My son is a 12 year old who is of average height and weight for his age. We've got a trip planned to SA next year, and will be able to spend some of our time there hunting private property with a local PH. Possible species will include impala, and possibly kudu. When back here in the US, we'll be hunting game such as whitetail and mule deer, antelope, etc. I am considering the following (4) calibers for his first centerfire rifle, and would appreciate your opinions.

.243 -- The "standard" youth choice, but is it the best choice overall as a rifle he'll have for many years.

.260 -- I've heard great things, but am not too familiar with this one. Is ammo readily available? Are there decent bullet weight options.

7mm08 -- I personally like this .284 bullet for the type of game we'll hunt.

.270 -- Clearly the "boomer" in this group as far as recoil, but a very versatile caliber in a gun he'll have forever. With a muzzle break or magna porting, would it be suitable?

Alot of this would depend on his level of experience and recoil tolerance. Has he shot before? What calibers and how did he like them?

If not, get him out there with a number of guns and find out what his likes and dislikes are.

Edit: spelling and grammar, that was pitiful.

For this past Christmas I picked up a Weatherby Vanguard Compact in 7mm08 for my 10 y.o. son. The nice thing was that it came with 2 stocks...a youth-sized stock for now and an adult-sized stock for when he outgrows the youth stock. Kind of like 2 rifles in one. It functions well and appears to be quite accurate. The trigger could stand to be smoothed up a little, but I don't see that as a problem. We're quite happy with it.

I would recommend a short light weight 308, with a good scope in the 1.5-5 range.
Reasons:
Many new shooters have difficulty finding the game in a scope with too much magnification.

Federal and Remington load low recoil ammo in the 308. If he is shooting Kudu the Federal 170gr would be best, if he cannot shoot full power ammo iby the time he goes to SA.

When ever he is able the full power 308 will do even for elk sized animals.

My wife took kudu, zebra, and wildebeest in Zim with a 308.

I have taken wild pigs with Federal and Remington low recoil ammo in the 308 and 30-06 with excellent results.

7X57 - 100 years of proven reliability on all sorts of game. Mild racoil AND muzzle blast, both of which can be equally hard on a new shooter. Ammo available everywhere. Wide bullet selection. Suitable for all game you list. A rifle he can keep and use all his life.

As you note that this will be his first centerfire rifle, I would suggest the 7mm-08. With premium bullets it should be adequate for the game your son is interested in (at reasonable ranges) and will make an excellent choice for his continued use in the US.

The other calibers are good but in my opinion the .243 in an inexperienced hunters hands would not be the best choice for Kudu.
The .260 is good but ammunition may be a problem in Africa if you were to lose yours.
The .270 may be a little too much in the recoil department.

Another option would be a .308 with reduced recoil loads for practice and full power loads for the field, in a heavier gun this combination may work out well for you.

Since you are looking at another year before the safari that will make him a bit older when hunting time comes. To start, I'd let him shoot a variety of calibers and include a .30-06. Do so over several sessions and see which he seems to like best.

With the range of species you are considering hunting Stateside as well as in Africa my choice would be the .30-06.

I think the 7-08 would be nearly ideal. Can be had in short barreled rifles, light to carry and on the shoulder. A nice Rem Mod 7 youth model would be my pick. This is, IMO, the perfect deer rifle. Load it with anything from 120 gr - 175 gr bullets and you can take all manner of deer size game in the states and most plains game. Game I would not try, eland and zebra might be a bit tough for this caliber.

Or, if you think he can handle the recoil just go with an '06 as Ann suggests

I started all three of my boys with .270's at the age of twelve. But a 7mm-08 would be good. If you are considering letting him try out a number of calibers I would also include the 30-06 as suggested. Any of these three will do it. The 308 is good as well. I would not put a muzzle brake on any of them, however.

quote:

Originally posted by Muggles:
My son is a 12 year old who is of average height and weight for his age. We've got a trip planned to SA next year, and will be able to spend some of our time there hunting private property with a local PH. Possible species will include impala, and possibly kudu. When back here in the US, we'll be hunting game such as whitetail and mule deer, antelope, etc. I am considering the following (4) calibers for his first centerfire rifle, and would appreciate your opinions.

.243 -- The "standard" youth choice, but is it the best choice overall as a rifle he'll have for many years.

.260 -- I've heard great things, but am not too familiar with this one. Is ammo readily available? Are there decent bullet weight options.

