Need Advice on Caliber

[Grizzly600]

Hi everyone can you please give me some advice on which caliber to I should purchase for my 12 year old son. I am new to the sport and for now we are just shooting paper targets at the range, but may go hunting in the future. I have looked at .243 mainly, but some people have suggested .223, .308, and 7MM. He currently has a Ruger 10/22 and a 17HMR for gophers.
We just looked at the Savage 111 combo package at WSS for $459.99, is this a decent rifle for the price, we were also looking at the Weatherby Vangaurd combo for $729.99. The guys at WSS also told us to look at .308 or 7MM. Which caliber is more cost effective for ammunition considering we are at the range most of the time. Thanks

[binderbuck]

One that I would suggest looking into is a 7mm-08. It is a good all around calibre for the range and is more than capable of a good deer hunt. I recently bought one for my wife to use and she is wuite small.

[redranger15]

What do you plan on hunting? If it's just deer then the 243 would be fine,so would the 25-06.If your going for moose or elk then 7-08 or .270.I would stay away from anything to big for a first big game rifle for a young guy.Vanguard has a combo that comes in a youth stock and you also get the full size stock with it for when he gets bigger.I said it before ,for the money you can't beat the vanguard.Not a big savage fan myself.

[harv3589]

If big game hunting is in his near future I would go with a 25-06. Great little round fully capable of taking any big game animal he will hunting in Alberta. Most important is that the rifle fits him. That is the round that my girlfriend uses.

[Grizzly600]

We are just planning on deer hunting, but he has his eyes set on bigger game as any 12 year old boy would.

[harv3589]

Originally Posted by Grizzly600

We are just planning on deer hunting, but he has his eyes set on bigger game as any 12 year old boy would.

243 would be just perfect then for now.

[TheClash]

i guess what we don't know is what your 12 year old is like...is he a small framed willowy kind of boy or one of those farm corn fed boys that is already up around 6 feet tall and 175lbs and only going to get bigger....

[noneck180]

308 win or 7mm-08

[Crossfire]

a 243. will be an excelent first gun .. great for deer but a little lacking on an elk or moose but as long as you hit him in the right place remember last time i checked 223. were not legal for big game hunting

[Hatfisher]

My first big game rifle was a .308. I now shoot a .270. I would not hesitate to shoot any big game animal in Alberta aside from maybe a bear. I am a small guy (120Lbs and 5'9") and have shot rifles from the time I could hold one. I have never found the recoil of a rifle to be overly bad though I know my fiance can not handle the recoil from my .270. I still have my .308 and although it is a Sako Forester L579 HB that weighs in at 13.5Lbs, It really has nothing much more than a .243 for recoil. My 11yr old nephew has shot it with no problems. I guess what I am saying here is experience on what to expect with some different calibers can help in the handling of recoil.

I say get some buddies together with some different calibers and take him out to the range and let him find a caliber that works best for him. It will give you a place to start and help in finding the right rifle for him.

As for the Savage Package My cousin owns and shoots one. He seems to like it and it has not let him down. His is a .270 as well. Accuracy is pretty good with 3 shot groups around 1" @ 100 yards with Federal Power shok 130grns.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Hatfisher

[ceedub]

Just remember that if he gets a little recoil shy now it could take years to fix it, if ever. For a young guy or girl, I think a 243 or 257 Roberts is a good starting point, enough gun for deer sized game but very comfortable to shoot.

Craig

[Lefty]

I got my 11 year old boy a 308 in a Steven's a few years ago. The gun shoots very tight groups, and the boy just loves it. He is 13 now and shoots it very well. After two years of hunting he has gotten one bear, 5 deer, and a couple coyotes with it. The calibers I like for kids are the 7-08, 270, and 308. If you handload the 308 then you can have some really mild loads for him, and I believe you can also buy reduced load factory rounds. My little girl when she turned 12 just shot full loads and she did fine with that. Did shoot a bunch of reduced loads with the boy, and then went with full loads and he shoots the same size group off the bench with either. The advantage of these calibers is that they are good for anything we can hunt here. The other calibers in 25 and 24 caliber are a little light for anything other than deer.

[gunslinger]

my son also started hunting at the age of 12 this year and i put him into a little 300 savage. was perfect for recoil becasue there is none and he was able to get his first doe this year with his grampa

[Vindalbakken]

I will second the 257 Roberts. Excellent starter cartridge that can easily be a lifetime cartridge for deer sized game.

[bubba5794]

I bought my son a 25-06 and it is a great gun. Low recoil and a fairly flat and fast gun. I even use it for deer hunting, great calibre

[ACKLEY ABE]

Nothing wrong with a 308, but he's 12..... Might be a little much. 257 Roberts as has been mentioned might be the ticket or perhaps a 7/08 which is just a 7 x 57, which would be a great choice as well. Elenor O'conner shot everthing that Jack did and she did it with the 7 x 57, not to mention Karamojo Bell and his Elephants. Just because it's been around a long time, don't overlook it. It is pleasent to shoot and probably a better choice than some of the lighter bores...in our country.

If it were up to me I'd go 7 x 57. If you would like him to try one..or one of the other cartridges mentioned, I'd be more than happy to let him try one of mine..........when the weather warms and iffn you are in the Edmonton area.

