The Accurate Reloading Forums
Safari Rifle for the Kids
29 August 2025, 20:16
505 gibbsSafari Rifle for the Kids
I took the family to Zimbabwe a month or so ago, going in I faced 2 kids that had never shot anything larger than a 22 or killed anything. So my challenge was to get them shooting a large caliber rifle off of sticks. I thought if I could get them comfortable to 100 yards we could get something done. They are both girls and were hesitant to shoot due to fear of recoil, they are both left handed to boot which narrowed the choices. I went out on a limb and tried something new, a 350 Legend in Winchester XPR shooting a 170g triple shock. I feel this caliber is limited on distance but they didn't need to be shooting anything further than 200yds anyways. We started working with it about 2 months before the safari, I was excited about how well they took to it. They were both drilling tacks at 50 yards first time and reporting "no noticable recoil". We immediately went to sticks at 50, my middle daughter shot as good as off the bench and the baby, while deadly, was not quite as tight. Only able to do it on the weekends, we only had 4-5 outings before departure. By the time we left, my middle daughter continued to drill tacks at 85 yds (I don't think we ever made it to 100 before departure) and my youngest continued to struggle with her patterns, though I felt we could get something done if we could get her set up on a back pack and rested. Both continued to say it was no different than shooting the 22mag other than it's size. Once everything was said and done, they both fired 2 shots in Africa and both killed an Impala (both around 130yds) off of sticks. then The baby killed a zebra at 150yds off of sticks and my middle daughter killed a wildebeest at about 100 yds off of sticks. While I was ecstatic with their performance, I was shocked at the stopping power of the round, no tracking, everything was seen as it fell within short yardage of original shots. BTW, the sticks we used were a set of Gunstix I bought from Arjun (Reddy375), while they were annoying to the PH's, I don't think the result would have been the same with traditional sticks and the PH's agreed in hindsight. My point is, if you are looking to set a kid up with a gun big enough to take down some larger African game, I wouldn't hesitate to consider this round. The recoil is minimal and basically unnoticeable when shooting off of sticks. The gun is a little bulkier than I like (even personally), but you can't have it all.
29 August 2025, 22:28
reddy375Hello 505. Congratulations to you and your daughters on what sounds like a great Safari. I am glad to hear that the GUNSTIX came in handy. Some PHs initially push back to this design of sticks and say they are slow to set up, but once they see them in action they beg you to leave them behind!
.
I have personally shot over 50 animals from Roe buck to Cape buffalo from 50 to under 300 yards and never had a single animal run off because i was too slow in setting up!! I have been there when others have shot animals well over 350 yards, try that with a tri-pod shooting sticks.
I don't have a 350 legend but the old formula of big and slow works well in Africa and elsewhere..
Thanks for your mention of the sticks and your business i greatly appreciate it.
Arjun Reddy
p.s. We have a Labor day sale on at the moment on GUNSTIX 20% off.
30 August 2025, 03:47
Bwana338Pictures or it did not happen...
Sounds like a great trip.
how old are the girl's.
I took a couple of great nieces (11 years old) out shooting a week ago when they visited and they did quite well. first time out and they want to go hunting with me. so they are working on their hunter safety class.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"You've got the strongest hand in the world. That's right. Your hand. The hand that marks the ballot. The hand that pulls the voting lever. Use it, will you" John Wayne
30 August 2025, 04:59
BrecHave shot several deer with the .350 legend.( hunt in a straight wall state) Deadly.
Formally Bwana1.
30 August 2025, 14:57
Brandon.GleasonThat's fantastic. My 9 year old shoots remarkably better from Gunstix than he does from a set of primos trigger sticks or any other tripod/front rest only standing set up. We started him on a .22LR around 4 years old, and he's now comfortably shooting a .300BO and .308 Win (suppressed).
30 August 2025, 16:25
505 gibbsquote:
Pictures or it did not happen...
Sounds like a great trip.
how old are the girl's.
Would love to post pics but need the girls ok first, and that’s a trick. They are 14 & 19
30 August 2025, 17:06
FjoldIt sounds like a great trip!
I bought a 350 Legend upper for an AR15 (We have family in Ohio who farm). I was surprised at how easily it shot. I haven't taken anything with it yet but it may get used this season.
Frank
"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953
NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite
30 August 2025, 18:17
dogcatI started my sons with .22's, then .243 then .270 then .375 HH. This was before suppressors.
The 350 legend was not around then.
I say - use whatever they can shoot and they like.
The worst thing is getting them recoil shy.
I love suppressors for kids, however, some places do not allow them. RSA does and I think anything suppressed is better than anything not suppressed.
30 August 2025, 18:59
SaeedWhat was their age?
30 August 2025, 19:18
505 gibbs14 & 19
30 August 2025, 20:08
SaeedThat age they could shoot practically anything.
Congratulations on a wonderful hunt with your daughters. You took a wise approach with them and hopefully now they’re both looking forward to their next hunt with you. You’re fortunate as nothing beats hunting with your kids.
30 August 2025, 21:24
PAGuardianCongrats on a great safari with your daughters!
Thank you for posting a breakdown of your preparation leading up to your trip. I’m taking my older son and nephew on their first safari next year and your post is very helpful!
"The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching". - John Wooden
30 August 2025, 21:26
SaeedI love to see kids hunt.
This morning I had 6 kids, from 5 to 12, shooting most of the morning.
They shot 22 rim fire, 223 and 308 Winchester.
The 2 older ones, 10, and 12, shot the 308 because they actually asked for a rifle that “kicks!”
