First Youth Season

[mijinkal]

After many years of taking my kids hunting with me, this is the year I will get to reap more of the benefits. While sulking about not getting a LEH, I was looking over the synopsis and realized that this is the first of many years that my kids are eligible for youth season!
Besides a 22 or 270 I don't even have a gun for my daughter to comfortably shoot big game with yet.
I'm thinking of a 243 for her and my wife. Any experience or suggestions with that for a 10 year old?

She's taken a lot of shots with our pellet gun and 22 but I want to get a gun for her soon and get her as used to a new gun as possible before she gets a shot at an animal.
My wife also just took her CORE, so maybe I can give the new rifle to my wife as a present ;)

Only just realizing this a few minutes ago, I feel like I just won a lottery!

[thehammer]

To me it seems pretty rushed to get a 10 year old girl into shoting big game in 1 1/2 months when she has never shot a larger rifle before (I'm assuming she didn't shot your 270). If she's into it I would say a 243 is a good choice. I was over gunned when I was 12years old and it developed a bad flinch. 7MM Mag is not a good gun to start with but it was the only gun my dad found that was left handed. Good Luck

[coach]

Try the managed recoil rounds in the .270. Not great ballistics - but fine for the 100 yard (or less) shots she should be taking. .243 is a great choice as well.

[mijinkal]

She's taken a couple shots out of my shotgun and a couple out of my 270 but they were too much gun for her at the time. I didn't want to over gun her like you say, so I've kept her away from them. the 270 also seems like too heavy of a gun for her to handle comfortably.
We live on acreage and she puts 10 to 20 rounds a week through the pellet gun at pop cans and bull frogs so she's familiar with shooting. She's probably shot 200 rounds through a 22 as well. I don't think she'll have a problem shooting big game as long as it's with the right size of gun

[Ruger4]

my daughter will be turning 10 this saturday , she will be shooting her Browning Abolt II .243 this year loaded up with 87 grain VLD's,.
she's been shooting rifles for about 4 years now slowing graduating from caliber to caliber along the way.
she's an avid archer as well and I believe these 2 disciplines really compliment each other and have prepared her well.
started off with a pellet gun, then .22 , 17hmr , 17center , .223 and now the .243 , she's ready , so am I , cant wait !!

[604redneck]

7mm-08 is alright as well whatever u get make sure it has a limb saver as u dont want that first shot to hurt her

[coach]

Sounds like the .270 is out.. I picked up a 7mm-08 marlin XS7 for my 10 year old stepson. It's a youth model - so stock fits him well. My 13 year old daughter shoots the same rifle in a .270 (non-youth model) but she's a lot taller. I picked up a recoil pad that straps over his shoulder and he hardly feels anything when shooting. I'm looking forward to the kids filling the freezer this September.

[hunter1993ap]

a 223 is also a caliber to consider as the recoil is a fair bit less than a 243. i started with a 223 and shot a bear and many coyotes with it.

[sarg]

Savage axes in a 243cal it cheap and very good starter gun, my kids started shooting a 8 with a 243cal

[Grousedaddy]

I dont think you can legally use .223 on big game..... I could be wrong but i think the minimal is .243 for big game

[coach]

I dont think you can legally use .223 on big game..... I could be wrong but i think the minimal is .243 for big game

You're wrong...

[250 sav]

My son started with 410 +.22 plinking at 7yrs.
at 8 he shot 20 gauge with lite target loads
At 9 he was shooting .222 rem, then 250 savage, then 30/30
When he was ten he was ready to hunt and shot 50-60 grouse with the 20 gauge and a buck with the 250
He,s 13 now and can handle most non- magnum rifles

A friend of mine has 2 petite daughters who shot deer a 10 with reduced loads from a 7 mauser and 257 roberts.
Remember they should be limited to shots within their comfort zone.

243
7-08 with reduced recoil loads
308 " "

[barry1974w]

I dont think you can legally use .223 on big game..... I could be wrong but i think the minimal is .243 for big game

This is not Alberta....

[barry1974w]

I started my wife with a Stevens 7-08 and managed recoil loads, very little recoil and an inexpensive rifle. MudBud has cut down a few Stevens for his buddy's kids, they've turned out really well. Good luck and good hunting.

