First center fire rifle for my great grand daughter? Solution found!

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19 August 2016, 19:30

bartsche

First center fire rifle for my great grand daughter? Solution found!

quote:
Originally posted by carpetman1:
bartsche if you quickly pass your finger through a flame, or better yet, hold a piece of lead with pliers and as fast as you can pass it through a cutting torch flame. You WONT melt the lead. Now you will be very slow as compared to a bullet exiting. The lead you passed through had many times more exposure. That brief nano second a bullet is exposed to the heat wont melt it. Recover a cast bullet and the lube is still on it. If it were hot enough to melt, the lube would have turned to liquid and be spun off. Agree a non flaired case it is easier to seat a gas checked bullet, but even with a gas check a slight flair is better and it gets removed when you seat the bullet.

I can see where your analogy on the gas check makes a valid arguement.

The flairing is an an added step that I seldom used .

roger

19 August 2016, 20:19

carpetman1

I am not putting down cast bullets nor implying they wont kill. The American buffalo was almost made extinct and all they had back then was cast bullets. You can read by candlelight, but why do it? I do believe it takes a much larger diameter bullet and that creates slower and a rainbow trajectory if you will. I don't want that when I can have a flatter shooting jacketed bullet that expands and is more effective. I don't see using a cast bullet as a challenge that has not been done many times before. For me, cast bullets are great for plinking and they are great on jackrabbits. For hunting deer, I use jacketed.

20 August 2016, 02:40

carpetman1

KW Johnston, which ones are you calling marginal or inadequate?

20 August 2016, 05:43

Atkinson

Although I, and my brother and cousins, being ranch raised wanted a 94, 30-30, it was the American thing to do, so the folks, like most of the Big Bend of texas knew better and most all the kids in Marfa, Alpine, Ft. Davis and Marathon got 25-35s and we all loved them. I killed deer, elk and bear with a SRC in that caliber..stocks were not cut but we got by..

Today I recommend something a bit easier for kid to get by with..like a Sako fwt L-461 in a 6x45, 222 or 223.

BTW, I still use that 25-35 on occasion and its deadly to 200 or so yards on deer and works fine at 100 to a 150 on elk and bear..I know that Mrs. Jack O'Connor shot both deer and elk with a scoped 25 Remington pump.

20 August 2016, 08:35

carpetman1

KW---No, what you consider marginal or inadequate would not be off topic--he is asking for opinions on his grand daughters first rifle. Certainly others opinion of what falls into those categories can be different than mine. My opinion was much different several years ago, until I saw numerous first hand favorable results with .222's and 223's (bolt guns not AR's which doesn't matter). Prior to seeing it, I would have been thumbs down on it and advocate for something bigger. For many years I have been using my .243, but last time out, I didn't see a deer, but I was carrying my .223.

22 August 2016, 00:43

Greg K

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the 300 BLK. Ruger makes a bolt action American model with a short stock.

22 August 2016, 08:00

duckboat

KW Johnston, I have to disagree that youth guns definitely won't stay with a kid through adulthood. A change from a youth stock to a full-size stock will allow kids to keep using the rifle as they get older. I still shoot a rifle I got when I was 8 years old. For my son, I gave him a Model Seven in 250 Savage. It currently has a youth stock, but I already have a adult stock ready for him as he gets older. For sure he will acquire more guns as he gets older, but his "youth" gun should serve him nicely for decades to come.

28 October 2016, 07:16

Rusty

Well I decided that a pig would be appropriate for my great granddaughter this year. So I put her on my suppressed AR-15. I set her up as she would be in a ground blind at the ranch. She did a great job. Hope the video come through! Yeah! I proud!

Cody Shooting

Rusty
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28 October 2016, 09:08

boom stick

Rusty, you are my hero and an awesome example. I hope to be as blessed as you some day. Congrats on having such a treasure of a grandchild to share such great moments with.

01 November 2016, 21:08

Atkinson

Rusty,
Carefull about those black rifles, she will grow up and be a soldier or cop...best to build here a custom 250-3000 and she will be a mother, housewife, give you grandkids to take hunting and guaranteed to be a deer hunter..I think!!

