7mm WSM too big for 12 yr old son? 270 better?

[gyrfalcon]

He has already shot his Mom's 25-06 and did pretty well. He wasn't scared of it at all this year. I have no problem lopping the stock to get the proper LOP as any rifle will be too long, short of the youth rifles. The biggest problem with the youth rifles is using too small of a round for western big game hunting. .243 is a great deer and Antelope gun but I don't feel confident at all with it on Elk with a beginning shooter/hunter. 7mm-08, SLOW, Nahh no thanks.

We have thought about getting the 7mm WSM and then give him the choice between it and the 25-06 of his moms, since they are both lefty's. I personally wouldnt mind that as the 25-06 came from her Ex-husband and my boys bio-dad. It might be more special to him seeing how it has a connection to his Dad and it has already been a fight since the dad told him that the 25-06 was my sons gun and not his Mom's (not true). Yah, he is a real ***!

Anyways I personally wouldn't mind having both as then no matter what they hunt they have a gun that will work well.

How do you figure out Min loads as I know they can be just as dangers as loading hot if you go to far????

The 7/08 with 140 accubonds or TTSX, Nosler Partition and similar, is plenty for elk and moose in Northern Canada at least. Precise shot placement and patiently waiting for the animal to present itself for a good shot, are critical skills, only attainable when the shooter is not scared of the ensuing recoil. 90+% of our moose are shot at less then 75 yards.

 

[gyrfalcon]

i love the 7mm we have a 12 year old that shoots one but i do agree dont give a new shooter something bigger then he or she can handle i build rifles for a living and i build savages i also love the 6.5 creedmoor for new shooters and we shoot barnes

Excellent advice!

 

[baldhunter]

If the choice is between the 7WSM and 270 Win.,Get the 7WSM and put a break on it.You can always take it off later.At 80lbs,anything above a 243 Win will probably feel like a lot to him,especially in a lightweight rifle.If recoil becomes a factor to him,he will develop bad shooting habits like flinch and won't be able to shoot well.It's important,especially at his age to shoot a rifle that fits him well and doesn't hurt him.Another mistake some parents make is they put scopes on a rifle with very little eye relief.I personally like nothing less than 3.5" and prefer around 4".If a kid has to crawl up the stock to see through the scope,he cannot hold the rifle properly and that is a good way to get scope eyed.If that every happens,he may keep a fear of the rifle and could loose interest in shooting all together.A scope should be setup so,you can close your eyes,put the rifle to your shoulder in a comfortable shooting position and when you open your eyes you have the full view of your scope without having to make any adjustments to your head to get the full view.It also makes it very easy to find your target if you need to make a quick shot.So really watch for those things when they are shooting.You can often figure out they are having issues by watching their behavior at the bench.I never had or wanted a break myself,but I bought a couple of rifles that had breaks already on them.One is a 30-06,the other a 300 Win Mag.Both rifles are a pleasure to shoot.The 30-06 has a break with a lot of small holes,the 300 Win Mag has a break with six big side port holes with a couple of small holes at the top.The 30-06 is about like the felt recoil of a 243 Win.,the 300 Win has a totally different recoil all together.I feel the gun go off,but I don't really feel much recoil at all.The big side holes expels most of what you would feel quickly out of those big holes.A kid could shoot this rifle with no problem.Here is a picture of the break.It doesn't have any manufacturing info stamped on it.It's probably a cheap no name knock off,but it really works.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I'm sure the poster has figured it out by now. Especially because his son is currently 20 years old. LOL

 

[baldhunter]

I'm sure the poster has figured it out by now. Especially because his son is currently 20 years old. LOL

Now if he's still around,maybe he will see his post and suggestions made,what he went with and how everything worked out with the way he went.