Suitable youth rifle for a Mule Deer hunt?

[WestTexasHunter]

I set up a 10.5" 6.5 Grendel SBR for my kids to hunt with. They shoot it suppressed so the shorter barrel keeps it from being as cumbersome in tight situations and all their shot opportunities are inside 200 yards. One of my daughters shot her buck last year at age 7 with the 123 grain sst from around 150 yards. I only mention this because the bullet would have been going about 1923 FPS upon impact. The deer made a good leap and fell over. The bullet performed great and exited out the opposite side so there was no bullet recovery. With you getting 2575 FPS from your 123 grain loads your daughter will have similar velocity out around 450 yards. If your daughter shoots the Grendel well and has confidence in it you don't have to worry about it doing it's job. BUT, if you just want to build a new rifle I can't think of a better reason than a special hunt with you daughter.

 

[MachV]

Years of hunting whitetails and mulies have taught me a few things. I may have a 6' 2" frame but have a 12 year old shoulder.
I like and use the Gendel but limit its use to 400 yards, calm days and prefer not to trophy hunt with it......the 6.5 sweede gets the call.
Hunt with a gun you are familiar with, it really helps in hunting situations! Having both a bolt and ar Grendel, they both shoot well but prefer the bolt for hunting.
Putting a bullet in a whitetail buts the fight into them but takes the fight out of most mulies. With that being said a big deer tends to give you less time for the shot and takes more to anchor them.
Your a lucky man if your daughter wants to hunt! My wife and daugher like to shoot but killing is not their thing

 

[kraig]

I've had the most success when preparing youth for hunts by taking them to the range over the coarse of several trips allowing them to try several calibers. At 13 they can tell you what they like and don't like AS LONG AS they don't have some perception that you expect them to shoot this or that. At 14 my daughter moved from a .243 to a .270 and I pressed her a bit to make sure she wasn't doing it just because dad shot a bigger caliber. Nope, she was just ready and wanted more energy at longer distances because she can and could shoot out to 500 yards in hunting conditions no problem. She knew her .243 dropped under 1000 foot pounds around 300 yards or so and wanted to make sure. (her own hunting rag reading) We built a semi-custom savage and she has been shooting that 6 pound light weight 270 ever since, my hats off to her. Funny thing is I shoot an 8 pound 25-06 because I don't like recoil much. All that to say, work with her, make sure she knows the options, make sure the rifle fits and she will probably use it for years to come. I would also recommend letting her try out a Lady Hunter or Camilla, those weren't around for me but they really do fit girls better and the stock specifically avoids perceived recoil...that helps make a better shooter regardless of caliber. Seriously practice shooting in clothes that are as thick as you hunt with and in non-bench positions unless you have a bench you hunt from.

6mm in .243 or 6CM or ??? Has worked great for at least 20 deer in the last 10 years using 85 to 100 grain hunting bullets of different types with 1/2 of them being between 250-350 yards. In close under 100 yards I've had bullets blow up on a shoulder and not make it through the other side but 100-300 yards seems to be the sweet spot. I've used soft points and BT bullets with similar results. At 350 we didn't get an exit on about a 200 pound white tail 1/4 away (rib entry, stuck on far side shoulder - shot off the ground)

We only have 5 or so deer taken between 400-600 yards but all with calibers and rifles that don't fit this conversation. (think tactical because we could)

I'm excited for you, what an excellent time you are at. I love hunting with my kids (who aren't kids any more) but be prepared, one day they will be on the 4wheeler heading out to hunt all on their own. I'll never forget thinking, they don't need me any more but really that means you've taught them well. Then the time in the stand is swapped with time around the campfire and all is well in the world once again.

 

[Huntz]

Personally I would not have a young person hunt with an AR . They may forget they go bang every time you push the trigger.A single shot teaches discipline to not take a chancy shot.A bolt action would also be a good choice as you have to manually work the action to shoot again.I am not against ARs as I use them for varmint hunting.Caliber is not important as being able to place the shot accurately and being comfortable with the recoil.I started my kids and grandkids with TC Contender Rifles in 7TCU,7-30 Waters and 30/30.All will kill a deer or antelope to 250 yards no problem.JMHO,Huntz

 

[Ronald W Schaefer]

