Kid wants to hunt elk

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pax

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Okay, I gots me a 13-year-old kid who wants to hunt. He's got a friend with a nice plot of land where there are "too many" elk.

I haven't been hunting myself since I was about that age, and barely remember most details. Plus we hunted deer rather than elk. So I'm a little lost.

I think I can get through the bureaucracy all right -- not for this season, I don't think, but for next year. We'll get him (and me) through a hunter's safety class and all that.

The problem is, well ...

What gun do I suggest he save up for?

Up 'til now, he's shot .22 rifles and a variety of handguns. He hasn't handled a shotgun and he's only fired a .223 a couple of times. I have reason to believe he'd do just fine with anything I hand him, but am just not sure where to start here.

Suggestions?

pax
 
For elk?

Smallest I'd personally recommend would be a good bolt action .30-06, with 180 grain soft point bullets.

.300 Win Mag would probably be a better choice. Loaded with 180 or 200 grain bullets, it's potent elk medicine. You WILL trade off for stiff recoil, however.

The most important part is to make the shot count--especially if you choose the .30-06. Tell him to take the shot at a reasonable range--200 yards in. And, get him to the range with the rifle and a good scope. It helps to have a friend that reloads if you do not yourself. Get some bullets of the same weight and type, and have him practice incessantly, until he can put 5 rounds into a 4 inch circle at 200 yards.

Good luck, and good hunting! Elk steak and burger tastes mighty fine over open coals, on a warm night in the woods. :)
 
I'v taken all but two( those with a 300 Win Mag) with an .06 and 168 gr bullets. They'r not armor plated,as with any type of hunting,shot placement is the key to making a quick humane kill. I'd sugest a 30.06 with a 150/168 gr Barnes Triple Shock or a 165 gr Nosler Partition and a LOT of practice. The magnums can be intimidating and punishing to even experienced hunters/shooters,more so to a 13-14 year old. Your seasons probably run somewhat the same as ORs,maybe he can get a deer season under his belt before the elk hunt. Hope he gets one and most of all-has fun and wants to do it again! :)
 
How big is he?

My 13-year-old is fairly small for his age, but he shoots a Remington 788 in .308. He'll be hunting deer with it next year. The 788 is relatively powerful and not too heavy for him to haul around the woods. I'd hesitate about letting him shoot a .300 Magnum right now, however.

Lots of elk have been killed with calibers smaller than the .30-06. Jack O'Connor killed a bunch with the .270 and I've read of someone's grandma taking them with a .257 Robers. Shot placement is extremely important, of course. Better no shot taken, on any game animal than a bad shot.

I don't think I'd go below the .308 in power. That leaves a lot of room and a lot of guns.

He could start out with reduced recoil ammo or light handloads, get a lot of practice, and move up to full power loads in time for next season.
 
i know a feller that gets his elk w/ a 25-06 about every year... however, i think the best answer here for a youth is to get him the biggest gun he can handle and shoot well. most kids shouldn't have any trouble handling a 308, which is the smallest i would personally ever reccomend.

if you are a handloader, a 7 rem mag is probably ideal, and at one time was professed to be the greatest long range elk cartridge available. my 338 win mag is far more pleasant to shoot than any of my 30 cal mags - so, i would strongly reccomend against a 30 magnum.

so, my reccomendations: 1- 7 rem mag, 2- 308 win, 3- 280 rem, 4- 30-06...
specific rifle reccomendations: 1- rem 700, 2- win 70, 3- ruger 77 tang safety, 4- ruger 77.

in either case, when you shop for a gun for him, please do him a favor and avoid the wood-stocked savages. these guns kick harder than their chambering indicates - much harder. also, avoid the rem 721 because these guns weren't really designed around scope use, and as such, there is quite a bit of drop in the stock, which makes it hard to shoot well. and, spend the $30 bucks on a pachymar decelerator or sims pad, and give the 'smith the $20 to have the stock cut to fit. best way to turn off a new shooter/hunter is to make them shoot something that is uncomfortabel because of fit. if the gun fits right, there is far less felt recoil.

edit: btw, of the guns on my reccomended list, ruger 77 tang safety's are about the least expensive around these parts, running in the $325 range. local gun shop has a 7 rem mag on the shelf for $300 that i've been eyeballing really hard (would be my 4th 7 rem mag, but, hey, can never have too many 7 rem mags around), and if it wasn't for that durned sako in 375 h&h i think i'd have that ruger...
 
The 6.5x55 Swede is a heck of hunting round. I'm working up some 140gr Barnes XLC bullets for mine for cow elk hunting. Recoil is less than even a .270 but it (supposedly) kills out of all proportion to it's paper performance. If you stick with factory loads, I believe S&B loads those same XLC bullets though at a couple hundred fps less than you can easily get handloading.

There's a number of affordable modern sporter rifles in that caliber including CZ550, Winchester M70, and I think some Tikka, and Remington rifles (and possibly Ruger but I'm not sure). Prices, new, will range from about $450-800 depending on which brand and who you buy it from.
 
