Custom long range builds kid friendly

Jd259

WKR
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
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487
6.5saum gets my vote I just built one on a defiance medium action (rem 700 short action) with a 24” bartlein with a brake. It’ll kill anything you shoot with it and doesn’t kick at all I love it so far.
 

30338

WKR
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Jun 2, 2013
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1,994
I'll let others discuss cartridges and such, though I'd vote heavily for anything that can move a 140 VLD 6.5 cal bullet at around 2750-2850.

The first thing I would do, if doing it over, would be to setup a gun trust and immediately put 2 of the Thunderbeast UL7 30 cal cans in it. It is so much more fun to shoot with a suppressor and it will protect your families hearing while also reducing recoil. And they still take 10-12 months to get. Get those going asap.
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
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I wanted to test the SS wildcats last year. I had a 7ss built on a tikka and put it in a Boyd’s at one. It’s easy to adjust so my boy can easily shoot it or I can. My wife has used it also the last 2 years. Now the downside is it’s pretty heavy. Same with most chassis. I remember whining as a kid about the rifle weight. I plan to get one of the Christensen MPR’s. A lightweight chassis rifle that should work well for a kid.

Lots of options now days.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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I am braking a 243 and 7-08 for the kids to use off the bat (learning and also some hunting but its a couple years still for the latter), both tikka T3. I anticipate they'll shoot out the barrel on that 243 in the initial years as I'll feed that one with ammo more and at that point if they're serious about hunting we'll chat rebarrel and stock options. Being standard bolt faces a 6.5x284 or 284 certainly have some appeal in my mind as solid powder capacity while still leaving room in the magazine to use longer bullets. The standard bolt face limits me from chasing some magnum offerings with those platforms but if we're being honest the calibers mentioned above will kill critters effectively quite a ways out there and have a bit less recoil (if the brakes come off), if they get into the really long range game and want more horsepower we'll talk at that time if/when it happens. Chances are dad might have other rifles in the arsenal by that time... :)
 
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Travis Bertrand

Travis Bertrand

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I am braking a 243 and 7-08 for the kids to use off the bat (learning and also some hunting but its a couple years still for the latter), both tikka T3. I anticipate they'll shoot out the barrel on that 243 in the initial years as I'll feed that one with ammo more and at that point if they're serious about hunting we'll chat rebarrel and stock options. Being standard bolt faces a 6.5x284 or 284 certainly have some appeal in my mind as solid powder capacity while still leaving room in the magazine to use longer bullets. The standard bolt face limits me from chasing some magnum offerings with those platforms but if we're being honest the calibers mentioned above will kill critters effectively quite a ways out there and have a bit less recoil (if the brakes come off), if they get into the really long range game and want more horsepower we'll talk at that time if/when it happens. Chances are dad might have other rifles in the arsenal by that time... :)

My 9 year old daughter shoots my 6.5-284 now no problem. I feel that is more than capable of handling anything they want to pursue.

For me, it’s not what I have now, or then in the Arsenal. It’s about what I can put in their arsenal for when I’m not around.
 
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I like my prc so far, but it’s also 10 pounds so not a lightweight lol. No muzzle device and recoil is still no issue


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Travis Bertrand

Travis Bertrand

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I wanted to test the SS wildcats last year. I had a 7ss built on a tikka and put it in a Boyd’s at one. It’s easy to adjust so my boy can easily shoot it or I can. My wife has used it also the last 2 years. Now the downside is it’s pretty heavy. Same with most chassis. I remember whining as a kid about the rifle weight. I plan to get one of the Christensen MPR’s. A lightweight chassis rifle that should work well for a kid.

Lots of options now days.

Chassis on mpr looks nice.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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My 9 year old daughter shoots my 6.5-284 now no problem. I feel that is more than capable of handling anything they want to pursue.

For me, it’s not what I have now, or then in the Arsenal. It’s about what I can put in their arsenal for when I’m not around.

Right, I'm just saying in my case potentially 3 shooters (5, 7, 8) learning to shoot can put a lot of rounds through that 243 and roast the barrel on that one over the next few years, at that point its a good donor action to put a quality build in the(their) arsenal. I'll have a better feel in a few years if any are seriously interested in hunting to figure out who needs to get set up nicely (and they'll likely have some chores involved in the equation or it'll be a major gift one year). You're just a few years ahead in the plan. ;)

For what its worth I really like my 280AI but forming brass can be a tad annoying at times if inopportune and also the actions I'll have coming available don't compliment the COAL issue well. But a 6.5x284 or straight 284 would do quite nicely, but still mainly a reloader selection. You said it doesn't matter on ammo but whenever you aren't around if they don't reload it would be nice if they could easily feed a gun so in that case if you have a magnum bolt face available that 6.5PRC would be slick presuming it doesn't fade away (I don't suspect it will).
 
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Travis Bertrand

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Haha. I’m not rich, that’s why I have to plan so far ahead. A little here, little there until they are done. Thanks for advice.
 

RumLover

FNG
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Sep 26, 2017
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SA, TX
When I started reading this thread, that is exactly what came to mind. I started mine out with an AR platform in 300 blackout, then switched the upper to a 6.5 Grendel. They were deadly on whitetails out to 400y for a few years until their arms were long enough to start shooting my precision rifles. Another option would be the Ruger Precision Rifle since it has the adjustable LOP. Mine in 6.5 Creedmore is a laser with 143 ELD-X's. Even in the short action platform, the RPR may be too heavy for kids. I got around that with a really right stuff tripod. You could also switch the barrel for a carbon fiber to save a few pounds.

I'm in the process of building one for my girls, I'm building a 6.5 prc on a manners mcs-cs. The lop will go all the way down to 10.5". Proof barrel, triggertech, yada yada yada. My plan is next year to put a can on it for them.
ea74f1bfdd7cabe27b708f79e61e56c3.jpg


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HUNTER100

Lil-Rokslider
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Dec 28, 2018
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171
Good information here. I can certainly relate as my kids are 6 and 3 and newborn, so Ive been building a similar rifle in my head the last few months. My plans are for either a 6.5 Creedmore or 6.5x47. I think both are accurate, medium size game killers that are light recoiling.
 

cjl2010

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Joined
Jun 12, 2015
Messages
201
2CDFDE9D-61CD-4A5D-9791-EA975D311B46.jpgView attachment 83823

Just got mine put together for my “kids”. Should be fun

Kelbly atlas tactical
20” proof 8 twist sendero
Manners mcs-cs elite shell
Ultra light adjustable cheek piece
Hawkins dbm
Trigger tech primary
Piercsion 3 port brake
Empty accurate 308 mag
Kahles 624 seekins rings MK level
10.8 lbs
 
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