What cartridge for daughter
 

My daughter is getting to the age where in the next year or two she will be hunting with me. Shes almost 11 and with a small frame. I'm starting to look at guns for her to practice with. I'm going to start her out with a 22 wmr to get used to shooting. Develop some good shooting techniques.

Which cartridge would you start a young one out with for deer? 7mm08 or 243? I know they will both kill deer but I'm thinking of more recoil and killing capabilities for a youth. Shes done some shooting with me, mostly 22lr but I want to actually start building her up for when shes 12.

Or maybe something else I haven't thought of?

I have done the same thing for my daughter started her off with a .22 when she was about 7 moved her up to a .410 for a little more recoil and now she is shooting a 6.5 Creedmoor at 11 years old with no issues at all. She is also a very tiny 11 year old.

My choice would be the 7mm-08 from the two you picked. In can be a life long cartridge for her for most anything in Alberta.

If you, or someone you know reloads, you can start out with some mild loads and work up from there.

If you reload, I think choosing a .308 could be a wise choice. There’s no shame in making reduced loads in her younger years. And I think a .308’s full recoil is manageable for most experienced female shooters.

The 7mm-08 or a 6.5 cartridge (my personal preference is 6.55x55.... but the differences are pretty minimal IMO) could also be good choices for AB hunting.

I started off by getting my son a 243 for his first rifle. Now I’m in the position of buying him a new rifle, giving him one of mine, or working on his and rebarreling it.

As a “cheaper” option than what I have done, get a bigger caliber (7-08, 308, 6.5 variant) and go with reduced loads. There are some options for factory versions.

I’d also look at a better quality rifle to start. Stay away from Savage Axis and the like. Something that has a stock with some options such as the Remington 700 in a youth model, the Savage 110 (I think that one is in a youth model), but something that has spacers for the stock so it will fit as she grows. Something like a 700, as an example, can be a lifelong rifle. Change the stock once she’s done growing, it’s a whole new rifle.

7mm-08, Hornady makes reduced recoil loads if you don’t reload and as she grows you can gradually put more powerful loads through it, she will never be undergunned and it allows lots of versatility as she matures as both a young lady and a huntress.

I used to reload, I'm thinking of getting back into it. I'm not a fan of the 308, although that's what's I shoot (gun passed down from my late uncle). Im leaning more towards the 7mm08 over 243 but the 243 is also appealing.

I have time to think about it though.

7mm-08 and you don't need reduced loads the majority of recoil issues are in peoples heads and caused by others telling them its going to kick or hurt them
teach her how to hold the rifle properly with the 22 as you have all ready mentioned and she will be fine.

The 7mm08 recoil is very mild and I'm told the 6.5 CM is milder. I have a 243 blr and it kicks harder than the 7-08.

I have a Ruger RSI in 250 savage and it is the lightest recoiling rifle i have pulled the trigger on.

.243 with a 70 or 80gr hunting bullet if it is truly meant as her first rifle, with an eye on a larger calibre when she grows into it. Physics tells you a 70 gr. bullet will kick a lot less than a heavier one. If you are looking for a long term rifle then 6.5 CM would be my choice with a reduced load to start with.

Youth rifle
 

The hard hitting,low recoil,with amazeing long distance accuracy.The 6.5 creedmoor have gained international,popularity.The only rifle,your daughter will need for NA game.As well.a fine tack driver for the fun days at the range.Were she will quickly out shoot you.

It wont be a long term rifle or a one gun rifle. Just something to start out with. Honestly looking at just a youth model axis in 7mm08 or 243.

I might look at other cartridges in the nearish future but for now I want to start her out with a common round. Until I acquire some reloading gear and really get back into it.

As of now I hunt both archery and rifle but thinking of getting out of archery and more back into guns/reloading.

My daughter has a .308 and loves it (she’s 16 and has takes a few animals with it now). My son shoots a .243 (he’s 12). Neither have any issues with recoil... I looked at a 7-08 but decided for ammo availability for them to go with the calibers they have.

