Cartridge selection for daughter

[Fartrell Cluggins]

6 Creed or 243.

 

[aorams]

Thank you all for your replies! I’m hoping I’ll have to buy her one of the options mentioned here some day. Hoping she actually wants to go with me. I’ve cleared the first hurdle which is that mom is in support!

 

[260madman]

260 of course. But starting over today and the bullets available, I’d do 6 ARC for a kid. Mine uses 223 for deer

 

[Tobey]

You have time, so do yourselves a favor, become suppressor people. The reduction in noise and recoil is huge for new shooters. I started my daughter on a suppressed 6.5 when she was 11 and she had a ball with it. She thinks the unsuppressed 243 her gramma gave her kicks in comparison, I think a lot of that is her reacting to muzzle blast. I'd also recommend a heavier rifle like the tikka ctr for training and fun practice, the weight really soaks up recoil, and she can hunt with it if your'e not going to be too far from the truck. You should buy her a bunch of guns. Most of them should be tikkas. A ctr in 6.5 and a t3x compact in 7-08 suppressed would be a handy hunting battery for a kid to start with. They're also the kinds of things smart old guys use so you can fully function test them before you pass them down.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

My daughter killed her first bull with a 6.5 PRC at age 12.
For my kids, I wanted them to have their first rifle, be their last!

6.5 PRC can handle everything elk and down. My son will get one or 6.5-284 Norma.

With that said, if 7mm is more your speed, I just built my wife a 280 Ackley Improved as she wants to focus more on elk. It is a soft shooter as well!

 

[MattB]

.243, and the beauty is you can load it down to .223 levels with 4895 and kill 2 birds with 1 stone. For my very recoil-sensitive daughter, I loaded up an 80 gr. hammer at ~2,750 fps (approximated .223 recoil) and she killed a 160# boar with it. If memory that bullet can be pushed to 3,300 fps+ in that cartridge.

 

[MeatMissile]

I have a pair of 700s, one in 223 and one in 7mm-08. I’ll buy a youth stock and train with the 223. Then, I’ll use the same load that my friend and I developed for his som using 120gr Ballistic Tips.

Edit: While typing this, my 4 year old really pissed me off. Changed my mind. An unbraked lightweight 338 win mag with the scope mounted as far to the rear as possible. Steel butt plate.

 

[wildwilderness]

I second the suppressor.

Will go a long way to long term shooting and hunting success.

 

[ceejay]

Either a 243, 7-08, 308, 260 or 6.5cm would be a great choice. I have a 6.5cm for myself so I chose a compact 6.5cm for my kids just because it's easier keeping one less ammo variety. I also took the plunge on getting the barrel cut and threaded and getting a suppressor.

 

[Brad Metcalf]

My daughters 1st rifle was a Model 7 in 7mm-08 now she 30 and uses a Model 7 in 308

 

[Gen273]

7mm-08

 

[Ryan Avery]

I've watched a lot of elk and bears die from a 108 ELD-M over the last four years. I would get a .243 or a 6CM. Suppressed if you can.

 

[Seeknelk]

Anything on a 308 sized case, .224 - 7mm would be where I'd look.
Just as long as it's suppressed.

 

[handwerk]

we started ours out with 243./80 TTSX for both whitetail/mulies.

 

[Jim1187]

A quality .223 would not be a bad option to have. If you reload and really want it big game legal where you are the 6x45mm uses .223 brass which is not going anywhere. I know, it is not as trendy as the 6 ARC or Grendel or factory chambered, but .384 diameter bolt faces abound, dies are/were easy to locate and brass can be found almost anywhere(in normal times).
If it is a short action standard size cartridge you'd prefer I can't see any reason not to strongly consider the 6.5 Creedmoor. Suppressors are a great option too that I wish we had in Canada.

 

[MallardSX2]

.308 or 7mm-08 would get my vote.

 

[diggler]

another for 7mm-08

 

[Campaignhat]

I’m up at 3 am rocking my brand new baby to sleep, picturing (hoping) that some day we’ll be backpack hunting in the backcountry together and it got me wondering what chambering her first big game rifle will be in! She’ll be on the smaller than average size (probably). Mom and dad aren’t very big…. So I’m thinking .243, .260 or 7mm 08…. What’s the sweet spot in those chamberings do you think? I have 10-12 years to decide so no hurry to reply

My first deer rifle was a 257 Roberts. I still have it and still love it!