They are family members so obviously lack of something of substance between their ears is in their genes!
30 August 2025, 22:48
PAGuardianquote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
I love to see kids hunt.
This morning I had 6 kids, from 5 to 12, shooting most of the morning.
They shot 22 rim fire, 223 and 308 Winchester.
The 2 older ones, 10, and 12, shot the 308 because they actually asked for a rifle that “kicks!”
They are family members so obviously lack of something of substance between their ears is in their genes!
That’s hilarious!
My younger son is like that. Hates the .22 because it isn’t big enough so always wants to shoot our Mossberg 410. It’s a little too long for him so the recoil makes it looks like he’s shooting a 470. But man does he pepper chukars with it
"The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching". - John Wooden
31 August 2025, 06:53
Saeedquote:
Originally posted by PAGuardian:
quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
I love to see kids hunt.
This morning I had 6 kids, from 5 to 12, shooting most of the morning.
They shot 22 rim fire, 223 and 308 Winchester.
The 2 older ones, 10, and 12, shot the 308 because they actually asked for a rifle that “kicks!”
They are family members so obviously lack of something of substance between their ears is in their genes!
That’s hilarious!
My younger son is like that. Hates the .22 because it isn’t big enough so always wants to shoot our Mossberg 410. It’s a little too long for him so the recoil makes it looks like he’s shooting a 470. But man does he pepper chukars with it
We have grown shooting from as young as we could.
My younger brother could not shoot a 410, so I used to sit him on my lap, holding the shotgun to my shoulders, but he was pulling the trigger with me.
We shot flying doves that way.
He grew up to win the Olympic Gold Medal in Trap!
31 August 2025, 09:40
sambarman338I remember shooting quail and rabbits with my father's old 12-gauge double when I was nine, that it rose and pushed me back but did not hurt, and I thought it was pretty cool. Being a farmer, he then bought a Mossberg bolt-action and I hated that gun - my ears still ring when I think of the stupid muzzle brake. Why these things vent to the sides and not above like a Cutts Compensator, where it would at least keep the muzzle down, still escapes me.
31 August 2025, 17:59
505 gibbsNo doubt I have gotten a late start with my last 2. The middle had sworn she would never hunt, the youngest is already talking about deer season.
31 August 2025, 18:23
Saeedquote:
Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
No doubt I have gotten a late start with my last 2. The middle had sworn she would never hunt, the youngest is already talking about deer season.
An 8 year old boy yesterday had it all sorted out.
He said when he grows up, he get a house.
Get a cheetah - he was playing with ours.
And build a shooting range in house.
01 September 2025, 04:28
cwilsonquote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
quote:
Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
No doubt I have gotten a late start with my last 2. The middle had sworn she would never hunt, the youngest is already talking about deer season.
An 8 year old boy yesterday had it all sorted out.
He said when he grows up, he get a house.
Get a cheetah - he was playing with ours.
And build a shooting range in house.
Sounds like a great plan to me.
cwilson
A well requlated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed - 2nd Amendment U.S. Constitution
01 September 2025, 04:43
PAGuardianquote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
quote:
Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
No doubt I have gotten a late start with my last 2. The middle had sworn she would never hunt, the youngest is already talking about deer season.
An 8 year old boy yesterday had it all sorted out.
He said when he grows up, he get a house.
Get a cheetah - he was playing with ours.
And build a shooting range in house.
We need more young men with these kinds of dreams rather than so many wanting to be the next YouTube or TikTok sensation.
"The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching". - John Wooden
01 September 2025, 06:14
ledvmquote:
Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
I took the family to Zimbabwe a month or so ago, going in I faced 2 kids that had never shot anything larger than a 22 or killed anything. So my challenge was to get them shooting a large caliber rifle off of sticks. I thought if I could get them comfortable to 100 yards we could get something done. They are both girls and were hesitant to shoot due to fear of recoil, they are both left handed to boot which narrowed the choices. I went out on a limb and tried something new, a 350 Legend in Winchester XPR shooting a 170g triple shock. I feel this caliber is limited on distance but they didn't need to be shooting anything further than 200yds anyways. We started working with it about 2 months before the safari, I was excited about how well they took to it. They were both drilling tacks at 50 yards first time and reporting "no noticable recoil". We immediately went to sticks at 50, my middle daughter shot as good as off the bench and the baby, while deadly, was not quite as tight. Only able to do it on the weekends, we only had 4-5 outings before departure. By the time we left, my middle daughter continued to drill tacks at 85 yds (I don't think we ever made it to 100 before departure) and my youngest continued to struggle with her patterns, though I felt we could get something done if we could get her set up on a back pack and rested. Both continued to say it was no different than shooting the 22mag other than it's size. Once everything was said and done, they both fired 2 shots in Africa and both killed an Impala (both around 130yds) off of sticks. then The baby killed a zebra at 150yds off of sticks and my middle daughter killed a wildebeest at about 100 yds off of sticks. While I was ecstatic with their performance, I was shocked at the stopping power of the round, no tracking, everything was seen as it fell within short yardage of original shots. BTW, the sticks we used were a set of Gunstix I bought from Arjun (Reddy375), while they were annoying to the PH's, I don't think the result would have been the same with traditional sticks and the PH's agreed in hindsight. My point is, if you are looking to set a kid up with a gun big enough to take down some larger African game, I wouldn't hesitate to consider this round. The recoil is minimal and basically unnoticeable when shooting off of sticks. The gun is a little bulkier than I like (even personally), but you can't have it all.
Outstanding Brad!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J. Lane Easter, DVM
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