Hello guys and gals. It's that time to get my daughter a rifle. She is 12 guaranteed a tag this year for elk and deer. Should I get her a long action or short action. She shoots her 22. I do reload so I was thinking of a gun to take a bull elk. Which cartridge? I was thinking of a 7mm08 or a 270. Just let me know what you think.

A Cushy recoil pad like a Hi-Vis is a must and lots of target practice no matter which caliber you choose. Use slower burn powders like H4831. Kick is less than faster powders.

I would definitely consider the 7mm-08, with appropriate stock length of pull.

Hard to beat either of your choices. I have way more experience with the 270 Win so I'd lean that direction.

Like idymay375 said, "with appropriate stock length". It makes all the difference in the world.

Zeke

Short girl? Short action, short stock, short barrel. A .308 is much easier to find in a larger variety of guns. A Rem Mod 7 comes to mind but a number of manufacturers make "youth/female" size rifles.

Do some warm weather practice with a 20 gauge shotgun using light skeet loads and she'll never notice the recoil of a .308.

My son brought the DIL a Ruger Ultra lite in 7mm-08.

She brags that she wears the same clothes that she did in the 6th grade.

Needless to say she is a small gal.

So far she has killed several deer and a bear with her 7mm-08 and just loves it.

I worked her up to a 139gr with a max load of 4350

The 270 Win with either 150 grain bullets at 2850 or 140 grain billets at 2950 is not too far off from 30/06 in recoil.

My wife started with the 7x57 ( factory loads 2600 FPS), then the 7mm/08 loaded to 2770 FPS.

She has since moved to the 308 Win.

She is also small stature at 5’3, short actions and single shots work best.

Short actions and singleshots, Is that to keep OAL short for a smaller sized shooter?

7mm-08.

I am not a fan of the 308 and 150s in youth guns with 20 inch barrels. Muzzle blast and perceived recoil can be large.

While only marginally less actual recoil, a 22 inch 7mm-08 with 140s is a lot less perceived recoil than the 308 described above in my experience with 3 young/small shooters.

this is actually a tough one.
when my kids were younger I worked them up with a 308 but it was from around 1800 fps. and took a couple of years to get them up over 2600 fps.

they could all handle 12ga. shotguns no problem so the issue was like noted above, gun weight and muzzle blast.

just my opinion but a smaller statured person should have a rifle and cartridge they are competent and comfortable with.
I have faith in the 7-08 cartridge since I have been shooting the 7x57 since I was about 10-11 years old,,, but anything approaching the 0-6 was to much for me, as was a 5lb. 308 no matter how many shot shells I shot every weekend.

I'd look at the 6.5 creedmore for someone that weighs 80lbs. looking to tackle an Elk.

7mm08 with 120gr TTSX would do 3100 fps easy and if it groups well, it would work as well as a 270 and be easier to shoot accurately.

If she can handle it in a Kimber Montna, she will probably want to keep the rifle for the rest of her life.

I started my boys and grandsons out on single shot rifles. Ruger # 1 and TC Encore etc. Several inches shorter than a bolt rifle. A single shot is good for them. "Make the first shot count." Brian

Slow powders don’t have less recoil than fast powders. In fact with equal velocity it is just the opposite.
Let me be the first to say a 6.5 creedmoor or 260 Remington would be great as well. 140 Nosler partition at 2600-2700 is just great as would be a Barnes 120 or 130 tsx. Using 36-37 grains of Varget or 42-45 of h414 or 4350 speed powders results in good soft shooting loads.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Short actions and singleshots, Is that to keep OAL short for a smaller sized shooter?

Yes sir and the manipulation of the action. A long action is awkward for her.

It all depends on how much recoil she can handle; like men I know, some can't handle a 308 and some can handle a 458.
That is what matters most; if she can't shoot it, then the cartridge is moot. 270s kick.

I really like the 7mm-08 cartridge. Like the .308 Winchester as well. Great calibers

Having helped a couple smaller girls lately, the short action that was easy to operate both lifting and feeding turned out to be important. Light weight 7mm-08 is about right 20-22 inch barrel. Another thing not paid much attention to is grip.I had to thin and remove some off top of wrist so one could reach trigger correctly. Low mounts if useing scope.

Hi, with much respect for you guys. I want a rifle/cartridge that she will use and say her dad bought it for her. Maybe something in the range of 300 yards. I like the 7x57. I do got mauser action but that's my dream. There's great cartridges out there that'll do it. We hunt elk deer and antelope so a 1 gun will probably be her only gun.

The much hated on ar but much loved by consumers

6.5 creedmoor.

Mike

Another option is the short mags, loaded down until she can handle more recioil.

Are suppressors legal for you? Nothing removes recoil like a suppressor. Thereafter take your pick of cartridges.
I love my 270 but would choose a 7mm08 in your case.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
The much hated on ar but much loved by consumers

6.5 creedmoor.

Mike

I hate to say it, but yes, this is an option. After struggling with the same question last fall for my very small 11-year old, we ended up with a Browning Micro Midas (one of the few left-handed rifles available for small people) in 6.5 Creedmoor. It is a great little rifle. We snagged a few boxes of HSM's reduced recoil loads with 140 grain Sierras and are off and running. She killed her first head of big game with the rifle last October - a nice pronghorn. I would recommend the rifle and cartridge.

Suppressors are highly regulated here, costs $200 for the registration, and no one uses them for hunting.
I think a 6.5 Creedmoor is what she needs. That is what I would do for my daughter. But she is already 30 and doesn't want to hunt any more. That is what happens so let her do it now.
Now the question is, what to you want to spend. $6000 for a higher end titanium and kevlar, or $1000 for something more down to earth?