7-08 is a fine cartridge. Lower recoil but still very capable for deer ,elk ,moose bear

Huntnstuff has a great Husky for sale on the exchange at a good price, 243 with a leupold scope, she may never use anything else if you got her that rifle!:sHa_shakeshout:
Cat

Anything 6.5mm will fill the bill. Better then the 6mm's for killing power and less recoil then the 7mm's...

1) 6,5x55 (For me there is less felt recoil then with choices #2, But that is just me)
2) 6.5 creedmore or .260
3)...The list goes on

Gave my wife a woodsmaster .308 when she was 17 and probably 110lbs. She upgraded to a Tikka a few years later and had been shooting that for the last 10 years with no complaints.

You can buy good used 6.5x55’s off of Tradex for $300.
Hack the stock back and your pretty much set.

If your into more modern stuff, think along the lines of .243, 6.5quagmire, 6.5x55, .260, .257Roberts, .250/3000, .25’06, .270Win, 7x57, 7mm-08, 30/30, .308Win.

I’m not a fan of the 20 inch barreled supposed youth model rifles, I feel the short barrel makes the perceived muzzle blast objectionable and leads to nasty flinches.

Just make sure the stock fits her.

Buy something that will still be relevant, 308 and she can just learn to accept the recoil.

My wife bought a wetherby vangaurd 7mm08 she is a small woman and she is happy with it and it has a extended butt plate with it but she dose not need it

The wife has a Browning X bolt micro midas in .243. She is 5’ nothing. Beautiful little rifle for a short stuff.

Recoil is created by light rifles firing heavy bullets at medium to high velocity. I can make any gun and cartridge combination kick hard or kick as light as a 22 Hornet. The less kick you want, the lower the velocity and lighter the bullet. As long as you have a properly constructed bullet doing at least 1300 FPS you can kill anything you want to. The only thing you lose with lower velocity is flatness of trajectory and assuming a new hunter isn't going to be shooting over 200 yards that is pretty much irrelevant.

I have Trail Boss loads with 300 grain jacketed hollow point bullets for my 460 Weatherby mag that literally have no kick because they are only doing 1100 fps out of an 11 pound gun. Twelve year old kids have no problem what so ever shooting those loads. Load up some 500 grain jacketed to 2700 fps in the same gun and it is a whole new world of recoil.

If you don't reload, get a 250-3000, a 300 Savage, 257 Roberts, 260 Rem or a 243 as a first gun. They are great killers of game with really low recoil, even in full bore loads and you can always buy a bigger gun for her later on. Make sure the gun is heavy enough to absorb some of the recoil. As someone already said, full size guns with a shortened stock are far better than most youth models. Most kids react as much to the muzzle blast and noise as to the recoil of these smaller cartridges. A 24" barrel is a far better idea than a 20". If the kid can't pack 8-9 lbs of scoped gun they are probably too young and small to be big game hunting.

If you reload the world is your Oyster. There literally is no limit to how big a cartridge you can start her out with by simply loading up some heavily reduced loads.

YA make a MAN out of her.....:snapoutofit:

My daughter is a few years away from hunting, but I did look very hard at that rifle with her in mind.

2019 man, be more tolerant man, diversity and stuff maam. :bad_boys_20:

A .243 would be OK, as long as you are up for another rifle when/if the child grows and wants to hunt Elk or Moose.
A 7x57, 7mm08, 6.5 CM or 6.5x55, even a .308 could be a lifetime rifle - with suitable cartridges loaded down for starters. There are some reduced recoil cartridges available commercially, if you are not a handloader.
Cartridge choice among that suite of chamberings is not that important, except for availability in the store. They will all kill game efficiently.
A youth stock, or altering the stock to fit is a requirement for comfortable shooting. Comfort and good experiences with a rifle is key to a youth shooting well.

Exactly......

Either a 243 is good how about a 270 it a better caliber to shoot

I suggest you buy that 243 Husky, cut the stock down, and install a good recoil pad.

I bought a mountain contour 700 in 7-08 and had the stock shortened for my wife to shoot. Between the muzzle blast and sharp recoil, that rifle was more uncomfortable to shoot than some 300 mags I’ve shot. It was nice to carry, but we sold it and went back to her Rem 600 .243.