She has shot a lot of .22's and .410 and has expressed an interest in hunting deer next year. What would be a good caliber to choose (and I'd reload for it) for her to grow into.
I have one of the Ruger 44 magnum lever action rifles. It fits and feels like a 22, so takes no getting used to. Also, because the shots need to be 100 yards or less, she will not get into the mind set of shooting way out there. My 10 year old nephew really enjoys shooting it. One thing I do is to load up light loads for practice and let him shoot it all he wants, sort of like a 22. Then, he was not a bit bothered by the full power loads.
One of my Grandsons started at nine years old with a Remington 600 in 243 which worked well. He's thirteen now and has a Remington mod 7 in 260, also works well. Another Grandson started a eleven with a Ruger 77 in 270 Win. It was too much gun too soon. I believe I would go for a 260 in whatever manufacturer you like.
Posts: 915 | Location: Breckenridge, TX, USA | Registered: 24 November 2001
I would tend to agree with Bob. A .243, 260, or 7mm08. All will kill a deer and recoil will be less than that of a 30-06 based cartridge. If recoil is a big concern get the smaller bored rifle. Then when you are working up a load find the load that has the lightest weight of powder to try and keep the recoil manageable. You could also try loading up some "reduced load" rounds like you see in the Speer manual. Then she can practice with the gun and get some confidence without being beaten up. Hopefully, then when she gets to hunting with more powerful ammunition she won't notice the recoil as much.
Edit: Woops, looks like Bruce already covered the reduced load bit.
The new Ruger Compact is a sweet little gun for youngsters.It only has a 16.5" barrell and is very easy to shoulder.I got one for my son in the laminated stainless version in a .243 for $450.You can also get it in a .260 caliber.
I would have to agree that a compact 243Win/260Rem bolt action would be a fine choice. My first rifle was an M70 (243 Win) with Weaver V7 scope that I got when I was 14, and it was an excellent choice, IMO.
BUT, the T/C Encore was not around when I was 14. So another option would be an Encore with short buttstock in 243. As she grows, you can put a regular buttstock on. You can get a shotgun barrel, blackpowder barrel, and just about any centerfire rifle round that she might want. A simple, safe, single-shot.
Best regards, Bill
Posts: 1169 | Location: USA | Registered: 23 January 2002
Here's another vote for a compact bolt action in .260 Rem. The choice would be among the Ruger Compact and Remington Model Seven (unfortunately the Winchester Classic Compact doesn't come in .260). Buy the Youth Model and restock as needed.
Posts: 1079 | Location: San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 26 May 2002
You didn't say where and how you hunt or how big your daughter is but I think somethink like a .223, if legal, would make a nice transition for her..especially if loaded with something like the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet.
Posts: 4360 | Location: Sunny Southern California | Registered: 22 May 2002
Brawnyjavo, You've already been given a number of good opinions, but I'll go ahead and add mine as well. Bolt action: 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 260 Rem, 6.5X55, 7-08, and 300 Savage. Single Shot: Contender Carbine (I don't like the Encore's safety as much as the Contender's especially for a youngster) 7 TCU, 7X30 Waters, or 300/221 (AKA 300 Whisper). I have a 12" barrel in the latter and think it would make a VERY good first gun for a youngster. In a 20" barrel, you'd probably get greater than 2500 fps w/ a 125 gr bullet. This would be a VERY pleasant load to shoot. The Contender does have the advantage of a youth size buttstock. As the child grows up, add a thicker recoil pad to the buttstock or buy an adult buttstock. Just make sure the kid can open up the Contender's action ok. Some years back, I read an article by John Wootters titled something like "Eight Guns to Start and Continue Deer Hunting With." His recs: 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 6.5X55 (260 Rem not available then), 7X30 Waters, 7X57, 7-08, 30-30 Win, 300 Savage. Of course, depending on how much you're willing to handload, all kinds of options are open to you w/ the aforementioned slightly reduced loads. Gary T.
Posts: 491 | Location: Springhill, LA | Registered: 27 March 2002
I started with a .30-30 and still use it. When we were young my buddy used a Rem 788 in .243. We both racked up quite a few deer before we we of legal age. As I got older I moved up to a .30-06 for those longer shots, he never used anything but his .243.
The Ruger compact is a nice "little" rifle that does have the advantage of being easily restocked to a longer length when she grows older. One of those in .243 would indeed make a nice rifle.
