What caliber for your 9 year old daughter?

[TNHunter]

My Warrior-Princess is ready to hunt deer and I’m looking for real-life experiences from other dads, granddads, uncles, brothers and friends... she is 9 years old and has told dad that she is ready... so what caliber has suited your warrior-princess daughter the best? I’ve got several rifles, including a Remington in 7mm-08 and a .260.... but not a .243... I’m open to buying another rifle, especially since this will be her first hunt... thanks in advance from a dad that is carrying on that hunting tradition


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[Cahunter805]

Fast twist 223 or a 243. Find a youth model that fits her well.

 

[Silvereagle50]

A lot of guys around where I live now use a 223 or 22-250. Although I think they are too light for deer.

I’m sure the 243 has shot a lot of firsts and would be a good choice.

Of the choices you already have:
1. Are any of them in a small frame? I think it would be very important that the gun fits her as well as possible.
2. Do any of them have a brake on it.

I think the 260 or the 7-08 (my fav) might be good choices with the light recoil rounds offered out there.

Have you had her out shooting before. 22s and the like?


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[Formidilosus]

My Warrior-Princess is ready to hunt deer and I’m looking for real-life experiences from other dads, granddads, uncles, brothers and friends... she is 9 years old and has told dad that she is ready... so what caliber has suited your warrior-princess daughter the best? I’ve got several rifles, including a Remington in 7mm-08 and a .260.... but not a .243... I’m open to buying another rifle, especially since this will be her first hunt... thanks in advance from a dad that is carrying on that hunting tradition


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What does your daughter weigh? Height?

 

[JG358]

I'd go with 223 if legal where your hunting. If not, 260, 7-08 is hard to beat if she comfortable with them. Brake or supress if needed to get recoil to where shes comfortable. Get a youth stock or cut a stock down to fit her.

 

[jmez]

.223. AR platform works well, adjustable stock, light and no recoil. It is plenty big for deer. My son and niece both used one last year at 9 for first deer.

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[rgroves79]

My son shot his first deer at 9 last year with a 7.62x39 Howa youth rifle. Accurate, light recoil, and good fit. If you already have those calibers and one of them fits her well then get some light but effective loads and hit the range with her.

 

[mt100gr.]

I have a petite 9 year old that is hearing some fresh hunting stories from the 10 year olds in her class this week. She says she is all-in next year. This winter we'll be doing some shopping for a .223 or a 6.5 grendel. I'm already leaning toward .223 as I have been looking to pick up a decent bolt gun in that cartridge. It will have to be in a very adjustable chassis I think.

 

[TNHunter]

What does your daughter weigh? Height?

She is 70 pounds and 4’3” and has practiced with a .22, both pistol and rifle. Our Remington 700 is an older Mountain model and seems to fit her pretty good... and she is a lefty (mama’s side of the family), so only right handed rifles so far but that is about to change. The .260 is a Remington Model 7, which is her brother’s first rifle... packs a little punch tho...

”.

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[TNHunter]

A lot of guys around where I live now use a 223 or 22-250. Although I think they are too light for deer.

I’m sure the 243 has shot a lot of firsts and would be a good choice.

Of the choices you already have:
1. Are any of them in a small frame? I think it would be very important that the gun fits her as well as possible.
2. Do any of them have a brake on it.

I think the 260 or the 7-08 (my fav) might be good choices with the light recoil rounds offered out there.

Have you had her out shooting before. 22s and the like?


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The Remington 700 is an older Mountain model and seems to fit her pretty good.. her brother’s first rifle is a Remington model 7... in .260... fits her better than the other... but it has a good little punch to it. No brake on either

it...

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[Backpack Hunter]

My first started with a 243, all of the rest with a 223. I wish I would have started the first on the 223.

 

[16Bore]

Savage Muddy Girl 243. Santa brought it. She was quite pleased when she found out it’s the same brand that Rinella used.

First time she had it out to shoot she kept laughing “Daddy, the bullets just keep going in the same spot!!”

 

[Formidilosus]

The .260 is a Remington Model 7, which is her brother’s first rifle... packs a little punch tho... Tapatalk

Yes it do.



As an example and for comparisons because its like a broken record:

Guys love saying “no recoil”, “light recoil”, etc. For some reason they do not take into account the massive size, strength, and muscular differences between them and children (women too). If we compare common rounds that will be suggested for your daughter, and then adjust to what it would feel like to an average male (200lb, 5’8”) it becomes rather illuminating.

F-lbs recoil all in a 7 lb rifle (btw- that 7 pound “lightweight” rifle to your daughter is approximately a 35-40 pound rifle to you).

A 243 with Barnes 85gr to your daughter is about like a 300 Win mag with 200gr bullets to you.

A 260 with 130gr to your daughter, is approximately a 338 Win Mag with 250 grainers to you.

A 308 with 150’s to your daughter is a 458 win mag with 400 grain bullets to you.



Now, that is not exactly correct as a larger percentage of your daughters total weight is made up of organs, versus muscle mass and bone density. So in reality, it’s worse than the above.

Now how about a 223 with 77gr bullets? That’s like a 6.5 Creedmoor/260 to you.





There’s zero chance I’d be doing anything other than a fast twist 223 with good bullets. And there are .224 bullets that will kill, and do way more damage to deer than you will want.

 

[16Bore]

I wish you’d knock some sense in the Va Dept of Game....

 

[black dawg]

my daughter is 5' and just under 80 lbs. A 6.5 lb 243 is absolutely too much recoil for her.
just weighed it, it is 6 lbs 14.5 ounces with loaded mag and stock pack for comb riser

 

[Formidilosus]

I wish you’d knock some sense in the Va Dept of Game....

Fortunately few states are still being ignorant. If in a state with 24 cal minimum, 6.5 Grendel if you don’t reload, 6mm Grendel if you do.

 

[zeroforhire]

6.5 Grendel Howa mini action. The $350 that comes with a youth stock and adult stock at Whittaker guns is sure hard to beat.

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[BAKPAKR]

My 75 pound 9 year old daughter has taken deer with a fast twist 223 and with a 6.8mm SPC. Both cartridges have minimal recoil and she shoots them both well. If legal in your state, I think the 223 would be a great choice.

Although we have had great luck with Barnes 62 gr TTSXs in the 223, I am hoping that we will have the opportunity to try out 77 gr TMKs this weekend. I have heard from a pretty reliable source that they flat out work.

Edit: The 77 gr TMK worked great on a whitetail doe at 237 yards.

 

[realunlucky]

My daughter used a 223 with Winchester 68gr bullet(only locally sourced hunting bullet I could find) on her doe this year. At 200 yards it entered broadside and excited the far side breaking the leg bone. I was honestly surprised and impressed on the performance.

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[MattB]

Just went through this with my 11 yo who is recoil-sensitive (left eye dominant as well). I bought her a Tikka .243, put it in a XLR chassis to the get the LOP right (I think the pistol grip helps with recoil too), and hand loaded 55 gr. bullets over a 60% load of H4895 for practice. The book has this load at 2,750 fps, so ~450 fps slower than .223. She really enjoys shooting it - even more than her .22 LR. I'll slowly up the charge from session to session to get this at least up to .223 velocities.

For hunting I will either load some 80 gr. TTSX's (if I can find them in stock) at ~3,000 fps or have her shoot factory ammo when hunting. The dads I have talked to who have used the latter strategy have told me that although the kids definitely feel the recoil on the bench they have not noticed it in the field .