What caliber for kids?

[kevin g]

I'll chime in with the consensus also....My daughter started out with the 243 and the 6.5X55....she shot and loved both and had no recoil issues at all.
2 short years later she wanted to try out my 270...enjoyed it, but said it was a little tougher getting a box of practice rounds thru it at the range Although she took her first two deer with it, she reverted back and shot the 6.5 and the 243 again last fall....those were wayyy better she said...even tho she wears custom 270 case head earings...lol

**perhaps a lever action in 243/708 may be an option so both can use it.

KUDOS to you for getting her involved in the shooting sports...the kids are our future...well done !!....cheers...Kevin

 

[Hitzy]

6.5 Creedmoor is pretty mild, and every company is making them.

 

[Jim870]

7mm08 or 6.5 Creedmoor, both are more versatile hunting rounds than the .243 and offer very little increase in recoil.

 

[BigUglyMan]

I'm pretty sure that I saw a used left handed Swede on the EE yesterday or the day before. That would be my first choice. Rifle can still be light but won't beat the hell out of her. Outstanding selection of well-constructed bullets but plenty of jam to kill larger animals than it should. Now, if she has the potential to be an extra-cool gun nut you could go with the 6.5x54MS. Ore wise the Swede or the 7x57.

Start her out right...give her something cool not some boring Johnny-come-lately!

 

[BigUglyMan]

Similar to the choice I've made for one of my Granddaughters in AB. She's going to get a Ruger Lipsey RSI in 7x57, from Poppa .

Hey Johnn, you misspelled NS!

 

[buckhunter78]

My son just got a 7mm08. He is 9 and 85lb soaking wet. He loves it on the bipod. Ammo is a little more money. Hard to get anything under 120 grain. Local seems to be 120 grain to 140grian. I also couldn’t decide beween the 243 and 7mm08. Happy with the savage compact or youth. What ever they call it. Happy shooting !!

 

['Boo]

I bought my daughter a left-handed Savage in 308 as her first dedicated rifle. I started off with handloads that pretty well duplicated 30-30 loads. After a summer of practising holding a rifle properly we bumped the loads up to mild 300 Savage levels. She took a half-dozen or more mule deer with these loads.

Lately she has laid claim to my Browning .25 wssm as she prefers it for long - 350+ yards - shots.

 

[Johnn Peterson]

Hey Johnn, you misspelled NS!

I'm a day late and a buck short on that one. Sorry bud, but where does the NS come from?? And, careful not to upset my Granddaughter.

 

[Sakoman .308]

Congratulations to everyone for passing all of this enjoyment on to your children.

 

[BigUglyMan]

I'm a day late and a buck short on that one. Sorry bud, but where does the NS come from?? And, careful not to upset my Granddaughter.

You wrote AB instead of NS. I'm sure you meant to say you were sending it to my daughter and giving the 71 to your granddaughter!

 

[Johnn Peterson]

You wrote AB instead of NS. I'm sure you meant to say you were sending it to my daughter and giving the 71 to your granddaughter!

The 'commitment' was made a while ago so that door is pretty well closed. First come first served. In the meantime, why I acquired that RSI in 7x57 was I thought it would be a good fit, for my use, here on the 'wet'coast. When my Daughter decides the time is right, it'll be sent on to Granddaughter #2.
In past, I've posted photos of a model 4000 Husqvarna lightweight with VERY nice wood in 30-06 that was my Dads pride & joy. It got the call for my Mule Deer hunts in, AB, with my Daughter and Son In Law. That will be passed on to Granddaughter #1 when her parents decide the time is right. I hope I get the opportunity to hunt with the 'girls' .

 

[gobigorgohome]

Being a fellow lefty I 100% understand not wanting a whack of guns. It's like you handing me a RH gun, I don't want anything to do with it.... but the good ol' 243 is a great place to start any shooter. Minimal recoil, large selection of bullets and cheap to shoot. Buying a cheaper LH 243 and shooting it got a few years would be the best place to start.... once she's ready and older and wanting to do on an elk hunt, then you can see how she handles recoil (let her shoot any of your RH guns and see how she handles it). I know me personally, I started shooting a LH 260 and don't really need anything else. It got my deer and my elk no problem and not a lot of recoil either!

 

[blasted_saber]

What about a 308 with reduced recoil rounds? Would conceivably last her lifetime, and can kill any elk, moose, or bear around.

 

[TaylorJW]

260, 6.5 Swede 7/08 Or the (308 with reduced loads to start) with a stock that fits her well. I believe muzzle blast is of more concern than recoil ( to a point obviously) with young and older shooters alike when they first start out .having said that I would double up on hearing protection using ear buds with muffs on top of them.
Whatever you decide to do good luck to u both and enjoy the process together as I get so much enjoyment shooting with my kids .

 

[BigUglyMan]

Being a fellow lefty I 100% understand not wanting a whack of guns. It's like you handing me a RH gun, I don't want anything to do with it.... but the good ol' 243 is a great place to start any shooter. Minimal recoil, large selection of bullets and cheap to shoot. Buying a cheaper LH 243 and shooting it got a few years would be the best place to start.... once she's ready and older and wanting to do on an elk hunt, then you can see how she handles recoil (let her shoot any of your RH guns and see how she handles it). I know me personally, I started shooting a LH 260 and don't really need anything else. It got my deer and my elk no problem and not a lot of recoil either!

I completely missed where the OP talked about a left hand gun. Knowing that now I would recommend a Ruger #1. They might be a little spendy, but they're ambidextrous, and classy as hell. Plus you don't have to sacrifice barrel length for handling.

 

[MD]

My daughter was shooting my Model 96 Swede Mauser 6.5x55 at the range painlessly at 12.

 

[FreedomIsn'tFree]

7mm-08 is what I just bought for my 13 year old boy and would be my suggestion.

 

[Coolhand_Luke]

What about getting something like a Marlin 30-30 or for a bit more oomph a 35 Remote etc or even a Browning BLR or Henry Long Ranger in 243/308, the lever guns are ambidextrous and both of you can shoot them... plus they are lever action

My family is split between lefty's and righty's so that's my solution.

 

[WeakKnee]

What about a 308 with reduced recoil rounds? Would conceivably last her lifetime, and can kill any elk, moose, or bear around.

I started my 12 year old son with a 260 Rem, after a couple years he moved up to reduced loads in my .308win. He now shoots the .308 with full power reloads, no problem.

 

[ndallyn]

Nothing at all wrong with a 7mm-08! But.....you may want to consider a .308 for the following reasons:

-lots of choices for left handed rifles (take her shopping and pick one that fits)
-lots of "reduced recoil" loads available for practice
-ability to shoot cheaper surplus ammo for range plinking (because practice kills more game than anything else does - and tracking/seeing a poorly shot animal suffer can turn a young hunter off of the sport)
-lots of components available if you reload your own low-recoil loads.)
-ability to move up to larger game and heavier loads as she gets older.

Recoil is not subjective - how someone handles it is! I have seen 100lb kids handle magnums and 200+lb men that could barely keep a .243 on paper. If you are concerned about recoil, avoid shooting prone or sitting at the bench (rigid body position can cause more of a "whack" for some people. Get her shoot offhand and learn to roll with the recoil.

*looks like a few guys already said this before me*