Good Multi Purpose rifle

[Mlopez]

I'm interested in purchasing a rifle for my 11 year old daughter which will primarily be used for Deer, Elk and Antelope. She is currently shooting my Marlin 30-30 and Remington 30-06. I want to get her a gun that wont be to tough on her shoulder, something she can carry in the field and something that she can use for a variety of game.

I'm not looking for a youth gun as she's pretty much out outgrown all the ones I've had her look at.

currently looking at
7mm-08
.308
.243 (may be too small for elk)

Any suggestions on models or calibers would be greatly appreciated

 

[outdoorsdude]

Don't own one but have seen what happens with the 7mm-08 first hand- pretty impressive.

Like the '06 it can be loaded up and down in bullet grain, just look at what Norma offers.

 

[mossback50cal]

I second the 08. Great youth rifle.



*We are all in the same boat, just
wishing to be hunting right now!*

 

[BluffGruff]

7mm08 is not an elk gun except under ideal circumstances. 308 is the way to go.

 

[Phantom Hunter]

Another vote for 7mm-08. Same projectile as 7 Rem Mag. Great for deer and antelope and if care is taken with range and shot placement will work for elk. Recoil is mild.

 

[SLM]

I think a lot of parents over gun kids. Both of my kids have killed elk with a .243 without a hitch.

I wouldn't think twice about outfitting a kid with a 7-08, 6.5 Creedmoor or a .308. Bullets matter way more than headstamp.

 

[Mlopez]

>I think a lot of parents
>over gun kids. Both
>of my kids have killed
>elk with a .243 without
>a hitch.
>
>I wouldn't think twice about outfitting
>a kid with a 7-08,
>6.5 Creedmoor or a .308.
>Bullets matter way more than
>headstamp.

what model of .243 do your kids use? I've never shot a .243 myself but know several people that love theirs.

 

[Mlopez]

>Another vote for 7mm-08. Same
>projectile as 7 Rem Mag.
>Great for deer and antelope
>and if care is taken
>with range and shot placement
>will work for elk.
>Recoil is mild.


I know there's several choices out there, any model in particular you recommend?

 

[elkhunternm_13]

25-06....light recoil and straight out flat shooting

 

[RoughCountry]

My 14 year old has been shooting a .308 since she was 12 and has never complained about it. Killed a cow last year at 200 yards. Nosler 160 grain accubond ammo.

 

[Muleman]

6.5 creedmore would be my choice. We have killed dozens of elk with 6.5?s it's plenty of gun. Fun to shoot, won't beat your kid to death, factory ammo available everywhere- perfect youth gun IMO. You might find you like it too.

Can?t go wrong with 7-08 either

 

[AlleninNM]

I got my daughter a Savage Youth Model in 7mm-08. She loves shooting it and dropped her cow elk easily last year. Shoots great and she easily handles the recoil. Initially I handloaded soft loads for her to practice with. Now she just shoots full power loads.

 

[Bowdeadly]

270 WSM, have
Taken mule deer, WT deer, Axis deer, elk and Oryx with 140 grain Nosler Accubonds. All within 300 yards. It's been a very good rifle. I'll pass it down to my 10 year old son when he is ready as I just bought a 300 RUM missle launcher. LOL

 

[Bc]

Got my kid the 7mm-08, if I had it to do over would get the 308. My two cents.

 

[NMPaul]

If I had to pick, it would be a .308

 

[smokey172]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-19-19 AT 12:02PM (MST)[p]Look at the remington 700 mountain rifle or remington model 7. They are short lightweight rifles and mine shoots great. My 12 year old son uses mine and I just put a shorter recoil pad on it and it shortened it by an inch. You can also get it in .243,.260.7mm-08 and .308. Mine is in the .260. I would say the .260, 7mm-08 and .308 are all suitable for elk with the right bullet.

 

[jekennedy]

Bought my wife a weatherby Camilla in a 6.5 creedmore. Great fit and balance Which IMO is as important as caliber. Have taken elk out to 500 yds with it.

 

[roadrunner]

.270 - very common and enough to find rounds at most hardware stores. Can load cold with a 130 gr bullet or load a little hotter with a 150 gr and still have moderate recoil.

It will kill anything with 4 hooves in North America.

