Rifle for Daughter and Deer Hunting

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I will go out on a limb and suggest a marlin xs7y (youth model) in .243 or 7mm-08. I actually have one on order. I really like the trigger and the bolt throw on the few that I have handled. I cant speek of it accuracy yet. New msrp on these are 391.00, but they can be had for around 350.00. Davidson Gallery of Guns is out of stock on .243 and 7mm-08, but the 308 Im getting was 357.29 out the door.
 
I will go out on a limb and suggest a marlin xs7y (youth model) in .243 or 7mm-08. I actually have one on order. I really like the trigger and the bolt throw on the few that I have handled. I cant speek of it accuracy yet. New msrp on these are 391.00, but they can be had for around 350.00. Davidson Gallery of Guns is out of stock on .243 and 7mm-08, but the 308 Im getting was 357.29 out the door.
Forgot about this one. Excellent trigger. Nothing but rave reviews. The only bad thing that I have heard is that they have had a few extractors break. Mostly due to reloads. Don't know why.
 
Having raised 2 daughters I can say from experience that a 30-06 is too much to start a small girl on. There are lots of burly men on this forum that weren't afraid to admit that it is too much for them.

Youth model rifles from various makers are fairly common in 243, 6mm, 6.5x55 or 7-08. All the options in this caliber range are plenty capable of killing whitetails dead enough with lower recoil. Bonus, a youth model will likely still fit her when she's a grown woman.

I was with my friend and his 12 yo 95 lb wisp of a gal last October took her first mule deer buck with her mother's 7mm-08.

Be kind to your daughter. She could be the one choosing your nursing home.
 
Even the most recoil shy of my friends can easly handle my 6.5x55, and yet is has dropped every single deer within a few feet even when my hunting buddie totaly botched a shoulder shot with it, I consider that to be the best low recoil hunting cartrage out there, tied with it's ballistic twins of course (260rem/6.5 Creedmore)
243s are fine too, I just like the slightly larger 6.5mm bore more. No noticable difference in recoil between the two.
 
Hope she had a good time shooting that .30-30. I would go with that or a .243, .260, or 7mm-08, in a rifle that fits her.
 
Being the resident gun enthusiast in the family, with a ranch to hunt, has provided me with experience training lots of nieces, nephews, sisters in law, cousins, and my own kids.

I have seen the most success with Rem 700 youth models with a shorter stock in 243 caliber. I handload with a warm and not maximum dose of IMR 4350 and Nosler partition bullets in 100 grain. I even bought a left handed youth model for those who are left eye master. I use a Nikon 2x7 matte scope.

I also have the New England single shot models, but I like the bolt gun's ability to take a faster second shot if the youngster and/or first time hunter gets buck fever and yanks the trigger.

We have taken at leas t 50+ deer over the years with the 700 youth models. In fact, I like to take it with me on the 4 wheeler because it is so compact and handy, plus it works on coyotes and hogs, which always seem to show up when you don't have a rifle with you.

I have also been meticulous with eye and ear protection, and it is a good choice to get the youth sized glasses and hearing muffs.

Good luck. It has always been more satisfactory for me to watch someone take a game animal that I have helped introduce to the world of hunting.
 
.250 Savage (hard to find ammo but great) , .257 Roberts,7x57 about the upper end and will kill anything well placed as will the 6.5x55. .260 Rem is great and a .270 Winchester will certainly do the trick and the recoil is not bad. .243 is ideal however and with 100 grain premium bullets will take cleanly anything in your neck of the woods under 200 yards and another 100 yards on deer.
I just got one of these for my teen aged grand daughter:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=308752593
 
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I have zero experience, but I have seen some recommend the CZ 527 in either .223 or 7.62x39 for girls. By all accounts it is a very accurate and light carbine with minimal recoil. I hope to buy one someday.
 
Something in 7.62x39, maybe an SKS with a clip restriction to 3rds... or bolt action. I've taught most of grandkids to shoot with 7.62x39 starting young as 5yrs and it will hit as hard as 30-30. 6.8x39 Grendel in a bolt gun is one of my grandkids favs. You can get the kids a 308 but do massively reduced loads. I have a Spanish small ring mauser in 308 that I do very light loads - with lots of filler - and the kids shoot that pretty good.
 
We went shooting yesterday, both are first time in a long time. (I had a device in planted in the left side so I am also learning to shoot righty, not easy after lefty for 35 years) She started out shooting about 50 rounds from ole reliable .22 from my model 60. Did very well with iron sights at 50 and 100 yards then we moved up to the Marlin 336 in 30-30, once we got her settled in she did OK but it was a little much and she kid of shied away some. We then went to a Savage 22-250 just because I had it out and she kept about 60% in the red at 50 and 100 yards. Last was the .243 that a friend had for his daughter and she was comfortable but the stock was a little long. She seemed to like it and it didn't hurt her.
So we will start to look for a .243 in a youth. I did a few Marlin XS&Y in my travels the last few day so we wil start there. I have a Savage in the 22-250 and have never had a problem and it's kept zeroed for 10 plus year yet some aren't to happy it seems. I will be trying to trade or sell it because it is a left hand gun and is just don't work right.LOL
Thanks all I will keep ya updated.
 
