Custom build for a teenager?

[Tiny Tim]

At least you can admit it. Plus you know what to look for as you try to get a proper fit.

 

[softtail103]

Christensen Arms Ridgeline 20 inch barrel with a break in 6.5 Creedmoor. Tack drive with 143 ELD-X

 

[Wild_Bill]

Hi have a look at a youth 7mm08. I know others mentioned 243s etc you get less muzzle blast from the larger bore as you use slightly faster powders and that helps with 20" barrels. From there you can get a nice manners stock with a short length of pull.
You want her comfortable if you shoot with hearing protection i highly reccoment electronic plugs they are sold in the store here. Any muzzle blast will make it uncomfortable for her.
If she is recoil shy a good slum brake, I built a 7mm08 for my sons first deer rifle and have a Miller titanium brake from Benchmark barrels fitted its a great little rifle capable of most game hunting situations.

 

[budlight]

What is so nice about 243 Rem. youth model is the 22 inch barrel. Accurate and you can load 72 to 100 grain bullets. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010415683

The 85 gr. TSX is her favorite with hybird 100v or ramshot hunter you can load them up to about 3200 fps without excessive blast or kick. 250 pound feral hogs are DRT. Antelope and deer have never run off. PD's with 72 grain are fun! I tried to get my daughter in a jr. trap league and she didn't like the kick of a 12 gauge LOL.

Rem's are easy to re-barrel. I've asked her about a custom stock and slightly heavier longer barrel. Her answer was why not a second rifle!

 

[ATH]

My daughter went on her first deer hunt at 9yo. She was very recoil sensitive so I took my 6X45 22" sporter barrel out of my McMillan stock and dropped it into a Boyds At-One as that was the shortest LOP I could get on short notice. Mounted the scope further back than normal as it was still a bit long to get proper eye relief. Fit her decently. Put a Heathen brake on it, now it has zero recoil. With 85gr Partitions it's a sufficient starter 100yd deer gun.

She'll be taking it on her second hunt tomorrow. Her 8yo brother goes on his first hunt the following day, he's been shooting 3" 100 yd groups off a folding chair and a tripod.

When they get a bit bigger and can handle some recoil I'll move them up to a 243 or 7mm-08 or something like that.

I build all these Remage, if you can bed a stock no need for a custom gun to get them started.

 

[villagelightsmith]

Looking for some thoughts on a custom build for a teenage daughter. My daughter is almost 18 yrs old, 5'4", 85lbs and isn't going to get any bigger. Has anyone else built a rifle for a smaller person? What do you recommend for stock length?

Model '94 in 30-30 or perhaps a Marlin levergun. Let her tell you where it hurts and where it needs padding/or nice soft leather to be glued on..
There are a whole raft of good cartridges built from the 30-30 and the old 300 Savage or 250-3000 Imp'd or 6mmXC. They all hold plenty of powder to kill anything in the Western Hemisphere that wanders in front of it, without maiming for life the person behind the recoil pad. And yes, I DO recommend a nice thick soft pad, like a competitive shotgun shooter would use in a "200 Straight".
Dad put a thin rubber sleeve over the cut-down stock of a m12, 20 ga. pump, and wondered why I still complained about recoil ... until he finally saw that my shoulder had turned a deep black-and-blue. Yes, I was small of stature too. I was under 50# until well after age 10.
At this late date, I hope you're putting some light ammo together, and beginning shooting in preparation for the fall hunt of 2021. If suppressors had been available when I began shooting, I would certainly have used one to good effect. They do-oo-oo cut the recoil!

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

Look into a lightweight chassis build. Then she can adjust it to however she wants and you can swap out grips, etc to her preference and (small) hand size.

 

[codyadams]

Look into a lightweight chassis build. Then she can adjust it to however she wants and you can swap out grips, etc to her preference and (small) hand size.

This is also a fantastic idea. An XLR Magnesium chassis would be around 2 lbs with an adjustable stock, and be adjustable enough to fit essentially any shooter.

 

[Speyrod]

Looking for some thoughts on a custom build for a teenage daughter. My daughter is almost 18 yrs old, 5'4", 85lbs and isn't going to get any bigger. Has anyone else built a rifle for a smaller person? What do you recommend for stock length?

My daughter is is about the same size. I just got her a Savage Storm with the adjustable stock and comb it was easy to fit the rifle to her. It's a 6.5 and she shoots it great. I would and should have done a 243 instead.

 

[P7M13]

Good on you dad. I know you said "build custom," leaving out a lot of pertinent information. You didn't say whether she shoots, likes to, what type of shooting, game type, or which one of your guns she has shot and prefers.

• Have her shoulder a hundred different rifles.
• Rifles, like golf clubs, can be so much better when customized to the shooter. Find a Smith or shooting coach who can size her, observe her ergonomics and make fitment recommendations.
• If she's mechanical: buy the parts, and with her, build a gasser in 6.5 Grendel. With glass, you can keep one under 7lbs.
• For Old Skool, have her try a marlin 336, Savage 99, Win 94, BLR, or a Henry/Rossi.

Wilson Combat Super Sniper in .308 Win. Fluted 20" barrel threaded for muzzle break/suppressor. Nighforce ATACR1 5X25X56 Scope.

Sweet rifle, but prolly weighs 1/6th of what his daughter does.

 

[Sanford338]

Looking for some thoughts on a custom build for a teenage daughter. My daughter is almost 18 yrs old, 5'4", 85lbs and isn't going to get any bigger. Has anyone else built a rifle for a smaller person? What do you recommend for stock length?

My vote gets the 243 Win or a 257 Wby with a brake.. did for my daughter..she's 5'4" bout a 100 pounds.. she started shooting @7 (243) and got her first doe @8.. built her a 257 Wby @10 she still shoots both today...

 

[MTtimberline]

I considered this same thing for my wife and daughters. The gunsmith suggested looking at the Camilla first. The other option was to use a Boyd's At-One adjustable stock on a custom build. When we finally found a Camilla to try it fit my wife perfectly. She always had a problem lining up on a scoped rifle but no troubles on the Weatherby. She feel in love with it as soon as she had it in her hands. The only problem was that I was planning on a Vanguard, but she fell in love with the Mark V Deluxe. It also was the only Camilla we could find. The smile she had holding the Weatherby made it worth it. I agree with Bigngreen in saying it's a game changer because it really is. My wife loves her Camilla and that stock solves most of the issues she was having. No troubles with 6.5 CM with the 24" barrel.

 

[codyadams]

I considered this same thing for my wife and daughters. The gunsmith suggested looking at the Camilla first. The other option was to use a Boyd's At-One adjustable stock on a custom build. When we finally found a Camilla to try it fit my wife perfectly. She always had a problem lining up on a scoped rifle but no troubles on the Weatherby. She feel in love with it as soon as she had it in her hands. The only problem was that I was planning on a Vanguard, but she fell in love with the Mark V Deluxe. It also was the only Camilla we could find. The smile she had holding the Weatherby made it worth it. I agree with Bigngreen in saying it's a game changer because it really is. My wife loves her Camilla and that stock solves most of the issues she was having. No troubles with 6.5 CM with the 24" barrel.

I wish they made it in left hand, my wife is a lefty. I probably would have gone that route instead of building if it was

 

[MTtimberline]

This was one of the few times I'm glad I went factory over custom. Maybe if there was enough demand for lefty's they might start making them. A limited run perhaps.