Youth Elk Rifle

[rvanbw00]

I have two boys (11 and 9) that I'm looking to get their first multispecies rifle. They have been shooting an AR i built in 350 legend, and I want to get something they can continue to grow into and use for years to come with elk calibers being built into this equation. I'm leaning toward the Ruger American Gen II in 6.5 Creedmoor (insert hate here). My intent is to put a pipe on it early next year, which will reduce recoil/sound and has since had me considering slightly higher calibers (7mm-08, 308, etc).

Im here for help a caliber selection and any other input that those wiser than me have to offer, hopefully from those who have been in my shoes. It may be worth noting that both boys are good shots and dont have much issue with flinching or wincing currently. We started very slow to avoid bad habits.

Any feedback is appreciated!

 

[Hnthrdr]

Sounds like you are on the right track, ps there will be 0 and I mean 0 hate here for 6.5 Cm, I think a lot of guys would actually steer you towards .243 or 6cm or even 6arc. Just pick an appropriate bullet and keep it above the recommended expansion velocity and you will be fine

 

[Neumie]

My son likes his Ruger Am gen 1 compact in 7mm-08. It’s taken 1 whitetail and 1 elk, both 1
shot with Barnes TTSX in 120 gr. He’s 6’ tall now so we’ll likely move it along at some point. It is a handy rifle to carry!

 

[Buglebrush]

My kids absolutely love shooting my Seekins Element in 6.5 PRC. Starting at ten years old, they all kill elk and deer with it. Why not step up to the PRC? Recoil is almost non-existent with a muzzle brake or can.

 

[wesfromky]

I have two boys (11 and 9) that I'm looking to get their first multispecies rifle. They have been shooting an AR i built in 350 legend, and I want to get something they can continue to grow into and use for years to come with elk calibers being built into this equation. I'm leaning toward the Ruger American Gen II in 6.5 Creedmoor (insert hate here). My intent is to put a pipe on it early next year, which will reduce recoil/sound and has since had me considering slightly higher calibers (7mm-08, 308, etc).

Im here for help a caliber selection and any other input that those wiser than me have to offer, hopefully from those who have been in my shoes. It may be worth noting that both boys are good shots and dont have much issue with flinching or wincing currently. We started very slow to avoid bad habits.

Any feedback is appreciated!

E

Thread 'Kids rifle manifesto'

Feb 24, 2024

I've chimed in on so many different "what rifle for my age XX kid?" threads that I thought I'd try to consolidate my thoughts here.

My oldest son is 14 now, started shooting centerfire rifles at 9. My younger kids started shooting centerfire rifles at between 5-7 yrs old. 5 kids shooting now, and a bunch of their friends that I have been involved or around as they learn to shoot. probably 20-ish kids? Here's what I've learned in the last 5-6 years.

Recoil matters, a lot. "Handles it pretty well" is way way different from "ideal for building skills as a rifleman." My oldest loves to...

• eric1115
• Replies: 237
• Forum: Firearms

• 
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[claydan]

My son started with a 7mm-08 at 10 years old and I wish I never purchased it. He soon moved to a 6.5 creedmoor and its recoil is very light. If you’re worried about recoil get a limb saver buttstock and look at a good muzzle break or even a suppressor with a muzzle break.

That said my daughter turns 10 next year and I’m going to have her try the 7mm-08. If that goes well use the 6.5 creedmoor. My daughter is very little.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[butcherboy]

If they are confident shooters, which I think they are from some of your statements, I would go with a 7mm-08 or 308. My kids use a 270 and 270wsm. 14 yr old uses the wsm and 11 yr old uses the 270. 8 yr old is sticking with .22 rifles for now. Both 270’s have breaks on them. Started them both with .22’s then on to 25-06 and then 270. Not a lot of difference between a 6.5 and a 270. I also stick with calibers that I can walk into any sporting goods store and buy ammo off the shelf if I need to.

 

[Yoteassasin]

I’ll be a bit of a contrarian on this … my vote is an old 8mm Mauser hand load and make her purrr when the kids are small and load it full boat once they get big enough .

 

[wind gypsy]

If I had to have a 1 cartridge for everything antelope-deer-elk, it'd probably be a 25 Creedmoor. 6.5 is more than adequate. Lots of people here using 22 and 6mm for elk. I'd be plenty comfortable hunting with a 6mm for elk but not sure i'd choose it.

For kids under 12 i'd definitely lean more towards 6mms than 6.5s.

Hard pass on muzzle brakes and big push towards suppressors for kids.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Almost did a 25cm but opted for a 6 arc in my latest rebarreling only because savage makes bolt heads you can swap for 40 bucks, I want 25 to gain some more traction but I could definitely see rebarreling one of my tikka’s to 25cm in the future yet, its nice having to only buy 6.5 cm & 6cm… yet here I am getting an arc put together haha

 

[rvanbw00]

Thanks all, I appreciate the feedback!

