Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kids deer/antelope rifle

Said that too. Can't go wrong with a tikka. At least we can all agree on that!

So we live in Iowa which until recently was a slug gun only deer state. I started at 12 with a 12gauge wingmaster, smooth bore dog barrrl and breaker slugs. Absolutely zero fun.

All 4 of my older kids have shot deer with a combo of a Winchester XPR in .350 legend or a Ruger #3 in 44 mag. Just don’t see either one of those being real effective out west, but that’s just me with 6-7 trips out under my belt.


They all like shooting, and we mostly use the .22lrs now, although all will shoot clay pigeons with a 20ga as we have bird dogs and my friends and I do a fair amount of shooting at clays and kids like to participate.

Kids are now aged 13,11,9,7 with 2 younger ones who will go down this same route if things work out. With the pair of t1xs my thought was to keep rifles set up with same scope, stock, trigger so they all felt the same.

The .22 is an obvious no brainer as it cheap to shoot and slows alot of practice. The .223 compact also slows more longer range practice with also being able to let them shoot at prairie dogs and coyotes.

Ideally I would let how they shoot dictate distance as my 11 year old shot her deer last year with her .350 @ 170 yards on her own while i watched through binos.

Trying to set them up right as I absolutely hated shooting that 12ga as a kid and was a poor shot due to recoil. Some are not old enough to hunt in certain states and we will cross that as they get older. Goal is to set them up for success and hope they continue to enjoy doing this with dad so we have a trip to look forward too each year. Like a previous poster said they grow up fast. Luckily I have a job where I have ) weeks vacation and a wife who is ok with all the hunting, even more so as I involve the kids and don’t just pass them off on her so I can go.

I don't understand why the difference between kids deer gun and a grown man deer gun.

I pack my 6mm Remington more than anything and have no issues killing deer.

85 grain Sierra SP has been used most in it for about 40 years and flat kills.

Some 100 grain stuff has been used, 80 grain, 95 grain, it all works without much drama.

In the 22-250 I have used all styles and they work but the best was the 60 grain Partition. Broke shoulders with no problem and was a very quick killer.

Be hard not to recommend the 6.5 CM as you can load light bullets with reduced powder for smaller or more recoil sensitive shooters all the way up to over 140 full power loads get the full potential of the round.

My buds boy started with the CM and 100 grain Barnes, been killing with it for about 10 years now and won't even entertain the idea of a different cartridge or bullet.

So they can shoot, and already popped some critters on their own. Nice. .243 win or 6.5 creed with the availability of bullets should get you the wide spectrum of bullets to kill a prairie dog or an elk in about every situation your in.

Only difference being some states don't allow .24 caliber for elk.

Just something to keep in mind if one has elk on the menu.

308 Tikka compact. Can be loaded from sub sonic to 30-30 levels, to 300 Savage levels to full house. Now with the mono bullets 110 to 130 grain opens yet another window. I have 4 Tikka compacts and they all shoot lights out. Over 30 years ago I started my son with a stainless model Seven in 308 with 30-30 equivalent loads and with the 150 grain Remington 30-30 bullets. The several deer he killed with it never complained.
Good Luck,
Rick

I had the same experience with a 243. I was a puny 11 year old. Rem 788, factory Federal 100gr fodder, hard buttplate, tank top in August, no hearing protection. Hated it, and my shooting suffered because of it.

Started my two girls out with a CZ 223 until they got the basics down then bought them a Tikka compact in 7-08...l loaded 120BT /RL15 youth load. Between that and a Howa Alpine 6.5 CM that's all m kids and wife carry.
Wide selection of bullets, mild recoil , very easy to load and heavies later if needed.

There's value in ensuring a child has a rifle they enjoy shooting regardless of target. Popping primers can be fun and should be fun - builds good habits.

A youth deer rifle need not be painful but some of the cartridges listed seem to have suddenly become "hard kickers". Proper mounting, form and fit alleviates a lot of that.

My son's progression was basically BB - 22lr - 243 shooting 105's and now he switches between 243 and 30-06. He also grew up shooting 20 and 12 gauge, 2 3/4 shells. It's amazing what a "small statured" person can handle if given proper form and technique along with fit.

Said son never qualified below Expert in the Army and is getting married in 6 months, which means grandchildren soon. I expect them to move along similar path.

Teaching how to shoot is as important as what to shoot. Good rifles in good condition helps make the lessons easier. Never understood the struggle some had. Bullets are the truth. In a rifle that shoots POI to POA - if the bullet didn't hit - shooter error. IOW - don't break the shot till sights are where they're supposed to be - hitting targets isn't that hard once you make sure you're doing that.

