Kids rifle manifesto

[Flatland]

Hi M1 and Flatland

Here's a summary of parts/considerations/responses:

• Have done the 700 clone way (Krieger 7 twist, long throat, spendy) and the Tikka way (8 twist, factory chamber length) - both are excellent, Tikka costs a lot less
• Tikka started as a Compact for $659, then able to net $140 after selling the stock
• Cut the barrel from 20 to 17 inches, thread 5/8x24 w/shoulder (ADCO in Ohio)
• Chassis is LSS Gen 3 w/interface for carbine tube
• Adds are thumb shelf, MDT M-lok poly bipod (great for this set up!), MDT grip
• Cerakote air cure paint on metal
• Buttstock is Magpul CTR because it locks secure (no wiggle or rattle) and can add comb risers
• 11" LOP is very short - in my head might say that if a kid is less than 11" LOP, then too young/little to be shooting a centerfire
• Sportsmatch medium rings
• 6X super sniper is best of eye box/reticle/FOV + any brain adapts very easily, eliminates zoom in/out variable
• No bedding needed so chassis and barreled action are all interchangeable
• Total weight of set up is #8 - kids will shoot #8 better and more confident/less fear aversion than #6 while able to carry

Note that this all just something I arrived at after years of shooting with my kids/friends' kids. Going the Tikka factory route is a bit smarter. Only thing I'd change would be in favor of Tikka stainless barrel (if were offered).

Hope this helps!

Very helpful, thank you

 

[SloppyJ]

I had the same issue when I swapped to a LSS Gen2 chassis for my son. I went with the fixed XLR TR-2 and I'm glad I did. Found that we needed quite a bit of height on the cheek to get him lined up. I chopped it down to get it a bit shorter. There would be other designs that would work better here because the bolt throw limits how close you can get the buttstock.

The rings were also a challenge. I had to bond a pic rail on his tikka and go with high Warne Mountain Tech rings to get it to line up. It seemed more like mounting a scope on an AR at that point.

The last challenge was the grip. I ordered 3. An Ergo, some PRS type grip, and then a BCM Mod 0. We stuck with the BCM for his hand size as it was the thinnest.

From what I've expereinced, a chassis is BY FAR the easiest way to get a kid setup on a rifle under 10yo. I still have the Tikka compact stock but this 223 will live in this chassis for a while until his brother outgrows it.

 

[Gribley]

Anyone have a favorite source for 6x45 load data with modern bullets?

Hodgdon has a little but it seems dated.

 

[eric1115]

Anyone have a favorite source for 6x45 load data with modern bullets?

Hodgdon has a little but it seems dated.

Bunch of good info here...

M

Thread '6x45'

Feb 13, 2024

For some reason this cartridge has intrigued me lately. Those of you that have one or played with one could you post up your thoughts and experience with it? I'm most interested in performance with bullets on the heavier end (87-108gr). Actions,mags, barrels and barrel length, velocities attainable, usable powders and reloading data, etc. Any info would be appreciated. Oh... and bolt gun info would be preferred, I'm located in Canada so we aren't allowed those scary black rifles lol. Thanks!

• Moose83
• Replies: 252
• Forum: Firearms

 

[Cherokeeguide]

At least in the west, it’s rare that you have a kid off hunting by themselves.

It didn't seem all that rare when I was an 11 year old kid hunting the wide open spaces of the wide open west with a Marlin 336 in .30-30.

Before my dad signed me up for the Hunter's Safety Class, I had to prove I was ready to take it, and not just to my dad, but every adult in our camps. My dad would say, "Time to head back to camp. Lead me back to my Bronco" and that was a test, or sorts, to prove that I knew where I was in relation to where I wanted to be, and knew how to get where I wanted to be. Uncle Bob would whip out the USGS 7.5 minute Butler Peak, CA quadrangle and say, "Show me where we are" and "Show me how we got here" and "Show me where my Jeep is" and show me where our property is." I also had to learn to drive flat-fender Jeeps and early Broncos on trails. Another part was chipping in with all of the chores involved in living in the bush without being asked to do them.

I had been a tag-along observer since I was 5. When I was 10, my dad, uncles, and family friends who shared camp with us all agreed that I could find my way around without getting lost and I could factually do exactly that by the time I got my license.

It was same deal for my cousins. When we were 11 and 12, we'd hop on Honda Trail 70's with guns and be gone until supper-time. We'd hit favored bunny-busting spots, miles apart from each other. We'd go back to our property and clean and skin the rabbits, grab fishing rods, and head off to a creek or a pond and fish. After a while of doing that, we'd go back to our property and exchange tackle for guns and get after the bunnies again.

Nobody worried about us getting lost or doing something stupid because there was no reason to.

My saga isn't much different than that of plenty of others of my age who grew up hunting and fishing in the western states.