Looking to get my daughter her first rifle for deer hunting. She is 10 years old and 110 pounds. I want to keep this as simple as I can. I'm going with a .243win. She's tall with long arms so I don't necessarily need a compact model with a shorter LOP. I'd like to get her a rifle that she can use now throughout her teen years if she sticks with it. I'm partial to either Tikka or Remington. I'm looking at the T3x lite vs. a Model 7, SPS, or possibly 700. I'm not adding anything to it, I just want an out of the box rifle for short distance whitetail hunting. I'm very familiar with the Remington recoil, my question is will the .243win recoil in the T3x be too much for a 110 pound 10 year old? I've never actually shot a T3x. She's only ever shot .22's and 20ga clay loads. I want to start her off right. Thank you.
Tikka T3x Recoil - Suitable for Youth?
- Thread starter Full Curl
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Any chance you have a friend with something similar for her to try. Everyone is different in their recoil tolerance. I understand your being sensitive to that and not wanting recoil to adversely affect her and the continuing enjoyment of shooting. Good father.
have you given any thought to a 7mm-08 you can start her off with reduced recoil loads and move up to a stiffer load as she grows this is what i recommend to my friends with young kids and it has always worked out well
mobenzowner
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I think the Tikka .243 in t3x would be fine for her size/length.
I don't have any buddies with something similar for her to try. I wish I did. I was hoping someone on here has some experience with a child and the T3x.
I thought about other calibers but decided I'm sticking with a .243win. I'll only have a few hundred bucks into a factory stick and if she enjoys it, I'll just buy her a new caliber a few years down the road when she's older that can be her keepsake rifle. I load all my own stuff but don't have anything for the .243 so I'm only going to use factory stuff this year to see how it goes. Another thing that if she enjoys it, I'll make more of an investment down the road. I just don't know if I should get a heavier Remington to tame a little more of the recoil over the T3x....?
I thought about other calibers but decided I'm sticking with a .243win. I'll only have a few hundred bucks into a factory stick and if she enjoys it, I'll just buy her a new caliber a few years down the road when she's older that can be her keepsake rifle. I load all my own stuff but don't have anything for the .243 so I'm only going to use factory stuff this year to see how it goes. Another thing that if she enjoys it, I'll make more of an investment down the road. I just don't know if I should get a heavier Remington to tame a little more of the recoil over the T3x....?
Canhunter35
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The tikkas have a nice recoil pad, so she should be good with a tikka.
My 12 yo son is 5-8 and 110 lbs and shoots a 6.5 CM without any problems. He started at 7 with a youth savage in 223 then I rebarreled it into a 277 wolverine then transition to his tikka. I plan to rebarrel it with a shouldered pre-fit in a 280 AI when he is ready the reason why I went with a tikka. I also put the air tech limb saver pad that is worth it's weight in gold!! I think she will be fine and to upgrade it later is a breeze. DM me I can give you more detailed information on my sons rifles if you want. Good luck!!
Either one will work fine. I too recommend a 7mm-08, I started hunting with one when I was 8 years old with fully loaded 160 grain partitions for desert mulies.
With heavier bullets is a great cartridge for Elk in case that is an option.
If you are set on the 243, again both will be just fine for her weight. Have fun and enjoy your time together.
Stay safe
With heavier bullets is a great cartridge for Elk in case that is an option.
If you are set on the 243, again both will be just fine for her weight. Have fun and enjoy your time together.
Stay safe
bomberodevil
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I just went through this it's my grandkids, ages 10-13. You may want to look at the 6.5 CM instead of the .243. I'm an old school guy with my primary hunting rifles being a 30.06 and a .270. But the 6.5 CM is a very versatile cartridge, with a lot more upside than the .243.
The recoil energies, depending on the load, run from 9-12 lbs with the .243, and 12-14 with the 6.5. So pretty close, considering my 30.06 is double that.
I was looking at the Tikka T3x lite in 6.5, but I stumbled across a Christensen Arms Mesa on sale for the same price, so that's the grandkids rifle.
You won't be disappointed with the .243, but I think the 6.5 will be a little more versatile as they grow.
The recoil energies, depending on the load, run from 9-12 lbs with the .243, and 12-14 with the 6.5. So pretty close, considering my 30.06 is double that.
I was looking at the Tikka T3x lite in 6.5, but I stumbled across a Christensen Arms Mesa on sale for the same price, so that's the grandkids rifle.
You won't be disappointed with the .243, but I think the 6.5 will be a little more versatile as they grow.
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I started my kids on a tikka t3 youth in 7-08. I made the loads with a 140 partition very soft. Like 2400 FPS soft. I also put a different pad on it. Limbsaver. It isn't a looker, but it is flat out a killer. Several first bucks and a couple bulls have met it in the field. They all tipped over just as dead as any with my bigger mags. Couple at extended distance. (Under 500).
I was very concerned with recoil and making sure that was not an issue for them. Recoil and muzzle blast are the biggest issues I have ever seen with kids and or ladies that don't shoot all the time, or are new to hunting.
I was very concerned with recoil and making sure that was not an issue for them. Recoil and muzzle blast are the biggest issues I have ever seen with kids and or ladies that don't shoot all the time, or are new to hunting.
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Great suggestions from others. Definitely a +1 on an aftermarket recoil pad. It can make a huge difference. FWIW my daughter was about the same size at her age, maybe abit smaller and could handle the 243 win recoil without issue and she is fairly recoil sensitive.
@Full Curl, while it is NOT for everybody, muzzle brakes are still the best device in reducing felt recoil and muzzle rise. Most of my hunting rifles now wear muzzle devices, including chamberings that do not necessarily need one to reduce recoil. An effective muzzle brake design (and there are plenty of them that are budget-friendly, including self-indexing types) serves two purposes, recoil reduction and reduction in muzzle rise (this is often not factored in/forgotten in the consideration). I have 6.5 CM and because it came already ported, I can slave in self-indexing muzzle brakes and suppressor. If your chambering choice is still too much for the young shooter, you might consider a muzzle brake.
Good luck!
Ed
Good luck!
Ed
I have a 10 and 12 year old that I got a t3x superlite 7mm08 with a lightweight scope for. before doing anything to it the gun weighed 6lb10oz unloaded. They're pretty light for their age... The 10 year old being 68lbs and the 12 year old being 85lbs.
I know you're not wanting to add anything to it, but with mine, I cut the butt stock shorter and then put a limbsaver pad on it. I also added about 12-14 oz of bullets into the butt stock before putting the new recoil pad on. Now the gun is ~7lb6oz and they've been shooting the Hornady reduced recoil load (120gr, 2600fps) without issue.
I would think that as long as the stock fits your daughter ok and you don't put a super light scope on, she'll do ok.
