caliber choice for 6 year old son?

[ak1251]

midwesthunter, when you chose to start you childern shooting is your choice, and God bless you for teaching them. I started mine around 5-6 with 22's. i built my secound son a 308 win when he was 9 but built it over 12 pounds on purpose. With the added wieght and handloading light till he was ready for more powerful loads. I later turned down the barrel and lightened up the rifle to 8 pounds when he got older.

 

[shooters]

I was a few years older than your sone when I got my first high powered rifle. I was 8. I do believe that 2 years makes a huge difference, but I started with a Model 7 .243. It was perfect for me. I didn't seem to mind the recoil and had real good luck with it for my age way back then. 6 may be a little too young for the .243 I believe, but a .223 should be ok. Your choice obviously, but I would start witha .22 cricket or such.

Jason

 

[midwesthunter]

Yes I know 2 is very young, but I guess it would have been closer to three. He started shooting 2 months before his 3rd birthday. But like I said he was shooting this involved a trigger pull. Now he shoots on the bench on bags with me right by his side. I'm a single father and want to include him in as many of my hobbies as I can. He has impressed me very much so far. If you ask him what he wants to do when he grows up it make guns. He would rather watch hunting and fishing shows then cartoons, and would rather be outside then playing video games. I think he's on the right track.

 

[hammertyme]

Started 2 of my 3 children shooting pellet guns at 6 years old. The odd boy out still isn't mature enough at 34 years old. AT 7 and 8 years old they were competing at the local range with 22 rifles and pistols.
AT age 8 my oldest son shot his first buck with a 6X47 (222 mag) ultra-light I built to teach my wife and kids how to shoot none recoiling centerfires.

Today the 60 grain partition is available for the 223 so would advise to just reload the 223 with a premium grade bullet. I have watched a great number of deer fall to the 223 and that 60 grain pill and know it is plenty.

I have also seen a bunch of children grow up who are none hunters as adults because of some starting their little one's out too young and with to much gun.

If they can not repeat the 10 commandments of firearm safety they haven't a safe attention span.

Neal

 

[bigngreen]

Yes I know 2 is very young, but I guess it would have been closer to three. He started shooting 2 months before his 3rd birthday. But like I said he was shooting this involved a trigger pull. Now he shoots on the bench on bags with me right by his side. I'm a single father and want to include him in as many of my hobbies as I can. He has impressed me very much so far. If you ask him what he wants to do when he grows up it make guns. He would rather watch hunting and fishing shows then cartoons, and would rather be outside then playing video games. I think he's on the right track.

I say good for you!!!!! My daughter is on the same path and I'm prouder than punch of her, she'll start shooting in 4H when she's 8 yrs which will be about a year and a half. She handles her own fire arm from safe to bench, and I've had ZERO complaints from anyone that she is on the range and most of the guys are out helping her and encouraging her, she's not allowed to shoot by her self yet but with an adult by her to coach her if needed she's GTG, her gun handling and safety is better than 90% of the adults at our local range.

I'm going to build her first centerfire with a brake and recoil reduction!!

Way to raise your son, something to take pride in and dang right he's on the right track due to you being an involved and interested father!!!!

 

[wolfkiller]

6 years old? BB gun, try a daisy.

Strongly disagree. My son is 9 now and shoots a 308. I started him with a 22 at 3. At 4 years he shot a 410 some. By 5 we had cut down a 243 and he shot it fine to 50 yards. At 6 he took a cariboo with his .270. At 7 he shot a deer on Kodiak with his 308. At 8 He shot a costal black bear with his 308. We started him on reduced loads in all his hunting rifles. He now shoots full power loads.

 

[bamadawg2009]

Just grab him a browning BLR in 308 Ive been shooting one since I was 5. That is the best all around gun I own its short enough for the woods and the 308 has some long range potential. Very little kick, the gun has more barrel jump than kick, and it will be a long time until he outgrows a 308. I know you want to build on the 600 action so go with the 308, the BLR was just my little input.

 

[Dhughes]

X2 on the 6x47 lapua. It has very little recoil and will shoot a long ways. I shoot the 105 bergers and love it.

 

[theflyonthewall]

This is totally a matter of you knowing your son, so I can't blatantly recommend something. Just please don't start him with too much gun. If he develops a bad flinch now, it will really hurt his learning curve as a shooter.

I say this, because I shot my first deer at the age of 10 with my dad's 30/06. It was sheer mental strength that allowed me to overcome the flinch I had developed with it while "sighting in" in order to make the shot on that deer. I wanted that deer more than any deer since that day, so I concentrated really hard to make sure I did everything right and not flinch.

Had we been in the situation that you are in now, with being able to choose any caliber imaginable, I wouldn't have been getting my little teeth kicked out shooting 180 grainers out of an 8-lb rifle. We certainly would have chosen something like a moderately heavy .243 with a decent recoil pad.

Again.....it's a choice that only you can make. Good luck with it and I hope you can give us an update later on with his progress.