My daughter turns 10 in August and wants to get out hunting with me. What caliber or rifle combo would one suggest for a kid. She's a tough kid but i don't have anything smaller than a light 308 that has some snap behind it for her to try (don't want her flinching cause i started her on too big a gun). She's tried the 357 lever and didn't flinch but i have no experience with the smaller rifle calibers. Was considering 243 but thought I'd throw the question out before dropping cash. Thanks
Caliber / rifle for kids
- Thread starter sookie_69
- Start date
my buddy's daughters are both 10 but not all that big but still well raised and rounded mountain gals, they just got their hunting license this year and on top of tracking and stalking when they can and have time, are currently using my blind in my backyard for their first deer, he started them out years ago on a 22 and then has gradually moved them up to a 30-30. seems the 30-30 is just perfect, might want to give that a try.
thatmikeguy
Regular
- Location
- Steinbach, Manitoba
I think a 243 would be excellent. I don't think my 9 year old daughter would like it though. You would be the best judge of what your girl likes. Everyone is different. A 223 with a good quality bullet at close range would also work for deer if legal in your area.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
My grandson is tall and skinny - has been shooting .22 at gophers at other Grandpa's pasture for several years - a heavy barrel 223 Rem with his Dad at rifle range (off of sandbags, sitting at shooting table). Multiple times with me on portable table and sandbags - .22 LR, 223 Rem, 243 Win. I bought him a Rem 783 in 243 Win this past winter for this fall's deer hunt - his first. Was the cartridge my wife used for her first, and our son used for his first. Our daughter used the same rifle for her first, but it had a 308 Win barrel by then. Do not let them experience "hurt" by recoil or by noise - our son at 14 could rattle off a mag full from my 338 Win Mag from off hand - I never did allow him to shoot that one from sitting or prone. They learn and do well - same as we did.
Except some of us "old guys" went directly from the metal buttplate on a Cooey 60 to metal buttplate on a Lee Enfield #4 in 303 British or an M1917 in 30-06, if we were going "deer hunting".
Except some of us "old guys" went directly from the metal buttplate on a Cooey 60 to metal buttplate on a Lee Enfield #4 in 303 British or an M1917 in 30-06, if we were going "deer hunting".
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vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- High River, Alberta
.22lr and other rimfire is the obvious first step. Ammo is cheap and plentiful so they can blaze away all day long without breaking the budget.
In a perfect world the next step would be things like 32-20, 32H&R, 25-20 or 22hornet. Of course that's going to limit you too small game. 223, 9mm in a carbine and pistol caliber lever guns are a bit bigger but still not really big game cartridges.
For light hunting rifles you should consider 243 (and possibly 6mm rem), 7-08, 257 Roberts, 6.5mm of various flavours, 30-30, maybe 357mag in a single shot or lever if you are still hunting and keeping the range under 100m.
A lot depends on finding a rifle that fits well, how much practice you will be doing and whether or not you can reload.
In a perfect world the next step would be things like 32-20, 32H&R, 25-20 or 22hornet. Of course that's going to limit you too small game. 223, 9mm in a carbine and pistol caliber lever guns are a bit bigger but still not really big game cartridges.
For light hunting rifles you should consider 243 (and possibly 6mm rem), 7-08, 257 Roberts, 6.5mm of various flavours, 30-30, maybe 357mag in a single shot or lever if you are still hunting and keeping the range under 100m.
A lot depends on finding a rifle that fits well, how much practice you will be doing and whether or not you can reload.
I've got her shooting a 22 mag currently. Little more pop and bolt action. I just don't have anything small to try with her. I've got 1 308 then all I've got is 4570s 338 win 300 win and the likes. I've never myself tried a caliber smaller than 308
I started with a Model 94 30-30 and a Husky 270Win. I was by no means a big kid and managed both quite well. Despite using these rifles as my starters, I moved on to the 6MM Rem and it became my primary rifle for many years. I love the 6mm for its amazingly light recoil but huge killing power for even elk. Although I now carry other cartridges/rifles in the field I keep the 6mm around for my boy as his starter rifle.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
You owe it to your kids to set them up to succeed. If you don't think a smaller than 308 Win is enough for you, don't get one for them to use - have them use the 308 if that is what you use. Or buy a 7mm-08 or a 30-30, or a 25 or 24 of some variety - for yourself - and learn whether it will work. A well known writer often asks why husband "needs" a 300 Win Mag but gets a 7mm-08 or smaller, for the same hunt, for his wife or young 'un. Why would that make sense??
You do not mention if you re-load - would be a good thing for you to learn, if you do not. I used 100 grain half-jacketed and 110 grain Speer Varminters in 308 Win as practice loads for my son, daughter and wife - along with the 243 Win - bigger cartridges and rifles than the .22's - I wanted them to get used to that. Speer #1835 bullets at 2100 or 2200 fps are perfect for blasting away at gophers and such. There are loads in Speer manual down to 1600 fps with 150 grain Speer bullets - can be revved up to 2900 fps as per that book - jackrabbits to moose, I would think... Whatever "recoil" level that you want to produce.
How it works out - from my loading notes, my wife went through 250 "practice" rounds with her 243 Win at the local range, over the summer before her first deer hunt. Once we were out hunting, she fired one shot - off hand at standing buck about 125 yards, and that was the end of the "fun" - then the work started. I do not have notes about daughter - but she also fired only once at her first deer - it was flat out full run and she rolled it as if she had done so a hundred times before - it pays to practice trying to shoot jackrabbits on the go, and getting to see your misses!! Our son's first deer also taken with a single shot - through a tree line - do not have notes of how many "practice" rounds he went through - but he had been shooting rifles at least 5 years (?) by then - rimfire, and occasional centerfire.
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- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
Why not let her stick with the .357 for a few years to get confident & proficient with it for critters out to 100 yds or so? If she be mechanically inclined,
then getting her into handloading is a good skill to learn. A .243 is a good step up from the .357 sure enough, but I'd save that for when she is well
tuned in using the .357 & .22 LR a whole bunch. When she hits 13, she should be dialed in well enough to go with the longer range stuff like the 6mm's.
then getting her into handloading is a good skill to learn. A .243 is a good step up from the .357 sure enough, but I'd save that for when she is well
tuned in using the .357 & .22 LR a whole bunch. When she hits 13, she should be dialed in well enough to go with the longer range stuff like the 6mm's.
I use a .357 for deer....under 100m. I have a Marlin 1894. It’s a great gun for kids to learn from. It handles .357 and .38 without any issues. I use hand load .38 for head shots on rabbits. If you reload....it’s very affordable. My 8 year old son shoots .38 special with no trouble.....the only thing he has issues with is loading the rounds into the tube.....I guess a Henry would be easier in this regard.
I got my 10 years old daughter started with a .260 Rem in a shortened synthetic stock, a cheek riser and reduced loads. If I didn’t already have an extra .260 Rem, I would have bought her a .243 Win. She’s shooting 100 gr Sierra’s at 2000fps for practice and I loaded her some 100gr Partition at 2600fps for hunting. She has no problem shooting those and she’s a skinny kid.
After the 22lr I am on the 223 bus also. Assuming it is legal for deer all over BC (I do not know for sure) she can shoot targets and varmints/predators until her trigger finger is tired, and should be very confident when it is time for deer. Plus it won't cost much for her to shoot as much as she wants, and her shoulder won't get sore! Win! Get real fancy and stalk the EE for a T1x and a T3x... all matchy matchy!
