What rifle are your kids shooting???

[lancetkenyon]

Bushmaster .223

Ruger M77 in .22-250

Rem 700 BDL in .250 Ackley Imp.

Mauser 98 with muzzle brake in .270 Win.

Mossberg 500 20 Ga.

 

Both my kids have shot these rifles.

My older daughter took a deer with the .250 AI, and an elk with the .270 Win. when she was 11.

My younger daughter, 11 year old now, shoots the .223 like crazy. She has also shot the others with no issues. She shoots the .22-250 into 2" groups at 200 yards all day long.

[Lance]

Kids and big game guns....

 

Here are my thoughts that come from quite a bit of experience over many years hunting with literally hundreds of kids.

 

First off, My own kids. we own a 243 and a 7mm08. these are for when they are like 10-11 years. Once they are passed 12 they all start shooting my 7MM RUM. its a big gun for even a big man, but they prefer it and want it. Cause its deadly. Its accurate, it has long range capabilities, and things die when the trigger is pulled!!

 

But wait.......! What about the recoil???

 

Here is the trick.... do not ever EVER let the kids shoot the big game guns for practice!!!! Never!!! They are only aloud to practice with the big game guns by DRY FIRING. NO Live Rounds!!!! Only Let Them Dry Fire for practice!!! They can shoot small guns like 22s for live round practice.

 

This way, when they, or anyone shoots at an animal they will never feel the kick of the gun and will never be afraid of it and wont develop bad shooting habits. By dry firing they will only develop good and proper shooting habits.

I make sure the gun is sighted in for them and they practice with dry fires and we inter the field with a big deadly gun and a deadly accurate kid who isn't going to miss!

 

I've seen it time and time again and the little kids can handle the big guns as long as this is how its done. But once you let them practice with a big gun by shooting live rounds for practice stile or target shooting then you just ruin them and develop bad shooting habits.

 

This way you enter the western woods with the right gun for the job and your not worried about your little girl shooting an elk too far or a bad hit cause you have a small gun.

 

Think about it. Do your kids already have bad shooting habits? Are they afraid or nervous to shoot a big gun? Stop what your doing and retrain them. It may take some time but why inter the western woods with an inferior rifle and a kid that is afraid to shoot it or has bad shooting habits....? Its hard enough to fill a western big game tag as it is. Make your kids lethal! Don't limit yourselves.

 

Oh believe me, I've seen loads of elk shot and killed with a 243. But I'll Never Ever say that I would rather be hunting big game with our 243 than with our 7MM RUM! Thats just silly. Don't limit yourselves, just train them the right way and all is well.

 

I put the LocJaw/Rifle Railz system on my guns and this eliminates any weight problems with holding the gun up for small kids.

 

Only let them fire a big game rifle when they are shooting at an animal.

 

Just my 2 bits...

 

Lance

[Elkhunter1]

Best advice i've heard on any subject all year.

[AZLance]

My son has shot a remmington 700 in 7mag since he was 10.

[mc68]

My 12 year old shoots a 300 WSM that he bought with his own money this past year. It is a great shooting gun and it does not have any type of muzzle break. He is a big kid, so he has no real problems at all with the recoil. I'm not sure how I feel about not having a kid practice with a gun they will be carrying in the field, but if it works well for you and you are confident in that, then that's your decision. Best of luck to all the youth.

[Lance]

Be not mistaken, I have them learn the gun inside and out. Loading, unloading scope, safety first and all that. I'm just saying there is no need to let them have a chance to develope bad habits and only good habits. Works great! I've seen dozens upon dozens of animals killed with big bore rifles and tiny little lethal kids. And I've seen dozens of little kids who had bad habits from practicing with live rounds.

But anyway, just another way of thinking about it.

[resolute]

Kids and big game guns....

 

Here are my thoughts that come from quite a bit of experience over many years hunting with literally hundreds of kids.

 

First off, My own kids. we own a 243 and a 7mm08. these are for when they are like 10-11 years. Once they are passed 12 they all start shooting my 7MM RUM. its a big gun for even a big man, but they prefer it and want it. Cause its deadly. Its accurate, it has long range capabilities, and things die when the trigger is pulled!!

 

But wait.......! What about the recoil???

 

Here is the trick.... do not ever EVER let the kids shoot the big game guns for practice!!!! Never!!! They are only aloud to practice with the big game guns by DRY FIRING. NO Live Rounds!!!! Only Let Them Dry Fire for practice!!! They can shoot small guns like 22s for live round practice.

 

This way, when they, or anyone shoots at an animal they will never feel the kick of the gun and will never be afraid of it and wont develop bad shooting habits. By dry firing they will only develop good and proper shooting habits.

I make sure the gun is sighted in for them and they practice with dry fires and we inter the field with a big deadly gun and a deadly accurate kid who isn't going to miss!

 

I've seen it time and time again and the little kids can handle the big guns as long as this is how its done. But once you let them practice with a big gun by shooting live rounds for practice stile or target shooting then you just ruin them and develop bad shooting habits.