[roger]

Id look too avoiding the 7-08, mild 30's or those 'big boy' calibers until he and his shooting matures. then he can look forward advancing his skills as well.
just because its a mild load to us doesnt mean that he will look at it that way.
(plus, its another excuse to buy a gun, in a couple years)
i would look at something in a caliber in the 100-120 grain range.
personally id go 2506. they are relatively easy to find bullets for, they shoot flat and therefore the young man doesnt have to be as knowegable about bullet drop compensation and estimating yardage.
lighten up for yotes and load up for bigger game.

[ACKLEY ABE]

oooops...musn't forget 6.5 x 55 or Catnthehat or some other old codger, scuse me mature gentleman, will be all over me. It would make a dandy first rifle and for that matter forever rifle.

[Bassett]

What's the size of your boy??? I'm 13, shoot a 30.06, it doesn't kick at all... for the range you can buy reduced loads run when your going hunting get bigger loads...

(I'm 5'11" and 145lbs)

[kayaker]

In the Savage or Stevens I would go 7mm-08 or .308. The 7mm-08 is better reloaders option but for both you can load them down for less recoil.

If you don't reload then shoot Remington 'Managed Recoil' ammo. In .308 it shoots a 125gr bullet at around 2600fps I believe. Recoils less than a .243 apparently.http://www.remington.com/products/am...ged-Recoil.asp

Its $21 a box, so much the same as regular ammo. That way as he ages he can shoot full power loads and not need to buy a new rifle as you would need to do if you bought a .243 but wanted to go and hunt moose/elk later on.

Just my 2c!

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by ACKLEY ABE

oooops...musn't forget 6.5 x 55 or Catnthehat or some other old codger, scuse me mature gentleman, will be all over me. It would make a dandy first rifle and for that matter forever rifle.

I'll let ya go THIS time - only because you mentioned the 7X57!
FWIW, I started my son on a 257 Roberts as a big game rifle, but unless one hand loads, it's not a good choice.
The 7X57 is however, because the ammo is more readily available.

Cat

[rottie]

I started my boy off on a 25 06,we tried the 308 but as he was fairly small at the time he didnt like it.Most importantly just make sure the rifle fits him,and he is comfortable with it.
Once that part is done like some of the guys have suggested the .257,7x57(one of my favorites)25 06 will do him just fine. These calibers are more than adequate for most big game in Alberta

Ian

[Vindalbakken]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

FWIW, I started my son on a 257 Roberts as a big game rifle, but unless one hand loads, it's not a good choice.
The 7X57 is however, because the ammo is more readily available.

Cat

I don't get this one. Having purchased ammo and handloaded for both cartridges and now browsing the major ammo makers current websites for offerings it would seem that both cartridges are about the same in availability of factory ammo other than Federal who will sell you a 175 grain round nose 7x57 load. Hornady offers their new Superformance in both cartridges (which gives some pretty impressive #'s in the 257 round!).

While the 7x57 is sufficiently mild, there is a noticeable difference in felt recoil between the two.

[Grizzly600]

Thanks for all the suggestions, it's great information. Just for the record my son is almost 5 feet tall and is about one hundred pounds.

[Okotokian]

Just remember, you're not necessarily buying him a "forever gun". You could buy a smaller caliber now, get him used to it, do some range work, hunt some deer for the next year or two. A couple years from now you could trade it for a larger caliber, get that .308 or .30-06 or whatever. Buy him a gun suitable to where he will be at and what he will be hunting for the next year or two. You don't buy adult-sized specialized downhill racing skiis for your kid when he's just starting out skiing.

[Penner]

Easy choice in my mind a .270.

Quick bullet, flat trajectory, good out to 400yrds, generally low recoil, just about every rifle manufacture makes them, good choice in bullets, ammo can be found anywhere, can drop anything from coyotes up to a moose. Best thing is he can use the rifle for a entire life time not just as his first rifle.

.243 is ok but I wouldn't use it on anything larger than deer.

.308 a little slow and bulky for my liking but would also be a solid choice.

30-06 starts to get up there with the recoil but is a fantastic all-round calibre which he would grow into anyways.

.257, 7mm-08, 25-06, .280 are a little to customized for me, not enough selection of ammo or rifles.

7MM has significantly more recoil then a 30-06 so I'd stay clear away from that option at this age/size however the 7MM would be my favorite all-time calibre.

[Mountain Guy]

7mm-08.
Nice compact short action gun. Fairly easy on the shoulder. Will work for moose / elk.
A gun could last a lifetime so spend a little more if you can. Of your choices I'd pick the Weatherby.

[TUFFBUFF]

Did everyone forget about the .260 REM - or is it not to popular ?

[270WIN]

[QUOTE=Penner;457472]Easy choice in my mind a .270.

Quick bullet, flat trajectory, good out to 400yrds, generally low recoil, just about every rifle manufacture makes them, good choice in bullets, ammo can be found anywhere, can drop anything from coyotes up to a moose. Best thing is he can use the rifle for a entire life time not just as his first rifle.

X2.
I bought my son his first rifle when he was 14. It was a 270. He killed a deer with it that first year and at least one every year since, as near as I can remember, along with several moose, an elk, some antelope, a couple of sheep and a caribou. He's 38 now and has acquired some additional rifles but I still see that same 270 in his hands more than any of the others.

[deg72]

gotta remember theres usually a fair bit of difference between a 14 yr old and a 12 yr old, i would start him with a 243 then when hes 14 or so move up to 270. Let him get used to the boom and kick like some of these other guys have stated if he develops that flinch from a gun thats to big could take quite a while to get it out of him