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RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

For an 8 year old girl...hmm. I'd say MAYBE move her up to a .223, then eventually a .243Win as she grows a little. But everyone's recoil sensitivity is different. My wife, for instance, won't shoot more than 20 shots in a session with our 22-250 before she starts feeling the unconfortable effects of recoil, but I can shoot it all day without bother. My wife is probably a fair bit taller and heavier than your daughter, too(if I posted her weight here and she found out, she'd clean my clock with a frying pan, so I won't mention specifics! ;):D). I wouldn't try to move her into anything to big too fast, because a sore shoulder isn't going to make her want to shoot anymore. Too much recoil would also likely lead to her developing a nasty flinch which might be very hard to cure and seriously compromise her shooting.

Is she even old enough at 8 to hunt yet? In Iowa the minimum age to hunt is 12 I believe, but Wyoming may be different. I would say that if she can't even hunt yet, there's no reason to have he shoot a more powerful rifle. I'd just stick with the .22LR, or maybe even get her a nice little scoped .17HMR. The HMR's have a more 'grown-up' feel than a small .22, and they are good on a calm day to 200 yards. Wickedly accurate too. Savage sells their bolt action .17HMR for between $220-250. I almost bought one today for myself. Gander Mtn has them on sale for $219 with 4 boxes of Hornady ammo free with the rifle.

Mike

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

Let her shoot and she'll tell you if she likes it or not. My son didn't want to shoot my .270 but after some coaxing and after one shot he was in love. All kids are differant.

The 35 Rem isn't a hard kicker so she may go for it.


OOPS, Got to edit. I didn't really coke him I coaxed him.:D

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

the .223 makes sense to me.

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

I would not push her to hard you may turn her off to shooting. The .35 Rem. I think has too much recoil for a 8 year old. Moving her up to a small .22 cal. centerfire also makes sense to me. Good luck.

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

Hi RJ,

I don't know what your options.....or budget....might allow. But if budget is a big consideration...and no other options than the .35 Rem. exist....you might want to consider and NEF single shot. Chambered in something like a .243 it would allow its use on deer sized game, be flat shooting, light recoiling.....and it would be "her" rifle. Not Daddy's hand me down......(if that might matter).

Of course if you reload...that changes the equation entirely. The .35 Remington can be "loaded down" using 158 grain jacketed pistol bullets, and reduced velocity, making the .35 Remington very comfortable for a youngster to shoot. (Makes a good small game/varmint rig as well.) Then cut the .35 Remington to fit, (save the piece cut off for later reinstallation as she grows), and work her progressively "up to full power loads".

Just a couple of ideas. Hope it helps.

Dave

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

I would let her shoot a few smaller calibers first. Another thing that can bother little kids at first is noise too. Let her shoot a .223, then move her on up as she feels comfortable. The last thing you would want to do is turn her off to shooting due to one bad experience with recoil.

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RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

I vote for a .22 centerfire next as well. Let her get used to the noise first. The noise of a centerfire combined with recoil might be too much to get used to all at once. I went from .22LR to .270 win. Big difference.

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

Hi again RJ,

The .22-250 should be the perfect stepping stone. I don't know anything about the rifle itself.....is it a full size, a heavy varminter, etc.......and is she average, small, or large for her age. If indeed is a full size insure her first encounters are shooting it from a supported position. As in a rest for the forend, (or bipod), to assist her with the size and weight of the rifle itself.

My wife isn't a small woman but because of her body style has difficulty with stocks that have average lengths of pull. She does much better with a "youth model" sized stock. And it's not the recoil so much that bothers her......as an ill fitting rifle.

Something to consider. Best of luck.....few things in life are as rewarding as passing on a passion to our children and grandchildren. Especially on those occasions when we see them "light up".......and realize we've found another person that enjoys it like we do.

Dave

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

RJ,

Congratulations, a girl, 8 years old, and game to play --- good for her and good job to you! That said, she is at a tender point and with kids especially it only takes one miscue to derail them. While she is still at this very early stage, I too would recommend something in the .223 to .243 range if possible or a 410 or 20 gauge if she wants to shoot things that fly. She might out grow it in a flash, but it is an important stepping stone.

I like and lean towards the big stuff, but there is a time and place for everything. :)

Good Luck and Good Hunting,
EKM

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

Why ELKampMaster.......I'm shocked![:o]

(Good natured joking of course;)..............)

Dave

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

You should shorten the stock and then take the recoil pad off, drill a hole in the stock and buy a mercury tube, put it inside the stock, it reduces recoil by a lot.

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

Another thing to keep in mind.....when that 22-250 hits a target, it's just another hole. When it hits a milk jug full of water, it is an explosion! All of the young and first time shooters I have taught to shoot get a kick out of blowing up jugs, especially the girls. When you finish milk, fill it with water and put it in the garage. Water bottles like you buy in the store are good too. Have fun with your girl!

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

Visible shot effects are cool. Being able to see the result of a good shot is a lot more fun than waithing to walk down to check a target, for kids and adults alike.

Soda cans also make great explosive targets when filled with water and nailed with a 22-250. Another great thing about then is they are small and accurately reflect the kill zone of most varmints, so they are great practice for precision shooting too. Set a few pop cans at 200 yards and see who is the first to blow all theirs up. Great fun!

Mike

RE: Marlin recoil for an 8 year old?
 

I think a .35 would be a little too much for an eight year old. break her in slowly with a .22 centerfire and make it fun like a few others mentioned water jugs are great, an unopened pop can is explosive even with a .22LR. When I took my girls out to the range we would stop in the garden first and pick some , tomatoes,cucumbers, and what ever was avalible at the time. They had a blast vaporizing that kind of stuff. Keep up the good work. The world need more women who are not afraid of guns. The way is to educate them that a gun is a tool and can be fun.My one daughter is a hunter, the other doesn't hunt but enjoys plinking and target shooting.

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