My kids elk rifle was a 250-3000 and it worked great, my first elk rifle was a 25-35 Win,and it worked very good, My brother used a 30-30..Its important to keep the range under a 100 yards..For deer my kids and grandkids all used the 222 Remington...Ive never shot a Creedmore but it sounds like the way to go these days..again keep the range short, wounding an animal is the best way I know to turn anyone away from hunting and its an unnecessary event for the most part, again keep the range short.

Creedmoor 6.5 is your old 250 Savage necked up to 6.5mm. Straightened a bit. Throated long so you can use heavy bullets.

7mm-08 of those two choices. Load it with 139gr or 145gr LRX's and slay some game.

Or a 6.5 Creedmoor.

No need to go past the 7mm-08, It'll shoot any animal you want on your continent and do it with accuracy and less felt recoil of most any cartridge shooting a 140gr bullet. Nice light short action rifle, a Marlin XS would be perfect but nothing wrong with any of the other makes with a plastic stock and 22" barrel. Pity you guys have so many restrictions on suppressors. With one of these on a 7mm-08 it is just so nice a cartridge to shoot. It is almost an exception here that someone is not using a suppressor.
I and my 3 adult sons all use the 7mm-08, 2 Marlin XS, 1 Weatherby Vanguard and 1 Remington SPS, I'm the only one not using a suppressor, yet!

45.0grs Varget with 120gr Sierra and 43.0grs Varget with 139gr Hornady SST are tack drivers, the 120gr load would be perfect for a beginner.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
The much hated on ar but much loved by consumers

6.5 creedmoor.

Mike

I got my daughter a first rifle. She is 5’ and petite. I bought a Weatherby Camilla designed for women. Fits her and has no discernible recoil in 6.5 Creedmore. She can hunt anything up to Eland with it and loves the rifle. She is going to Zim with me in August.

quote:

Originally posted by drongo:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
The much hated on ar but much loved by consumers

6.5 creedmoor.

Mike

I got my daughter a first rifle. She is 5’ and petite. I bought a Weatherby Camilla designed for women. Fits her and has no discernible recoil in 6.5 Creedmore. She can hunt anything up to Eland with it and loves the rifle. She is going to Zim with me in August.

look forward to hearing how it works and what your daughter shoots in Zim.

i may take my k95 in 6.5 next time.

Mike

quote:

Suppressors are highly regulated here, costs $200 for the registration, and no one uses them for hunting.

Quite a few people use them, especially for hunting hogs and the like. It's a small percentage though because of the regulations.

I hesitated on a browning micro midas left hand in 6.5 creedmoor and now you can't find them. I think that would have been about perfect for my daughter though she did kill her first buck with my 6.5 prc this past season. I put the brake on it for her and it was fine but the rifle is too big. I will probably go with the 7-08 for her in the LH micro midas. If I can find one...

When looking for a rifle for a beginner many place all the emphasis on calibre. A youth or even many women are smaller in stature and have difficulty handling bigger longer rifles. Longer rifles put too much weight out on the forearm and a small person has trouble handling it. A shorter lighter rifle is far more manageable. So if a bolt action is the choice stay with a shorter lighter rifle in a short action cal. 260, 6.5 creed,7-08 in a short rifle would all work.A single shot is also good if a shorter barrel is used

My daughter killed her first deer when she was 8 with my 6.5 Creedmoor.
My kids and I have killed about 30 or so deer with it so far and as much hate mail as it gets here, my experience with it has been nothing but positive.
I would have no qualms about using it on elk and moose either and probably will in the near future.

Ruger makes or made a Hawkeye Compact in 308 and 7-08 that would be nice with manged recoil loads. LOP and weight are important. Winchester used to make a Classic Compact too but I don't know how hard they are to find.

I built my son a walnut stocked Mauser 98 in 6.5x55 that weighs just under 7lbs with scope. I load 90 grain bullets with H4895 and get about 2600fps. It’s really easy to shoot and he can shoot bug hole groups with it to build his confidence. He shot his first deer this year with a 125 nosler partition going 2550fps. Plenty for a 100-lb doe and he didn’t even feel the recoil. When he is comfortable with a bit more recoil, I can load him some 140-160 grain bullets to full speed and he will do ok up to elk-sized game.

RC

In today’s world...I would go 6.5 Creedmoor. A .260 Rem or 6.5 X 55 Swede would be just as good. It is just that factory ammo variety and rifle choices are much more plentiful with the Creedmoor.

Recoil is noticeably less and the cartridge just as capable as well.

Built my kid a 6.5 CM, put a muzzle brake on it. She has zero problem with it, and can shoot gongs to 1000 yards if I set her up.

She's 9.

I would recommend not using a muzzle brake for a kid. The blast and noise can be brutal, especially for young ears. Use loads producing less recoil and if you have one, use a suppressor.

I could check and see if any of your current hunting rifles have reduced recoil ammunition available for them. If so, I would pick up a box to determine what amount of recoil your daughter is comfortable with. The next decision point would be the number of hunting rifles you expect your to have. If it's only one, I would opt for the most versatile cartridge and see what the reduced recoil ammunition options are.

Daddys beware, its easy to pick a caliber you like, as opposed to little sisters needs..Keep caliber small to start with and for elk the creedmore sounds like the ticket, but only if you keep shots under a 100 yards and standing broadside IMO..stupid guides and dumb daddys have ruined many a kid from ever wanting to hunt. Ive seen it time and time again..