 

This way you enter the western woods with the right gun for the job and your not worried about your little girl shooting an elk too far or a bad hit cause you have a small gun.

 

Think about it. Do your kids already have bad shooting habits? Are they afraid or nervous to shoot a big gun? Stop what your doing and retrain them. It may take some time but why inter the western woods with an inferior rifle and a kid that is afraid to shoot it or has bad shooting habits....? Its hard enough to fill a western big game tag as it is. Make your kids lethal! Don't limit yourselves.

 

Oh believe me, I've seen loads of elk shot and killed with a 243. But I'll Never Ever say that I would rather be hunting big game with our 243 than with our 7MM RUM! Thats just silly. Don't limit yourselves, just train them the right way and all is well.

 

I put the LocJaw/Rifle Railz system on my guns and this eliminates any weight problems with holding the gun up for small kids.

 

Only let them fire a big game rifle when they are shooting at an animal.

 

Just my 2 bits...

 

Lance

Thanks for this!! Have a son that wants to hunt and was worried about this! Great info

[John O]

Kids and big game guns....

 

Here are my thoughts that come from quite a bit of experience over many years hunting with literally hundreds of kids.

 

First off, My own kids. we own a 243 and a 7mm08. these are for when they are like 10-11 years. Once they are passed 12 they all start shooting my 7MM RUM. its a big gun for even a big man, but they prefer it and want it. Cause its deadly. Its accurate, it has long range capabilities, and things die when the trigger is pulled!!

 

But wait.......! What about the recoil???

 

Here is the trick.... do not ever EVER let the kids shoot the big game guns for practice!!!! Never!!! They are only aloud to practice with the big game guns by DRY FIRING. NO Live Rounds!!!! Only Let Them Dry Fire for practice!!! They can shoot small guns like 22s for live round practice.

 

This way, when they, or anyone shoots at an animal they will never feel the kick of the gun and will never be afraid of it and wont develop bad shooting habits. By dry firing they will only develop good and proper shooting habits.

I make sure the gun is sighted in for them and they practice with dry fires and we inter the field with a big deadly gun and a deadly accurate kid who isn't going to miss!

 

I've seen it time and time again and the little kids can handle the big guns as long as this is how its done. But once you let them practice with a big gun by shooting live rounds for practice stile or target shooting then you just ruin them and develop bad shooting habits.

 

This way you enter the western woods with the right gun for the job and your not worried about your little girl shooting an elk too far or a bad hit cause you have a small gun.

 

Think about it. Do your kids already have bad shooting habits? Are they afraid or nervous to shoot a big gun? Stop what your doing and retrain them. It may take some time but why inter the western woods with an inferior rifle and a kid that is afraid to shoot it or has bad shooting habits....? Its hard enough to fill a western big game tag as it is. Make your kids lethal! Don't limit yourselves.

 

Oh believe me, I've seen loads of elk shot and killed with a 243. But I'll Never Ever say that I would rather be hunting big game with our 243 than with our 7MM RUM! Thats just silly. Don't limit yourselves, just train them the right way and all is well.

 

I put the LocJaw/Rifle Railz system on my guns and this eliminates any weight problems with holding the gun up for small kids.

 

Only let them fire a big game rifle when they are shooting at an animal.

 

Just my 2 bits...

 

Lance

Do you have a break on your 7mm RUM? I think your process is excellent, but I also have to think there have been times where a follow up shot was needed. If hearing protection is used, this can start to get tricky. So maybe what I'm hoping for is a "part 2" of your process on how you handle follow up shots. My daughter has her first javelina hunt in Jan., and I want to have these type of situations well thought through and planned for.

[rcdinaz]

^{I have two girls and they share a Tikka T3 lite in 243, Burris Fullfield scope with ballistic reticel. My 12 year old killed her first buck this year with it using Hornady 95gr Superperformance loads. I was too lazy to load and test rounds so when we took it to the range and it was well under 1" with factory ammo I was very pelased.}

 

^{My older daughter has shot everything 22-250, 243, 6x284, 7mm RM, 7mm DAK, 300 Ultra, 9mm, 45 ACP, 38, 357 and has been being it since she was 11. My younger one only the 243, I think it really depends on the kid. My oldest is probably less flinchy than I am and she just wants to shoot everything, total adrenaline junky. She really likes the full custom 7mm RM.}

 

^{We just started a custom build for them, it will be a conversion of the 6x284 to a 6.5x284 using the rem 700 action. Hart barrel, flute the action & barrel, B&C stock to start with (pink). This will also be the first gun with a supressor which I am working getting ordered. Looking at a Zeiss scope with Rapid Z to put on top.}

[Lance]

Kids and big game guns....

 

Here are my thoughts that come from quite a bit of experience over many years hunting with literally hundreds of kids.

 

First off, My own kids. we own a 243 and a 7mm08. these are for when they are like 10-11 years. Once they are passed 12 they all start shooting my 7MM RUM. its a big gun for even a big man, but they prefer it and want it. Cause its deadly. Its accurate, it has long range capabilities, and things die when the trigger is pulled!!

