Mossberg's Patriot Super Bantam is a bolt-action 6.5 Creedmoor sized for younger and smaller shooters. The stock has an adjustable length of pull, so it grows with the shooter, and the 20-inch fluted barrel keeps the rifle to 38.5 inches overall and 6.5 pounds. It comes with a 3-9x40 scope already on a Weaver-style base, one detachable five-round magazine, an adjustable trigger and a manual safety. The metal wears a blue/black finish and the synthetic stock is TrueTimber Strata camouflage.

This is a sensible first deer rifle for a New Mexico youth hunter. The state allows any centerfire rifle of .22 caliber or larger loaded with expanding bullets for big game, and 6.5 Creedmoor qualifies with modest recoil. Most rifle deer and elk hunts run between October and December by hunt code and Game Management Unit, with licenses coming through the annual big-game draw, so the scoped, ready-to-go setup lets a new hunter spend the summer practicing instead of assembling gear.

Key features

• 6.5 Creedmoor bolt action, 20-inch fluted barrel
• Adjustable length of pull for smaller shooters
• 3-9x40 scope mounted on Weaver-style base
• Five-round detachable magazine, one included
• 6.5 pounds, 38.5 inches overall

The rifle ships to the New Mexico FFL dealer you pick at checkout, where you fill out Form 4473 and the dealer runs the NICS check; you collect it after the seven-day state wait.