First Hunting Rifle

[dale2242]

The 7-08 is legal for any thing we can get a tag for in Oregon.
Although she is big for her age, she is somewhat recoil shy.
If I get her a 7-08, which I feel is adequate for elk in our area because of the close shots, she can hand it down to her 10 year old brother and I can get her a larger caliber when she becomes less recoil shy....dale

[Blammer]

take her to a gunshop and have her shoulder a few of the different makes, to see what she likes, then get one in 243.

if you want elk, then another rifle is in order.

see how this works...

[fatnhappy]

There’s alway one guy from the Deep South that shoots 55 lb deer who chimes in .243.


Geez....,,, DJ

[Tom W.]

I've seen both elk and black bears that were killed with a 30/30, but I'd chime in and say a .308 would be the better choice. My son uses a multitude of rifles, but uses his 7mm- 08 or 7mm RemMag the most. All handloaded......

[Tripplebeards]

243 with some 90 or 100 grainers. Any more recoil and your going to get a recoil shy kid. In a year or two move her up to a 260 or 7-08. There’s a lot of growing from 12 to 14. My buddies kid was about 80lbs and about 5’ when he was 12 the summer before last. I had him shooting 44 mag rifles, 35 rems, and 243’s. This past summer he rocketed to about 5’ 8” and has been blasting away with 30-06’s now.

[waksupi]

7-08 sounds good, she will never outgrow! I download a .308 for my brothers daughters, which they are old enough to shoot full power now. My all time favorite in mild recoil is a 6.5 x 55. The sportorized mil (my preference 23.5" barrels) shoot incredibly well! The performance in game far exceeds the .243!

6.5X55 is definitely a good all round choice.

[bmortell]

its kind of a pet peeve of mine people recommending 243 as the universal youth rifle for large game. small projectile, big powder charge, big muzzle blast, bloodshots quarters really bad. I don't think I seen much recommendations for 357 or 44 rifles which are pretty good at stopping power per "recoil" especially with good bullet choice, there also not long or heavy. or just a 30cal with a 180gr cast at 1800 that's only same ft-lbs as a 223 but much better penetration, low muzzle blast, wont ruin meat much, and of course could be loaded much higher in the future. point being 243 is certainly not the most efficient at "animal size" vs "recoil/blast" not a fan of necked down unless for varmints

[Tripplebeards]

Love my Ruger 77/44. It’s as light as a BB gun and little recoil. It’s my cast boolit plinker. I’ve have two different cast boolit loads that shoot sub MOA out of it. I let new shooters try it out alon* with my Remington 600 chambered in 243. Both small lightweight rifles and light on recoil. What ever you don’t pick an oddball caliber as she and you will probably be upgrading it in a few years.

[jonp]

The only fly in the Tikka ointment is the poorly designed recoil pad. Use a slip on Limbsaver for sighting in and remove it to hunt. I'll join the 7mm-08 chorus...

Friends wife had a 243 but after a bad experience with a 250lb Whitetail switched to a Tikka 7-08. Swears the deer take a look and just fall down. Buddy like it so much he got a Tikka in 270 WSM. Used it on everything from coyote to moose.

With elk on the horizon and being a reloader (my friend is not) I'd opt for the 308. Load it light and as she grows into it with more experience increase the power. Ammo is cheaper, bullets and powder are everywhere for it and it's most likely the only caliber she will ever need in the lower 48.

My Grandfather grew up in the depression where money was tight to say the least and after WW2 when he saved enough money by trapping and working 16hr days he bought a 308 for his one rifle. Does everything you need it to do.

[OnHoPr]

I hope you don’t mind me being a little eccentric. Does it have to be a new rifle? Generally I would bring the 257 Bob into the equation, but since elk and bear may be considered something a little stronger would be more sufficient. The 6.5x55 could be very useful along with the 6.5x57, but when she gets older on her own store bought ammo might be in the cards, so the 260 Rem would be my lightest choice.

Next caliber up is the 7mm which is very adequate for the game intended. Bullet construction would play a major role in the ammo choice deliberation just as with the 308. The 7-08 might be the wisest choice, but like I mentioned above if no rifles are chambered for the 7x57 now a Ruger 77 in 7x57 would be my choice suggestion. It has a touch more powder capacity than the 7-08 and a longer neck for gramps to cast boolits for a lot of practice ammo. The 7mm bullets usually have better BCs than the 308 bullets especially when considering the 308, because it can’t push heavier bullets or at least past 165 gr fast enough at anything past 200 yds. In eight more years your granddaughter might have a Ranger or Toyota pickup with a cap and doing her own hunting. She might want to travel to western Montana for a goat hunt or try for sheep in OR if possible or WA. She could generally always find ammo for it online and could always purchase stuff like Rem 140 or 175 gr loads which are reduced loads anyways. Where she would have to get 275 Rigby ammo for full power loads in the 7x57. So, in a lot of aspects if a reloader was not around the 7-08 would be a wiser choice. The 7mms can get pretty zippy with 120 gr balls in them with lighter recoil and still pushed fast enough for the HIGH BC 160 gr BTs.