Since you're reloading I'd say any caliber could be used but the more important things to consider are fit and weight. Lots of full grown women I know can't even steadily shoulder a rifle. Get her something that she can control and feels comfortable with. Then work up to a hunting load for her.
-Mike
Posts: 4865 | Location: Lakewood, CO | Registered: 07 February 2002
I vote for the 6.5x55 swedish mauser. No recoil to speak of and mild muzzle blast. I think it has less muzzle blast than a .243. And the 6.5 is a great killer, flat shooting and penetrates supurbly. The 6.5x55 is a calibre I love, and I only shoot it in an m38 swedish mauser and still have a ball with it. If you and your daughter give this old calibre a go you will both love it.
Posts: 7505 | Location: Australia | Registered: 22 May 2002
I started my two boys (age 9 and 11) with a 243 Win and a 250 Savage AI, respectively. The 250 Savage is the better of the two in my opinion, though the 243 has performed pretty well to date. Since I will not let them shoot beyond 150 yards or so I load the 250 with a 120 gr Partition and it just works. The 243 is loaded with 100 gr Partitions so far and it worked well on deer, a little less well on the hogs. The 250 has dropped 200 pound hogs right now and deer have been a piece of cake as the bullet has laned where it needed to go. Recoil of either is minimal though the 250's seems less than the 243's in a rifle that weighs around a pound less. Though they are somewhat hard to find, I'd look for a Ruger Ultra Light 250 Savage that they made for a couple of years.
Posts: 354 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 11 February 2001
I would pick a 6.5 over a 6mm for deer hunting. So I would suggest a 6.5x55 or a 260, anything bigger and I would just go with a 308. She can use it all her life too.
I've started my 8 and 9 year olds on a 6PPC and a 223. Both will probably start on deer with the 223 and 53 gr. XLC's. With reasonable ranges, should have good success. FWIW, Dutch.
Posts: 4564 | Location: Idaho Falls, ID, USA | Registered: 21 September 2000
My son loves his .243 I bought him when he was 11. Having said that, the 6,5 x 55 Swedish would also be excellent. Some great choices out there, try a couple out then decide.
Posts: 258 | Location: Baltimore, Maryland US of A | Registered: 01 June 2001
I'm not a .243 fan for any big game rifle. My vote goes for the M7 in .260rem. Loaded w/ 120gr-125gr bullets it is light recoiling & a bit more than the .243 (JMO).
Posts: 7752 | Location: kalif.,usa | Registered: 08 March 2001
Hey' >260 cal,sounds great.You might want to look into steyr,they have a synthetic model with spacers in the butt plate,which can removed,and placed back at any time.Not too expensive for a quality rifle.GSI IMPORTS THEM. 1geejay www.shooting-hunting.com
The .30-30 is good. It has taken a lot of deer. The .223 has low recoil, and thicker jacketed hunting bullets are available if legal in your area. As a bolt action it would also be a fine target rifle for her too. I'm not very familiar with the .260's and such so I can't say much about them, and the .308 may be a little heavy.
What's in your inventory for a mild cartridge? If you load .308 reduce the load to a .30-30 velocity. If you load .44, go with the Ruger. You can make target loads and full power loads for it. Just my two cents.
quote:Originally posted by 1GEEJAY: Hey' >260 cal,sounds great.You might want to look into steyr,they have a synthetic model with spacers in the butt plate,which can removed,and placed back at any time.Not too expensive for a quality rifle.GSI IMPORTS THEM. 1geejay www.shooting-hunting.com
Steyr-Mannlicher changed importer/distributor earlier this year to Dynamit Nobel-RWS. GSI's remaining Steyr-Mannlicher inventory was remaindered out to CDNN, and Pro-Hunters were going for $500, as I recall, so if you're interested, check it out ASAP. Their web site doesn't show the Steyr rifles, so you'll have to call about them.
Posts: 1079 | Location: San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 26 May 2002
My daughter is 9. I'm thinking of picking up a Ruger Ultralight in .257 Roberts for her. My 11 year old son loves shooting my pre-64 Model 70 in 30-06. He's decided already it is his. Looks like I need a new rifle for me.
Jeff
Posts: 784 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 18 December 2000
You guys are probably sick of seeing these pictures but here they are again. This first one is of my 12 year old daughter Kasi with her first buck. She used a Winchester 243 with a 100 gr Hornady interlock.
