Rifle for daughters first trip?

[Ryanlo]

Daughter and myself going on our first safari in 2019 (So far away) going to be there for her birthday I hope. We just got home from New Zealand and used my wife's 6.5 Creedmoor. worked great on stags there. It's a heavier rifle. Thinking of picking up something not so heavy. Really like the idea of another 6.5. Been looking at the Tikka's. I have seen the 6.5 on tv shooting African game with no problem. Any other calibers I should be looking at? Want to keep recoil down so it's funner for her to shoot. She does shoot my 404j. She will be turning 15 on the trip. Biggest animal would be a zebra or gemsbok

Thanks for any advice

 

[Ray B]

It's a several faceted compromise. The main question I'd have is how much do you expect your daughter to grow in the next two years? that answer will determine the parameters of the rifle that would be the best fit for the 2019 trip.

 

[Ryanlo]

It's a several faceted compromise. The main question I'd have is how much do you expect your daughter to grow in the next two years? that answer will determine the parameters of the rifle that would be the best fit for the 2019 trip.

Don't think she will grow a whole lot more. She is tall for her age. Can shoot a normal size rifle. Does not need a youth size.

 

[CAustin]

If you have a 300 win mag in the safe pull it out and let her start practicing with that. Most plains game will go down with it. I have taken all the way up to bull eland with 180 grains from one! I don't think the kick is bad and if she has fired you 404 without too much trouble she would be fine with a 300wm.

 

[billc]

The 6.5 will work so will a 270,243,25-06,7mm-08 ,7mm or if she can handle it a 300 mag. Plus many more. Pick one she likes and fits her well and go hunt.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Daughter and myself going on our first safari in 2019 (So far away) going to be there for her birthday I hope. We just got home from New Zealand and used my wife's 6.5 Creedmoor. worked great on stags there. It's a heavier rifle. Thinking of picking up something not so heavy. Really like the idea of another 6.5. Been looking at the Tikka's. I have seen the 6.5 on tv shooting African game with no problem. Any other calibers I should be looking at? Want to keep recoil down so it's funner for her to shoot. She does shoot my 404j. She will be turning 15 on the trip. Biggest animal would be a zebra or gemsbok

Thanks for any advice

I bought a Tikka T3 Lite in .308Win for my older son. Best bang for the buck by far in my opinion. Freakishly accurate right out of the box. I would not go over .30-06 in that rifle however. The magnums combined with the light weight make for unpleasant recoil.

My younger boy I bought a M70 FW in 7x57 a few years back when they had a single year run in them. If you can find one, it's been a great rifle too. Not quite as accurate as the Tikka, but prettier for sure. It's a little heavier too which combined with 140gr loads makes for what feels like a pop gun. But he decked a zebra with one shot with it on a frontal quartering shot.

 

[Velo Dog]

Daughter and myself going on our first safari in 2019 (So far away) going to be there for her birthday I hope. We just got home from New Zealand and used my wife's 6.5 Creedmoor. worked great on stags there. It's a heavier rifle. Thinking of picking up something not so heavy. Really like the idea of another 6.5. Been looking at the Tikka's. I have seen the 6.5 on tv shooting African game with no problem. Any other calibers I should be looking at? Want to keep recoil down so it's funner for her to shoot. She does shoot my 404j. She will be turning 15 on the trip. Biggest animal would be a zebra or gemsbok

Thanks for any advice

You mention that she shoots your .404 Jeffery and so, my suggestion is to get for her a bolt action .375 H&H.
Since you own a .404, my guess is that you are a hand loader.
In which case you should use bottom loads in your reloading books / data to load her .375 ammunition down to a tolerable level of recoil.
I load my own .375 ammunition down a bit, (same for my .416 Rigby and .458 Lott.)
If you are not a hand loader, and you believe recoil from full power factory .375 ammunition will be too much, then get her a well made bolt action .30-06.

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

If you like the 6.5 Creedmoor, find a lighter barrel and synthetic stock gun like the Tikka. I've got the Ruger Preditor in 6.5 CM and it's a really great shooter. It's six and a half pounds with no scope. I like the caliber so much, I'm building my third gun in it.

If the gun hits her hard, she's might not like it. My wife's favorite pistols and rifles are guns with low recoil. A heavy 6.5 Creedmoor is a soft shooter. Getting a lightweight gun chambered in a 300 Mag of some sort, is going to hit her harder than a 6.5 CM, 7-08, or a 130 grain bullet from a 308. Heck, you might let her pick the gun out. See what she says.

Btw, I'm jealous! I have to wait a long while before my kids can big game hunt with me. They are still little. We are setting up with the .17 HMRs to do ground squirrrel hunting this summer. This will help pass the time until they can head out with me with a larger gun.

 

[BWH]

All good intel above..... not a huge difference with the aforementioned calibers..... a happy medium is the 7mm-08. No recoil.... mid 140 gr bullet. Knocks down most PG.

