Deer rifle for 12 year old

[WestKentucky]

Southern whitetail are not the heaviest of critters. If it were me, I would be looking at a few factors. Recoil, fun, cost to practice, ability for purpose, muscle memory. Modern rifles are gravitating more and more towards 2 categories, bolt rifle or tactical rifle, with some overlap. Most deer cartridges are a dollar a shot or more, and may be too much cost and recoil for extended range sessions. 243 is as high up in recoil as I would even consider. Looking at other options you essentially get 223 or 30-30. 223 is cheaper but falls into a poor range for whitetail ability. I still see dollar signs on 30-30 and a youth gun is neither fun nor reasonably priced. So let's look at pistol rounds...revolver rounds more precisely. 357, 44 mag...in a bolt rifle...by Ruger. It's a well built rifle, and boxes of ammo yield 50 rounds of ammo for only a slight increase in price (357) (44 is significantly higher than 357 but still cheaper per round than .243). Lighter recoil allows for longer range sessions and develops better form from less flinch and more shots on paper. So you pay similarly up front, less per shot, shoot more, develop better muscle memory, better skills, and still have a fun gun with plenty whitetail capability. I would go 357 for southern deer, 44 if hogs, northern deer, or black bear are potential targets.

 

[Olympus]

I've seen a lot of people trailing deer shot with a 243 or 6mm. If you have the wrong bullet that tiny hole plugs up fast and there's little blood to follow. 6.5 and up is what I recommend. there is absolutely nothing wrong with an 1894 30-30 either.

That's why I said "using the right bullet" in my post. I'm 32 years old and have been using the .243 off and on since I was 11 and I've killed several deer without any problem including a bruiser buck last year.

95gr Hornady SST turns the lungs to chunky red jello when you hit behind the front legs.

 

[Nature Boy]

Grumulkin mentions the 22-250. I see a lot of adults using it now for deer hunting in TX. Would make a good youth rifle too.

Of course, the .243 for youngsters and ladies is the traditional answer.

 

[redbullitt]

As to caliber, if you keep the range short lots of things can work just fine! Finding a rifle that fits and is usable is important too.

A 223 (if legal) has done fine work for me in similar situations. 60g nosler partition works well. If you have access to handloading then the sky is the limit and you could simply run reduced recoil 30 06 (provided the rifle fits her okay). If not... I would favor the 243. Very flat shooting and quite deadly on deer. My friend has used his ruger 243 for almost 20 years of shooting deer. His dad used it before that. Never seen him have an issue within 250 yards.

I will say it is important to pick the right bullet. Avoid varmint bullets as they just do not go deep enough unless it is a long shot and the bullet has time to slow down a bit.

Regular old pistol caliber rifle may be worth a look too. 44 mag and 357 mag should do the job well. 30 30 maybe too!

 

[Deaf Smith]

Saw a lovely old Savage 99 carbine in .243 recently. Real nifty rifle I bet would do well, youth or grownup!

30/30 will do fine to.

Deaf

 

[JShirley]

30/30? Of course it'll "do fine", but is definitely not light recoil.

 

[AlfonsDeWolf]

For Alabama, 30/30 with 125jsp to lower recoil

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

If the OP reloads, Sierra adapted a load for the .260 Rem for me. Called Sierra with almost the identical issue-my daughter was 10 when I got her the Ruger M77 Youth rifle in .260; even the lowest load in the books was a little too much for her at that time. Explained this and the tech was working with their program while we talked.

Sierra had an 87 gr. bullet in front of 10 grs. of Unique-said he couldn't see why I couldn't use the 85 gr. bullet with the 10 grs. in the .260-the recoil is like a .22.

So, while I can't really disagree with anyone's recommendation of the .243, I definitely fall into the group that recommends a little bit bigger bullet. And while the venerable Swede is the standard that all 6.5 mm cartridges are measured against, the necessity for a standard-length action makes for a bigger, heavier rifle for a young lady.

Sam

 

[Manny]

Ruger American Ranch Rifle in 300 Blackout. Nice light & compact rifle with low recoil & not much muzzle blast. Mount a good 4x scope to keep it simple.

 

[Chuck R.]

If the OP reloads, Sierra adapted a load for the .260 Rem for me. Called Sierra with almost the identical issue-my daughter was 10 when I got her the Ruger M77 Youth rifle in .260; even the lowest load in the books was a little too much for her at that time. Explained this and the tech was working with their program while we talked.

Sierra had an 87 gr. bullet in front of 10 grs. of Unique-said he couldn't see why I couldn't use the 85 gr. bullet with the 10 grs. in the .260-the recoil is like a .22.

So, while I can't really disagree with anyone's recommendation of the .243, I definitely fall into the group that recommends a little bit bigger bullet. And while the venerable Swede is the standard that all 6.5 mm cartridges are measured against, the necessity for a standard-length action makes for a bigger, heavier rifle for a young lady.

Sam

I did similar with my boy, I didn't want a "youth" rifle that would be traded/sold in a few years, so I bought him a REM Mod 7 in .260 Rem and developed a "light" 100 grain load for it. The longest shot he'll take is about 100 yards over our food plot. Feels like a "light" .243 and worked well on his first deer last season. This year he's moving up to "full powered" 100 grainers, then maybe the 120s.

Chuck

 

[cdb1]

Bought my daughter a Weatherby Vanguard Youth 7mm-08 and recoil was too much. Sold it and bought the same rifle in .243 and she's fine with that. I have a 6.5x55 and to me it recoils more than a .243. Most women(and girls) need a compact/youth length stock with a higher comb. Building up the comb is easily accomplished inexpensively or there are two rifles made exclusively for females, the Lady Savage and Weatherby Camilla. They are pricey.

