Youth Recoil (at a minimum) Rifle for big game

[Pondera]

Was in the same situation this spring. My daughter is about same size and age, likes shooting .22 but always asks "is it going to kick"? She is now shooting a Savage axis youth 7mm-08 and loving it! I had to sweet talk her into the first shot but she was pleasantly surprised how soft the recoil was. I don't have her putting boxes of shells through it by any means but we practiced a few different shooting positions this weekend and we are ready for her first deer. Good luck to all you guys with kids shooting and hunting, be safe and have fun!

 

[Jim/Wa]

I started out with a Remington 721 30-06 that had a steel butt plate. I was 12 and no bigger than 70#. I wouldn't recommend that approach . I did hunt deer for years with a 243. It's an amazing caliber that far exceeds what you would expect from such a small cartridge. The last 10 or so deer I've killed with a 260 remington -- basically the 6.5CM. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to use it for elk. One thing I've found with my kids though is the use of a very good ear muff style protector makes the recoil more tolerable and less scary.

 

[Don Fischer]

I think that the 243 would work but then so would a 22 LR. But, I believe there are better option's. In as much as you reload, a used 250-3000 if you could find one would seem a great starting point to me.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

a 243 is a great starter gun but I don't think I would shoot an elk with one it would have the be a perfect situation/shot. I would possibly look at a 257 Roberts or a 260 Remington especially if you hand load.

 

[MJE2083]

I was in a similar situation as you two years ago with my nine year old son. We ended up going with a Browning X-bolt Micro Midas 7mm-08, it has been the perfect gun for him. With the reduced recoil Hornady loads, there is very little kick.

My wife has the same rifle, shooting the same bullets, and she loves it. I even find myself shooting it at times. Really a nice little rifle.

 

[JohnCushman]

After seeing what a 6.5CM did to 2 elk I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. Light recoil, flat shooting, lots of reloading component options...a great gun that will last your child through adulthood.

 

[Rancho Loco]

Truckloads of elk have fallen to young hunters shooting the 243 here in Montana. Some old hunters, too.

Maybe elk are tougher in other states..

 

[Griznar]

Thank you so much for the overwhelming responses! A lot of great advice in this thread.

At this point I feel I am being swayed to the 7-08 over the 243.

But I do have another question: out of the 243, 6.5, 7-08 which one has the superior ballistic coefficient? Or are they all pretty similar? Just curious.

 

[mtmuley]

But I do have another question: out of the 243, 6.5, 7-08 which one has the superior ballistic coefficient? Or are they all pretty similar?

BC isn't something to worry about in a youth rifle. mtmuley

 

[MJE2083]

6.5 is known for it's BC. In fact that's the reason for it's popularity. Again though, probably not a major factor I would concern myself with. All of these cartridges will shoot plenty far and flat for hunting purposes.

 

[huronmtns]

This might serve as a reference for you.

 

[5Speedjim]

How about the Howa mini action in 6.5 Grendel? A bit small for elk but should do the job on deer

 

[whiskeydog]

BC isn't something to worry about in a youth rifle. mtmuley

yup! unless she's gonna be shooting 450, BC isn't much of a consideration! That being said, you aren't comparing apples to apples... a heavier .243 will have a higher BC than a light .284...but, the heavier .284's have a higher BC than all the .243's (everything else being equal of course). I use a 6.5x284 for lopes/deer/elk, love it, and have taken plenty of each with that caliber. that being said...my kids will both start with a .243

Why not just get her the .243 and worry about it later if she does actually get an elk tag? start her easy at the range. It's not like you'd lose much money if you had to upgrade that rifle to a bigger one later on...plus...it's totally worth it to spoil your kid!

 

[beagle001]

Lots of good responses here, but will throw in a few ideas.
Here is Wisconsin, I know quite a few ladies that started hunting with a 270. Probably a little much, but I’d be curious how much a muzzlebreak (brake?) would help shooting a regular 130gr bullet.

My wife got absolutely throttled by my old 20 gauge back when we were in the process of switching from shotgun-only to rifle, so to ease any apprehension toward shooting, I bought her a 25-06 A-bolt that already had a break on it. That gun is an absolute dream to shoot. It kicks less than my old 410 and 25-06 should have just a bit more oomph than the 243, though I don’t know that for fact, but I know that it puts an absolute whooping on deer. Bet a good non-lead bullet could handle elk at close range.

Completely irrelevant to this conversation, my next rifle will be a 7mm-08. Everyone that has one loves them, and won’t be quite as mean as my 30-06 when I’m looking to fill some doe tags

 

[T Bone]

My boys all started with reduced .308 or 30-06 loads.

