Daughters .243 Help

[TripleJ]

All 3 of my boys were small for their age, and all 3 killed their 1st several deer with a .243 Remington youth model 700. For each one of them, the 1st time they ever shot the gun was when they killed their 1st deer. They don't feel the recoil at all when the deer is front of them and the adrenaline is flowing. I let them handle it, work the bolt, work the safety, and dry fire it. They did all their shooting practice with a .22 however. That's how my dad did it for me too. I've always had excellent luck with 100 grain Nosler partitions, but the 90 grain Accubond is an awesome option, as well as the Barnes.

 

[tt_johnsclist]

Going through this with my kids now. Like the others said, lots of 22 shooting. I love the Hornady managed recoil or light loads, whatever they call them. I liked them so much in a 20 gauge slug guns that I shoot them now too. I’d skip the muzzle brake, my kids are as sensitive to the noise as they are the recoil.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[2five7]

Lots of good advice from everyone. I started my daughter on a bolt .223, so she could get used to firing a rifle that made a real "bang". She killed her first Buck with that gun, then moved up to a .243 the following 2 years, and last year to a 6..5 Creed. The noise has more to do with them flinching than the actual kick of these small calibers.

Hornady makes some excellent light recoil .243 loads with the 95 grain SST. Deer killing machine that bullet is.

 

[XLR]

Hey Roksliders-
I’ve got a .243 that I’m going to start working on/modifying for my daughter who is a very small 10 year old. A couple of quick questions for everybody. I’m planning on putting on a limb saver butt stock. But I’m wondering if I put a muzzle brake on it too, would it be overkill (we ALWAYS shoot with hearing protection)? Also, does anybody have any ammunition suggestions? It will be mainly used for deer (muleys and Whitetail) and predators. I was thinking the Nosler trophy grade accubond 90 grain (I don’t handload) Any thoughts? Maybe once in a blue moon an elk, if the stars aligned just right. Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Have you considered a chassis system? The ability to adjust, and adapt the chassis over time doesn't back you into a corner 1, 2 or 5 years from now when the little one grows up and so does their length of pull.

Check out what Rokstaff member Luke Moffat has to say about chassis systems, specifically for hunting and setting them up for kiddos (and yourself)

https://www.rokslide.com/xlr-chassis-review/

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!

 

[Ranch Fairy]

Very cool get it set up and take her shooting as much as you can. My daughter shot her first deer at 10 with the same rifle I shot my first 30 years before. I did put a youth stock on it and she used the Hornady custom lite 243 load with the 87 grain sst. Little over 100yds 1 shot and deer went 30yds or so.

I think starting her with the low recoil loads is important and then move up when she is ready. She now shoots a 6.5 Grendel and has taken 2 more deer. Probably be getting her a 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm-08 this year.

Forgot to add I had a 3-9 on the 243 and left it on 6x for her as it seemed to work best for her. So I put a fixed 6 on her 6.5 and will be doing the same on whatever she gets next. I like to keep it simple and it seems to work great so far.

Now are you SURE YOU'RE buying HER guns....I like your approach and we won't tell.
Somehow I have 3 matching AR's recently...3 kids...go figure!

RF OUT