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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Equipment Discussions
Setting up the Kiddo
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<blockquote data-quote="Salmonhead" data-source="post: 2713365" data-attributes="member: 117979"><p>I went through this with both kids of mine. My daughter is small with short arms. My boy is a little bigger, but not so tough when it comes to recoil. After the 22 rimfire training, they both moved on to 223 Rem. I have single shot with a youth stock and also a Ruger american with a youth stock. Each kid started one of those. My daughter graduated fairly quickly to a Ruger american 450 Bushmaster with youth stock. After several years and one bad range session, she got scared of it, and I switched her to a Kimber Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor that she loves. After one season on the Ruger bolt 223, my boy graduated to a ruger american 6.5 Creedmoor this year.</p><p></p><p>My biggest advice is gun fit, recoil mitigation, noise mitigation. Caliber is basically irrelevant when shooting a whitetail under 100 yards. All the cartridges will kill them fine if the kid can hit them in the pocket. Both my kids required stock risers to get their eye lined up with the scope. This helps immensely when trying to find the critter in the scope. Both their current guns have muzzle brakes on them. The 223 youth stock I loaded with lead shot to add 3# to the gun. Dad carried it to the stand and they always shoot off a rest, so weight is irrelevant to them. But helps steady the gun and take up a lot of recoil. I swapped that same stock to the 450 when my daughter was using it. Never a problem in the field on over 12 deer, but one range session without the lead sled and she got scared. I immediately switched guns for her. Both kids were ear muffs on every shot in the field, and plugs and muffs at the range. My kids flinch like crazy at the sound. I make them dry fire before each range session, until they can do 5 or more without flinching from the click, before I put in a live round. Other guys shooting make them flinch. So they have to be hanging around a little to get acclimated first. I started both on 12.5" stocks. Both shoot regular guns now. The ruger american platform is pretty cheap, plenty accurate, and the stocks swap back and forth easy enough. I am actually done with the heavy 12.5" stock if you want to use it. </p><p>Both my kids out shoot 90%+ of the guys at the range. My daughter has 18 or 20 deer under her belt at 16 years old and this year barely hunted due to my injury.</p><p>My boy was 4 for 4 last year with the 223 and 1 for 1 this year with the creedmoor. </p><p>Dont let them get scared and make sure it fits them. They will grow up soon enough, buy the short stock for them and the light caliber if needed. Makes them confident and deadly!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Salmonhead, post: 2713365, member: 117979"] I went through this with both kids of mine. My daughter is small with short arms. My boy is a little bigger, but not so tough when it comes to recoil. After the 22 rimfire training, they both moved on to 223 Rem. I have single shot with a youth stock and also a Ruger american with a youth stock. Each kid started one of those. My daughter graduated fairly quickly to a Ruger american 450 Bushmaster with youth stock. After several years and one bad range session, she got scared of it, and I switched her to a Kimber Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor that she loves. After one season on the Ruger bolt 223, my boy graduated to a ruger american 6.5 Creedmoor this year. My biggest advice is gun fit, recoil mitigation, noise mitigation. Caliber is basically irrelevant when shooting a whitetail under 100 yards. All the cartridges will kill them fine if the kid can hit them in the pocket. Both my kids required stock risers to get their eye lined up with the scope. This helps immensely when trying to find the critter in the scope. Both their current guns have muzzle brakes on them. The 223 youth stock I loaded with lead shot to add 3# to the gun. Dad carried it to the stand and they always shoot off a rest, so weight is irrelevant to them. But helps steady the gun and take up a lot of recoil. I swapped that same stock to the 450 when my daughter was using it. Never a problem in the field on over 12 deer, but one range session without the lead sled and she got scared. I immediately switched guns for her. Both kids were ear muffs on every shot in the field, and plugs and muffs at the range. My kids flinch like crazy at the sound. I make them dry fire before each range session, until they can do 5 or more without flinching from the click, before I put in a live round. Other guys shooting make them flinch. So they have to be hanging around a little to get acclimated first. I started both on 12.5" stocks. Both shoot regular guns now. The ruger american platform is pretty cheap, plenty accurate, and the stocks swap back and forth easy enough. I am actually done with the heavy 12.5" stock if you want to use it. Both my kids out shoot 90%+ of the guys at the range. My daughter has 18 or 20 deer under her belt at 16 years old and this year barely hunted due to my injury. My boy was 4 for 4 last year with the 223 and 1 for 1 this year with the creedmoor. Dont let them get scared and make sure it fits them. They will grow up soon enough, buy the short stock for them and the light caliber if needed. Makes them confident and deadly! [/QUOTE]
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