 

[Buckdog]

Caustin hit it on the head get her a good 300 win mag rig and it will be a gun she can use for the rest of her life and kill any African plains game, anything in north America and most things anywhere except DG. hand load it down a little to start and don't get her a super light one as it will kick like a mule, but you say she shoots a 404 so 300 is nothing. I put my son into a 7mm mag when he was young and a gun that he loves and will for the rest of his life as it has served him well into manhood taken many critters. so I like 7mm mags too. Oh hell to be true I like any MAG! If you can take the recoil then a mag it is for her

 

[BWH]

Honestly, I think so much of it is "sensory".... if you can get whatever threaded & a can for it. If the noise is less.... the kick is less.... just is, can't explain..... my autistic son could, but I can't.

 

[BC.Pat]

My recommendation would be a old classic, a Mauser in 9.3x62. Conservative loaded it will do anything asked of it with mild recoil and no noisy muzzle brake. Ammunition is readily available in Africa should the need arise. And if trouble arises or future hunts it can be loaded with a working load that will sort a but the biggest problems out. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers
Pat

ps took my Kudu 9,3x62
and my Son took his PG with it as well, he was about 100lbs with rocks in his pockets at the time

 

[curtism1234]

I'm going to make a lot of assumptions here and treat this as I would any 13-15 year old girl.

The OP states she shoots the 404. My guess is it's pretty much just for fun and after a few shots she's not going to be hitting paper anymore. So a 375 is eliminated just on rifle weight alone (let alone recoil) as would the 300win mag because she's not going to be able to consistently shoot that well either (unless you reload it down to 308 / 3006 levels).

On the highest end, I think you're looking at a 30-06. I think a 308 would be perfect. A 7-08, 270, 7x57, etc all kind of a close behind.

What rifle do you plan on taking on your trip?

If I personally planned on using a 308 or 30-06, I'd consider getting her something like a 25-06 or 7-08. Let her use the new rifle for smaller plains game and let her use your rifle for Gemsbok and Zebra. She can always go out and buy a 300 win mag / wsm when she grows up. In the mean time, she has a rifle to use that will serve wonderfully over her lifetime in the US (and elsewhere) on game 300 pounds and under like whitetail deer, mule deer, antelope.

If you plan on taking something she won't handle, then I'd get her a 308 or 3006.

 

[rookhawk]

@Ryanlo didnt say where he is going. In many places a 6.5 isn't a legal caliber for medium game.

7x57 and 7mm08 are the right choices for a woman about anywhere and are minimum legal for many animals in Zim specifically.

They make a women's stock model savage in 7-08 that I'd consider if you don't want to pay the dough for a 7x57. (Usually a more expensive rifle)

 

[rookhawk]

For the record, you guys are gluttons for recoil. You recommend weapons for a 15 year old girl that I wouldn't enjoy shooting as a colossal man.

Also, although a touchy subject to approach, let's just call it out. If your daughter is busty or you suspect she will be by the time of safari, dont buy a man's rifle for her. Getting punched in the breasts is 90% of why women hate shooting. They need special stocks but men are ignorant to this factor.

Specifically women need cast off at Toe, more pitch and much more drop at comb.(women have necks, men don't)

You can always half ass it (I did) by getting a woman a 6.5x55, 243 or 223 where fit matters less because recoil is 3 to 9lbs but when you start getting into medium calibers fit really matters. Also, don't have her shoot off a bench as it adds to the punishment. Shoot off sticks to cut the ouch.

Look into a ladies stock

 

[BC.Pat]

Shoot off sticks to cut the ouch.

Specifically women need cast off at Toe, more pitch and much more drop at comb.(women have necks, men don't)

Couple a very good points IMHO, often over looked as my wife tells me...over & over again

 

[Shootist43]

My preference for 6.5(s) is no secret. If your daughter's only complaint is that mom's 6.5 CR is a little heavy right now, I wouldn't worry about it. Even though she may not grow much in the next couple of years she will get stronger. IMHO 6.5 (s) are perfect for Impala sized game and smaller. If given a perfect broadside shot will take some of the larger game as well. On a given day if she is going after larger game she can use your back-up rifle which I assume will be smaller than your 404 Jeff. I think you already own the "perfect" gun for her

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

@Ryanlo, will you be hand loading the rounds for this rifle?

 

[rodney russell]

keep shooting the 6.5. if she just wants another gun the 7-08 is hard to beat.
took one with us on our second trip and never had to shoot anything more than once. we shot everything from steenbuck to eland.
our guide did not have a problem with the caliber as he told me just make sure we had a bullet that would hold together.

 

[Shootist43]

Rookhawk's post was a few minutes ahead of my previous one. After reading his, I would like to add the following. I think you already have the perfect rifle (the 6.5 CR) but you should get it restocked for a woman. I'm sure both your wife and daughter will love you for it.

Quite frankly having just two sons and no daughters I never considered the points rookhawk brought up. To me they just make sense. The collective knowledge on AH never ceases to amaze me. IMHO that knowledge is second to the courtesy and respect shown to fellow AH members while differences in opinion are aired.