pros

• Sub-MOA at 100 yards with all three loads in our test
• Very light recoil
• American made, walnut and blued steel
• Youth stock can be swapped as they grow

Cons

• Single shot means no fast follow-up
• Nearly 7 pounds before a scope
• More expensive than budget bolt guns

🛒 Check Current Price for Henry Single Shot on GunsAmerica

Savage Axis XP Compact: Best Budget Deer Rifle for Youth (2026)

Sam Trisler went looking for a youth deer rifle around $500 in .243, 7mm-08 or 6.5 Creedmoor. He found a Savage Axis XP in 6.5 Creedmoor with an adjustable stock and a 3-9x Weaver scope, and his total with a sling and case was just under $500. The stock spacer can be removed to shorten the length of pull. His daughter missed her first buck with it, but the next season she took a nice 8-point.

Read our full Savage Axis XP review here.

It took two fixes to get there, and you should know about both. The standard Axis trigger was a brutal 7.5 pounds with side-to-side play. A $20 M Carbo kit and 10 minutes of work dropped it to just over 3 pounds. The included scope would not hold zero, so Sam replaced it with a Leupold VX-Freedom 4-12×40, and both he and his daughter shot sub-MOA groups at 200 yards. Big-box price was $399 at the time of the review. Savage still makes the Axis XP Compact in 6.5 Creedmoor. Budget a better trigger and scope, or step up to an AccuTrigger model. More options are in our best budget hunting rifles guide.

Key Specs

• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor (as tested)
• Stock: Synthetic with removable length-of-pull spacer
• Optic: Factory 3-9x scope
• Trigger: Standard Savage, 7.5 lb as tested; just over 3 lb with M Carbo kit
• Safety: Tang style
• MSRP: $399 big-box price (2024 review)

Pros

• Sub-MOA at 200 yards after upgrades in our test
• Adjustable length of pull
• Low price with scope included
• Took a young hunter’s first 8-point

Cons

• Factory trigger was 7.5 pounds
• Included scope failed to hold zero on our test rifle
• Plan on spending more for upgrades

🛒 Check Current Price for Savage Axis XP on GunsAmerica

Browning BL-22: Best Lever Action (2026)

Aram Von Benedikt bought a Browning BL-22 for his son Josiah’s ninth birthday, and the kid asked to take it to bed that night. That tells you something about blued steel and walnut. The short 33-degree lever throw is easy for small hands, and the rifle ran through several shooting drills without a single malfunction.

Read our full Browning BL-22 review here.

Shooting iron sights at 50 yards with his 40-plus eyes, Aram’s tightest five-shot group was a diminutive .70 inches. He bought the full-size Grade I, with a 20-inch barrel and a 13.5-inch length of pull, knowing Josiah would grow into it. For smaller shooters, the BL-22 Micro Midas has a 16.25-inch barrel and a 12-inch length of pull. The Grade I was $620 at the time of the review, and Browning lists the Micro Midas at $839.99. It is the priciest rimfire here, and it is also the one most likely to be passed down.

Key Specs

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Capacity: 15 rounds (Grade I)
• Barrel: 20 in (Grade I); 16.25 in (Micro Midas)
• Length of pull: 13.5 in (Grade I); 12 in (Micro Midas)
• Weight: 5 lb (Grade I)
• Stock: Walnut
• MSRP: $620 (Grade I, 2017 review); Micro Midas $839.99 (Browning list price)

Pros

• .70-inch five-shot group at 50 yards with irons in our test
• No malfunctions through several drills
• Short 33-degree lever throw
• Heirloom quality

Cons

• Most expensive rimfire on the list
• Full-size Grade I is long for small kids
• Lever action takes more teaching than a single shot

🛒 Check Current Price for Browning BL-22 on GunsAmerica

The Bottom Line on Youth Rifles

Buy the CZ 457 Scout if your kid is around 9 or older and you want one rimfire that teaches good habits and never needs replacing. It has a great trigger, real accuracy and a 12-inch length of pull.

For the littlest shooters, the Savage Rascal is the right size and weight, and it is cheap enough that outgrowing it does not hurt. When it is time for deer, the Henry Single Shot .243 Youth is the simple, accurate, low-recoil choice. The Savage Axis XP Compact gets there for less money if you are willing to upgrade the trigger and scope. The Browning BL-22 is the lever gun they will pass to their own kids.

Whatever you choose, make sure it fits, start with lots of .22 practice and stay right next to them. Teach muzzle control before marksmanship, and keep every outing short and fun. Shop new and used rifles on GunsAmerica.com.