Suitable youth rifle for a Mule Deer hunt?

[DSheetz]

I live in Wyoming and a lot of young hunters here started hunting mule deer with the 243 . A good 6mm will and has taken a lot of mule deer . Go to the range a lot with her practice setting shots without the bench do some prone , setting and shots that are at angles side to side as well as up and down if you can . It seems that people tend to just shoot from the bench but you sometimes have a need to work on the scenarios that will be encountered in the field if you can get access to hunt P-dogs or ground hogs ect .that will give better real world hunting experience . Use this opportunity to get out with the family and enjoy the out of doors while tuning the hunting shot skills. If you need to post an add to help find a farm or ranch that you can hunt or shoot on to help train your young ones . Explain that you are trying to help them get trained to go on a hunt and are wanting to get real world experience there should be someone willing to help with that , that has a range on their land

 

[rbTanzan]

257 Roberts , cause it's cool as shat!

Yes, the 257 Bob is cool and Kimber Hunter has one chambered for it. You might find one of those tan and stainless rifles around, probably about $800 new. They only weigh about 5 1/2 lbs bare, so under 7 lb fully loaded. That is something that is easy to carry in mule deer country.

 

[clownbuster]

7mm-08 or a 7mm Creedmoor if you don't mind making your loads. 140 grain VLD at 3000fps, light recoil, excellent feeding from mag or BDL, nasty accurate.

 

[Antarcticchamp]

Your 6 creed is fine if you limit shots to say 350 or less.

 

[Chap Pops]

My son started at 11 years old with a.243 Winchester 70 featherweight. He has killed several white tails and only needed a second shot on the first one when his first shot was too far back. His largest one was a large bodied 11 point. His furthest shot was a little over 100 yds. For longer shots I would recommend some in the line of a .270 or 308. They are not bad to shoot and they make good medium range elk rifles if the opportunity comes up.

 

[rbTanzan]

To sound really old fashion anybody thought about the one round that has killed probably more deer whitetail and muley's and other game 270 win plenty of light rifles tons of loads for them not much kick my son uses it for mule deer and whitetail I use like 150gr. Nosler partitions and 140gr. And to many powders that all work well for accuracy but I guess it's not the fad anymore it has to have a fancy name or have 6.5 to be the only gun that will work oh by the way you can go up on grain bullet and even use it on elk Just my thought

And yes, the 270 Win is a great deer round. For light rifles you might look at the Tikka T3x, or less expensive Ruger American, should you wish. On bullets the lighter bullets have less recoil. The 110 TTSX will cleanly take a deer. My wife has started hunting and used these. Three deer and three pass throughs, no recovered bullets. The "trick" is that these 110gn bullets do not lose weight so they penetrate like the traditional 130gn, or better. Traveleing at 3350fps the 110TTSX only drop -3" at 300 yards when sighted in 1.8" at 100yd. As a compromise, the 129gn LRX is highly accurate in my wife's rifle, especially around 55-55.5 grains R16 (1/2MOA).

 

[Mackinaw BOB]

My daughter is in college now and doesn't get out hunting with me as much as she used to, but when she was a teen starting at age 12, she killed 6 deer 4 of which were mule deer with a savage axis in 243 shooting federal 100 gr soft points and never had any issues.

 

[moa_shooter]

the 300 wm is a bit much for a begginer get them like a 308 cuz the ammo is like thirteen bucks a box of Remington cor-locks

 

[Shortywy]

The 6.5 Grendel is great for Mule deer out to 400 yrds. If you are worried about shot placement or buck fever use Nosler ballistic tip hunting bullets. The exit wound on a Mule deer at 125 yrds. Is the size of a walnut with a 95gr bullet in a 243.

 

[Steve Sheasly]

I'll be taking my 13 year old on a mule deer hunt that she was drawn for and I'm looking for ideas on a good cartridge that is suitable for the job. It says in the hunt guide that most shots will be 200 yards or further. I have a 6.5 Grendel for her to whitetail hunt with. Though it has done well for close range whitetail, I don't feel it is a good choice for Mule deer at the suggested ranges. The other two options I have available is a 14lb match rifle in 6mm Creedmoor or a 300wsm. I'm unsure that a 100-110gr 6mm is enough and personally think the 300wsm will be a bit much recoil. The two cartridges that come to mind that I think would be a good middle of the road cartridge for this application would be the 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC. It wouldn't take much for me to spin up another barrel and swap it out ...accept for the fact that I don't have a barrel laying around. Maybe I can get by with what I have or maybe I need to buy a barrel? Looking for some ideas and opinions. Also to add, I have never hunted Mule deer so it will be a new adventure for the both of us. Thanks ahead of time for any tips, tricks & advice

243 light low recoil and packs a punch

 

[seattleman1969]

I am a plus one on the 7mm-08... My wife (95 Lb 4'11" Filipina) shoots it in her Vanguard Camilla and 11 Yo son in his rifle as well. Lots of factory load options including a "Lite" load by Hornady. Both of our rifles love the Barnes factory load 120 Gr. TTSX. My wife has a Witt Machine clamp on brake on hers and it recoils like a .223. My sons is about 1.5 Lbs heavier and recoils lightly enough for him.

Accuracy, low recoil, pleasure to shoot, and plenty deadly for anything even up to Elk within reasonable ranges.

 

[SealT5]

@jd126 where are y'all going hunting? I see your from Texas. Location and type of hunting will factor a bit. Like most have said 95% of mule deer hunting can be done with a 6mm. That 6.5 123gr is very deadly out to 5-600yds. I've killed tons of game with the 123 amax from a Grendel and 16" 6.5x47L

Joe S.

 

[Jimbarnett]

.257 Roberts 120 gr Nosler Partition over IMR 4350. More than enough for Mule deer at a "reasonable" range for a 13 yr old. No appreciable recoil either. 6,5x55 another tried and true round 140 gr Partition or Accubond on top of IMR 4831

 

[Travis Buntin]

I'll be taking my 13 year old on a mule deer hunt that she was drawn for and I'm looking for ideas on a good cartridge that is suitable for the job. It says in the hunt guide that most shots will be 200 yards or further. I have a 6.5 Grendel for her to whitetail hunt with. Though it has done well for close range whitetail, I don't feel it is a good choice for Mule deer at the suggested ranges. The other two options I have available is a 14lb match rifle in 6mm Creedmoor or a 300wsm. I'm unsure that a 100-110gr 6mm is enough and personally think the 300wsm will be a bit much recoil. The two cartridges that come to mind that I think would be a good middle of the road cartridge for this application would be the 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC. It wouldn't take much for me to spin up another barrel and swap it out ...accept for the fact that I don't have a barrel laying around. Maybe I can get by with what I have or maybe I need to buy a barrel? Looking for some ideas and opinions. Also to add, I have never hunted Mule deer so it will be a new adventure for the both of us. Thanks ahead of time for any tips, tricks & advice

Don't overlook a good solid bullet for your selection. I've had my boys shoot a 90 triple shock out of my 242wssm and we've taken everything from bull elk to coues deer in Arizona.