Heck, if you are considering the 308 you may as well go to the 06 for the game intended. There are reduced loads for it and even more variety of ammo than the 308. The 308s recoil is on par with the 06 anyways. What a 150gr bullet from a 308 is about 2900 fps in a commercial loading and the 06 is 2950 fps. You would not tell the difference in a proper fitting stock and if the stock did not fit proper the 308 would have more unpleasant recoil.

The only other generally commercial usually available ammo that I could think of that would fit the bill is the 300 Savage. But, the ammo price might be a bit costly if reloading was out of the question.

Anyways the 6.5, 7mm, and 30 cals would be in my considerations with the Savage, x57, or 08 case.

[jonp]

I hope you don’t mind me being a little eccentric. Does it have to be a new rifle?

I assumed the OP meant that she was getting a new rifle as in brand new. Maybe I took him wrong and he meant "new to her"?

[David2011]

Maybe let the young lady shoot several calibers and see what she's comfortable with prior to purchasing anything? An adult woman I knew wanted to try out several handguns so I loaded up a selection and we went to the range. She was about the same size as the OP's granddaughter and had little or no prior experience shooting handguns. I was concerned when she wanted to shoot the Blackhawk in .45 Colt with Ruger/Contender loads but she loved the stiff recoil. It's probably a big assumption to assume that the young lady is terribly recoil sensitive. She can determine that for herself. I would be uncomfortable recommending a .243 for the range of game mentioned.

I don't enjoy heavy recoil mostly because I shoot my hunting rifles from the bench a lot. I can shoot 60 rounds in an afternoon from the 6.5x55 and not hurt the next day. The .260 and 6.5 Creedmoor are ballistically identical for all practical purposes. I've shot Browning X-Bolts in 6.5 Creedmoor with and without muzzle brakes. Browning offers at least one model with the brake as a standard item. The muzzle brake reduced recoil substantially and it was just the tubular style with lots of holes around it. A .308 with a muzzle brake would also offer adequate power without the recoil.

[bob208]

first rifle I used for deer was a 94 Winchester in .32 spl. borrowed from my uncle. the first deer rifle was a cut up number 4 Enfield in .303. neither one had ever failed me.

[Adventure Fish]

My first hunting rifle was a 30-30. Indiana only allowed straight wall cartridges for deer at that time. I've never shot a 7-08. I have taken a lot of deer with a 30-30 in state, and quite a few out of state with a 30-06 and 308. 30-06 and 308 are the most versatile to load for that I know of. Ive loaded both down with a boolit intended for a 30-40 Krag rifle and shot it. Might as well have been shooting a 22 except in 30 cal. The benefit being that if she starts with one of those two and finds a rifle she likes, you have the advantage of tuning a boolit recipe to her and her rifle. Then she learns to do it all.

[white eagle]

Sorry pete501, we are not interested in an AR.
It will be a bolt gun for sure.

I would still get her a 6.5 CM
lots of prime bullets and capable with minimal recoil

[Walks]

I have a .250-3000 Ruger M77R. I bought it 1976. A few years later I happened on a M77 S-A stk at a gun show with a BIG Scrape on the buttstock. I refinished the stk as a project for the cool winter evenings.

When my Kids were born I already had a Rifle for them to grow into. I cut the extra stk down and bought a Good Kick-Eze recoil pad and half a dozen 1/4" spacers.
Got busted up just before my oldest turned 12yrs and got her Hunting License. So a friend took her for her first deer, I waited in camp in my wheelchair. 100gr Sierra worked just fine. Her brother did the same a year later. Added spacers as needed. When he got big enough He switched to the Family .257 Rob't, and then My .270WCF.
His sister Switched to a .308 REM 700 that I bought a youth stk for.

My buddy retired and moved away My Son's last spring in H. S. My Son went in the service, didn't come home from his 2nd tour in Iraq. My Daughter didn't want to Hunt without Him so she gave it up.

But She still goes to the Range about once a year with me. I'm out of the wheelchair most days.

She down loads the .308 for bench shooting, she is still a heck of a fine shot.
She still uses H4895 in all her .308 loads.

A .308 with a 2nd stk with spacers/recoil pad is the way to go.

[sniper]

My 3 270s were fine rifles, but, after a while, the recoil got to me, and I went to the 257 Roberts. Nowadays, brass is almost unobtanium, and finding ammo is a real problem if a person doesn't reload.

The .260 is languishing, but the 6.5X55 Swedish can be loaded to emulate be a "very good" 257 Roberts with 100 or 120 gr. bullets. With 140 gr. the Scandinavians take Moose with no fuss. But...they have to prove they can shoot! A downloaded 308, or maybe even 7mm08 will do just fine, and as was said, fit (along with practice) will be the deciding factor. Good luck to you and your young lady!

[Duckiller]

Tika evidently won't ship ultra light 7-08 to US so #2 son just ordered it in 6.5 Creedmor. Nore dies to buy.

[rockrat]

7mm-08 all the way, unless she is close to you and you plan on loading for her. Then the 308, as there are plenty more 30 cal moulds available (if she will shoot cast boolits)

[MDC]

Except for elk and larger bear, I'd say get her a Contender carbine in 7-30 Waters. I've shot several deer and feral pigs with excellent results and the recoil is very mild.