For my son when he was little, I loaded up 80 gr Barnes in a 25-06. It worked good for him. I also have a 7mm 08 and it's a dandy round. 243 is tried & true hard to beat as well. I've put together two 22 creedmoor rifles to shoot 88-95gr bullets. It's amazing how much harder it rings my 500 yard gong vs my 25-06 with 80 gr bullets. And the 25-06 starts out with a muzzle velocity of 150fps faster and more recoil than the 22 creedmoor. I haven't got to shoot any game with it but I can't help but to believe it's going to be dandy for coyotes & whitetail with the same bullet to take both animals. If Savage, Ruger or any of the bigger manufactures want to sell a heap of rifles they should go ahead and start chambering some up in 22 creedmoor.
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Looking for some input and ideas for daughters first rifle.
- Thread starter R.C.Saul
- Start date
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My daughter went right from 22-250 to 7mm-08 with no trouble at all. I used light loads with H4895 and 120 Nosler Ballistic Tips. She killed 3 bucks and 4 hogs with that load all 1 shot kills. Farthest she shot was 244 yds. Now she's 19 and has killed a bunch more animals with her little micro Browning 7mm-08 using 140 grain Accubonds handloads. She loves that little rifle. A sweetheart of a rifle is a 257 Roberts too. I have one but it was full size length of pull so for a little girl I got a rifle that fit her as my top priority, then caliber and cartridge came second.
So with all the wonderful suggestions and advice, we are currently thinking 6x45, 6.5 BR, or 6.5 Grendel...
I have shot both an AR and bolt Grendel and do like them. Just continuing the search to be sure we make the right choice. I do have a 6.5 sweed, 25-06, and 257 Rob, but think those may be a little to much to transition to for her after the 223/556. She's petite.
Don't need a Creedmoor as we already have a
7-08 and sweed.
I haven't had a chance to personally and physically compare the BR to the Grendel. Still working on that.
I have shot both an AR and bolt Grendel and do like them. Just continuing the search to be sure we make the right choice. I do have a 6.5 sweed, 25-06, and 257 Rob, but think those may be a little to much to transition to for her after the 223/556. She's petite.
Don't need a Creedmoor as we already have a
7-08 and sweed.
I haven't had a chance to personally and physically compare the BR to the Grendel. Still working on that.
I'll have to check out the 22 Creedmoor. Never even seen one. Thank you for the suggestion! My only problem with it is some states won't let you hunt deer with anything smaller than a 6mm bullet. We frequently hunt Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Utah.
Copper Creek has loaded ammo with a variety of bullets. I got my barrels from Northland shooters supply. Put one barrel on a Remington 700P and put the other barrel on a Savage axis. Hornady, alpha munitions, and I believe it's Peterson or adg that makes ready to load brass for it. I used alpha brass and it was top notch.
Those three are each very interesting.
It sounds like you an your daughter are following a very analytical approach. I am looking forward to seeing how things develop!
How big is your little girl? My boys started out with a Browning A-Bolt Micro Medallion in 7mm-08 using 140 gr Nosler partitions and my oldest son killed his first white tail with it at age 6. They're both in their 30s now and both still have a 7mm-08 in their gun safe...wife and I have 3 between us including the kid's old rig.
I bought ten boxes of factory ammo from Midway USA a couple of years back. It comes in batches and you'd have to lay in a years' supply at a time, or reload. But man, I'm telling you, this is the ticket. They tried to kill this one but it just won't die. Ballistic Studies agrees this is an excellent youth round.
It is most of what the 25-06 and 257 Bob are, without the recoil.
348 fan
Well-Known Member
What about a 30-30 barrel on your 700 for her when she is ready....I dont know if the bolt head will work though. I have a bolt 30-30 Savage and the 125 grain Sierra spitzer hand loads are good low recoil medicine for deer sized game and smaller a fair piece. The new Hornady 160 pointy lever bullets as factory or hand loads are a great bullet out to 250 yards. Perfect set up as a 2nd load when more recoil is tolerable. Just my thoughts.....not a big fan of small bore light/fast bullets for kids. I know many are big proponents of them...but I just want raised that way.
Lee Goodwin
Well-Known Member
I would still go from 5.56 to 6mm. And, I would load some mild, fun 75 grain projectiles, in that 243, and, have us a time.
You could do a 243 with a brake. Problem solved. Same with the creedmoor gang.
msmith57
Well-Known Member
Model 99 >>>>> 243 I don't remember those having a Kick at all
