Caliber Selection
 

I am primarily a bowhunter and lack knowledge of the different calibers and need some advice. I am wanting to purchase a deer rifle for two young boys (ages 8 & 11) that will have adequate power to make clean kills yet not produce a tremendous amount of recoil. Is there such a thing? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

RE: Caliber Selection
 

Calibers such as the 243,257 roberts,25-06,260 and 7mm-08 are all quite mild in recoil and are powerful enough for deer hunting.I would look at a bolt action rifle that is not too light to further reduce recoil.

RE: Caliber Selection
 

springgobble, I'll bet you get a bunch of responses to your post. I would suggest a bolt action or single shot rifle in 243 Win, 6mm Rem, 257 Roberts, 30-30, or maybe even 44 Rem Mag, (you can shoot 44 special). Be careful with a single shot, some of them are really light weight and can have a real sharp kick. Another trick that reduces felt recoil is good hearing protection. (If it's not so loud, it doesn't seem to kick as bad.)

RE: Caliber Selection
 

for young kids get them a Remington model 7 on a 243. It is a good mid range caliber and has about the same recoil as a .30-30. For young kids that would be my first choice.

Why work when you can hunt???? Heck why work at all!!

RE: Caliber Selection
 

I'd go with a short-action.Remington Model 7 or Browning's Micro Hunter A-Bolt in .260,.257,.243 or the 7-08(leaning towards the 7-08).Both of these rifles are wooden stocked so they will absorb more recoil than a synthetic stocked rifle.

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RE: Caliber Selection
 

Try a Savage 99 in .250 Savage. Lots of pop for deer, but almost no noticeable recoil for an adult shooter. Should be great for your kids.

RE: Caliber Selection
 

I've knocked down 20+ deer in WV with a .222 Savage. Doesn't matter what caliber it is, it still has to be in the right spot.

RE: Caliber Selection
 

Remington Model Seven in a .243 was my choice for my son when he first started to hunt...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Hunt Safe!

Jack

RE: Caliber Selection
 

Personal opinion would be a 30-30, my ten year old twin girls have shot my 50 cal smokepole with 100 grains of pyrodex, they were not thrilled with it, but they handled it. They love shooting my model 94 30-30. Every kid is different, but my twins after experiencing the kick of the smokepole have no problem with the model 94.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: Caliber Selection
 

I'd go with either a 243 or 6mm

RE: Caliber Selection
 

NEF makes a single shot youth rifle in .243 win. I have one for my son (age 10) he loves it. Winchester and Savage make a youth bolt action as well. I prefer the single shot as it's safer and makes the young shooter think about shot placement as there is no quick second shot. Good luck

RE: Caliber Selection
 

30-30 is a great gun for kids just starting out.

RE: Caliber Selection
 

I love shooting the same .243 bolt action I've been shooting since I was 6. I thought it had alot of kick untill my dad made me shoot his 7mm Rem Mag. After that the thing had the recoil of a bb gun to me.

Save the sport. Take a kid hunting twice and hook them for life!!!

RE: Caliber Selection
 

I agree with those who have suggested the 243 or 30.30. My daughter loves the 243 and my 11 year old son loves the 30.30. I am not sure why someone would suggest the 25.06 however. Ammo is not commonly found, ammo is expensive and the thing kicks like a mule... worse than the 30.06 in some choice of rounds. Don't believe the hype about the 243 and 30.30 not being enough gun. That simply is not true. I have gone down to a .357 model 94 carbine, because all the deer where I hunt are at one hundred yards or less and the 30.30 was causing too much meat loss. I know a guy who had hunted years with a model 94 in .44 magnum but he has switched to the .357 for the same reason... too much damage and loss of meat.

RE: Caliber Selection
 

The 25-06 kicks less than the 30-06 in an equal rifle.The recoil listed for the 100gr load is 13ftlbs while the 30-06 provides 17ft lbs for the 150gr load.Ammo is easy to find and the cost is in the same range as ammo for the 270 and 30-06 where I live.

Edited by - stubblejumper on 09/07/2002 08:59:09

RE: Caliber Selection
 

Every kid is different, you will know what to do, but the marksman ship and familarity with a gun, is very imporotant prior to any gun selection. You certainly don't want your young-uns to wound and lose game, it could make them quit altogether as well as recoil sensitivity. Practice, practice, practice of course, but I would also consider action type as an important factor. Single shot or bolt are top choices with youths. Correct length of pull is important, to good easy gun handling and reduces felt recoil.


Some kids have been shooting starting with BB guns since they were 5. The important thing to do is not scare the kids with massive recoil right off the bat. Some kids are tougher than others when it comes to guns. My 12 year old just thought he was invincible when he was 5. Nothing would do him but shoot my 12 guage. I told him he couldn't, but he kept insisting. I put one number 7 shot it it and let him try to hit the skeet we were shooting. Well you know what happened. The gun came up and whacked him across the forehead and I caught the gun as he landed on his butt. All of a sudden it was my fault that it happened, but he decided I might know something he didn't after that. Since then he has worked his way through 22's .410, 16's and now he hunts regularly with me, handles the 12 guage and 30-06 great.

My 9 year old wasn't quite as silly, and took guidance a little better. He's worked up to the .410 and has shot the 16, but didn't quite like it to much. His only error in judgement was we were sighting in our guns one time and he insisted on shooting the 30-30. Well he bench shot it good, hit his target, but had that look on his face of, &quot;if no one was looking, I'd cry about that recoil and my newly sore shoulder!&quot; My bud and I both turned to him and said HEY! Nice Shot! and he smiled and walked off a bit rubbing his shoulder.

Both my boys are crack shots at what ever they are shooting, (better than old Dad), and both have been dogging me to take them up to hunt a hog. The 12 year old could use just about anything, but the 9 year old given his options would probably choose a .410 slug, or the 16 with buckshot. I don't think I'd let them try with the 22 for fear they'd just hurt a hog and then we'd all feel bad. Importantly, keep distance short and shots double lung for starters, you want them to be successful, at all costs.


Good Luck to you and your sons. Use your best judgement, cause you know them better than anyone!

RE: Caliber Selection
 

Thank you all for your replies and advice, it is appreciated by me and the boys. I wish you all a great upcoming (current for some of you) season.

Thanks!

RE: Caliber Selection
 

In my opinion the 30-30 Win is not a good cartridge for novice shooters. For one it is anemic at best in factory loadings and it carries less energy downrange with more recoil than a 243 Win. Secondly, most rifles that you find in 30-30 Win are lever actions or single-shots. Lever actions and single-shots have hammers that can slip out from under small, excited thumbs and cause an unpleasant end to a hunt. Also, I wouldn't even consider taking a shot at deer sized game with a .22 caliber of any flavor. In some states it is illegal, but at best it isn't wise. There is a difference between varmint bullets and big game bullets and .22 bullets are generally of the varmint variety. Having said that, there are several cartridges that would neatly fit the bill. 243 Win, 6mm Rem, 260 Rem, 257 Roberts, 6.5X55mm,7mm-08 Rem or even the 270 Win. All have mild recoil with good knockdown power.

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RE: Caliber Selection
 

give the 6.5 X 55 swedish a try it was my first gun cal. the ammo may be hard to find.