East Tennessee hunting runs from Cumberland Plateau ridges to the hardwood hollows below the Smokies, and most of it is on foot. When a young or smaller hunter heads out for gun season, a rifle that is light and fits right makes a long morning easier. That is the idea behind the Fierce Firearms Mini Rogue rifles.

Fierce built this family for youth, women and smaller-framed hunters, with a shorter length of pull and an adjustable comb or cheek piece. Carbon fiber stocks shave weight for the climb, and the CT Mini Rogue XP adds a titanium action and C3 carbon barrel at about 6 lb. For Tennessee whitetail, 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm-08 are steady choices. Hunters who draw into bear country often look at 308 Winchester for the extra weight of bullet.

6.5 PRC takes the 6.5 mm bullet faster than the Creedmoor for more reach on elk and mule deer, at the cost of a little more recoil. 6.5 PRC recoils more than the Creedmoors; for a first season most young hunters do better with 6.5 Creedmoor.

This is the original Carbon Mini Rogue layout: stainless dual-lug action, 70-degree bolt lift, fluted bolt, an adjustable Bix'n Andy Dakota trigger and a hand-lapped match-grade barrel.

This rifle has a 20 in threaded barrel, 4+1 capacity, and weighs about 5.8 lb. Finish: Sonora Ambush Camo.

Shooting from a ladder stand on a cold morning, a smaller hunter in a thick jacket needs a stock that is shorter, not longer. Check the length of pull with hunting clothes on. Next, set the comb height so the eye meets the scope without lifting the head. Keep the starter cartridge gentle, 22 or 6.5 Creedmoor, and graduate to 308 later.

Tennessee has no permit to purchase and no state waiting period. Your rifle ships to the Tennessee dealer you choose, from Knoxville and Maryville to Morristown, and the dealer runs the TICS background check at pickup. Ammo and hunting gear go straight to your door. Live price and stock are checked again when you place the order.

Questions buyers ask: Which caliber is a good start for a young Tennessee deer hunter? 6.5 Creedmoor is a common first pick: enough for whitetail at woods ranges and easy on the shoulder. 7mm-08 Remington is a close second. What check happens when I pick up a rifle in Tennessee? The Tennessee FFL runs a TICS check when you collect, and the state adds no permit or waiting period. What caliber is this Fierce rifle? 6.5 PRC, 4+1 capacity.

Specifications come from Fierce Firearms' published data for part number ROGM65PRC20BRS, UPC 853418908266.