Caliber for son's first deer rifle?
09-03-2006, 08:32 AM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location:
Posts: 2,621
RE: Caliber for son's first deer rifle?
Decisions, decisions!
You're in a tough spot. There are many good suggestions on here that just make the decision harder.
I was in your shoes several years ago when my daughter started hunting. She was small framed and weighed 75lbs. I had to get a small rifle that was light and short so she could handle it. I got a Ruger M77 Compact in .243.
I'm not sure how big your son is but they grow quickly at that age.
There are many choices out there. You could get a 30.06 and shoot Remington's Managed Recoil Loads in it if you think he could handle the rifle. By that, I mean the weight and length, so that he can aim properly.
I too, would advise getting good hearing protection when going to the range.
Here is more advise. When my daughter started shooting she would flinch after a few shots even while wearing hearing protection.
I decided to only let her fire a .22 for target practice. But, I would always have her dry firing her .243.At home in the yard, she'd aim at my 3D archery target.
Get a few Snap Caps for your son, in whatever caliber you decide on, and have him dry fire it a lot. Dry firing helps kids greatly in not flinching. I even dry fire myself, as a subsitute for actual practice. I feel it is better than practice. It costs nothing and can be done at home when you have spare time. You are not limited to the amount of shells you have on hand.
You're in a tough spot. There are many good suggestions on here that just make the decision harder.
I was in your shoes several years ago when my daughter started hunting. She was small framed and weighed 75lbs. I had to get a small rifle that was light and short so she could handle it. I got a Ruger M77 Compact in .243.
I'm not sure how big your son is but they grow quickly at that age.
There are many choices out there. You could get a 30.06 and shoot Remington's Managed Recoil Loads in it if you think he could handle the rifle. By that, I mean the weight and length, so that he can aim properly.
I too, would advise getting good hearing protection when going to the range.
Here is more advise. When my daughter started shooting she would flinch after a few shots even while wearing hearing protection.
I decided to only let her fire a .22 for target practice. But, I would always have her dry firing her .243.At home in the yard, she'd aim at my 3D archery target.
Get a few Snap Caps for your son, in whatever caliber you decide on, and have him dry fire it a lot. Dry firing helps kids greatly in not flinching. I even dry fire myself, as a subsitute for actual practice. I feel it is better than practice. It costs nothing and can be done at home when you have spare time. You are not limited to the amount of shells you have on hand.
09-05-2006, 12:55 PM
#17
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 492
RE: Caliber for son's first deer rifle?
When I bought my son his "first" deer rifle, I also bought him his "last" one. I got him a 30-06 and loaded it with reduced recoil loads. You can now buy them OTC, but at the time, we handloaded them.
Being on a limited budget, I felt that with the '06, we could get him a rifle that could be used for just about everything he'd be likely to hunt, have readilly available ammo (if he had to buy it), and would have a wide variety of bullets to use. The .243 will do fine for whitetails, but I don't care for the limited bullet weights.
I also am not a proponent of the modern, TV mentality that says that only standing, broadside shots are valid. Most of the well-known gun writers and hunters of previous generations advocate taking frontal shots and also "raking" shots that must pass through heavy bone or muscle to reach the vitals. For this, a lightweight bullet will not work as well as one that is 150 grains or more. If I could sit for a week in a blind with a camera rolling over my shoulder on a ranch with hundreds of deer from which to choose, I might be able to hold out for a standing broadside shot - but in real life, it doesn't always happen that way.
Just my opinion - but that's what was asked. Good luck, and have a great time teaching your son all about hunting.
Being on a limited budget, I felt that with the '06, we could get him a rifle that could be used for just about everything he'd be likely to hunt, have readilly available ammo (if he had to buy it), and would have a wide variety of bullets to use. The .243 will do fine for whitetails, but I don't care for the limited bullet weights.
I also am not a proponent of the modern, TV mentality that says that only standing, broadside shots are valid. Most of the well-known gun writers and hunters of previous generations advocate taking frontal shots and also "raking" shots that must pass through heavy bone or muscle to reach the vitals. For this, a lightweight bullet will not work as well as one that is 150 grains or more. If I could sit for a week in a blind with a camera rolling over my shoulder on a ranch with hundreds of deer from which to choose, I might be able to hold out for a standing broadside shot - but in real life, it doesn't always happen that way.
Just my opinion - but that's what was asked. Good luck, and have a great time teaching your son all about hunting.
09-05-2006, 12:59 PM
#19
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Salinas, CA
Posts: 73
RE: Caliber for son's first deer rifle?
I would go with a 7mm-08...I have one and it has dropped big Minn. deer....I also recommend getting a TC Encore, its more than you want to spend but when he wants a bigger gun he can just get a new barrel!!!! They are pretty light and the lenght of pull is just about perfect for a teenager.....And most of all it is simple and very safe to shoot.
