New deer rifle caliber?

[j-bird]

Ok - Indiana has legalized certain center-fire rifles this year. I'm not 100% in support of it but I am considering using it to help my kids hunt. I am not an expert in rifles with other than shooting trouble making critters and paper. I have never shot a deer with one.

I'm looking for something that is suited for doing the job, but isn't going to punish my girls if/when they shoot it. For them I am looking at shots of 100 yards or less in mostly open areas like plots or ag fields.

Now I don't make these rules - so don't ask me why some calibers are OK and others are not.....politicians made and passed the law. What is legal: 6mm rem, .240 weatherby, .243 win, 30-06 spring, 30-30 win, all .300's and 308 win. There are a few others, but they are more "fringe" cartridges.

What of these are going to be enough gun the cleanly harvest a deer without beating the snot out of a 12 year old. I have a 30-30....and she isn't using that. I may, but 30-30 in a little lever gun is more than I am sure my daughter will be comfortable with. My 12 year old currently shoots my 50 cal muzzleloader with 100 gr charge. I am leaning toward the .243 win for her, if it was just for me I would be looking at the 30-06 or 308 win, but I would also be shooting further and have a lot more experience shooting a more potent gun.

Of those listed - what would be enough caliber to do the job without being to much for a light framed 12 year old female to shoot?

I'm an idiot - I see this is cover in another thread - I will request this to be removed - sorry......just a brain fart!

 

[W33kender]

243 in a Savage model 10 with accutrigger is a gun she could use all her life.

 

[HuntMeister]

Anything in a .243 or .30 caliber (and metric equivalent) is legal on private property only.
My personal vote would be for a .243 Winchester. The round can be loaded very mild and the cartridge can be used for varmints up to deer sized game.
I understand that some of the Savage bolt gun offerings can be had with a factory youth stock that can be swapped out with a factory adult stock as the kids outgrow the youth stock.

 

[Hoseman]

I also like the 243. I just ordered one for my 8 year old son yesterday and also a Savage like HuntMeister & W33kender mentioned. Except I ordered the Savage Model 16/116 Lightweight Hunter which is a small synthetic/stainless bolt action. I think it is perfect for hunting anywhere for 200 yards and under and would be great for a blind/shooting house. I plan on using it myself. 243 ammo is available everywhere. Savage has a $75 rebate available right now as well.

 

[dogdoc]

.243 all the way!!!

 

[Lewi B]

.243 in the Savage gets my vote

 

[catscratch]

My older boy likes the AR platform as the semi-auto doesn't kick much, but .223 isn't on your list.
My 8yr old has shot a couple of deer with his SKS. It's a .30 caliber that doesn't kick a lot and is good for short ranges.
I have an Ultra Hunter Rifle that would be great for kids. Any caliber you want, single shot, small grips that fit kids well, light/maneuverable, and a pretty darn accurate gun!
http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/hunter.asp

 

[G3 Ranch]

What of these are going to be enough gun the cleanly harvest a deer without beating the snot out of a 12 year old.

I bought my grandson a 243, that said, he's 7. If he was 12 I would have gotten him a 308. If she's shooting a 50 cal ML she should be able to handle a 308...imho

 

[JDunham]

243 is great for deer and people who don't like recoil. My daughter loves hers and she was small and started shooting it a bit younger than your daughter. Ideally pick ammunition with premium bullets and no worries.

 

[cutman]

I started with a .243, but I moved up to a .270 after a few years. .243 in youth model is a great starter caliber.

 

[Keithw247]

I have hunted with a Ruger M77 wood stock 270 all my life. It's a great gun, but a little heavy and not a lot of fun to shoot at the range. I purchased a Savage Model 11 243 last year and killed my first deer with it last Friday.

I purchased it because I have a 10 y/o daughter who wants to hunt and because I have wanted a 243 for a while. I want to take my daughter to the range to shoot before we go hunt but she should not have any problem shooting it. It's a very light gun (compared to my 270) with the synthetic stock and I will say the accu-trigger is a nice feature in such an affordable gun. I would definitely recommend it for your daughter.

