Cartridge for youth hunter

One of the hang ups I'd have with the Creedmoor is that 6.5s seem to have no lasting spot in the N.American market. I realize that has no bearing on it's merits as a cartridge...but it means quite a bit down the road with availability of ammunition and components. Maybe the 6.5 has finally broken through but historically 6.5s tend to fizzle out. The world is full of excellent 6.5s that seem as popular as the clap in the N.American market.

There are almost too many options listed! You really won't go wrong so long as the rifle fits. A good recoil pad and excellent hearing protection coupled with a stock that fits will go a long way toward making her shooting experience enjoyable.

Because of the factory ammo availability and cost I doubt you'll see the demise of the 6.5 Creedmoor anytime soon. If it's popular enough to get Lapua to make brass for it, and potentially hurt the sales of their 6.5x47 brass, then it's pretty popular. They don't jump into a dead or dying market. The competition guys buy the most components out of anyone and 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor are two of the tops in F-class and PRS.

DrMike":2dg8r4cm said:

There are almost too many options listed! You really won't go wrong so long as the rifle fits. A good recoil pad and excellent hearing protection coupled with a stock that fits will go a long way toward making her shooting experience enjoyable.

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Exactly, very nicely stated Dr Mike

Best Regards

Jamila

I have a 11 year old daughter she shoots a 7mm 08 browning micro shooting 120 grain nosler loads works well with her and as she gets older i can move the loads all the way up to 150 grain ammo

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Welcome aboard, bluecollarhunter. Always pleased to meet new people. Sounds as if you've set your daughter up with a fine rifle (assuredly the 7mm-08 is a great cartridge) and a good load. I had a hunting partner for many years who took everything in BC with a 7mm-08 loaded with 145 grain Speer Hot-Cor bullets. That cartridge worked very well for him. It made a believer out of me. There is no need to be kicked out from under your hat just to shoot a rifle.

DrMike":1ekstdf6 said:

Welcome aboard, bluecollarhunter. Always pleased to meet new people. Sounds as if you've set your daughter up with a fine rifle (assuredly the 7mm-08 is a great cartridge) and a good load. I had a hunting partner for many years who took everything in BC with a 7mm-08 loaded with 145 grain Speer Hot-Cor bullets. That cartridge worked very well for him. It made a believer out of me. There is no need to be kicked out from under your hat just to shoot a rifle.

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I would also like to welcome you to the forum and to say thank you for being a good dad. We have a LOT of good dads and granddads on this forum, welcome aboard

Back to the original question, I agree with Dr Mike and Jamila, 100%--if the rifle fits her she will enjoy shooting and hunting with it regardless of which of the calibers that been mentioned that you choose

IdahoCTD":20pdtlq9 said:

Because of the factory ammo availability and cost I doubt you'll see the demise of the 6.5 Creedmoor anytime soon. If it's popular enough to get Lapua to make brass for it, and potentially hurt the sales of their 6.5x47 brass, then it's pretty popular. They don't jump into a dead or dying market. The competition guys buy the most components out of anyone and 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor are two of the tops in F-class and PRS.

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It's possible that the Creedmoor has broken the 6.5 curse. There are still a lot of wonderfully dusty 6.5s that never really took off. The .264WM, the 6.5 Remington Mag, even the .260 is dying off. Foreign 6.5s fare even worse. The wonderful 6.5x55 has a cult following- and that's about it, the rest of them are positively obscure.

Maybe the Creedmore will have legs, but it sure doesn't seem different enough to me from the .260. The competitive F-Class crowd seems to pick a new favorite every few years. The 6.5 seems tied to long range shooting, whether that turns out to be a fad or not remains to be seen.

Thanks guys its nice to hear input on different topic expec

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Especially when it come to the kids we need all we can get into the Hunting world

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bluecollarhunter":34q4fslt said:

Especially when it come to the kids we need all we can get into the Hunting world

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Hear, hear!

I bought my daughter a Savage 110 in .270 used for $250. Then I bought a .243 takeoff barrel and installed on the 110. Savage rifles are easy to swap barrels so she is set. If she wants to hunt elk I'll get a 30-06 barrel. Lots of Savage barrels and parts on the Savageshooters site. I bought a used stock to cut down to get her started but still have the original if she needs the bigger one. All total, I spent an extra 100 for the extra barrel and stock.