Get her a Weatherby Camilla in 7mm-08, it will fit her perfectly, weight about 6.5 Lbs with optics, be very portable with 20" barrel and will shoot sub MOA (guaranteed) with factory ammo. Designed and built by women for women. My wife used hers on African Plains game in SA and had all one shot kills out to 250 yds. Her gal pal loves hers as well. Light recoil, low muzzle blast. If you reload, I run 145 gr Barnes LRX ahead of 46 grs RL 17, CCI BR-2 Prime, Lapua Brass...2700 fps out of that little short barrel but its a killer. You might also look at Browning A-Bolt Micro Medallion (or X-Bolt youth) in that same caliber...I also have one of those and my boys grew up shooting that, over 70 DRTs in 25 yrs...they started shooting that rig when my oldest was 8.

 

[Chopaka81]

When my son came of age, I bought him a Rem M600 in 308 Win. I soft loaded 150gr SP's using a charge of BL-C for a muzzle velocity of 2650 fps.
Today's Savage Youth Rifles would a good starting point.
Just my $.02.

 

[Wolf76]

I only read about the first four pages and agree that stock/ gun fit is rather important.
I'll also add the old school .308 is perhaps the most versatile cartridge. You can download the it with a 120 gr accubond or 130 ttsx or bump it up to heavier loads as she grows. Add a brake if you really want to tame it.

 

[spfarr]

FWIW, where we hunt mule deer here in California, the majority of opportunities are in the 300+ yard range, often with wind. And because we can now shoot only lead-free bullets, I opted for a 6.5 CM for my young son rather than a 243. Lead-free 243 bullets are usually 85-90 grains, which in turn allow for less error in shot placement and windage holds. Lead-free bullets in 6.5 CM are 120 grains. My small-for-his-age 7-year old son is shooting a LH Ruger FTW Hawkeye in 6.5 CM with the factory brake (and adjustable LOP) as he prepares for deer hunting (out-of-state). FWIW, he transitioned seamlessly from his open-sight LH Savage 22, with no flinching or recoil sensitivity. With the adjustable LOP and the variety of bullet options, I'm hopeful that he'll be able to use that rifle/caliber for years and get it to know it extensively.
If you choose to go with your 6mm for mule deer, I've had good luck with the Barnes and Nosler lead-free bullets in that caliber, also Nosler Partitions in 100gr.
Kudos to you for making the most of your time with your daughter.

 

[freddogs]

Years ago I introduced my wife to deer hunting with the 7.62 x 39 in a Ruger Ranch rifle. She was very accurate but finally decided she didn't want to kill anything. If I was going to introduce a small person today I would pick the 6.5 CM. It doesn't have much if any recoil and works well on deer sized game. Plus most seem accurate.
The Grendel would probably work all right too.
The 308, 30.06, 270 all have noticeably more recoil.

 

[PNWdude67]

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

If your 6 Creedmoor 14lb rifle is not an issue for packing around that gets my vote, especially if she has some experience with shooting it. You guys know it shoots, recoil is minimal and .243 caliber match bullets in the 105-115 range will be excellent for mule deer as far as you can accurately shoot them. It becomes heavily debated when elk are the targeted species and many out west have consistent success with the .243 caliber cartridges for them so you should have little concern on a mule deer hunt.

 

[moa_shooter]

I only read about the first four pages and agree that stock/ gun fit is rather important.
I'll also add the old school .308 is perhaps the most versatile cartridge. You can download the it with a 120 gr accubond or 130 ttsx or bump it up to heavier loads as she grows. Add a brake if you really want to tame it.

i use the 125grain sst in my 308 win

 

[pqmaloney]

I used a Remington 270 to train my 2 boys after they trained with 22s, 223s & 308. I have always believed that the 270 is the best all around bullet. It's in the middle and the rifle and ammo is everywhere to be found. A Remington (or other brand) in 270 are very inexpensive or you can spend some cash too.
I got both my son's one for their 18th birthday's : )
Anyway my friends, sharing some thoughts of what worked for us. Safety, Weaponeering, & Outdoor Fundamentals are key to fun times.

 

[RAGGED EDGE]

I'd look for a Savage 110 with an Accu-Fit stock in 6.5 Creed. I'd load a Barnes 100-grain TTSX with Power-Pro 2000 to about 3150 fps and never look back.

 

[436]

.250 Savage aka .250-3000 in a lightweight bolt rifle is just plain hard to beat for a young shooter.