Caliber suggestions for my young son...

[FGT6]

on his first elk hunt next year.

My son (11years old) and I will be going on our first father / son elk hunt to NM next year and am looking to build a gun for him for his birthday in March. I am more of an archery guy myself and have limited knowledge on the gun / caliber front.

After doing some research, I think I narrowed it down to either a .308 or 7mm-08. Does that seem about right? Also, where we will be hunting, you "step out the door" at about 300 yards. He shoots my .22-250 really well at long range (400+ yards) so shooting a rifle isn't necessarily new to him. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated from this newb!

Thanks,

Brian

 

[RockyMtnMT]

For me this was a tough decision as well. With my daughter I went with the 7-08. With my son I went with 6.5-06. What I really wanted to be able to do was get them into a rifle that was light enough for them to carry, have enough to shoot elk, and be enough that they would be able to keep the rifles for the rest of their lives and still use if they want. Recoil was my biggest concern when they were 12 years old. I did not want shooting to be uncomfortable. My kids are in their 20's now and still using the same rifles. The other thing to consider is the fit of the rifle. Full size rifles are tough for kids to shoot. My daughters rifle is a Weatherby Vangaurd youth that came with the full size stock to graduate into as the kid gets bigger. I don't think they offer this anymore. It was the perfect solution. My son's rifle was a semi custom from an old 30-06 of mine. We cut the stock down in the chop saw and called it good, figuring that we would get a composite stock later. He still uses the original stock today. In fact he refinished it this summer.

Depending on the size of your son, I would look at a youth model rifle with the idea of a new stock when he grows big enough to handle a full size rifle.

Steve

 

[WyoElk2Hunt]

Of your two choices I would choose the 7mm08.

 

[Dosh]

My 10 year old grandson has a 7mm-08 and handles it easily without any recoil flinching. The .308 does have heavier bullets, but that equals more recoil.

 

[ohiohunter]

Both are great options, but it doesn't sound like you reload so I would opt for the more popular 308 pushing 180gr bullets. Like federal premium 180gr nosler partitions.

Depending on your boy's size and stature you may want to get him behind a bigger gun and see if he tolerates the recoil. I'll let you be the judge of whether or not thats a good idea, otherwise stay on the current path.

One big question, does he shoulder your 22-250 well? and is it a standard length of pull? If he does then you'll be way better off getting him straight into the big boy game instead of dealing with youth sized stocks.

What is your budget for this project?

 

[MudRunner2005]

If you're going to build, start with a Rem 700 short action .223 Rem, and build a 6.5 Grendel. That cartridge is capable of taking whitetail deer out to 500+ yards. Everything the .308 Win or 7mm-08 can do, the 6.5 Grendel can do, but stays transonic longer, and with significantly less recoil. It's also VERY cheap to reload for, and shoot. Hornady, Nosler, and Lapua all make brass and factory match-grade ammo for it.

 

[WildRose]

on his first elk hunt next year.

My son (11years old) and I will be going on our first father / son elk hunt to NM next year and am looking to build a gun for him for his birthday in March. I am more of an archery guy myself and have limited knowledge on the gun / caliber front.

After doing some research, I think I narrowed it down to either a .308 or 7mm-08. Does that seem about right? Also, where we will be hunting, you "step out the door" at about 300 yards. He shoots my .22-250 really well at long range (400+ yards) so shooting a rifle isn't necessarily new to him. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated from this newb!

Thanks,

Brian

I'd say you're thinking along the right lines but if it were me I'd go with the 6.5CM or .260 Remington. Really easy on recoil and muzzle blast and outstanding ballistics.

Stick a good 130-140gr premium hunting bullet like the Nosler Partition or Accubond and as long as he can put it in the right spot it will easily get the job done at the range you're talking about.

A friend of mine back in the 80's just for grins put his son in for a NM Elk tag who was your son's age or younger.

He found a real bargain on a very nice used 7mm RM but was afraid it would be too much gun for him. I was loading 7mm RM at that time so I found a 100-110gr bullet for it and loaded it down enough for the kid to have no problem with the recoil.

To shorten a long story, kid kills his elk with a single shot at a couple of hundred yards or so. Dad tagged out as well but his elk needed 3 shots from his 06 to get it done.

Placement beats displacement on most N. American Game animals most of the time.

What we also did in his case since it was an adult size rifle was to simply drill dowel holes into the stock under the butt plate and cut a couple of inches off of it. When the kid outgrew it, glued and doweled the cut off piece back in place and refinished it.