7mm08 -- I personally like this .284 bullet for the type of game we'll hunt.

.270 -- Clearly the "boomer" in this group as far as recoil, but a very versatile caliber in a gun he'll have forever. With a muzzle break or magna porting, would it be suitable?

Several people have given you some great advise. Lets see. You are not going for another 12 to 18 months so your son will be 13 to 14 and will have matured alot. Hell I expect he will need a razor to shave with. When Craig Boddington took his daughter and her girl friend he took a 7-08 for them and they had great results. I think he used Swift Scirocco bullets in hand loads. What ever the caliber, use premium bullets. It seems like the 7-08, 308win, or 7x57 would all be good choices. The 243 and 260 are too small. As akpls stated you can get a Weatherby is 7-08 or 308 in a compact mkodel with 12-1/2" LOP and a 20" barrel that weighs 6-3/4 pounds. Of course Ruger, Remington and Savage all have short light weight options The 308 would have more ammunition options available. This is the weapon I used on my first African Safari and it worked well when I did my part.

I have to vote for the .270 if he can handle it. Otherwise, my vote would be the 7mm-08. Coincidentally, Use Enough Gun and I flew home with Craig Boddington and his teenaged daughter from Africa in 2003. It was her first trip over and she had used the 7mm-08. Boddington is a real fan of the caliber.

Another vote here for a .308 without a muzzlebreak. Start with 130 gr bullets at about 2200 fps and work up over time to whatever level is acceptable to your son.

I'll bet he ends up using full-tilt loads.

All very good sugestions, but if the kid will 14 before he goes to Africa, I'd buy him a good quality 30-06, or 9.3X62 CRF bolt rifle,and get him in the woods for a lot of stump shooting before he takes the leap to africa. Zero the scope in, and LEAVE the bench! Do all shooting under hunting conditions.

A 14 yr old can handle anything his father can handle with a little practice. I agree with those who reccomend a fairly low powered veribal scope, and a good one is the 1.5-5X20 Luepold. The rifle will be come a toy he will be useing as an old favorite, 40 yrs from now, so make it a classic!

The 270 can be used with Remington's Light recoil loads that cut recoil in half, but still give good performance out to 200 yds.
This way you have a rifle that your son can learn to shoot without developing a flinch, but can grow into and use the rest of his life with full power loads.

Male kids are usually rather "macho" and won't fess up that recoil scares them.

I started my stepson on clays from a semi auto, light loads and he was so engrossed in the shooting targets flying through the air he didn't even realise it recoiled. Gradually bought heavier shot loads, just for plinking at clays and when it came to cetrefire time we did the sums and found that all the sensible options were more manageable than the shottie.

mike

BTW I've discovered that women and kids don't like getting "Weatherby eyebrow", maybe it's because they don't like that essential part of treatment - atriple whiskey round the fire.

Another good reason for the 308 is that there is a lot of cheap 308 military surplus ammo around. Once he can shoot full power ammo he cam shooot a LOT of rounds in practice and plinking for mere peanuts.

Muggles,

Based on my experience with this same situation, I would not choose a .270 or bigger unless you have your son shoot a rifle of that caliber. I would have him shoot more than one round and while he is shooting, you should observe his reaction (is he jerking, flinching, etc.). You will hear people say bigger is better but I would strongly disagree in a situation like this.

In my opinion, you should get a rifle that your son can shoot multiple rounds comfortably so he can develop good shooting habits (a life skill). If you go too big, the probability of him flinching and disliking the rifle will go up. I can tell you that he will not be able to shoot many rounds through a .270 in one sitting and at this age. I think you want to get him shooting as much as possible - particularly with the rifle he will be using.

With that said, a .243 would be a fine choice. If you handload, you might consider a .25 WSSM. This is what I bought for my son and he loves it. His rifle is a Browning A-Bolt and it is a good starter gun. If you don't handload, think about getting into it. It is something that you both can do together and it makes the hunt that much more rewarding knowing that you both loaded your own ammunition.

Good luck and enjoy,

Doug

You need to consider weight of rifle, and this in turn is related to recoil. The kid may have trouble carrying a standard weight bolt rifle unless he is a football player. Going for a lighter gun creates a recoil problem. It's not good to start a kid out shooting something with too much recoil and muzzle blast. It will give him a good case of gunshyness and that will be hard to cure.

