Missouri deer hunters work everything from Ozark ridges to the river bottoms along the Missouri and the Mississippi, and a rifle that carries easily on a long walk earns its keep there. Fierce Firearms made the Mini Rogue family for youth, women and smaller-framed hunters, with a shorter length of pull and a comb that adjusts to the shooter.

Carbon fiber stocks mean a young hunter is not dragging a heavy rifle to the stand in November. The CT Mini Rogue XP comes in around 6 lb with a 12.75 in length of pull. Calibers run from 22 Creedmoor up to 308 Winchester and 7mm-08 Remington, with 18 to 22 in barrels and TriggerTech or Bix'n Andy triggers. It makes a good first deer rifle, and it doubles as a coyote rifle on farm ground around St. Louis and Columbia.

308 Winchester is the classic all-round hunting round: proven on deer, hogs and black bear, with factory ammunition available everywhere. In a rifle this light, 308 recoil is noticeable for a small buyer; a 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm-08 is the gentler start.

Second-generation Mini Rogue: TriggerTech trigger, drop box magazine, Fierce C3 carbon barrel and an Arca-Swiss forend, built around the same dual-lug action with a 70-degree bolt throw.

This rifle has a 20 in barrel. Finish: Black / Forest.

Length of pull is the first thing to get right. If the stock is too long, a young shooter leans back, the scope sits too far from the eye and recoil lands in the wrong place. Raise the comb until the eye lines up with the scope without lifting the head. Start a new hunter on 22, 25 or 6mm Creedmoor and move up to 308 later.

Missouri repealed its permit to acquire in 2007 and has no waiting period. Pick the Missouri dealer you want at checkout and the rifle ships there. Your dealer runs the background check when you come in to collect it. Optics, rings and ammo can ship straight to your house. Price and stock are checked live at the moment you order.

Questions buyers ask: What caliber is best for Missouri whitetail with a young hunter? 6.5 Creedmoor handles most deer shots in Missouri timber and fields with mild recoil. The 25 Creedmoor kicks even less for a very small shooter. Do I need a permit to buy a rifle in Missouri? Missouri has no permit to acquire and no waiting period, and your dealer runs the background check at pickup. What caliber is this Fierce rifle? 308 Winchester.

Specifications come from Fierce Firearms' published data for part number ROGM2308WIN20BF, UPC 853418413760.