What caliber would you start a hunter with?

[Torque]

7mm-08 without a doubt. Super easy to find ammo, very gentle recoil and IMHO better than the 6.5CM. Saying that, the 6.5 CM would also be a good choice.

 

[inkedspot]

My daughters never shot anything larger than a .243 win, and it was always enough. 6mm Creedmoor is a modernized equivalent. Some 6.5 non-magnum variant is what I would call the largest option for a youth. Maybe a 25 caliber as a middle option. Any of them are enough for most anything they will encounter.

 

[Thess87]

Whichever you decide if you’re worried about the recoil I’d put a brake on it the will help significantly.

 

[SDHNTR]

You asked caliber: I’d stick with 6 or 6.5 mil. There are several good cartridges, like the creedmores, within those caliber families.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I think you’re jumping too far ahead with the new hunters.

Get them a 22 and a thousand rounds of ammunition.

Get them shooting. When the 22 ammo is gone, then have the big caliber discussion.

Agreed. My first weapon was a 20 ga single shot Harrington and Richardson. I would walk out the back door and traipse around on the back 100 all day with a pocket full of shells, maybe coming back for a lunch or snack. Was great for dove, squirrel, rabbit, turkey and deer.

Then came the 22 LR (Marlin semi auto).

I didn’t get a center fire rifle until I was 13

I realize things are different now with suppressors and keeping up with the Jones, but starting out with just a single shot shotgun forced me to get close, and I think enabled me to become a better woodsman and stalker.

 

[MallardSX2]

7mm-08 or .308

 

[OkiechasingElk]

6.5CM I have a youth model and my kids love to shoot it. Then when they all grow up, my daughter should be able to still use it as her full time rifle.

Speaking Whitetail woods. I'd take a different approach at Elk most likely a .308.

 

[Ditt44]

.22 as much as possible, as noted earlier. I'm a 7-08 fan and reduced loads to 500 yard elk gun.

Also, user height/weight/length of pull etc. to fit that rifle to them which will encourage them and improve shooting ability.

 

[Spence1875]

6.5 cm and be done. That is what I did with my two daughters. It is fine for anything in NA save big bears with the right bullet.

308 would be next. Also both pass the Walmart test for always having ammo.

Not so with a lot other calibers mentioned.

Spence.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

.25-06 is another fine cartridge not mentioned so far, and it still passes the Walmart ammo test in Iowa at least. Very mild recoil and pulls easy double duty as a varmint rifle and big game killer.

Having owned a .308, and had my daughter practice with .22s for years before stepping up to centerfire, between the options the OP mentioned I'd go with the 6.5CM. The Creed has significantly less recoil and is essentially a ballistic match if not slightly better. Ammo availability for the Creed is at least as good as the .308 in 2024 as well.

 

[Gstew1930]

Y'all are nicer than my dad. My first centerfire was a 30-06 shooting 180 grtain corelokts. Its a great way to teach a kid to flinch & slap the shit out of the trigger . To be fair to him it was the only rifle he owned lol.

 

[Spence1875]

I started with a metal buttplate Springfield 03 sporter as well in 30-06. I still feel it in my shoulder. lol

 

[PredatorSlayer]

6.8 Western.

It's got the reach of the 6.5's and the power of the 30cals.

WTF??

 

[Bugger]

WTF??

Some people are way too susceptible to advertising!

 

[TxLite]

308 isn’t a huge cartridge but probably too much for kids.

I’d look more in line with 243/6 creedmoor.

 

[wesfromky]

I think a number of you all need to understand survivors bias a bit better. And then go check out the 223/6mm/25cal/6.5 threads so you can understand what is actually needed to kill things.

 

[KenLee]

Friend of mine was known locally as a "gunsmith" and people often came to him for advice.
He got a call from a gentleman who needed help getting his son ready for his first trip to Colorado. He had bought the kid a rifle and the kid just could NOT hit anything with it!
Mitch met the pair at a local shooting range.
Dad told the kid (12 years old, maybe 110 pounds) to shoot one round to show Mitch.
When the kid pulled the trigger, a choking cloud of Texas dust erupted in front of the bench due to muzzle blast, the kid's cap flew off and recoil nearly flipped him off the bench!
Mitch asked dad what the rifle was.
It was a .300 Wby Mag!
Mitch told dad, "The first thing you need to do is get the kid a rifle he can shoot!"

Dad bought the kid a .243 Win. The pair had a fine trip and Jr. killed a mulie bigger than Dad's!

There are WAY too many fine, low recoil cartridges out there to start a kid on heavy recoil.
In fact, if I started a kid that I would be hunting beside, a .30-30 Win is a fine starter cartridge.....and within it's capabilities, it will take anything on the North American continent!

.257 Rbts
7×57 Mauser
.243 Win

What about AR calibers?

Lordy, he done drug out ole Bob !!!

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I think a number of you all need to understand survivors bias a bit better. And then go check out the 223/6mm/6.5 threads so you can understand what is actually needed to kill things.

Don't forget this one.

https://rokslide.com/forums/threads...-25-creed-25-284-25-06-25-prc-25-saum.288587/

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

CO requires 243/6mm for big game. I started mine with a braked (later suppressed) 243win which is silly easy to shoot (yes 223 is easier, but not legal here). Its killed multiple pronghorn/deer just fine so far.

 

[mtnbound]

6mm CM


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