Deer rifle dilemma for youth hunter

[kanook]

the lighter the firearm, the more felt recoil. there is alot of reduced recoil rounds manufactured nowadays. since you reload, that 357 levergun will make a 180grain scream out that barrel. and when he gets old enough you can get a handgun to match

 

[Asherdan]

Well, I think the guys giving stock fit, get off the bench and hearing protection advice are right in the ballpark. I want to add to the poster who mentioned reduced loads, since the OP is a reloader. I've attached an older copy of the Hodgdon Youth Loads, I'd suggest giving them a call and asking about 6mm youth data if it's not on their website.

I started my boy out (after lots of .22lr) at 11 with a marlin 1894 44mag, but I loaded a nice easy 240g cast bullet with Unique load that was effective (1400 fps) but had essentially no bark or bite on the shooter. Working with the reduced load tripled his practice time versus full up loads and made a great half-step transition to stepping up to jacketed hunting loads.

Worked out pretty well, I still load that one up for new shooters or fun times at the range.

 

[MCgunner]

I'm of the opinion that if a kid can't handle a .243, he ain't ready to hunt deer. I started with a .257 Roberts, the .243 of its day. It was my grandpa's gun and he just borrowed my uncle's .30-06 Winchester M70. He didn't like the recoil, but he knew I couldn't handle it at 10 years old. By age 11, I'd taken a nice little 6 point.

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

PendletonCowboy:

I suggest a call to the ballisticians at Sierra. I had the exact same problem with my daughter when she was 10, with a Ruger youth model in .260 Remington and loads at the very bottom of the reloading manual.

They offered me up a recipe of 10gr. of Unique with thier 85 gr. bullet. This is actually a recipe they have for a .243, and we couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work in essentially the same case. I can't imagine them telling you any different with the 6mm.

The recoil is barely more than a .22, and my daughter became quite proficient with the rifle. At 15, she still practices with this load, but has always hunted with a full power load. I have never told her it is a different load-she may suspect it because of the different bullet, but she has never questioned me about it.

Good luck,
Sam

 

[smokey262]

+1 on the Sierra 85gr Game King and reduced loads for practice, as well as hearing protection, recoil reduction, a stock that fits, and field position shooting.

+1 on a new rifle too. After all, its for the children

 

[dmazur]

If someone hasn't mentioned the Ruger compact yet, it's something to consider. This isn't billed as a "youth gun", but it certainly could be one.

Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact

I would cut down the stock (if necessary) for a thicker recoil pad, like a Pachmyer Decelerator.

I've read that quite a few adults like this "shorty", even though they have full-size rifles as well. They report no problems with lack of eye relief. Apparently you just don't crawl the stock as much when its 1" shorter...

So, he might keep this one a long time, rather than outgrowing it.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

I completely agree with JohnKSa re. recoil pad and hearing protection. 6 mm shouldn't be too much recoil if those protections are in place. Sound advice. I would steer clear of 22 cal for deer completely.

 

[HB]

AGAIN

I don't know how many times I can say it. If you already have a 6mm Remington, you don't need a .243 Winchester. They directly compete with each other with the 6mm having a slight advantage in case capacity and velocity. For all intents and purposes they are almost identical. If the boy is having a problem with the 6mm, he is not going to do any better with a .243 Winchester.

I would say reduced loads in the 6mm won't due either because bullets may not preform at lower velocities. I'd say he just needs to shoot more and become comfortable with it. I don't really like shooting centerfires as much as .22's too. It is more likely the blast over the recoil. Just get him out on the range. Also, he might not have wanted to pull the trigger on that deer last year because he was uncomfortable with it. I remember been younger and kind of struggling with killing a deer, let alone butchering it. Obiously I don't now, but it is intimidating to a young kid. Don't make him dress his first deer either. Make him part of it, but he doesn't have to be the one with the knife if he doesn't want to be.

HB

 

[paintballdude902]

.243 or .30-30 and start with some light loads and work your way up to the max load he can shoot comfortably

how old is he?

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I'd run with a .357 mag, or .243 Win, or 7.62x39. Really, whichever one he can shoot best with.

If you do run with a .22 centerfire, the .223 is a better choice than the .22-250 due to the heavier bullets and faster twist rates to shoot them, which are available.

And as mentioned, the recoil pad and rifle weight are more important factors in controlling felt recoil than the caliber selection.

 

[mudriver]

Trying different loads in the 6mm will help this problem. I switched 30-06 loads from max using 4064 to 2 grains under max with 4350. Interestingly everyone loved shooting this load and groups were cut in half. My 10 year old boy now shoots it and loves it. Deer die just as fast.

Another option to consider is 6.8 SPC. When my boy was 6 I had him try it out and he loved it and could shoot it well. Very little recoil and good to 250 yds.

 

[mossberg]

I highly recommend a Limbsaver recoil pad. Works wonders, should tame the 6mm for your son.

 

[nathan]

Howa 1500 youth model is a good choice .