Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Still trying to figure out a rifle for my daughter

Good choice, plus mistem is darned good people.



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Grandkids have Savages, all super accurate, all 243’s. I load the 80 TTSX for them.

Nice. However my experience with 90gr scenars was, contrary to what I've read here, zero expansion and a long chase to a live deer.

My wife is 5’2” and she loves the 7mm08. She actually has two, a Browning A-Bolt Micro and a Winchester XPR Compact. There are a bunch of compact rifles and the 7mm08 is just about perfect.

I shot 3 head of African game (impala, warthog and blesbok) with a Kimber Montana in 7-08 using Barnes Vorex factory ammo and 120 TTSX, all DRT.

Many youngsters, especially female who continue to hunt into adulthood would benefit more from a 257 Roberts or 25-06 Rem. That particular caliber in those chambers is something women continually use later in life. Both being superb field cartridges for big and small game. Recoil from 9 ft-lbs-13 ft-lbs. I wouldn’t get hung up a bit on a 243 Win twist rate. If 6mm is your choice, chances are your daughter would practice with 70-80 grain loads, which should be more accurate in a 10 twist as well as 100 grain loads. While the 6mm CM offers benefits in heavier bullet use, how often will she be shooting 115 DTAC and such loads for 1,000 yd looks. In many ways a 243 Win with a 10 twist is a more usable field gun shooting 55-100 grain loads on an accurate lazer line with authority.

IFFFF you can find a Ruger 77RL in a caliber such as 243, 257 Bob, 260 etc.that would be the nuts
for younger person. That is the older tang safety light weight with the black for end tip.

They carry and handle about like a 22, but obviously hit harder.

A little bedding, free floating the barrel plus seal the stock is a good move with them.

Just my 2 cents.
Tim

Picked up the rifle today...will be cutting down the stock and putting a new pad on this weekend. Then going to do a sponge GAP camo with pink, purple, grey....

Found a like new Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10x40 for it....should do just dandy for her.

Will post pics once it’s all put together. Dads just as excited to see the final product 😎

Buy a Savage 6.5 Creedmoor. Load it down with H 4895. As she gets bigger, increase powder. Granddaughter is 5’0”, maybe weighs 110. She’s shooting full power factory loads. I think, 120 grain.

I've been hunting with the same .243 rifle (off and on) since 1968. The rifle is a Remington 760 slide action which is a tack driver. Many antelope and mule deer have been toppled with well placed bullets through the chest organs. My current scope is Simons AETAC featuring 2.8 - 10X settings.

95 grain bullets shoot best in my rifle. I've had very good luck with Nosler Ballistic Tips and Sierra bullets.

CVA builds a great single shot rifle in .243 that is ideal for deer hunting. I bought their Hunter model in 44 MAG for wild hogs and love it!

Sherwood

A Howa Mini in 6.5 grendel with the youth stock would be my suggestion. Cut the barrel down and slim up the stock and swap the plastic bottom metal for an aluminum one. Even if you pay someone instead of doing the work yourself its still economical.

One word of warning, you might as well buy 2 because you are going to want one for yourself.

I've found the youth stock to be perfectly usable for adults, even my semi-giant son. I did put a Limbsaver 1/2" slip-on pad on mine, so it can go either way in seconds.

I believe you're the rascal responsible for me dropping $165 on a floorplate for mine. Thanks! Might get another for the 7.62. Such a difference!

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about twist rate and other esoterica at this stage in your daughter's development. It just needs to fit, be comfortable and not scary and kill the deer. She can fine tune the other stuff later.

6 Creed and 95lrx would be my choice

If the 90 Scenar doesn't pan out the 95 gr. BT is a dandy. The 85 partition works well and slightly less recoil. They can be down loaded to 2,500 - 2,800 fps for less recoil and still perform well.

I have never used a ballistic tip in my life - but from what I read on the net, the 95 grain .243 version was made to be one heck of a killing bullet.

Recently looked at a Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Grendel.. it has a 22 inch barrel, and a 10 Round AR Mag with it..

I have a pair of Howa Mini's... in 223

The AR Mag eliminates the problems the early RAP had...

the Grendal runs on about 25 to <30 grains of powder with a 123 grain bullet in the 2450 FPS range...

a 100 grain Ballistic Tip, or 100 grain Sierra HP, 90 grain Varmageddon, Speer 90 TNT, 95 grain V Max,
can be ran at 2900 fps with Less than 30 grains of Powder...

Got to shoot a Grendal a friend has in bolt action, with 123 grain ELD-M, loaded with 26.5 grains of H 322...

Good for 250 yrs or more for a kid for deer hunting...

Think of it as less recoil than a 30/30.. and bullet weight similar to the old 250 Savage 85 to 143.. better selection than the 250 Savage...If I make the plunge, I look at the RAP as a new truck gun...

this^^^^^

Look at the Mossberg Youth Rifles, great place to "start" although many "starters" are still in use, primary rifle, many years later.. Let her choose.

That is a very good idea. Having a mini in 7.62x39, I would suggest buying the barreled action and getting a stock from either B&C or Boyd's. The factory Hogue stock is clunky and unwieldy and should have never been on a factory rifle.

Some sanding will thin the factory stock down nicely on the Howa mini. I sanded quite a bit off mine as I did not like the stock originally.