 

[smokey172]

Agreed! Especially with the availability of light bullets in the 130 range. Accubonds, barnes, Swift i believe has one as well. If you have an 30-06 you could load down a 150 grain bullet if you reload. My 12 son shot his Oryx with a 168 Barnes triple shock and dropped it. It does have more recoil but that is a grown person rifle and the OP's daughter could grow into either a .270 or 30-06 and be a rifle for a lifetime. If he has the capablity to load it down and select a good bullet with lower recoil.

 

[SLM]

?what model of .243 do your kids use? I've never shot a .243 myself but know several people that love theirs.?

Both a mod. 70 and 700. Most will say the .243 is not a sufficient elk cartridge and I would agree in some instances. JMO again, but the suggestions for lighter rifles and long action cartridges does not make sense to me. A lot of adults have trouble with /06 level recoil after ~ 10 shots, most won't admit it, but targets/groups don't lie. There?s a reason you don't see many long action cartridges in PRS matches. To me it makes more sense to find a cartridge they are comfortable with and can/will shoot a lot. A heavier rifle will settle down much easier than a light rifle giving a kid a little more confidence. Find a kid a rifle that doesn't recoil much, fits them well and supply them with as many rounds as they want and good things happen.

 

[Mlopez]

thank you all for your input, I greatly appreciate everyone's comments.

Thank you again

 

[ixsolracxi]

Another vote here for the 7-08. I bought a browning a-bolt for my daughter when she was 11 and never had a problem with it. She has taken a bull elk, two speedgoat bucks and a bull oryx with it, 3 of the 4 with one shot using 140 grain nosler accubonds. In addition to hers, a cousin used her rifle to take a nice 5x5 bull, my nephew a cow elk and a friend another oryx. Of the three 7-08's i would say the tikka (nephew) is the best followed by the browning and third the savage (friend). The action on that Tikka is super smooth.

Good luck.

 

[ThunderBall]

The 6.5 creedmoor is good for little girls. I'd get her the Tikka t3x. They are light and the recoil is a lot less than what she's shooting now.

 

[roadrunner]

>The 6.5 creedmoor is good for
>little girls. I'd get her
>the Tikka t3x. They are
>light and the recoil is
>a lot less than what
>she's shooting now.

They are good for millennials with man buns too. ;^)

 

[txjp]

I bought my daughter a Tikka T3 in 308 when she was 10. We spent all day traveling to different gun stores so she could hold and work the action of a lot of rifles. The Tikka was the best by far and she could work the action well. The ruger American and browning a bolt where also good. The Tikka shoots awesome right out of the box she could group really well. I did start her with recoil reduction ammo but only that first year since then she shoots regular ammo. She has killed 5 cow elk with one shot. 275 being the longest and 97 the shortest. Everyone died in sight. Multiple whitetail and all sorts of game hogs axis buck list goes on. You couldn't pry that Tikka out of her hands she loves it!





?YOU DON?T FIND WILLPOWER YOU FORGE IT?

 

[Hunt4fun96]

Have you looked at 270 wsm? I shot a 270 short mag growing up as a kid and loved it. My wife currently has one and it's good for everything from antelope to elk!

 

[Barrera]

Got a 7mm-08 I'm selling if your interested let me know for more info. Prob 120 rounds on it and has a adult and youth stock.
My son dropped his 6x7 bull at 220yds no problem shooting the barnes bullets.

 

[nutsandbolts]

I have been using a 7mm Rem Mag for over 40 years. Still using my Ruger. My son started using a 270. Excellent for everything and everyone.

 

[Ltsheets]

A 7-08 will handle anything a 308 with and with better ballistics.

7mm08 is my vote out of those options.

>7mm08 is not an elk gun
>except under ideal circumstances. 308
>is the way to go.
>

 

[Reuben_Soady]

I bought a 7mm-08 youth rifle for my lightweight 12 yr boy, as a step up from the 243. I didn't want to schlam his shoulder too bad. He was nervous too. After his first shot, the stinker literally laughed out loud. When we were packing up I heard him singing "I don't know but I've been told, Stevie's shoulder's made of stone." A few days later we went through 10 rounds before he showed some fatigue.

Thinking now I should have gone with the 308.

Maybe see if you can borrow something before buying...