I didn;t read all the posts. I saw 30-06 being a tad large for her (I agree) and then alot of .243 recommendations. So I scrolled to the end in order to say this: 260 Remington. I'll guess I missed a few posts where guys recommended that cartridge.

My daughter's 14, and after what I consider to be considerable research, I've decided she can shoot that caliber. And! She can keep using it for decades to come.
 
My daughter is hunting with her scoped AR this year in .223 and my son will be his first year and will have a Ruger 77/357. Shots where we hunt is 75 yards max in the timber.

Been mentioned previously, shot placement is far more important than caliber choice.

Don
 
This is my daughter 2yrs ago at the age of 9 when she probably 65lbs shooting a Ruger 77 MKII in 260 rem shooting the Remington Reduced Recoil ammo, with no problems..

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So I scrolled to the end in order to say this: 260 Remington. I'll guess I missed a few posts where guys recommended that cartridge.
Definitely a great cartridge perfectly suitable for deer and one I have considered more than once myself. A bit flatter shooting at extream ranges than the .243, but I'm not sure it actually offers any real benefit over the .243 for a beginner to off-set the harder to find, more expensive ammo.
 
I would look at a lever gun in 30-30,either a good used Winchester 94 or a Marlin 336(pre-remington) with some of the reduced recoil ammo available. Put a good recoil pad on it.
If she can handle a 308 or 30-06 go for it,but those platforms seem a little big in size and power range. A .243 or .257 roberts or a 6mm of some kind would be better a choice in my mind.
Even look to a Modern Sporting platform in 6.8SPC.
 
243 would be best for her.don't want to turn her off due to heavy recoil at that age or size.light recoil,easy to carry,logistically on ammo,it's everywhere compared tp 7mm/08.now as far as 308,might be a little stout in the recoil,but if you shoot 30cal,interchangeable bullets.install a pachmeyer magum recoil pad on whatever you buy for her anyway
 
I got my son a Weatherby Vanguard youth model in 7MM-08 and downloaded it to start with. It came with two stocks. Now he uses the longer stock and shoots full power loads. The Vanguard is a little heavy, which really helps tame the recoil.
 
I shoot with the girls all the time. I keep it positive,encouraging,and keep it fun and safe.
The best rifle in my opinion is the one she likes the best.
Easy on the recoil may make her more comfortable. My wife shoots her 5.56 much more often than her 303 carbine.
 
Definitely a great cartridge perfectly suitable for deer and one I have considered more than once myself. A bit flatter shooting at extream ranges than the .243, but I'm not sure it actually offers any real benefit over the .243 for a beginner to off-set the harder to find, more expensive ammo.
Heavier, flatter shooting, same recoil, better ballistic coefficient.

Reload for it!
 
Sorry, I wouldn't pick any of those. I'd go for a more moderate (medium or small) caliber. I would choose anything from .223 up to 7mm08.

My favorite is the 6.5x55.

If you need a more ubiquitous selection go with a .243, .260, or 7mm08.

Good luck.

Oh, and - personal preference, I would stick with a bolt action.
 
That's a great deal on the Savage 110. I'd get it even if it's not what she uses. LOL... Anyways, .30-06 can be loaded lightly for far less recoil and still be effective on deer. .308 not so much. As long as she has shot them before, I don't see a problem. If she's never shot anything that "high" before, it could turn her off if nothing else. The .30-30 should be great, and the lever guns always seem a little shorter in the stock than bolt guns... at least that's been my perception.

.243 would be even better. No reason a properly-placed shot with .243 won't drop the deer in seconds.

EDIT: Sorry, just read through. My post is outdated.
 
Anyone shoot with a little women?

Yes sir, I do. My wife is 5'4" and weighs in at about 110-115 pounds. I took her out to shoot a .308 and after 3 shots she had a bruise on her shoulder and didn't want to shoot it anymore.
I got her a Ruger 77 in .243 and she can put most of a box through it with no worries.
I wouldn't start her off on a .308 or .30-06. You get her flinching now, and it'll be hard to get her to stop.
 
.243 or...
my choice would be a Marlin 1894 in .357magnum. With Buffalo Bore loads that come very close to 30-30 the 1894 is an excellent choice if the distances aren't too long. It's my daughters favorite. Way cheaper to practice with and a very handy rifle to tote.
 
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