Hunting rifle to hand down to my grandson
- Thread starter bamban
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
xsn10s
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2016
- Messages
- 7,363
This is true. But time is a commodity that you can't place a value on. IMO if he had something cool to spend time with GPa at the range you just can't place a replace that.
Yes, but with the OP's choice and commitment to an excellent muzzle brake, I do not think it will be a problem ...
Pittsspecial
Well-Known Member
If it were me the 300 WM would be my choice of the ones you list
Any chance you could get a second bolt for it with a .473 face? It's gonna be a while before he can shoot a magnum, especially a big magnum like a 300WM or PRC.
If you can get an extra bolt, I would spin up 2 barrels; 308 Win and 300 Win. Both have and will continue to be around for a long time. At least with the 308 he could enjoy it while he is younger.
If you can get an extra bolt, I would spin up 2 barrels; 308 Win and 300 Win. Both have and will continue to be around for a long time. At least with the 308 he could enjoy it while he is younger.
Good question.
I will ask Defiance that question if they can produce a second bolt with standard boltface. He is getting two 308 rifles as I plan it; a suppressed M1a, a 308 M1 Garand, but have not thought about a 308 bolt gun. Good idea.
The grandchild will want to start shooting early in life. I would consider a cartridge that has little recoil, not a magnum. The best way to ruin a kid is to give him something that kicks hard, and an ultra light magnum would be my last choice. A 243 Winchester comes to mind with a good Gentry muzzle break where the concussion does not deafen him on a 24" barrel.
Men build guns that they like for themselves, thinking little of what a young child's needs may be, regarding trigger pull, length of pull, the weight of the rifle that the child can handle, and recoil.
My nephews got Thompson contender Carbines, plastic stocks cut to fit, and Walnut stocks saved. The caliber in the TC carbine is 30/30 shot with Reduced loads of ammo from Remington. The little 5- 6-year-olds sat in my lap and killed deer with that rig. The TC has little weight so they feel comfortable in handling/pointing. The recoil for the smallest child is almost nil. Those kids are full grown now, and still use those TCs in woods hunting, close range.
Now considering that you want to give the guns to the children when they are 17-20 years old, consider that the economy is in one world of hurt, and getting worse, not better. Whatever caliber I chose, I would have 300-500 pieces of brass for each barrel. If the economy goes Kaput, they will have a fighting chance of using the gun. Remember, it takes little to ruin these small brass companies, even though they make world-class brass.
Too bad you are not a 6.5 guy, the 6.5x47 Lapua checks a lot of boxes with very long barrel life...uncanny accuracy as benchrest shooters have proven.
At 10 years old, they should have a collection of BB guns, then pellet guns, then 22 single shots. At 13, I had my nephews on the skeet Field with Rem 1100 Special Field 20ga, they learned hand and eye coordination. They started reloading when they were 10-12, can not remember. Single-stage Mec shotshell reloaders, and I had them help me process brass for their rifles, and they did seat the bullets after I had done the powder charging. I had them shooting carpenter bees with rat shot with their GREAT great grandpa's 22 as soon as they could handle the gun fit. We taught the kids to throw up a golf ball and shoot it with a bb gun, then graduated to pennies, a trick the Great Grandpa taught all his kids, which was passed down.
Kids love shooting reactive targets, and I used the MINI clay pigeons that are 1 3/4" in dia for the TC in 30/30 carbines. You need to get those young kids into the reloading room ASAP, they love every aspect of the loading. If they show no interest in reloading, guns, then you know to put the money in a CD or other form of investment as the rifle will have little to no interest for them, and we have all seen this many times. Also, teach them to swap barrels on the action at an early age, nix the carbon wrap, and go 416 SS with multiple barrels.
Best Wishes
Men build guns that they like for themselves, thinking little of what a young child's needs may be, regarding trigger pull, length of pull, the weight of the rifle that the child can handle, and recoil.
My nephews got Thompson contender Carbines, plastic stocks cut to fit, and Walnut stocks saved. The caliber in the TC carbine is 30/30 shot with Reduced loads of ammo from Remington. The little 5- 6-year-olds sat in my lap and killed deer with that rig. The TC has little weight so they feel comfortable in handling/pointing. The recoil for the smallest child is almost nil. Those kids are full grown now, and still use those TCs in woods hunting, close range.
Now considering that you want to give the guns to the children when they are 17-20 years old, consider that the economy is in one world of hurt, and getting worse, not better. Whatever caliber I chose, I would have 300-500 pieces of brass for each barrel. If the economy goes Kaput, they will have a fighting chance of using the gun. Remember, it takes little to ruin these small brass companies, even though they make world-class brass.
Too bad you are not a 6.5 guy, the 6.5x47 Lapua checks a lot of boxes with very long barrel life...uncanny accuracy as benchrest shooters have proven.
At 10 years old, they should have a collection of BB guns, then pellet guns, then 22 single shots. At 13, I had my nephews on the skeet Field with Rem 1100 Special Field 20ga, they learned hand and eye coordination. They started reloading when they were 10-12, can not remember. Single-stage Mec shotshell reloaders, and I had them help me process brass for their rifles, and they did seat the bullets after I had done the powder charging. I had them shooting carpenter bees with rat shot with their GREAT great grandpa's 22 as soon as they could handle the gun fit. We taught the kids to throw up a golf ball and shoot it with a bb gun, then graduated to pennies, a trick the Great Grandpa taught all his kids, which was passed down.
Kids love shooting reactive targets, and I used the MINI clay pigeons that are 1 3/4" in dia for the TC in 30/30 carbines. You need to get those young kids into the reloading room ASAP, they love every aspect of the loading. If they show no interest in reloading, guns, then you know to put the money in a CD or other form of investment as the rifle will have little to no interest for them, and we have all seen this many times. Also, teach them to swap barrels on the action at an early age, nix the carbon wrap, and go 416 SS with multiple barrels.
Best Wishes
Last edited:
Very thoughtfull suggestions.
Thank you for your insight.
I have a custom 1022 and a 40X for him to start with. I forgot about the 6.5 Grendel with less than 2 boxes of ammo through it. He will have a couple of AR15s, both with special order S/N; DRB1234, my distinguished badge and the badge logo on one. The other has Rongero1 for S/N, with a the Battling Bastards of Bataan logo, in honor of my Dad. Both barrels were my own chambering.
I will train him to shoot irons before he gets to play with optics.
xsn10s
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2016
- Messages
- 7,363
I have no doubt your Grandson will be well trained and equipped. Heck you've been donating barrels or machining work for young people if I remember correctly. Given your years of competing I'm sure he will be well trained.
I, too, have an Anti-X (LM bolt face), and yes, a .308 Win bolt/bolt face is an option. Before you invest in a new bolt/bolt face, I would have your grandson see how he handles the recoil of the rig with the muzzle brake. People are locked in the magnum cartridge instead of the resulting reduced felt recoil. You know your grandson better than any of us. As with anything else, and I know you do it passionately, it is about gradual introduction and training.
I have 3 .300 WMs with varying muzzle brakes comparable to a .308 Win/.243 Win levels. I have a 6.5x55 Carl Gustaf loaded with 120-130 pills and a .30-30 Win loaded with 170g - both are unbraked, and the felt recoil is more than my .300 WMs braked. I started my sons with the 6.5x55 hunting at 10, and they both prefer any of my .300 WMs. Good luck! and happy safe hunting.
Below is a video by Nathan using 210 Berger bullets (using a lighter bullet will further reduce the felt recoil).
