Kids caliber

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jharriet

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I’m sure this has been covered 1000 times. But here it goes.
I’m looking to add a rifle to the safe, one that the kids wouldn’t mind learning on, and double as a beater gun for myself. I have a tikka .270(my doo it all) marlin 30-30 (brush buster) and a win model 100 .243 (soon to be .358 moose gun).
I want something I can use deer hunting aswell as target practice, and something the kids (I have 4) can have learn to hunt with. (Deer coyote and moose).

I’ve narrowed it down to .243, 6.5 creed or 6.5x55, 260rem, 257 bob, or something similar. I’m open to suggestions. Trying to stay very recoil sensitive as to not scare the kids off of shooting rifles. They love shooting pellet guns.

Probally going to get something along the lines of a tikka t3 or browning xbolt with a 20” barrel. Something compact.
 
You already have a 30-30, which is a low recoil cartridge. Adequate for deer and coyote. If necessary for moose, within 100 +/- yds it's been known to do the job. The benefit of 30-30 is that it's available and relatively inexpensive.
My first choice for 2 out of the 3 animals would be 243. Any of the 6.5s would do well on all 3, albeit a little more expensive if buying factory.
Just a suggestion- 308 Winchester.
 
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I bought my 11 year old daughter a Kimber Montana in 257 Roberts. She shoots a 75gr Vmax full house loads almost no recoil.

Great guns for women, children, smallish men.
 
My 30-30 is a waffle top 336, so it will never see a scope. My oldest is good with the pellet gun with open sights at 25ish yards, but he loves the idea of a scope, I don’t blame him really. I missed my first deer with that open sighted marlin when I was 9, haunts me to this day haha. I’d like to get them a scoped gun. Even a scoped 30-30 would be excellent. I just lost my 30-30 single shot in a car accident. I love 30-30s , and it’s what I learned on. I’d feel better getting them a bolt gun or a single shot as opposed to the lever with no safety. Or the semi auto 243 I already have.
 
The 257 Roberts is a very mild mannered, yet effective chambering for the
purposes you want.
Advantage over the 243?.....only one I can see is the heavier bullet [120 grain]
available in the bob.
I have shot a fair bit of game with the bob, including 2 or 3 moose, and it is
a great choice for younger and smaller individuals. Recoil is light. Dave.
 
You already have a 243 so I’d say go the next step up and get the 6.5. You already a couple of good “starting” rifles, get the next step.
 
While they enjoy shooting a pellet rifle, going to any centerfire with a youth is a huge jump.
Regardless on you eventual end results, a reasonable progression is 22 long rifle, 223, 243 . . . go from there based on recoil tolerance.
Too often "buying a rifle for kids and wife" has an over tone of a new rifle for myself.
Advancing anyone to quickly can be a formula for later problems.
As to the 257 Roberts, check your LGS for availability of ammo. 223 and 243 is not a problem.
 
I've got 4 kids as well and what I have observed is that it is muzzle blast, more than recoil that is the issue.

Were it in the budget, I would get a Ruger 1 in 44 mag for the kids. Low blast, low recoil, simple mechanism.
 
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