223 for daughter
 

Lat year my (then 12 year old) daughter and I took up hunting. She got her deer with a 30-30. This year while practicing she is developing a slight flinch. She has been accurate on the target at 100 but still I can see she is not excited about shooting the gun. She says she is OK with it but I can tell she is not enjoying the practice.
Would a 223 win beadequate for deer? It is legal here in WV and she proved last year (by passing on a few shots) that she is responsible in her shot selection.
Although we shot the deer last year at 125 yards, this is a rare distance where I hunt.
I would like to have more power but I am trying to make sure I keep the hunting and the practicing enjoyable for her.
I thought alot about this after reading the post by JagMagMan titled "BeSensible" that talked about getting someone that is new too much gun

RE: 223 for daughter
 

IMO it is enough WITH PROPER SHOT PLACEMENT!!!!! 22. centerfires generally leave a smaller margin for error. Nobody likes to make a bad shot, but lets admitt it, they happen to everybody sooner or later. I've seen deer go down within 10 yards from a 22 hornet, but that doesn't happen every day.

i'll say it now and get it out of the way, .243

Also, it sounds like you are being very responsible towards the education/training of your daughter.

RE: 223 for daughter
 

Thanks il Coyote,
I should have mentioned that she shot the 243 (her 12 year old girlfriends)and says she doesnt feel much difference between that and the 30-30. I also had her shoot the Rem managed recoil out of the 270 and she said it was just barely less than the 30-30 and similar to the 243.
She practices all the time with the 22lr to make sure her form is correct. when she pulled the triger on the 30-30 at the deer she never felt the recoil but I would still rather her practice more often with the gun she will be shooting at the game.

RE: 223 for daughter
 

Getting very good with the gun she will use is very good.Here is how my dad [I am 35] tought my siss and I.He got 2 guns of the same make Rem 700 one was in a 22 mag the outher in a 30-06. We did a ton of shooting with the 22 and very little with the 3006. But they where the same guns. So when the time came to deer hunt we where very good with the gun.I beleave this is a real good way for a kid to get real good with a gun.

I still use this same way today. I shoot a 300 weatherby.It is not cheep to shoot 100 rounds though. But since my 3006 is the same make.I can pound a ton of shells though it and still be like shooting the 300.

Good luck
Charles Bradford

RE: 223 for daughter
 

do you mean the .223 Remington?

IMO the answer is yes.

RE: 223 for daughter
 

DITTO!

RE: 223 for daughter
 

Hi, new guy here and I'll throw in my $.02 for all it's worth. If you're willing and able to limit your shots to 100 yards at the very most, you might want to look into a carbine in .357 mag. I have one and it's the single most fun firearm I've fired. It's real cheap to practice with, especially using handloaded .38's. Almost no felt recoil with the .38's either. For larger game, Buffalo Bore is manufacturing ammo that rivals the .30-.30 in velocity and energy. around 2100 fps for their 158 grain load out of an 18 1/2" barrel. Your daughter could practice all day with .38 spcl. target loads to gain skills, and then move up to full mags as she gets more comfortable. You may also want to consider buying her a good comfortable recoil pad to wear to the range.

RE: 223 for daughter
 

In a survival type situation I would shoot deer with the 223 in a heart beat, but during normal hunting I prefer at least a 243. You can get a nice semi auto 243, and that will cut down on the recoil some. If that doesn't do the trick you can have a muzzle break put on it. I would think that the first time, heaven forbid, she hits the shoulder and that little 223 bullet blows up and her deer limps away she will have wanted the 243.

RE: 223 for daughter
 

What ever you get her, make sure it has a decent recoil pad. My 9 year old shoots her sister's .243 handirifle and thinks its a blast. It is not always the caliber. The weight of the gun has a big influence. Is she snugging it in tight to her shoulder? I've shot one 30-30 that kicked like my .06. I've also shot a 300 mag that didn't kick any worse to me than the .06. I assume she shoots with hearing protection, but the anticipation of the report may be as responsible for flinching as the kick. This is something to consider with a muzzle break.

RE: 223 for daughter
 

Yeah guys, Sorry I did mean the 223 Rem.
I have the slip on Limb Saver on the 30-30 and it has helped some but apparently not enough.
I looked into the 357 mag on a recoil chart and it seems to fit too. Between the 2 guns if thay are similar as a deer rifle the 223 would also give me some options for varmint and or Coyote hunting also