More meese and bears fall to a .30-06 up here every year than any other caliber. I suspect it'll be more than adaquate for an elk. Since he's 13 and won't be able to hunt before next year, he'll be another year older and bigger.
 
He should spend that time seriously practicing .As to Cartridge I would suggest a 30-06.
 
There's a difference between what works and what people have used with success. I remember reading an old issue of Shoooting Times where Larry Weishuhn espoused that one of his 7mm magnum was an "adequate" but not ideal elk rifle. The next issue he was raving how the TC Encore in .308 was the best elk hunting handgun he had ever used. .308 Win out of a pistol at 125 yards, perfect. 7mm Mag at 200 yards, hardly adequate. :confused:

Inside of 100 yards a 30-30 will work fine on elk. I'll second the 6.5x55 Swede, while I haven't ever used one the .260 Remington would be another good choice.

One of the easiest ways to scare off new (and young) hunters is overdoing it on firearms.
 
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Not knowing your son...

I would have to second the folks saying that a .308 or .270 would be the way I would go. My wifes deer/elk gun is a NEF Handi-Rifle in .270. With a premium 140 or 150gr round, there is no doubt in my mind that .270 is a satisfactory elk round.

greg
 
I would say 30-06 with a good scope. If you haven't hunted in a long while, get in a class for Hunters Education and deer hunt this year. I don't know when your deer season starts, but there maybe time to get a class in before it and hunt this season.

Also check your states law on Hunters Education, you maybe exempt from being required to take it, but it could be a cool Mother/Son thing.
 
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Also check your states law on Hunters Education, you maybe exempt from being required to take it, but it could be a cool father/son thing.
Click to expand...
In this case it would be mother/son (assuming the boy is her son and not just a family friend).
He should spend that time seriously practicing.
Click to expand...
+1
One of the easiest ways to scare off new (and young) hunters is overdoing it on firearms.
Click to expand...
+1
 
My 12 year old will be hunting his first antelope, mulies and elk this season with a Remington 700 youth in 7mm-08 loaded with 140 grain Barnes Triple Shocks downloaded to 2500 fps mv. Of course, we will be limiting his range. He has been shooting this for a couple of years now (with 140 gr. Nosler Ballistic tips downloaded to 2400 fps mv), and he got his first deer with it in Louisiana last year at 155 yards. He is very careful and would not take a shot (nor would I let him) that he cannot make. If I were selecting a rifle for him today, I would consider a .308, appropriately downloaded, but his 7mm-08 ought to serve him well for anything in these parts.
 
I too would choose either a 7mm-08 or a .308 and make sure he limits his range and places his shots carefully. And speaking of good shot placement, it's easier if you know your rifle isn't going to kick the living h*** out of you when you squeeze the trigger. The .308 is not a real hard kicking number, and I personally think the 7mm-08 is a pussy-cat when it comes to recoil. A Winchester 70 Featherweight chambered for either cartridge would be great, IMO.
 
Something (anything) in the 7mm/08, .270, .280, .308, .30-06... class, assuming proper (premium) elk bullets. I would definitely NOT recommend any .300 mag for a beginner. If he's comfortable with a .300, you don't need our advice!
 
If the anticipated range is not great, I'd suggest a Remington Model 7 in .308 and would premium ammo. But between now and then I'd have him do LOTS of shooitng with cheap surplus ammo. If your son I a really big kid and can handle something bigger without sacrificing shot placement, thenthere are numerous other choices but for what I would call a typical 14 year old, I'd stick with the .308.

The Model 7 is a great little rifle and if you son is small in statue they make it in a youth model with a slightly smaller stock.

Good luck
 
I'd get that kiddo a bunch of time behind a 22lr first. If you handload you can have your cake and load a 300wmag for practice and for elk. Otherwise I'd go 308. That's my plan. A heavy barreled Rem700 or likewise will tame the kick some. Do not get some lightweight mag. I'll reemphisize practice with the 22.
 
Does he hunt with his .22? My son's abilities were greatly enhanced by two seasons of squirrel hunting with a scoped bolt action .22 shooting subsonic hollowpoints. With almost no noise and zero recoil, he learned a lot about sight alignment, breathing and trigger control.
 
By the way, the "little calibers for little people" thing is a myth. IMO, handling recoil is at least 80% mental. I'm about 135# soaking wet, and deer hunt with a .416 that my 200# hunting buddies don't want to touch. The relevant thing here is that the rifle itself not be too big/heavy to handle, and that the recoil be light for a beginning shooter, not necessarily for a small one.
 
My first thought was to suggest a Marlin lever-gun in .35 Remington and limit your shots to 100 yards and under. Moderate recoil, bigger, heavier bullet and a handy rifle to have to carry around.

A .308 or .270 in a standard hunting rifle would not be a bad choice as well. They should be readily available on the used rack and ammo is available at Wal-Mart.


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