Kids caliber
- Thread starter jharriet
- Start date
That’s like my stepson, the oldest, he’s 12 and I feel like I’m introducing him a little late, or at least later than my other children. They are 6,4,3 and none of them mind the noise from a 12 gauge. Trying to ease him into hunting, I really don’t think he would mind the recoil as much as the muzzle blast. He’s ok with watching me shoot a .410 but he’s yet too shoot it. I never really thought about a 44 mag or any pistol calibers really.
My .243 is being re-chambered to .358win. At least that’s the plan. To be my dedicated moose gun. That’s the only place I can see taking advantage of a semi automatic. (Gun was my fathers who passed away so I’m stuck with it haha)
I don’t wanna let the kids use a semi much anyway, although I’ve taken it dozens of times as a young fella lol.
Howa is about $900, Ruger American about $800. Not sure what decent price means to you though.
Reloading opens up many options. You can make a 300 Magnum into a 30-30 with handloads. Or a 6.5 Creed into a Grendel.
Savage is chambering the 6mm ARC in the Axis II for 2021. Full size stock though, not youth (easy enough to find a youth sized Axis stock though). It's the Grendel necked down to .243"
I usually buy used rifles. I’d love to come across a howa in 6.5 Grendel on the EE.
243 for the Win
243 is a necked down 308...
Man, back in the day when there was a thing called a ?
Dam, cats got my tongue, imperial made those little sabots in 308, 30:06 , etc and was a lil game getter or for varmints.
Looky , help me out lol .
Rob
FreedomIsn'tFree
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Buffalo.
This.
I can’t help but figure the 7mm-08 would kick relatively the same as my .270. I’ve never shot one. And none of my buddies have ever had one. I think I’d go with a 6.5 before the 7mm
- Location
- West Central Alberta
My wife had a 7mm-08 and she loved it but old age caught up to us and she doesn't hunt anymore. Anyway the recoil of a 7mm-08 is closer to a .243 than a .270 imo
I suggested it because you can shoot heavier bullets than the .243 but that all depends on what you plan on hunting with it I guess.
243 for the Win
243 is a necked down 308...
Man, back in the day when there was a thing called a ?
Dam, cats got my tongue, imperial made those little sabots in 308, 30:06 , etc and was a lil game getter or for varmints.
Looky , help me out lol .
Rob
Like the Remington Accelerator?
On your list, I would recommend one of the 6.5's. 120-143 grain bullets for the various animals that you have listed. Accurate, easy on the shoulder, and not a lot of noise.
For practice, plugs and muffs for the kids...it will keep them from flinching as much from the noise, which for many is as bad as the felt recoil.
I too am also a fan of the 250 Savage referenced above...might be a little light for most moose...but with an unwary animal broadside at short range, it will work when a good 100 gr bullet is placed for a double lung hit. It may not drop at the shot, but it will not go far.
For practice, plugs and muffs for the kids...it will keep them from flinching as much from the noise, which for many is as bad as the felt recoil.
I too am also a fan of the 250 Savage referenced above...might be a little light for most moose...but with an unwary animal broadside at short range, it will work when a good 100 gr bullet is placed for a double lung hit. It may not drop at the shot, but it will not go far.
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Or, 6.5 x 55 if you are.
Load these up, load them down; groundhogs to moose and bear. Lots of older rifles on the market these days for a reasonable price (earlier Mauser patterns) and some really great new rifles. I just bought a Zastava new, commercial 98 Mauser so safe for the higher pressure loads (6.5 x 55 SE) but it would be a bit heavy for a youngster. They still come with really good iron sights too!! High Aspect Ratio 6.5 bullets are inherently accurate and have a very high ballistic coefficient. Bullets are available from 90 - 156 gr are available. 6.5 (.264) give you lots of choice in bullet.
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I disagree. For myself, I found the 270 kicks me like a 30-06 and the 7-08 noticeably less, closer to a 243. Admittedly these were all different models and the stock fit, barrel length, muzzle blast, cheek weld, recoil pad and overall weight all have a say in the matter.
For example I have generally found 30-06 rifles have a bit of a kick. However, with a 30-06 weatherby Vanguard that had a b&c stock, I found the recoil significantly less. Probably due to the recoil pad and excellent cheek weld of that stock.
Considering the age of your kids your best choice is 243. It has the lowest recoil and will cause the least recoil issues.
Moose is the wrinkle in your request. It sounds like a quality youth sized .22lr is what you really need to get next and a youth sized 20 gauge and let them pursue small game before rushing them into big game.
That said the 7mm08 has a noticeable decrease in recoil compared to a 270 in the same rifle. Down loading .308 is a good idea but are you actually going to reload? It sounds like spare time maybe at a premium in your household. I am a huge 7mm08 fan, but if I was doing it over again starting today the 6.5 creedmoor would probably be my choice particularly if not reloading or just starting to reload. The .243 is a great deer round but not among my choices for moose, not that it won't but for me tags are rare and seasons short so I can't bring myself to endorse it unless required.
That said the 7mm08 has a noticeable decrease in recoil compared to a 270 in the same rifle. Down loading .308 is a good idea but are you actually going to reload? It sounds like spare time maybe at a premium in your household. I am a huge 7mm08 fan, but if I was doing it over again starting today the 6.5 creedmoor would probably be my choice particularly if not reloading or just starting to reload. The .243 is a great deer round but not among my choices for moose, not that it won't but for me tags are rare and seasons short so I can't bring myself to endorse it unless required.
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Hard to beat a 6.5 cal for low recoil but enough bullet for deer, bear and moose if need be. I'm loading 100gr BTs for my 13 year old for practice and 120TTSX for the kills. Hers is a .260, but the 6.5 CM is chambered by every rifle company and offers a significant range of ammo.
Remington Accelerators?
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Here's the thing...unless you are built like a child, or your children are built like adults, the potential for crossover use from you to the kids is very low. A poorly fit rifle will recoil strangely and hit kids harder than a properly fitted one, thus makign the experience very unpleasant for them.
If you want a new rifle, buy yourself a new rifle.
If you want to teach your kids to shoot, buy them something that fits them, or modify something to fit them properly. If you want to teach them to shoot but a bolt gun in something like 223 or try to find a CZ or Ruger in 7.62x39. Neither kick at all and the ammunition is both plentiful and relatively cheap. The x39 is actually a very capable big game rifle if you hunt within it's limitations. Find a rifle so chambered and buy a second stock so that you can cut it down to fit them and you'll be away to the races.
When the time comes that the kids are big enough to hunt then you can look at what you have in the safe and let them decide what fits and interests them.
If you want a new rifle, buy yourself a new rifle.
If you want to teach your kids to shoot, buy them something that fits them, or modify something to fit them properly. If you want to teach them to shoot but a bolt gun in something like 223 or try to find a CZ or Ruger in 7.62x39. Neither kick at all and the ammunition is both plentiful and relatively cheap. The x39 is actually a very capable big game rifle if you hunt within it's limitations. Find a rifle so chambered and buy a second stock so that you can cut it down to fit them and you'll be away to the races.
When the time comes that the kids are big enough to hunt then you can look at what you have in the safe and let them decide what fits and interests them.
