In the upcoming July 2014 issue of RIFLE FIREPOWER, author Errin Jewell works with his son to build the perfect deer-hunting 6.8 SPC AR. Jewell writes, “Now the time has come for my own son, Tanner, to become a deer hunter. Throughout his youth, I have shared my love of firearms with him. With a great deal of practice, he has become proficient with basic marksmanship skills and is exceptionally safe. Although Tanner enjoys sports and video games like most kids, he has also spent countless hours at shooting ranges. By age nine, Tanner was conducting El Presidente and Barnhart drills in respectable times with his first gun, a Walther P22. Over the past two years, he’s learned to love his Ruger 10/22, as does every other kid. Tanner has also learned to enjoy shooting my ARs. Their compact/adjustable size and limited recoil make them ideal rifles for any youth or small-statured person to shoot.

“About a year ago, during one of our range days, I was watching Tanner shoot my LAR-15 when an idea emerged in my head. After watching him manipulate the rifle with confidence, I realized what I should do about Tanner’s first deer rifle. After researching the cost of traditional hunting rifles, comparing their weights, lengths and ballistic performance, and then having Tanner hold a variety of these weapons in his hands, I knew that Tanner and I would take a different route for his first big-game rifle.

“I reached out to Andy Willms, the store manager at Surplus Ammo & Arms in Lakewood, Washington (surplusammo.com). Having known Andy for many years, I knew that his knowledge of the AR industry would help guide me in the right deer-size-caliber direction. I approached Andy and told him of my plans to build Tanner a hunting rifle.”

Read the entire story about Errin Jewell and his son Tanner on Tactical-Life.com.

To learn more about the class and this new rifle, check out the July 2014 issue of RIFLE FIREPOWER, available on newsstands and digitally April 15, 2014. To subscribe, go to /rifle-firepower