So, I would suggest going with a light rifle in a light caliber. 257 Robts, 250-3000, or 6.5x55 would be the upper limit. Get a bolt rifle with a short stock and a decent recoil pad. There are lots of custom Mausers around for reasonable money, and that's a good choice because you can very easily replace the stock with a full size stock when he gets bigger. No better action to learn on. I wouldn't get a 243, more MV than you need. The nice thing about a 257 or 264 bore is that his second rifle can be an 8mm, 338 or a 9.3x62 (when he's 18 say). Those two calibers cover everything on 4 legs in North America.

I would NOT buy him a 30-06 as his first rifle, at this age.

I am assuming that he has shot a 22 and a 22 centerfire by now. If not, get him going on those now. It will be much easier for him to step up to a medium caliber.

I will second and/or third the vote for the .308 Winchester with reduced recoil loads. There are plenty of excellent rifles to choose from... look at the Dakota Youth/Ladies model 76. With Dakota's option to add an adult dimensioned stock at the point the LOP needs to be adjusted, it is a firearm he can use his entire hunting career. My ten year old son started out with a .223 at age eight and I have been moving him up steadily since. Recently purchased a Kimber 84 Select in .308 and it will serve him well on his first trip across the big pond. Lots of bullet choices and like others mentioned... ammo availability is not a problem anywhere in the world.

Muggles,

I am a born and raised Westchesterite and have to totally agree with Fjold. Let the lad handle and experience some recoil in varing levels. He will be far more involved and enthusiastic if he has some say in the matter.

Now to specifically answer the question, for my nephews my brother in law and I choose the .260 and the Ruger short laminate/stainless configuration. The rifle is amazingly accurate and has taken more than it's share of deer sized game over the last couple of years. A side note would be the older nephew was saddled with a .270 and has developed a major flinch. He's enormous for his age 12, and should be able to handle the rifle. Bullets and ammunition are easily available for any of the calibers you are interested in.

Good luck and good hunting.

I bought my son a 7mm-08 in a Youth Remington Model Seven when he was about 11 and he used it with great success on deer, caribou and black bear until he was 16. At that time I got him a .270 and was amazed at how much less recoil the .270 had than the smaller gun.
Since that time I have helped other young hunters with their first gun and have found that the Remington Managed Recoil cartridges in a .308 make a great starter gun.

For my son's first centerfire rifle I bought them 30-06's, which they used to good effect in Botswana, but they were a good bit older than your boy. Given his age I'd agree with those voting for the 7mm-08. Light to carry and comfortable to shoot, it would enable your son to concentrate on shot placement rather than recoil survival. Personally, I'd go with it's ballistic twin, the 7X57,but only because it is a classic round. Buy one that he feels comfortable with, add a 22lr for inexpensive practice, and he is set. Enjoy.

TerryR

Why not just go with a traditional Caliber that will take ANY of the plains game effectively and has been proven so for over 100yrs. The attached pic is of my 7x57 that has become my standard plains game rifle. It weighs in at precisely 6lbs as shown and with 175gr Noslers I am prepared to take any plains game.

I picked up a .270 CZ American for my 13 yr old Godson and he handles it fine.

He had handled a 25.06 single shot the year before and had no problems, so I got him a rifle he can have for a lifetime.

I would not hesitate to get the 7mm08 either - it was another caliber I looked for - just found the used CZ first.

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
Why not just go with a traditional Caliber that will take ANY of the plains game effectively and has been proven so for over 100yrs. The attached pic is of my 7x57 that has become my standard plains game rifle. It weighs in at precisely 6lbs as shown and with 175gr Noslers I am prepared to take any plains game.

That is a great rifle.

I can only relate my experience. When my 12 year old stepson was 10, I took him to the range for the first time. He was frightened. Poor kid was the victim of all the liberal media bullshit hype. I really had to coax him to shoot a .22. After he fired a few 22 rounds he really liked it. Next trip to the range, I put a 30-06 in his hands. He was reluctant at first but after the first couple of rounds he was firing as fast as he could cycle the action. He's now 12 and the '06 is his "go to" rifle. He loves to shoot it.

my 9 year old nephew handles a 308 without a hitch. I'd go 308.

Ed

All good advice. I took my 14 year old son to Africa this past year. He shot the Managed Recoil loads at the range and the full bore rounds on the hunt. He even used the PH's 375 with no problem. The biggest issue was his 30-06 was a Ruger, I don't recall the model designation, but it came with an island sight, barrel swivel band etc. and was very heavy...this proved to be a problem when some days we were walking 5-6 hours at a time.