If you are still hunting I can see going with a light rifle. If hunting from a stand/blind then I would want a heavier rifle, nothing mitigates recoil better than weight. I believe a Handi-Rifle is a bad idea if they aren't as accurate as a bolt-action. Why handicap her from the get go. I've believed for most of my life a 22-250 was inadaquate for Texas deer, I'm not so sure anymore.

Another thing I see that doesn't make sense to me is when a parent goes super cheap on the scope and mounts for their kid's rifle. I worked part-time at one of the four Cabela's superstores and saw this repeatedly. Spend enough money to at least get your kid a Fullfield II, VX-1, Diamondback or ProStaff. There are other scope brands that will work, I just mentioned the first that came to mind. And instead of spending $10.00 on rings, spend $35.00 and get Warnes or something comparable in quality.

 

[Sav .250]

The 243 is nice. You can also buy "reduced" loads for it as well.

Same goes for the 30-30.

 

[JackSprat]

Be aware of,and understand the twist rate in whatever rifle you choose.This is espicially important in your 22s..You can also reduce recoil by reducing bullet weight..A 7 mm-08 with 120s is gonna kick less than a 30-30 with 150s,but have a lot more range..All the calibers mentioned in this thread will work just fine,but some will be harder to find that others,especially in the used market.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

My daughter shot her first deer at 10 years old with a .223 Rem. It did the job, but I'm glad she's older now (13) and not quite so recoil sensitive.

She's graduated up to using her mother's .243 Win and I'm much more comfortable with that.

.243, 7mm-08, .30-30 (loaded down with 125 grain bullets) would all be a good choice for a 12 year old IMO.

 

[Captcurt]

That's why I said "using the right bullet" in my post. I'm 32 years old and have been using the .243 off and on since I was 11 and I've killed several deer without any problem including a bruiser buck last year.

95gr Hornady SST turns the lungs to chunky red jello when you hit behind the front legs.

Have to agree. I have taken 14 whitetails with a 243. All were one shot kills. One that I hit too far back went 200 yards, but I have had deer do the same thing that were shot with a 300 Mag. Federal Fusions work really well and I loaded some Ballistic Silvertips that would turn lungs to jello. Trying Accubonds this year.

I have never liked the single shot break down rifles for one reason. Cocking the hammer can be a chore for a small kid. We grownups don't take into consideration that the strength in a youngster's hands is a lot less than ours. I would suggest an inexpensive bolt. One that won't bring tears to your eyes when they drag it over a barbed wire fence or drop it on a rock. Mossberg makes a decent youth model and they shoot quite well. They come with an extra recoil pad and 1" extension so you can lengthen the stock as they grow.

 

[Fishbed77]

I started hunting whitetail at that age with a Remington 700 in .243 and, over 25 years later, I still do.

 

[Furncliff]

My daughter likes her Marlin 1894c (.38/.357). It was easy to get her acclimated by starting with .38 special and moving up to .357 mag. Target shooting and practice is cheap. Buffalo Bore sells a heavy .357 mag for hunting that will do just fine for deer. The rifle is light and handy in the field.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=102

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Out of curiosity a few years back I shot Remington reduced recoil 30-30 loads out of my 30-30 and it literally felt as if I were shooting a 223. Had several friends who were there try it and they agreed. Nothing wrong with calibers mentioned. If you want, you could try reduced recoil loads.

 

[hardscrabblellc]

1st gun = Gun for life

I have bought several guns for my kids and grand children, and exclusive of caliber I always tried to find something that they would be proud of sitting around the fire 20 years from now. I don't think the Handi fits the bill. It may take a little more work, to find exactly what you want, but some day that girl will say "My dad bought it for me". You might not be there to hear it, but it will happen.

60 years later I still have my first "Deer Rifle", Remington model 14, 32 Remington Cal. Not exactly a "High Velocity, Flat shooter", but I was fetched up in North Eastern Minnesota, where a long shot is 50 yds.

 

[bannockburn]

If I were looking for a deer rifle for my daughter I would probably be thinking along the lines of a Ruger American in .243.

 

[CB900F]

Bob;

Another very enthusiastic vote for the 6.5 X 55mm Swedish Mauser. A couple of good choices for the platform would be either the CZ550 or the Tikka T3. The CZ will be heavier, which moderates recoil & the Tikka will be a lighter easier handling gun. Wood stock makes adjusting the LOP less of a hassle.

The .30-30 is a good cartridge, but the recoil in a Winchester 1894 might be more than she'd like.

900F

 

[jmr40]

The 243 is near ideal and it won't just be a kids gun. Realistically for game no larger than deer the 243 is all that anyone ever really needs. Recoil is about 10-11 ft lbs and that is less than 30-30 with much better performance at any range.

I don't like guns with hammers for inexperienced shooters so that rules out most lever and single shots. Realistically a bolt gun is by far the best option and there are good options as cheap as the Savage Axis selling or well under $300 on up to as much as you want to spend. When you realize a 243 isn't just a kids gun you might just as well get a quality gun to start with. He'll still be hunting with it 40 years from now.

 

[Zeke/PA]

I started my Grandson at age 12 with a very accurate scope sighted Marlin 336 in .30-30. I think that he killed 9 deer with this set up and then settled for a Savage .30'-06 that magically disappeared from my gun safe.
Reloads are great and the 150 Grain Remington core-lokts are good shooters and very lethal.

 

[220slow]

Rifle

I had a .260 Rem a while back. My friends daughter was starting out so loaded a 100 Partition . I didn't use a max load. There was little recoil and according to the manual,it was over 3000 fps. I thought it kicked less than a 243 I also
had.
She shot several deer that year so everyone was happy.

 

[MICHAEL T]

30 30 lever in a carbine barrel