Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Mule Deer and others, youth rifle advice, please

My 11 year old daughter, Amy, has always loved coming hunting with me but I was starting to think she wouldn't end up being a hunter herself. She is the kind of kid who is happiest in the outdoors whether hunting with me, fishing (which she is very good at), long hikes or camping in remote areas.

This year she was with me bear hunting in the spring and she loved it. I even managed to take a nice sized black bear while she was with me. It was a great time but there was still no indication that she wanted to be a hunter herself. Then, pretty much out of the blue, she decided in September that she wanted to try grouse hunting. She's done well with that and now she is hooked. She definitely plans to do her hunter safety course soon. In November she was up at 5:15 with me for deer hunting and was an absolute trooper. We were in farm fields and I wanted her to have a meaningful role so she had the binoculars and I had the rifle. We got a buck that she spotted, which she was very proud of, and now she wants to hunt deer and black bear. Black bears would be over bait in the brush at 40 yards or so and deer would be at longer distance in farm fields.

Now I'm looking into a rifle for her use. I've got plenty but I'd like something ideal for her. She's a tall, strong kid for her age at about 5'5" and 110 lbs but she's still only that size and 11 years old. In terms of cartridge I'm thinking of either a .243 or a 6.5 Creedmoor. I like the lesser recoil and flatter trajectory of the .243 but the Creedmoor certainly has a lot going for it too. Whichever it is, she'd likely get handloaded Nosler Partitions. Both cartridges would work but do you see one as a better choice?

As for rifle, I'm seriously thinking about a Tikka T3X Hunter, Ruger 77 Hawkeye Hunter or a used Winchester 70 Super Grade. Right now I'm leaning towards the T3X simply because it's the lightest rifle. My own tastes lean towards one of the other two but the Tikka would surely be a great rifle. Which of these would you advise, or something else entirely?

The only other thing to mention is that she's a competent shooter. She shoots well with rimfire as well as my Ruger 77 Hawkeye .223. She's been shooting since getting her own Savage Rascal at five years old and done a few rimfire precision competitions out to 200 yards. Most importantly she's the kind of shooter who has the self-discipline to make a good shoot or not shoot at all.

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.

You can't go wrong with either. A 243 Tikka would be a great choice. People always shoot lighter recoiling rifles better. A 6mm Creed is another option, though they have somewhat limited hunting rifle offerings.

A Christensen Mesa FFT in 6 Creed would be really sweet.

On paper, assuming a 42ish grains of powder charge - the difference between a .243 with 100grn bullets at 3000 and the 6.5CM with 140grn bullets at 2700 is 3lbs more of recoil in a 6 pound rifle.

What I did for my 10 year old son was a Tikka T3x SS Lite in .308W cut to 20" and loaded to 2800 with 130 TTSX. That recoils the same as the aforementioned 6.5CM load. As he grows I can transition him to full power loads and a full size stock.

Just went through this debate looking for the right rifle for my oldest daughter. We have a Ruger American youth rifle in 243 but, She’s 5’3” and about 100lbs and is about to outgrow it. She got to try a few different rifles and see how they fit. After shouldering about a dozen different rifles she chose a Weatherby vanguard Camilla and I got it in 6.5creed and figured this will probably work for her for most everything we be hunting. Good luck! Having a daughter to hunt with is a special.

Don’t be in a hurry to make a bad decision.

Recommend you read this thread in it’s entirety:

https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/223-for-bear-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/

I've actually read that thread before. There is some really interesting stuff there. Using the .223 has occurred to me. My concern is how much range she might have with it in a farm field. I hear some mixed things about the .223 as a deer round once distance starts to stretch. Do you have any experience with this one? All of my own deer have been taken with a .270 or .30-06 until I recently started using a 6.5x284.

What about a 6.5 Grendel? That would be an intermediate step between a 223 and a 243 or 6.5Creed. Barnes makes factory ammo with the 115 gr TTSX, and Howa makes their 1500 rifle in 6.5 Grendel.

Or since you handload, you can probably match (or be below) 6.5 Grendel recoil with a 6.5Creed or .243 with an appropriate weight Partition.

I’m in that thread on Rokslide. I killed a Mulie buck this year with one shot from my Tikka .223 at 475 yards, 75 gr ELDX. The buck went straight down and I mean right now, didn’t take a step.

That said, Tikka just came out with a 1-8” .243 that looks very interesting. I have a hard time thinking there’s much difference between a 75 grain .224 bullet and a 105 grain .243 bullet at distances most new hunters would shoot.

If you’re not comfortable with a .223 (it takes an open mind, believe me) look hard at the 1-8” Tikka.

Or buy them both and let her decide.





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If she hasn't started at .22LR why not start there.

I would let her pick the rifle. Since you handload, cartridge is secondary.

I would lean towards the 6.5 loaded down a touch with an appropriate bullet. But a 243, or 223 would work also.

Do not overthink this, let her choose and shoot a bunch. The critters will fall.

I agree with CRS here. Let her look at several rifles that you know to be solid.

Since you are a handloader, I’d 100% go 6.5CM for maximum usefulness later. My kids shot downloaded 260 and 7-08 boltguns in youth stocks when they were 7 years old. I bumped up the loads as they grew. Powderfuff loads were like shooting a 223. Various 100gr hunting bullets at 2800 or so in the 6.5 would approximate the performance of a factory 243 load in a youth carbine, and those have killed a lot of game.

One of my granddaughters uses my Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel, with handloaded 123 SST's. Very capable cartridge with little, if any, recoil. The youngest granddaughter took her deer this year with a 223 using the Winchester 64 grain factory ammo. I was very impressed with the results.

My wife is 5’2” about 115# and loves her Winchester XPR Compact in 7mm08.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions so far.

I have considered the 6.5 Grendel but they aren't easy to find here in Canada and choices are limited. If I could find a CZ 527 American I would consider it. There wouldn't be too many other options due to availability and the fact that my girl like blued steel and walnut.

I'd like to let her try handling a lot of guns but we're in a small town with one store that has a small selection of guns and nothing else better nearby. That one shop has a T3X Hunter .30-06 that she could at least handle for feel and then something more suitable than a .30-06 could be ordered.

As for the moment I'm off to go grouse hunting with my girl.

Mule Deer has written some good stuff about stock fit, women, and recoil.

Very cool that she wants to go hunting with dad! Sounds like you're making the most of it. Good on you, my friend.

From Weatherby's website:

Camilla

My son is about to turn 10 and has taken 3 WT bucks so far. He has used a suppressed AR in 6.8 SPC with an illuminated Leupold 2-7 and it has been perfect. The collapsible stock makes the gun fit him perfectly, the suppressor allows me to talk him through the shot, the dot in the reticle makes a easy to understand aiming point, and the recoil is mild enough with 120gr bullets that he shoots it with confidence.

His first rifle will be a bolt 6mm of some flavor but the AR has been very effective to get him into hunting. We practice with other ARs in .223 so he is efficient with the rifle.

….just noticed Canada. My bad….

Savage makes a similar line as well, the Lady Hunter.

Since you mentioned using PT's, the 6.5 Creed in the rifle she likes, loaded with PT's, even on the light side will let you let her grow into whichever rifle she decides on. A 6.5 Creed load with 100 grain PT's at 2700 would be a pleasant shooting rifle. Either way, letting her get into the mix and picking the cartridge and rifle will make it seem like she has some skin in the game.

Good luck. My daughter used my 222 Rem for her first buck and has grown into a 7-08 these days.