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A great option for getting kids (or any new shooter) comfortable with rifles and hunting is a Savage 99. Available in a handful of different calibers, this rifle carries nicely, shoulders and points very naturally, and is a lot easier to make follow-up shots than a bolt action. It's a pretty simple rifle to be successful with, has a cool heritage, and is one she'll want to keep forever. 250-3000 and 300 Savage can be found in the shorter action models, and .243, 7mm-08, .308, and .358 Win can be found in the longer action models. My daughter (now 11) has been carrying and shooting my 99F (chambered in a .308) for 2 seasons. I've come to the realization that I'm probably not getting that rifle back, so am looking for another 99 in a .243 or .308 that I can turn into a .358 for my brush gun.

I would get a Savage with a hardwood stock in one of the 6.5s or 7mm-08. .270 Winchester is another option not mentioned. With 130s and factory ammo, recoil is manageable.

Simply cut down the stock to the appropriate length of pull and install a slip on recoil pad to fit. As she grows, you can add thicker shims until it's time to replace the rifle or add a proper walnut stock.

If the OP handloads, and with Elk in the equation, I would strongly consider a .308 or even a .30-06. Both tolerate reduced loads well, and with a solid 125-130 gr bullet, can be a real peach to shoot. Even with a 150 gr bullet loaded to .30-30 or .300 Sav speeds, recoil is quite mild, brass, bullets and ammo are easy to come by for lots of practice.

Africa Huntress":1syiugex said:

DrMike":1syiugex said:

There are almost too many options listed! You really won't go wrong so long as the rifle fits. A good recoil pad and excellent hearing protection coupled with a stock that fits will go a long way toward making her shooting experience enjoyable.

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Exactly, very nicely stated Dr Mike

Best Regards

Jamila

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Bingo- fit and hearing protection probably have more to do with perceived recoil than the cartridge used. CL

Wow, I really do appreciate the time and effort you all put into responding; much appreciated.

Two consistently mentioned outside the parameters I was looking (one lower; one higher) were the 243 and 7mm-08 (some others but sporadically). Now the wheels are turning.

I do reload and H4895 was mentioned as a winner. I’m on it.

I also noticed that Savage is getting some love as a youth gun (I’m assuming the fit and balance), I’ll continue my research to include them.

BTW, welcome bluecollarhunter; this is a great place. Unfortunately I don't visit as much as I should but everyone seems to be here regardless which is nice.

Also, to Lynn (Ridgerunner665), seeing the smile on your son’s face holding that deer is a great motivator for me to get moving on this. Thanks.

Lastly, copy on all the advice and warnings on rifle fit. That will be my first priority after the purchase.

Safety is paramount, I’m all over that. Take care,

Look on Hodgdon's site for their reloading data and their info for reduced loads and H4895.

It is magic pixie dust for reduced recoil reloads.

Another one I hadn't previously thought about, especially viable as you reload, would be a sporterized military 7mm mauser. They can usually be found in decent condition at a gunshow, just make sure bore and functionality are there. You wouldn't have to feel bad about chopping down the stock as they often have cheap aftermarket stocks to begin with.

It would be a unique piece and a good platform for a future custom build. The round, as loaded safely for M93 actions has slightly less horsepower than a 7mm-08 with lighter bullets, about even with the heavies, but has built a well deserved reputation for taking game around the world with appropriate bullets.

One of the Kimber sporters in 6.5X55 would also be a great option, but they are harder to find.

I put a modified stock from Richards Microfit on my wife's Savage .308 M11 to fit her short arms. They will cut a custom length of pull for no extra charge. I've found both their dual grip thumbhole and frontier sportster designs to have very good ergonomics. Makes for a labor intensive but very rewarding project if you find good metal/bad wood or want to take on a cheap wood Savage and product improve it. Their grades of wood run from bland and cheap but functional to exquisite and expensive.

I think Savage rifles get a lot of props as they are very affordable while being safe, reliable and inherently accurate. They are not a conniseur's rifle, but for a starter gun to put a lot of rounds through and efficiently take game, they fit the bill.

Sorry, don't mean to harp on it, but I'm a big proponent of this...

This young lady is my daughter Megan. The rifle is a Model 70 (pic isn't reversed, she's left-handed) in 7mmWSM. Yep, a 7 Wizzum. I load her ammo with 40.0gr H4895 and a 120BT, and there's the result from 2015's rifle season opening day.

Super picture, Tom; and a super hunt for your daughter.