My boy shoots a 22 lr all the time. He goes back and forth between irons and a 4x scope. I have steel out to about 150 yards behind the house that he routinely shoots at. He shoots sitting down, laying down, off the corner of the house, off the storm shelter, ect.
When fall come around, and we get the centerfires out, I have steel to 600 and a bench and mat to shoot from. I can tell that 22 lr is what made him shoot effectively. I also let him screw around with a little 223 ranch rifle and a red dot. It's all in the practice and learning to shoot. When it comes to recoil and kids, it's not a bad idea to teach them how to hold the rifle and warn them they might get busted. From a bench, it's always a good idea to have that rifle in the crease of your shoulder and your elbow down. It'll help most of that recoil run into their chest as apposed to their collar bone or bicep. I've taught him to be effective and what to do. He's been shooting larger calibers for a few years now. He's 10 and only weighs 85 pounds and was shooting my buddies m77 06 guide gun without a problem. When I was growing up, I had one option. Dad's 30-06. I still have scars in my forehead from that bastard. There wasn't no kid gun/adult gun. It was what ever dad had. So I feel like my kid is spoiled in that aspect. The OPs kids are already slinging lead with a 350. I think they could handle any 6mm. If 223 floats his boat, power to him. But as mentioned before by myself and many others, practice makes perfect.

And it's so simple to load a 243 down to adequate killing power and great accuracy. It's always easier to throttle back than load to the nutz.

I have lots of 270's,ARC,243 Grendel,6BR's,Dasher,Seex Kreeds,243's,243AI's,6mm,6mm AI,6-284's and 6-06. Often shoot same side by each. Hint.




I'm generally toting a 223/223AI or 22PPC AFI,because they are fhuqking FUN and kill Critters dead. Hint...........

Here’s my $.02, my daughter is an average to smallish 12 year old. I started her with a 223 at 8 yo. She shot that 2 years before I decided to get her a left handed rifle instead of shooting my right handed rifle. I went with a 243 for the new rifle. If I were doing it again I would have stayed with 223. I do not hand load, so that could make a difference. Your 13 yo can probably handle the 243 or 6.5, but the 243 recoil is all my daughter wants. It’s not an issue shooting deer, but it is shooting paper for practice. Of your three choices I vote fast twist 22-250, especially for the younger kids.

22 ARC and 6 ARC,for those who don't load. Hint.................

Out of your original choices, I think the 6.5 creedmore would be hard to beat. You can load it down until they get used to a little more recoil.

22 arc is pretty dang cool.
Can't argue that one.

I’m gonna error on the side of caution, and guess that a ‘250 is made for huntin goats. Just spitballing though.

I have one of those 6 Creedmoor howa's. I put it in a full size Vangaurd stock but haven't shot it yet. I didn't get the deal on it that some people did because I bought it before they cleared them out. I thought about getting a youth stock for it but its still a little heavy for small kids in my opinion. I haven't even shot mine yet.

My kid started at 10 with a mini in 6.5 grendel and was still a little recoil shy shooting 129s from that little rifle. He said he just wanted to use my light weight little ar but I pushed him to use the bolt mini grendel.

I got him on 2 very good large mule deer bucks the first day and he missed them both because he was scarred of the gun and didn't practice enough. If I had it to do over I'd have let him use the light ar and he would have had more fun with it and practiced with it.

The next year I let him use a lightweight ar in 300 hamr. I put a big break off of my m5 6.5 Creedmoor on it and it didn't kick at all. He wasn't scared of that gun and made a perfect heart lung shot at 200 yards with the first shot at the first deer he saw. I used it to hamr a buck too.

I learned to take the kids shooting and let them try a few things and they'll tell you what they like if youre listening. They always seem to like light 223s with adjustable stocks.

The next 2 kids are going to start with fast twist 223s and get more practice. They already gravitate towards my 16" ar with a bhw 3 groove pencil barrel on it so I'm building them similar ones. I also need to get them some light fast twist bolt 223s so thry learn to work a bolt better.

When they get to be 12 or so I'll move them up to to 6 Creedmoors or maybe 6.5s. They'll be chasing elk too so I'll keep moving them up as their comfort levels grow. I've seen elk taken with smaller rounds but personally prefer 6.5mms and up. For myself on elk im most confident with my 300wsm and 215g hybrids but most 10 years wouldn't do well with that.

There's some good bullets out these days that turn smaller rounds into giant killers. I've even seen the old 100g 6mm partitions do big things but still prefer a 6.5 or up if the person can shoot one well.

Bb

Good point on letting the kid choose. When my boy graduated to the 7mm-08 I worked up three different loads for him to try and let him choose which recoil level he wanted. I think they feel better about it when they get a choice.





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