This second picture is of my daughters first elk. She was 13 in thios picture. She used a Savage 270 with 130 gr Hornady interlocks at 2800 fps. She likes the Savage a LOT better than the winchester. The savage's stock fit her a lot better. I know she would vote for a savage 270, she loves hers. Ron
MY FIRST WAS A MARLIN 30/30 LEVER ACTION. I KILLED A PILE A OF DEER WITH IT. I BOUGHT MY 13 YEAR OLD SON A SAVAGE 110 IN .243 FOR CHRISTMAS LAST YEAR. DAMN THING SHOOTS AS ACCURATE AS ANYONE OF MY MODEL 700'S BUT ABOUT 1/2 THE PRICE. I ALSO LOADED US SOME "LIGHT" LOADS FOR MY SON TO PRACTICE WITH. I THINK THATS VERY IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY WHEN SHOOTING SUCH A SMALL, LIGHT BULLET. THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO HIT THE VITALS TO SECURE A CLEAN, INSTANT KILL. MY SON JUST LOVES SHOOTING HIS .243. OVERALL THE SAVAGE HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD GUN, ONLY COMPLAINT I HAVE IS THE TRIGGER IS A LITTLE STIFF. MY SON DONT EVEN KNOW ITS AN ISSUE.
I bought a Contender carbine for my daughter. I have an 18 inch 257 JDJ barrel for it. Its very accurate, light, and little recoil. One of these days, I'll even let her shoot it, once I get done having my fun with it.
my daughter is 2 1/2 right now, so i'm still a few years away from her hunting with me, but i figure i'll get her a 7-30 waters or 6.5-30 wildcat of some sort on my tc contender, with a custom youth-sized buttstock to fit her . . . and then when she's got some shooting experience under her belt, i'll move her up to something a little flatter shooting - like a good .25 caliber (.250 sav, .257 roberts, etc).
i'm looking first at the range issue - i want her shooting close and not missing (7-10 or so) - then we'll move up to something a bit flatter shooting with a touch more recoil when she's older (like 11-12 or so) and . . . i guess i have to say it . . . i just can't see letting someone relatively inexperienced shoot a .223 into a deer - i just view the .22 cal centerfires as calibers with little or no margin for error, deadly in the hands of an expert, to be sure, but i want a 100 grain bullet for deer, especially with a young hunter.
quote:Originally posted by tcencore260: and . . . i guess i have to say it . . . i just can't see letting someone relatively inexperienced shoot a .223 into a deer - i just view the .22 cal centerfires as calibers with little or no margin for error, deadly in the hands of an expert, to be sure, but i want a 100 grain bullet for deer, especially with a young hunter.
The largest kill zone on a deer standing broadside is the lung area, where the 22 cals do their best job, even using 55gr bullets. My dad and brother have used something not mentioned here so far -- the 22/250. Their shots have always been in the lung area (THE BIGGEST TARGET for anyone, including the inexperienced -- or should I say ESPECIALLY the inexperienced). Not one deer has been lost to them in 30+ years of using the 22/250.
Recoil of the 22/250 is just a BIT more than the 223, with quite a bit more killing range.
Whatever is chosen for your daughter, have her practice using hearing protection. It not only will save her hearing, it will drastically reduce any flinching.
Posts: 565 | Location: Walker, IA, USA | Registered: 03 December 2001
quote:Originally posted by Idaho Ron: You guys are probably sick of seeing these pictures but here they are again. This first one is of my 12 year old daughter Kasi with her first buck. She used a Winchester 243 with a 100 gr Hornady interlock.
This second picture is of my daughters first elk. She was 13 in thios picture. She used a Savage 270 with 130 gr Hornady interlocks at 2800 fps. She likes the Savage a LOT better than the winchester. The savage's stock fit her a lot better. I know she would vote for a savage 270, she loves hers. Ron
RON, CONGRATS,FIRST ON TWO BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADIES AND SECONDLY ON THEIR ANIMALS. YOU MUST BE VERY PROUD. I HAVE AN 11 YEAR OLD SON THAT IS GETTING INTO HUNTING AND SHOOTING. HE GOT A 77 RUGER 6M/M REM./WITH A 4X12 REDFIELD FOR HIS 11th BIRTHDAY AND THANKS TO STEVE RICIARDELLI(loading pages) AND A LITTLE BEDDING WORK, HE IS IN THE LOW 3'S. WE ARE BOTH LOOKING FORWARD TO DEER SEASON. DENNIS
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