As we all know, your son will not notice the recoil when he shoots, only when he is at the range and sighting in.

Have a great time!

I second Zimbabwe's suggestion. 175 grs 7x57. A rifle like that is balanced just right, trigger hand grip perfect for standing up shooting, forend gives a perfect grip, the lines of the comb to generate some muzzle rise for the front hand to absorb. Express sights. And voila! 40 rounds and the boy is proficient to handle more recoil!
That rig will make him want more.

Boha

If I remember well there is, in some country a minimum bullet caliber requested, and it is, if I remember well, 7 mm.
I read somewhere that this should be the minimum for Namibia, but do not ask to me to put my right hand on fire.
However it is an indication. At this point 7x57, 7-08, 308 are the most interesting.
If there are not limitations 6.5x55 should be considered, IMVHO, the old Swedish cartridge in a new rifle, well loaded, is a good medicine, by my opinion.

I would have to pick the 7mm-08 or 7X57. Peas in a pod.

A .308 Winchester with in something like a Winchester model 70 Featherweight and a 2.5-8 X 40 VXIII Leupold. Shoot Federal Premiums w/ 165 gr Barnes X bullets on game.

But start him off with Remington's "reduced loads" for practice and work him up to the premiums. Let shoot a lot with the reduced loads. I mean a lot!

This caliber can do "a lot of stuff well". It will serve him well for many years and it is just an inherently accurate cartridge.

Most PH's will be happy he is shooting at least a .30 caliber bullet.

As cheap as rifles are, just get a 243. It kills deer size stuff easily when shot placement is correct.

If you want bigger, why not the 7x57? With accurately placed 175 gr. Nosler Partitions, how much better could it get? I bought one of the CZ's. It is heavy but just the ticket for kids and old men. I'm saving it for my grandsons but I shot it just for grins. A tack driver. Just what is needed for a kid's confidence.

I'd say the 270 Win would be a good rifle to start your son with.

7x57 or 7mm-08 if you handload, I started my son off with a 7mm-08 using 120gr Ballistic tips loaded down and they work for deer sized game. A 160 or 175 grain bullet at 2,500fps should work for most animals when he's older. The .308 has all the same virtues with ammo available worldwide if you don't reload.

After getting used to one of those calibers he can move up to a .375 in a few years and save the rest of his money for hunting...

I would go with a .308 Win. Tons of ammo in all kinds of factory offerings, including cheap milsurp, available everywhere if don't reload. If I could get my 12 yr old daughter to shoot one, your boy should have no trouble, esp a year from now. Just make sure the stock fits right and has a real recoil pad on it. It's also a caliber he will never outgrow.

As an aside, I've never really understood the draw for the 7-08. If you look at the numbers and the standard advice to shoot 140-150 gr bullets, you are no better off in terms of velocity or recoil value than a 308 shooting ~150 gr bullets. If you want to shoot 175 gr bullets from a 7-08, I think you'd be just as good or better shooting 180's from a 308. Really, how much felt recoil difference can there be when you are talking about only .024" bullet diameter and/or less than 10 gr of bullet weight difference?

For me, the first logical step down from a 308 is the 260. I would not advise a 6mm of any flavor, but that's just me.

You might consider a lightweight scout rifle for him.



The CZ 550 FS is available in 6.5x55, .308, .270 and .30-06. All are appropriate calibers for the game you mentioned.

CZ 550 FS



The Steyr Scout is available in .308.

Steyr Scout

I would go with the 308 Win. My 12 year old daughter went on her first safari in Zim this year. The 308 with TBBC bullets preformes great. Everything was a 1 shot kill. (kudu, impala, wildebeast) Surplus ammo is also very cheap for practice.

I had my son use a 7x57 in Namibia at 14 years old. 160 Noslers at 2800 fps flattened game as large as kudu.

My first rifle when I was 12 was, and still is, a Ruger 77 in 270. Either the 270 or 7mm08 would be a near perfect choice, as they can both handle just about any game you're going to encounter, they don't kick bad at all, and ammo is available everywhere and CHEAP. Another good choice would be the 308. I probably wouldn't go with anything bigger/more powerful because even a 30-06 with 180gr bullets gives a stiff jab in some rifles.