One thing I've heard from people who shoot 243 caliber is that deer don't bleed much, are hard to trail. I shot this doe at about 40-45 yards slightly quartering away from me. She was next to the feeder so I knew exactly where she was when I shot. It was still light when I went to look for her. I could not find any blood where she was standing or in the direction she ran. Fortunately she only ran about 30 yards but of course it was into a swampy thicket of briers! You can see the small exit wound below. Has anyone else noticed this to be a factor with 243?

 

[Turkey Creek]

I vote for .243 An important point that was brought up is the difference between hunting and target shooting. Most of us do not like to subject ourselves to constant pounding at the range. Lead sleds are a brilliant invention and work no matter the age of the shooter. I do think its important for a shooter to gain familiarity with a gun prior to hunting. With a lead sled you can bump up a bit in caliber if you are more comfortable. A single shot on a target animal goes physically unnoticed by most. Constant pounding at the range leads to a flinch and even fear for a young shooter.

 

[Chestnut Valley Farms]

I would step it up a notch from 243 but stick with the short action 308 case platform.
260, 6.5 creedmore or 7mm08. Creedmore is growing fast in popularity due to hornadys superior marketing giving you lots of bullet options. None of these are gonna have much more kick than a 243.
I would check out ruger American platform for budget rifles, tikka if you wanna spend a bit more! Let us know what you get

 

[Jason Broom]

I would step it up a notch from 243 but stick with the short action 308 case platform.
260, 6.5 creedmore or 7mm08. Creedmore is growing fast in popularity due to hornadys superior marketing giving you lots of bullet options. None of these are gonna have much more kick than a 243.
I would check out ruger American platform for budget rifles, tikka if you wanna spend a bit more! Let us know what you get

Excellent advice, but not legal in Indiana. Thanks to some craziness in the Statehouse, we can use 24 or 30 caliber cartridges (from rifles, on public land) but nothing above, below, or in-between!

My daughters have taken 2 deer apiece; the older one used a Model 92 lever action chambered in 44/40 and the younger one used an H&R Handi Rifle in 243 Winchester. The 243 loads are 80gr Partitions, running about 2,600fps...they are very easy on the shooter, but still deliver excellent terminal performance. These are hand loads, not factory ammo.

Most 30/30 rifle stocks aren't designed well, with hard butt plates and too much drop at heel and comb, so they deliver more felt recoil. They really don't kick that much, it just feels like it!

 

[MarkDarvin]

Did they approve any pistol cartridges like a .357 or 44 mag? I like a good Henry lever action rifle and the recoil is practially non-existent.

 

[Jason Broom]

Did they approve any pistol cartridges like a .357 or 44 mag? I like a good Henry lever action rifle and the recoil is practially non-existent.

Yes, Indiana has allowed pistol-chambered rifles (PCR regs) for about a decade. These are also very strange, as the only requirements are a bullet that is at least .357" in diameter, and a case that is no longer than 1.800". This includes the 460S&W, but has resulted in a slew of powerful wildcats that rival traditional 35 caliber rifles.

 

[MK111]

I started hunting with the 243 Win in 1968 and took down every deer I shot at. Great choice.

 

[deer patch]

Tikka bolt action in 243 caliber. As long as you hit in the lung and heart area it will be dead in 50 yards with a good blood trail IMO. If you get something with the accutrigger for a kid it will take some getting used to.

 

[Owlpond]

.243 is a great caliber. I use 100 grain Winchester silver tip and have never had one fail in me. Great expansion/fragmentation in that round.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[Native Hunter]

Tikkas are worth the extra money if tight groups are important to you. You can get lucky and get a good shooter with any major brand, but after years of fooling with lots of rifles, I'm sold on Tikka (or Sako) for over the counter, run of the mill rifles.

If you want to bring a deer down fast with a 243, put a full throttle load with an 85 grain Sierra HP in the boiler room. But be warned that the bullet is explosive and won't hold together on shots through heavy bone. Most people who hunt with 243s would be better served with a more heavily constructed 100 grain bullet.