My favorite daughter went with a 7-08 with 120 grain bullets.

All kill deer and elk efficiently.

At the range, double up on the hearing protection. Muzzle blast and noise account for a lot of the perceived recoil.

 

[livetooextreme]

I came here to post this same question for the same purpose and saw this thread. My wife is VERY recoil shy, and maybe even more so, muzzle blast sensitive. My oldest son will start hunting soon and is very small frame. We hunt mostly general season hunts near us in Idaho and the mule deer and elk seasons overlap, so they need one gun and one bullet that can do both since you can shoot whichever one steps out first.

I've scoured the internet and researched everything....243 to 257 Roberts, 25-06, 260, 264, 7mm-08, 280, 6.5-284, 270, 6.5 cr, 6.5-06, a lot of wildcats and Ackley improved in-between....I think I've settled on the tried and true 7mm-08, 6.5 cr, or the 6.5-284 (I haven't reloaded but that one sounds like a fun one to start with). I dont want to hijack this thread, but I think the OP would be interested in this...

The question is does the 6.5-284 have more recoil than a 7mm-08? If it does, then I will toss that one because I think 7mm-08 is the max gun I want to set my wife and son up on. My wife actually shot her first deer a couple of years ago with the Hornady custom lite 270win 120gr bullet. Preformed very well. But I wouldn't have her shoot that at an elk. Plus she needs her own rifle because the 270 is what I generally use. Gives an excuse to buy another rifle.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

Yes the 6.5-284 will have more recoil.

 

[gtaggart]

Both of my boys started with a .308. They practiced with reduced recoil loads and when they were hunting they used regular ammo. Once they were shooting at an animal, they never felt the recoil.

 

[ImBillT]

Thank you so much for the overwhelming responses! A lot of great advice in this thread.

At this point I feel I am being swayed to the 7-08 over the 243.

But I do have another question: out of the 243, 6.5, 7-08 which one has the superior ballistic coefficient? Or are they all pretty similar? Just curious.

Depends on the bullet, but they’re both close. For same weight bullets the smaller caliber will have better BC’s. A .243 can be loaded with a 115-120gr bucket with a higher BC than the 120gr 6.5, but the 140hr 6.5’s have a higher BC than the 120gr 6mms. The 7mm 140s have a lower BC than the 6.5mm 140s, but you can go all the way up to a 190gr bullet in 7mm and it has a much higher BC than any 6.5. Factory twist rates in the 7-08 don’t allow the heaviest bullets though. A 7mm 168 has a similar BC to the 140’s from a 6.5.

What it really boils down to is are you interested in handload, and do you want a gun that will push heavier bullets one day when she is ready? The 7-08 will push a 140gr bullet faster than the 6.5CM and at normal ranges BC doesn’t even matter. On top of that it will shoot 168s very well. For low recoil, you can even shoot a 120gr ballistic tip hunting at deer and for practice. For lots of factory ammo in the 120-140gr range, you might lean toward the 6.5CM. The 7-08 is a little more versatile of hunting cartridge though if you don’t mind hand loading because you can find hunting bullets from 120gr up to 190. With a 10 or 9.5 twist you’ll be limited to something in the 168-175gr range at the top. With an 8.5 or 9 you can shoot just about any bullet out there.

I have a .243 and have used on mule deer with success. It’s a nice little rifle. However, Most would recommend using a 105-120gr bullet deer or elk. If you do that, the recoil will be very similar to the 6.5 CM or 7-08 with a 120, but that will be as heavy as you can ever go and barrel life is shorter in the smaller bore, so if she gets pelenty if practice you could loose some accuracy over the years. I would choose the 7-8, but the 6.5 CM would an excellent choice as well. On the secondary market you could probably pick up a .269 Rem for a good price. It’s everything the 6.5CM is but because it isn’t the new kid on the block they’re not as popular.

 

[88man]

My daughter killed her first deer with a rifle when she was 7. I loaded 100grn nosler partitions in a rem model 7 in 260 down to about 2300fps. The one thing I think helps kids when shooting a rifle that has recoil when the child is smaller is a comb extension depending on the gun. I bought a rubber comb that attaches with a Velcro strap and raises the comb up about and inch and it keeps the kids smaller face on the stock and aids in better alignment with the scope. Also helps prevent the head from floating on recoil and helps stop the scope from hitting them. Just think it really helps them shoot better and more comfortable and find the target faster.