Rifle for my daughter

[Dawg2019]

I am looking to get a rifle for my 10y/o daughter to start shooting something bigger than the .22lr. I was thinking about starting with a .243 win. The only issue is that I have had it with plastic stock guns and it is terribly hard to find a good wood stock gun these days. Does anyone here have a smaller .243, such as a model seven, or micro Midas browning?

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Something like this ?

Model 700 CDL | Remington

Or this, if you prefer control round feed ?

Model 70 Featherweight | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester

Light weight bolt-action hunting rifle with classic looks. Checkered satin finish stock with Schnabel forearm, lighter Featherweight barrel profile, controlled round feed, Pachmayr pad.

www.winchesterguns.com

A very wise choice in caliber. I taught my granddaughter how to shoot with a .243 Winchester, as well.

 

[Hunt anything]

After my daughter got used to 22lr, I moved her up to a .308win, she was 12or 13, we started off with reduced recoil loads and worked up to full loads after she became familiar with the rifle. That’s what worked for her.

 

[cash_tx]

I know they both get alot of good-natured ribbing on this site, but the 243 Win. and the 6.5 Creedmoor are both great calibers and very friendly to a young shooter; and perform effectively the same as each other on mid-size game when used properly. I am a fan of looking for a fine pre-owned rifle like an old Model Seven or my Browning Safari Grade; but short of that, two current production models I would look at (with a wooden stock that I would entrust to a youngster) would be the Weatherby Vanguard Camilla or the Bergara B14 Timber.

 

[Hunt anything]

Her rifle is a very accurate Ruger American. Pretty inexpensive but very functional.

 

[BeeMaa]

One caliber that seems to work out very well for most new rifle shooters is the 7mm-08 and a used Savage Lady Hunter would fit the bill nicely for a young lady starting out. Take a look at the ones on GB like this...
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/972917018

EDIT - another caliber I like is the 270WIN for the ammo availability and relatively low recoil. Plus it's a caliber she can use well into adulthood.

 

[AimSmall]

Something like this ?

Model 700 CDL | Remington

Or this, if you prefer control round feed ?

Model 70 Featherweight | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester

Light weight bolt-action hunting rifle with classic looks. Checkered satin finish stock with Schnabel forearm, lighter Featherweight barrel profile, controlled round feed, Pachmayr pad.

www.winchesterguns.com

A very wise choice in caliber. I taught my granddaughter how to shoot with a .243 Winchester, as well.

...and I can offer a used youth stock to fit it!

 

[wesheltonj]

I bought my daughter a 7-08 SAKO Bavarian after her first deer hunt.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

7x57mm Mauser is also a fantastic caliber for teaching daughters how to hunt. Perfect combination of punch, accuracy and a very manageable recoil.

 

[mdwest]

because we knew our daughter would be hunting in Africa, we wanted something with a little more juice behind it than a .243.. So we picked up a Howa 1500 in .308 for her..

To get her ready for the recoil, noise, etc we started out with some shooting with a semi auto centerfire (AR15), then did some shooting with a particularly heavy 270 (weighs about 9.5lbs.. but is laser accurate, and very soft shooting).. before moving her to the 308...

It took all of just a handful of rounds and she was ready... she is fairly small framed and statured.. but handles the 308 just fine (168gr loads at about 2700 fps).. which is more than enough for anything she's every going to pursue in NA... and anything shes likely to hunt in SA over the next several years (shes got blesbok on the menu this year.. last year it was impala.. etc..)..

You can get a Howa Walnut Hunter for less than $750 in a variety of calibers (.243, 6.5CM, 7-08, 308, etc).. if youre dead set on walnut and blued steel...

HOWA M1500 Walnut Hunter 243 Win Rifle - Lipseys.com

HOWA M1500 Walnut Hunter 243 Win Rifle

www.lipseys.com

Or if youre open to a synthetic stock.. the variant we picked up has one of the hogue overmoulded stocks on it.. We caught it on a clearance sale at Field and Stream when it was less than $450.. but they can be had all day long for less than $650 a lot of places..

Howa 1500 Hogue Black Bolt Action Rifle – 308 Winchester – 26in

Howa 1500 Hogue Black Bolt Action Rifle – 308 Winchester – 26in - An out-of-the-box rifle for hunts and target shooters alike. The Hogue Rifle features a Hogue pillar bedded overmolded stock for superior fit, function and accuracy. The combination of the high precision Howa 1500 and the...

www.sportsmans.com

 

[degoins]

When my grandson was 10 I bought him a CZ 527 youth model in 7.62x39 that worked very well on deer and bobcats.

 

[CJW]

Have you thought about a 30-30? Almost every rifle I've seen in 30-30 has a wood stock. Easy recoiling too.

 

[CJW]

When my grandson was 10 I bought him a CZ 527 youth model in 7.62x39 that worked very well on deer and bobcats.

My mind went to a 7.62x39 carbine as well.

 

[poco]

Winchester m70 featherweight in .270win is my favorite
the ruger American in 6.5cm - .308 is a great gun

 

[schwerpunkt88]

I'm voting for the 7mm-08. I bought a Ruger American Rifle for my daughter, put a 3x9 Leupold scope on it and she has killed 2 deer and a hog with it. Fantastic round and rifle

 

[lawrence_court]

I'd focus on the least recoil you can find. .223 will kill most stuff. She'll probably shoot it like a champion. Tikka make a lite in .223. Will be very accurate and shootable. Can't wait til my kids are her age! Good luck!

 

[Triathlete3]

Look into the Weatherby Vanguard Camilla. Various great calibers and you can have it shortened with spacers made to fit her as she grows. It already has the stock shape for a female shooter. My wife loves her Mark V Camilla.

 

[Inline6]

My wife loves her Camilla too. Hers is 6.5CM, it shoots very tight groups.

We did thread it for a brake that is now getting changed out for a can. They are worth looking into for sure.

 

[Ragman]

I just picked up a Browning X-bolt in 7-08 and its overall length is less than my BLR. I would think it would fit a child of her age nicely.

 

[mdwest]

off topic.. but LOVE that BLR...

Brileys in Houston has one in 308 thats in decent shape for $550... I was VERY tempted to pick it up and take it home with me last week.. but couldnt justify yet another 308 in the safe (already have 4x).. the one at Briley had been a 7-08 theres no doubt it would have had a new place to live!