Trying to decide on a caliber for varmint rifle for my son and I

[Barbourcreek]

Love The 6 creedmoor
Yotes and deer. Same gun

 

[marksman1941]

For ease of shooting and breaking in a kid, I would 100% find an 8 twist 223 and run 77's out of it. If you can suppress it, even better. Muzzle blast is a huge part of perceived recoil, especially for kids, and a 22-250 is a big step up in terms of concussion.

I have a 1:8 Howa mini 223 that's a dream to carry, no recoil to speak of, and hilarious when suppressed. Accurate to 600 when shooting 77 TMK and OTM.

You don't need much gun for a 30-40 pound dog. Don't overdo it, when the goal is to get your kid comfy and happy behind the gun. Also if you're not already a reloader, don't pick a caliber that requires loading. That is going to be frustrating when you can't quickly build 50 rounds for a day of shooting, since you're still learning how to reload. Stick with factory for this one.

 

[338 dude]

My son and I have been looking at getting a rifle for mainly coyote hunting. We have done lots of looking at reviews and are pretty set on the Ruger American Gen II (Standard or Predator). We are hunting coyotes in Iowa. I don't see us doing any big game hunts, so no need to jump way up in caliber.

My son is 11. He has a big interest into shooting. I was leaning towards the .204 ruger after seeing reviews how a speed demon caliber with little recoil. But after seeing/hearing wind issues I've been leaning more towards a 22 ARC which is pretty much non existent at this point. We have an AR in .223, a Marlin .17 HMR. I'm worried the .204 may just be the Marlin with a slight upgrade.

What are your recommendations?
.204 ruger
22-250
22 ARC
22 Creedmoor

How about six arc there are wide range of bullets from light to heavy. I'm currently shooting a 75 grain for coyotes for the last several years but use 105 on deer.