My 16 yr old thinks he needs a .45 ACP pistol instead of his 9MM and a .338 WM instead of his 30-06. We were actually having that conversation today so I had him get his CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical and our Browning Buck Mark out. I placed two milk jugs at 25 yards and he shot 19 rounds from the CZ and I shot 11 rounds from the Buck Mark. He hit 8 of 19 and I hit 11 of 11. I then told him that probably 90 percent of the bullets I have fired in my 54 years were .22 longs even though I own seven centerfire rifles and six centerfire handguns. I saw the light finally go on in his head.
Started loading magazines for him and he shot 100 rounds out of the Buck Mark. The last 39 rounds in a row were all hits. I have never had the pleasure of going on an elk hunt but will do it with my son before I am 60. I will bring my 6.5x55 and my .270 as back-up. Maybe I am a wuss but I started feeling recoil more when I hit my mid forties. I personally believe that if you do a whole lot of shooting with rimfires it will make you a better shot with centerfires. And then if you do a lot of shooting with a 30-06 or smaller it will make you a better shot with magnums should you choose to step up. Not a scientific approach but it certainly worked for me and my friends whose first firearms were hand me down single shot bolt action .22s with iron sights.
