My wife and I will be welcoming our first child into our family in late May. I have been thinking about getting started on a custom "big game" rifle for my new hunting partner. It's never too early to start, right?

I will start my young hunter off with a BB gun, then progress onto a .22, etc. This rifle will be my child's first center-fire rifle. I would expect have them get started with it around eight or nine years old. It will be used in Africa, but not until he or she is ready.

I have an FW Hyem "short" Mauser 98 type action that I plan to use for this project. The action has a butter knife handle similar to the Brno M21. I have a Jerry Fisher stock pattern that I have "shrunk" all dimensions by about 15%. The stock blank is a very dark and fairly plain piece of Claro walnut. I went with Claro due to its lower weight. I envision the finished rifle having a 20 inch barrel with a barrel band front sight. I think the stock will have a schnable type forend to better fit small hands. In an attempt to keep weight down, and to fit with the slimmer stock, I plan to employ a blind 3 round magazine. finished rifle should weigh around 7 lbs with scope.

I have been trying to decide on the right cartridge for this rifle. For this classic Mauser actioned rifle I have narrowed it down to 6.5x55mm or 7x57mm. My problem is that I cant choose between the two. I will handload for this rifle and I plan to keep recoil below 10 ft/lbs to start.

I had thought that if I couldn't choose between the 6.5x55 and the 7x57 I would just go with the 6.5 if it's a girl and the 7x57 if it's a boy. But tomorrow we go in for the ultrasound and I have not been able to decide if this is how I should choose.

Question:
so my question is: should I let the baby's sex decide the chambering of their first rifle?

Choices:
Yes, 7x57 if it's a boy, 6.5x55 if it's a girl.
No, 7x57 either way.
No, go with the 6.5x55.

 

JBrown,

Man I jst L-O-V-E your attitude!

You do what grandfathers normally do: Plan a safari & custom rifle as soon as grandson is born! You go so much better! Just love it!

Now I'm waiting for a guy to post something anong these lines:

" I have met this girl last night. She's a looker and damn fine company too! If we get married and if we have a child what calibre do you think......"

Just love your approach! Good for you!

Good luck in all matters relating to the wonderfull addition to your family!

Andrew McLaren

Great planning. After one of each (son & daughter) who used to hunt with me and at this point have no interest, I don't think sex should influence the calibre choice. Girls are tougher than boys at that age, IMHO. Looking back a long ways, my first 6mm Rem. (no recoil)had significant recoil to me when I was 8. My father, an old M.Sgt., made me shoot to specified groups before I could leave the bench. I wouldn't do that to new shooters today, but it worked for me. Nowadays, anything up to and including a .416 off the bench is comfortable. While bigger than that gets my attention off the bench, I can still group.

Watching my children and those of my friends, even a .257, 6mm or .270 recoils significantly to a 70-80 pound body. While not asked, my advice would be to not rush them even to a calibre that you think is extremely small. A flinch once developed is hard to break. But it sounds like you're on the righy track and good luck.

I gotta say that good prep is good prep. Plenty of time.

I did the same thing with my kids but built a 243 with my daughter's name engraved and a 308 with my son's. Built the 308 to be a bit longer and with a heavier barrel profile than the 243. "When he can carry it all day and shoot well enough with it he will go to Africa with me, taking that rifle." I had Dakota build the rifles for me. But I like your route better. (My son is currently "borrowing" his sister's 243 for practice and deer hunting.)

What ever your choice, keep in mind that a kid's face is THIN and SHORT that the rifle will need a much higher comb than one you or I or even an adult lady shooter would need. This is an area where I erred and I make it up with a supplemental comb/cheekpiece, like some of those available from Cabelas. Better to do it in wood. Better to do it too high and have to take some wood down later.

EDITED after reading LAVACA's post: Yes recoil for an eight year old or so is significant even from a 243. I thought it might be muzzle blast from the 20" barrel but we wear plugs and muffs and it wasn't that. I called Larry of Superior Ammo and had him load me a couple hundered light 243 loads with 85gr Barnes TSX's. Fantasic accuracy, reduced muzzle blast and over all volume. No connection on a deer yet but I'm betting they'll do fine. I try to get my son to shoot up some of the various left over 243 ammo we have, but after three oe four rounds he'll ask for the "special loads" because of recoil. BTW, if he or shee shoots one or two or whatever and wants to quit, quit. There is always another day.

