Caliber for Daughter??

[Young Blood]

My daughter will be turning 10 in June so she will be old enough for Montana's hunter apprentice program. She is pretty small in stature so I don't want to overwhelm her with too big of a caliber, but was hoping to get something large enough for elk as she gets older. I'm thinking a .308, .270, or a 7mm-08. Anyone here have any experience with these for a young kiddo and how they handled the recoil?

 

[bmart2622]

My boy was small for his age and shot a 7mm08 but I ultimately got him a 243 to use when he was an apprentice since he was only shooting deer and the 7mm08 was a bit much for him. My daughter he is bigger than my boy was now shoots the 243, shes 9, and I wouldn't have her shooting anything bigger

 

[mitchparker1980]

Of the cartridges you asked about, I'd wholeheartedly go with the 7-08...but, I'd also consider the 6.5 Creedmoor as a viable option.

Cheers,
M

 

[Thinkingman]

Countdown until somebody says 'put a brake on it'....3...2....

In all seriousness, I would suggest 7-08 with 120s after the kid shows they can group consistently with a 22lr.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

a small, young daughter sounds like the perfect candidate for a suppressed 223 and some 77 tmks.

.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

“Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223 is where I ended up after many discussions and objective...

www.rokslide.com

 

[Formidilosus]

My daughter will be turning 10 in June so she will be old enough for Montana's hunter apprentice program. She is pretty small in stature so I don't want to overwhelm her with too big of a caliber, but was hoping to get something large enough for elk as she gets older. I'm thinking a .308, .270, or a 7mm-08. Anyone here have any experience with these for a young kiddo and how they handled the recoil?

Do yourself a favor and read this thread- 223 for deer, bear, elk, and moose before doing anything else.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I’ll never be a fan of a 223 for deer and bigger game. I’m also not a fan of buying one for the kid to grow into. 270 is way too much recoil for a 10 year old. 243, 7-08, and as much as it pains me 6.5cm is where I’d start. If you reload, 7-08 loaded with 120s around 27-2800 fps would be a nice load with good killing power.

 

[hodgeman]

I got my son a 7-08 youth carbine as a starter with zero regrets and we took several caribou with it. A 6.5CM or a 260 would be in the same bucket.

Make sure you get a youth size stock- stock fit is very important- too short is manageable, too long is not.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

223 or 6mm CM.

 

[rideold]

I started my son on a 6.5CM. It took him until this year (13 years old) to be comfortable with the recoil. I loaded reduced loads for him but in the end it was more about being willing to accept how recoil felt than the amount of recoil. He was a pretty small kid when he started and even the 6.5 pushed him around a bunch. We spent 100X more time using the scoped 22 after he learned on iron sights. The 6.5CM is still a secondary practice rifle to his 22. I don't see any reason to start a kid (and a small one at that) on something big enough for an elk. Better to get another rifle when that day comes. The Savage 110 Hunter is a great rifle because of the fully modular/adjustable stock. We've re-configured that stock 3 times now since he started shooting a center fire rifle. It's been great for him to be in the proper position regardless of his face and shoulder size.

 

[SDChungus]

A solid 243 with good shot placement will drop any deer or elk out to 300 yards reliably. I think people underestimate the damage a 100 grain soft point can do. Pretty sure a lot of people even take moose with a 243 at closer distances. You might also consider a 257 weatherby or 25-06. Nothing wrong with a good 25-06. I think every safe has room for at least one 243.

 

[Legend]

Buy a 1:8 twist 22-250. This is a great deer rifle and worked very well for 3 of my kids that went through the MT apprentice hunting. My boy was 50lbs when he started hunting so recoil was also a big concern for me.

 

[seand]

I think folks way underestimate the effect recoil has on shooting skill for kids (and adults).

My 75# 12yo daughter shoots a 223 and a 6arc really well, better than most adult hunters. I really think it’s because they very little recoil and she hasn’t developed bad habits or flinching,etc.

won’t let her shoot a 243 or larger yet. Taking into consideration body weight, starting a small kid out on a 243 is like starting a new adult out on a 338 win mag.

 

[philson208]

My 9-year-old daughter was gifted a 243. and my 8-year-old a 308. by grandpaw before he passed. recoil is a concern for me as I want both kids to enjoy it and be comfortable shooting first. I have started both on 22lr and recently put them on the 223 just to get them comfortable with shooting and will build up recoil levels as they grow. I developed a heck of a flinch shooting my first savage 270 @ 10 years old and want to try a different approach with my kids.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Collapsible stock on a modern sporting rifle for fit. 5.56 and add-on weights to keep recoil manageable (or skip them to make it easier to carry. "Kid's growing" and "deer rifle won't work on elk" are good excuses to add to the inventory. By the time my first kid was 14 and ready to hunt elk, the 7-08 recoil was super easy to handle.

 

[gbflyer]

I went through this. Built a really nice custom little short bolt action on a Edge filled Gamescout with a spacer system. 7-08, detachable brake or can. Figured he’d grow with it. 120gr loads, very little recoil. Set and forget 4X Leupold. I was so proud. He sidecast it for a carbine length model 92 lever action in 357 magnum in the back of the safe. Now at 15 it’s a carbine length AR in .223 that gets hauled around. We can use .223 for deer here.

Moral of the story is: let the youngster have a say in choosing. It’ll work out better.

 

[JBradley500]

She will enjoy shooting 223 more. That's all that should matter.

 

[bnsafe]

i bought my kids a 3006, BUT, i only let them shoot the reduced recoil loads and only let them practice with a 22 lr. I did it so they could eventually hunt anything they ever wanted with the 3006 and the reduced recoil loads fromremington advertised that load with less recoil than a 243, which I believe was accurate.
If I was doing it again though, I would get the 308 and I saw some reduced recoil loads on line the other day from someone.

 

[Formidilosus]

Taking into consideration body weight, starting a small kid out on a 243 is like starting a new adult out on a 338 win mag.

100% correct. People need to understand that when taking into account body mass, upper body strength, neck strength, and small skulls with small brains- a “hardly recoils” to an adult male is the equivalent of a full house 300 mag load to a child/small stature.

I have started many people off including kids and woman with magnums and teaching than not to flinch, as that is how I was taught- and now that understand what that recoil is doing to their bodies and brains; I would crush someone that put my 100lb kid behind a 7mm-08.

 

[Otter86]

Start out .22 then .223 then larger when they are comfortable