So that's a couple of options for you.

Just for grins I picked up a couple of .260's this year, one of which is a Ruger Hawkeye FTW edition which makes for a really nice carry weight rifle.

Here's What You Need to Know About the New Ruger Hawkeye FTW Hunter

I also bought one in the Remington 700 5R Gen II which weighs in about like a sendero.

https://www.remington.com/rifles/bolt-action/model-700/model-700-5-r-series-gen-2

Both rifles are shooting well under MOA even with factory Ammo. When I get around to tuning loads for them I think it's going to be a whole lot of fun.

Either of those rifles would make a kid a great first rifle and for that matter last them a lifetime.

 

[catamountsierra]

I have a few more years before my kids follow me into the mountains with a rifle, but I am already looking at both the 6.5CM and the 7mm-08. I currently shoot a 7mm-08 running 140 gr Accubonds, but will be playing around some with some heavier bullets. I would trust either round to take elk with a well-placed quality hunting bullet. For my kids, I am looking at the Ruger Americans, in either the original, or better yet, the predator flavors. My dad just picked up two RAPs, one in 6.5CM and one in 308Win. I think my 7mm-08 will turn into a 7mm RSAUM sometime soon, so that might push me towards the 7mm-08 for the kids. I have brass, good bullets, dies, etc already. Recoil is very mild even pushing that 140 gr AB at around 2800fps out of my mostly factory 700 ADL. For elk, I would definitely lean towards a bonded or monolithic construction bullet in either the 6.5 CM or the 7mm-08.

 

[ohiohunter]

Psssst.. mudrnner..elk hunt.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Psssst.. mudrnner..elk hunt.

Same difference, the 6.5 Grendel will still work. If you want more horsepower, the .260 Rem or .260 AI gets my vote.

 

[HARPERC]

.....What I really wanted to be able to do was get them into a rifle that was light enough for them to carry....The other thing to consider is the fit of the rifle. Full size rifles are tough for kids to shoot. My daughters rifle is a Weatherby Vangaurd youth that came with the full size stock to graduate into as the kid gets bigger...

Depending on the size of your son, I would look at a youth model rifle with the idea of a new stock when he grows big enough to handle a full size rifle......

Pretty much the heart of it here. We've done this several times, as there is always a friend that doesn't hunt with a kid that wants to. I don't worry about growing in or out of a rifle any more, and stick with what we need in the present.

The good bullets available today going to heavier, higher recoil loads, isn't necessary. The rounds available .260, 6.5x55,7-08, or .308 all work, and if I found a rifle I liked I wouldn't worry over which one it was chambered for.

Lately we've gone to the Ruger Hawkeye Compact Rifle, 16" barrel, youth stock. We just bought one in .308 for my partners grandson. He's on the small side, and it definitely works for him. The stainless, with laminate stock is a preference.

Factory lite loads at 126 grain are very shootable, until its time to hunt elk.

I don't recall if you reload or not, but Steve (Hammer Bullets) makes a 152 grain .30 caliber that would seem to be a good fit for what you wish to do.

Went back and noticed you said build not buy. OOPS! Any of the cartridges being mentioned will work for you with good bullets.

 

[Plinker147]

Another good option is a .280 you can load light loads to 7mm08 velocities and can step it up when he gets older and wont ever have to buy another gun.

Cant go wrong with a 260 either

 

[FEENIX]

My oldest son's first deer/elk hunt was also in NM (Rio Chama area) when he was 10 in 1998 and I started him with Carl Gustaf Swedish Mauser Carbine in 6.5x55 using 140g SP.

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

I have a few more years before my kids follow me into the mountains with a rifle, but I am already looking at both the 6.5CM and the 7mm-08. I currently shoot a 7mm-08 running 140 gr Accubonds, but will be playing around some with some heavier bullets. I would trust either round to take elk with a well-placed quality hunting bullet. For my kids, I am looking at the Ruger Americans, in either the original, or better yet, the predator flavors. My dad just picked up two RAPs, one in 6.5CM and one in 308Win. I think my 7mm-08 will turn into a 7mm RSAUM sometime soon, so that might push me towards the 7mm-08 for the kids. I have brass, good bullets, dies, etc already. Recoil is very mild even pushing that 140 gr AB at around 2800fps out of my mostly factory 700 ADL. For elk, I would definitely lean towards a bonded or monolithic construction bullet in either the 6.5 CM or the 7mm-08.

^^^^^ this