Best of Luck with everything,

JPK

Thanks for the advise and kind words.

Lavaca mentioned that sex should not influence choice of calibre. I agree, I was only using that as a way to have the choice made for me. I really like both cartridges and I just can't choose one over the other. I plan to load very light loads at the begining and always use hearing protection.

It looks like you guys are making the choice for me which is great. We will find out the baby's gender tomorrow afternoon. When I get home I will check this poll and order the barrel for the cartridge you guys choose.

Well gentlemen, according to the ultrasound we had today, we are having a girl.


It looks like the 7x57 beat the 6.5x55 by 13 votes to 5 votes. So it is going to be a 7x57 for our daughter. It doesn't get any more classic than that.

Thanks to everyone who voted!

Congratulations on the great news Jason. Having a child is the greatest thrill in life you will ever find. Be sure to go to all the birth classes and appointments (can't tell you how many vacation days I traded in to be part of the adventure) and hours of conversation you will be having.

One more for the hunting side of things!!!!!!
Frank

Congrats !!! and Best Wishes to you both !

Congratz on adding a new hunting buddy to your family. I would pick the 7x57 hands down. Classic cartridge and a bit more versatile.

I would go with the 7x57 for several reasons.

First, the ammo is a wee bit easier to find than the Swede, if shooting commercial brands.

Secondly, with the advances in bullet technology like the Barnes Tipped TSX in 110 Grains, all the way up to 170 grain bullets that are bonded or monometal, the rifle can grow "a greater distance" than the 6.5x55.

I have several 7x57's. I find the 120 grain Nosler BT's at 2800 fps to work fine on our little whitetails in South Georgia and I get excellent accuracy with them and the light loads. With a slightly lengthened throat and the bullets seated out a bit, I get 280 Remington velocities with heavier bullets in my Brno 21.

Now, all that said, Nosler makes 100 grain Partitions that should work fine in a Swede down to 2500 fps or so with very little recoil and no one will deny that the sectional density of a 160 grain 6.5 bullet won't penetrate about anything up to an Eland...

Really, who cares? What counts is that you already love your coming child, but I hope your daughter doesn't learn to embarass her dad by being a better shot like mine does me.

Just enjoy like I've been blessed to do so!

Cool project. I built a Mex Mauser in 7x57 for my son's 11th Birthday. Had the stock measured to fit with a thin pad which can be changed to a thicker one as he grows. 19 inch McGowen barrel, Model 70 style safety. Weaver K3 in Leupold QD rings on 2 piece weaver bases. XS Weaver back up ghost ring sight stored in a muzzle loading patch box inletted into the butt stock. Patch box engraved with son's name and date rifle was presented to him and inlayed with gold. Military trigger was worked over and converted to single stage by gunsmith.

I have another Mex action that I plan to build a twin to that rifle for myself in 7x57 or 6.5 Swede.

Forget the blind 3 round mag. Go with factory bottom metal for 5 down. It won't add much weight and as your kid grows up he will wish he had 5 rounds. I assume it has a hinged floorplate, which makes for safer unloading becasue it isn't necessary to cycle loaded rounds through the action to clear it.

Jason,

Either one is a fine big game caliber. My oldest son's first CF was a 6.5x55 only because I had one to work with at the time. He's a grown man now and is still quite happy with it. About the only factor I'd consider is the availability to load true varmint type rounds for the 6.5. Other than that I'd place them about equal. The 264 is one of my favorite bullet diameters. It just does all you ask of it with boring consistancy.
That said I like the 7x57 as well and recently finished a trim little carbine in that bore. Thinking both of my decreasing attraction to carrying a heavy rifle too far and the chance my youngest daughter may take it up in a year or two (she's nine), the little seven was chosen.
You can't go wrong with either one and you have plenty of time to do it right.
Congratulations!