[Grousedaddy]

Shooting a deer with a .223 is just brutal that round has a hard time stopping ppl in iraq let alone a mule deer i hope everybody uses something a little bigger

[Grousedaddy]

Im born and raised in bc i just wouldnt consider using a glorified .22 to shoot a deer .

[thehammer]

"Im born and raised in bc i just wouldnt consider using a glorified .22 to shoot a deer . "

I do agree with this, IMO not much stopping power even for a Island Blacktail. Placed right yes it will kill, placed just a hair off right, gonzo.

[anglo-saxon]

I dont think you can legally use .223 on big game..... I could be wrong but i think the minimal is .243 for big game
Yes, you are wrong. Sounds like you're from Alberta. Min cal there is .230, so practically, that translates into .243. Any center fire single projectile ammo is allowed here, except where there's a stipulation for minimum energy requirements (for bison, etc.).


Shooting a deer with a .223 is just brutal that round has a hard time stopping ppl in iraq let alone a mule deer i hope everybody uses something a little bigger

Wrong again. That's not a reasonable comparison at all.

There's a big difference between placing an ethical, well aimed shot into the vitals of a stationary deer and shooting an adrenalin-engorged, determined human enemy who for some obscure reason will just not stand still long enough for you to place the shot just as you would like. There is also a big difference between the expanding hunting ammo used on deer where the majority of the bullet's energy is absorbed by the body of the animal and the military FMJ required by Geneva Convention, which has a tendency to "pass through". Anyone who's shot gophers with .22 solids compared to .22 HP knows what I'm talking about. That's why police services, which are not bound by such international conventions as the military is, still tend to use .223/5.56mm cal long guns, but with controlled expansion ammo (such as Hornady's "TAP" ammo).

Nothing wrong with .223 for island blacktail.

By the way, 5.56 also works in Afghanistan, too! :wink:

I would second the mentions of managed recoil 7-08. IMO a very good choice for a starter cal. Plus later it can be used with heavier bullets and with hotter loads when they're ready. A more versatile choice than the .243. I started my boy on a Stevens Model 200 in .308, with lighter bullets and loads (for deer and black bear). He's a big lad and could handle it no probs. For a smaller/recoil-sensetive person, the 7-08 would do nicely.

[Steeleco]

mijinkal I've been in your shoes. My son is now 16 and daughter 13. DON'T RUSH them. They'll let you know when they're ready. For my kids first year I only let them carry the .22 and they could shoot all the grouse we we're allowed. If your daughter decides that taking the life of a critter isn't for her, it's best it's a chicken and not something bigger. I've known a few guys who's young'uns have had a change of heart after their first animal.

With that said, assuming the bug sets in hard. I'd avoid the 243 only because it's a caliber they may soon out grow. If your into reloading the choices are endless. My son shoots a 7-08 and began on soft loads, my daughter has a 25.06 and is shooting similarly soft loads. While her gun is a little big on her just now, with a shortened stock and a bog pod she's already taken her first deer 2 year back. She's had chances at bears and for some reason declines at the last moment. I'm in no rush, like I said, when they are ready, they'll let you know!!!

Good luck, the high of getting your first animal is nothing compared to watching your kid get theirs!!! I've done it twice!!

[Grousedaddy]

An island deer is like the size of a large dog lol

[mikek blacktail]

my daughter started out with a 30-30, made sure she could shoot accurately(80 rounds before she went hunting)and made sure hunting was what she wanted to do.at the end of her 10th year she had a 6x7 rosie and a deer under her belt(all heart and lung shots from 25-300yrds).243 ,7-08, are great guns ,goodluck.

[guest]

A .243 .308 and even the 30/06 are all great cals to go with You can Buy Remington reduced recoil and reduced loads for the .308 and /06 great starting ammo.

Good luck to you and the family.

CT

[barry1974w]

Shooting a deer with a .223 is just brutal that round has a hard time stopping ppl in iraq let alone a mule deer i hope everybody uses something a little bigger

I wouldn't hesitate to take a deer with a .223 with controlled expansion bullets. But if you're buying a rifle for your kids something with a bit more margin for error might not be a bad idea. The reason I got a 7-08 for my wife instead of a .243 is because it's a bit more versatile for moose, elk, ect...