02 November 2016, 00:03

butchlambert

Rusty, The main thing I learned from 9 grand children and 1 great grand daughter is muzzle blast is as important as recoil or more so. Your suppressor is a great idea.

02 November 2016, 01:17

cooksey

Started my grandson off with a New England Firearms (Old H&R) in .204 Ruger. Shot his first buck last season 110 yards DRT. Nikon 3x9x40 scope, nice hill country 10 pt.

02 November 2016, 06:56

carpetman1

Rusty, once she shot it a couple times, she was dialed in. Now the only question is, could she hit a basketball? I'd say so. A deer and that .223 won't have a chance.

02 November 2016, 06:57

carpetman1

Cooksey, I suspected a .204 Ruger would be up to the task.

02 November 2016, 07:03

matt salm

Howa now has their 1500 mini bolt gun in 6.5 Grendel out. I can't think of a more ideal first rifle. 5.5 lbs, 20" barrel with a great two stage trigger and detachable mag. Wit taker'so gun shop shows them in stock for $450 or so, and the 223's at an incredible price of $329. For the $, and even for mor I think they are a very good value.

03 November 2016, 04:22

Rusty

quote:
Originally posted by carpetman1:
Rusty, once she shot it a couple times, she was dialed in. Now the only question is, could she hit a basketball? I'd say so. A deer and that .223 won't have a chance.

Considering it was her first time ever to shoot any thing other than her Chipmunk 22LR I'd say she did outstanding. That target was smaller than a basketball.

I bought her some pig target to practice on next time we are at the ranch. If it were me, I'd have had her in the back ground blind that evening with me. However, her mamma wanted to be there for her and I agree she should be. So we will wait for that.

For now, I'll call her group "Minute of Pig"!
she's gonna be a heart breaker and a deer slayer!
Best of all! She's my great granddaughter!

04 November 2016, 04:36

cooksey

ANOTHER PLUS TO THE NEF IS YOU CAN CHANGE TO DIFFERENT BBLS-CALIBER FOR CHEAP AND THE GUN CAN GROW WITH HIM. Damn caps lock button next to Shift!!!

12 November 2016, 23:45

Atkinson

One thing Im sure of and that is Rusty has been around guns and hunting long enough to know exactly what he is going to do, and is just fishing for some good conversation...

14 November 2016, 15:35

Rusty

quote:
Originally posted by Atkinson:
One thing Im sure of and that is Rusty has been around guns and hunting long enough to know exactly what he is going to do, and is just fishing for some good conversation...

Please, Ray! I have an image to uphold!

30 December 2016, 17:39

Rusty

Cody and her 8 point buck!

65 yards suppressed .223. steel cased Russian hollowpoint ammo. One shot. DTR!
WTG, Cody!

30 December 2016, 18:30

Buglemintoday

Great Job Cody! That's a nice first deer! She looks excited...I bet you were proud.

Suppressed .223 sounds like fun

31 December 2016, 02:53

p dog shooter

Very nice deer a hunter for life now.

31 December 2016, 21:25

ted thorn

quote:
Originally posted by Rusty:
Cody and her 8 point buck!

Awsome

Congratulations to the huntress and also to a proud grandpa

02 January 2017, 07:57

TREE 'EM

Look at that smile!
Great job

14 January 2017, 17:08

Clayman

This is a great thread! Kids getting started hunting, pink rifles, subtle jabbing over caliber choice; it has it all!

But to answer the original question directly - I see nothing wrong with a 243, especially if you handload. It's more than proven on deer and other similar game, and is still a viable caliber when she gets older. In the right kind of rifle, it has barely any recoil and would be a natural transition from a .22 LR. Also, you can get it in a number of "sizeable" rifles now that have adjustable buttstock length as she gets older.

14 January 2017, 23:40

capoward

Congratulations Cody!

15 January 2017, 01:02

Crazyhorseconsulting

The two biggest mistakes I have seen adults make concerning the selection of a rifle for a child/grandchild involves under estimating/overestimating the individual child's abilities.

Some adults expect too much while others don't let the child show/prove their capabilities.