My nephew's 10 years old son is interested in hunting deer this year and was fortunate to draw an antlerless tag in Maine. They have not been a hunting family so I'm trying to set the boy up with an appropriate rifle. I have a TC Contender carbine with a .223 barrel and also a .357 Max barrel. The Max barrel will also shoot .357 mag. Recoil is definitely an issue to consider. I had a bad experience with another kid shooting a .223 (poor shot, no pass through so no blood trail) so am not enthused about the .223. Would the .357 mag be preferable to the .223? I'm assuming the Max would offer more penetration than the .223 but what about overall effectiveness on deer? Shots will be kept to 50 yards or less. A .22 lr barrel is available for practice. Advice appreciated!
Last edited by eblake; 09/01/22.