 

[S-3 ranch]

.308win , 130gr ttsx , then they can grow into some heavier stuff ( 150-180gr )
Not a lover or hater of the 6.5cm but I like to stay under 130gr and -300yards with my 6.5cm , easy gun to use with a nice no dial scope

 

[Goose10]

You are asking about an elk rifle and to me that rules out the 6’s and 6.5s. My daughter started at 12 when she didn’t weigh 90 lbs. Good fundamentals and they can handle something bigger. She used and still uses a 7mm-08…. a dozen elk and more than that number of deer later and she still loves it. I have watched over her shoulder for every elk and that 7-08 is amazingly effective.

 

[575 ELK]

308… kid friendly, kill elk easy, still be hunting elk with it 25 years from now.

 

[magnum44270]

7mm08

 

[TaperPin]

The formula we have used for a number of generations is a 243 as a plinking/training/deer/antelope/varmint rifle every 12 year old gets, followed by a 270 as purely a hunting rifle. The 243 is just more fun to shoot rocks, varmints or smaller big game with, even if the kids handle recoil just fine. The 270 is simply a better hunting rifle.

A 7mm08 or 308 are also good traditional choices. Would an animal or shooter even know the difference between a 140 gr bullet out of a creedmoor or 7mm08? I doubt it. 25-06 is ideal for deer antelope and has killed plenty of elk with a double lung, but plenty of guys have found it lacking so I’ve grown up with the cartridge and consider it mediocre on elk unless the shooter is quite disciplined.

With any of these recoil is incremental, but if you had a 6.5 Creed and 243 for a fun day of shooting prairie dogs by far the most rounds will be shot out of the 243. Forcing the creed to be the only rifle used as both a trainer and hunting rifle means it’s not great at either, but it’s a better single rifle choice than anything larger.

A close faculty friend wants to start hunting and asked for help deciding on a single rifle for all animals and I remind him it’s like picking a single jacket to cover chilly summer nights or freezing temps - nothing that’s good at one extreme will be worth a dang at the other extreme.

 

[IDElkmagnet]

Ill throw out what I did for my kiddo.
He started with an 22lr at 5yo.
Was shooting an ar15 55gr fmj around 7yo.
Started on a ruger american gen 1 in 6cm at 9yo. He was shooting 75gr v max downloaded with h4895 2900fps ish. WITH A SUPRESSOR and a bag of sand in the buttstock.
With that he was able to shoot sub moa 5 shots out to 400 with the occasional flyer.
At 10 with his first 2 elk tags in his pocket he is shooting the 103eldx at 3000fps. He shot his bull on his 10th birthday and has a cow hunt in December.
He put 3 shots in the bull in about 15 seconds at 320yds. Never lost the bull in the scope and shot a 1.5moa group at his first big game animal.
This would be very hard for a kid to do with a larger chambering. If you are a reloader you can make your own reduced recoil loads and make the best learning experience possible.
Get a gun the kid wants to shoot hundreds of rounds a year.
Then take them shooting!

 

[mtnbound]

I have two boys (11 and 9) that I'm looking to get their first multispecies rifle. They have been shooting an AR i built in 350 legend, and I want to get something they can continue to grow into and use for years to come with elk calibers being built into this equation. I'm leaning toward the Ruger American Gen II in 6.5 Creedmoor (insert hate here). My intent is to put a pipe on it early next year, which will reduce recoil/sound and has since had me considering slightly higher calibers (7mm-08, 308, etc).

Im here for help a caliber selection and any other input that those wiser than me have to offer, hopefully from those who have been in my shoes. It may be worth noting that both boys are good shots and dont have much issue with flinching or wincing currently. We started very slow to avoid bad habits.

Any feedback is appreciated!

Nothing wrong with a 6.5CM, but my first choices would be 243 with 1-8 twist, 6CM, or 6ARC. 25CM hasn’t gained much attention but that’s also an option. 270, 7mm-08, 308 would be my max cartridges. My dad let me move from a 243 that killed everything to a 270, 7mm, 300, and 338 which allowed for a lot of experience but many years afterwards I started going back down in cartridge because the others were not fun to shoot.

 

[magnum44270]

Started my son on .22lr at 5,
up to a bolt .223 at 7 shooting 200-300yds.
Custom Bolt .243 at 11 and increased distance out to 400. He hunted with the .243 at age 12&13 and I then rebarreled it to 7mm08ai, to gain weight and speed.
He hunts with it to this day, he’s 17 now, and a 145lrx has taken down elk, antelope, whitetail, mule deer and black bear from 80-460yds, with zero issues.

Daughter stated on the .22lr at 7, bolt .223 shortly after. Started her on reduced recoil 7mm08 at 11 shooting out to 300yds and she hunts with it to this day at 15. She’s taken an antelope at 275 and a mule deer at 200 with the same reduced recoil loads and neither had gone over 20yds. When she decides she wants to hunt elk I will go to full power loads.