 

But wait.......! What about the recoil???

 

Here is the trick.... do not ever EVER let the kids shoot the big game guns for practice!!!! Never!!! They are only aloud to practice with the big game guns by DRY FIRING. NO Live Rounds!!!! Only Let Them Dry Fire for practice!!! They can shoot small guns like 22s for live round practice.

 

This way, when they, or anyone shoots at an animal they will never feel the kick of the gun and will never be afraid of it and wont develop bad shooting habits. By dry firing they will only develop good and proper shooting habits.

I make sure the gun is sighted in for them and they practice with dry fires and we inter the field with a big deadly gun and a deadly accurate kid who isn't going to miss!

 

I've seen it time and time again and the little kids can handle the big guns as long as this is how its done. But once you let them practice with a big gun by shooting live rounds for practice stile or target shooting then you just ruin them and develop bad shooting habits.

 

This way you enter the western woods with the right gun for the job and your not worried about your little girl shooting an elk too far or a bad hit cause you have a small gun.

 

Think about it. Do your kids already have bad shooting habits? Are they afraid or nervous to shoot a big gun? Stop what your doing and retrain them. It may take some time but why inter the western woods with an inferior rifle and a kid that is afraid to shoot it or has bad shooting habits....? Its hard enough to fill a western big game tag as it is. Make your kids lethal! Don't limit yourselves.

 

Oh believe me, I've seen loads of elk shot and killed with a 243. But I'll Never Ever say that I would rather be hunting big game with our 243 than with our 7MM RUM! Thats just silly. Don't limit yourselves, just train them the right way and all is well.

 

I put the LocJaw/Rifle Railz system on my guns and this eliminates any weight problems with holding the gun up for small kids.

 

Only let them fire a big game rifle when they are shooting at an animal.

 

Just my 2 bits...

 

Lance

Do you have a break on your 7mm RUM? I think your process is excellent, but I also have to think there have been times where a follow up shot was needed. If hearing protection is used, this can start to get tricky. So maybe what I'm hoping for is a "part 2" of your process on how you handle follow up shots. My daughter has her first javelina hunt in Jan., and I want to have these type of situations well thought through and planned for.

I do not have a muzzle break on it. I actually dislike muzzle breaks for a lot of reasons. As far as follow up shots go, they are just like the first. They won't feel any of the shots because of the excitement. The only time I have ever had a problem with the noise is once my 10 year old daughter shot a Javelina while we were sitting in a big rock pile and it echoed off the rocks. Luckily there was no follow up shot needed.

Lance

[cohntr6]

^{I have two girls and they share a Tikka T3 lite in 243, Burris Fullfield scope with ballistic reticel. My 12 year old killed her first buck this year with it using Hornady 95gr Superperformance loads. I was too lazy to load and test rounds so when we took it to the range and it was well under 1" with factory ammo I was very pelased.}

 

^{My older daughter has shot everything 22-250, 243, 6x284, 7mm RM, 7mm DAK, 300 Ultra, 9mm, 45 ACP, 38, 357 and has been being it since she was 11. My younger one only the 243, I think it really depends on the kid. My oldest is probably less flinchy than I am and she just wants to shoot everything, total adrenaline junky. She really likes the full custom 7mm RM.}

 

^{We just started a custom build for them, it will be a conversion of the 6x284 to a 6.5x284 using the rem 700 action. Hart barrel, flute the action & barrel, B&C stock to start with (pink). This will also be the first gun with a supressor which I am working getting ordered. Looking at a Zeiss scope with Rapid Z to put on top.}

I would love to see it when it is done!!

Jeff

[apache12]

Started 10 yr on a 17hmr accutrigger and then has the save savage accurtigger in 223 for pigs. Good trigger transition

My 14 has a 243 that he got when he was 12. Shot a mule deal with Hornsby custom lite 243 ammo. Recoil is like 223

My 16 has a 7-08 for cow elk

 

[rcdinaz]

^{I have two girls and they share a Tikka T3 lite in 243, Burris Fullfield scope with ballistic reticel. My 12 year old killed her first buck this year with it using Hornady 95gr Superperformance loads. I was too lazy to load and test rounds so when we took it to the range and it was well under 1" with factory ammo I was very pelased.}

 

^{My older daughter has shot everything 22-250, 243, 6x284, 7mm RM, 7mm DAK, 300 Ultra, 9mm, 45 ACP, 38, 357 and has been being it since she was 11. My younger one only the 243, I think it really depends on the kid. My oldest is probably less flinchy than I am and she just wants to shoot everything, total adrenaline junky. She really likes the full custom 7mm RM.}

 

^{We just started a custom build for them, it will be a conversion of the 6x284 to a 6.5x284 using the rem 700 action. Hart barrel, flute the action & barrel, B&C stock to start with (pink). This will also be the first gun with a supressor which I am working getting ordered. Looking at a Zeiss scope with Rapid Z to put on top.}

I would love to see it when it is done!!

Jeff

I will post it when we get it completed. Supressor will take 6-8 months, both it and the barrel are on order.

[elkhunter]

My 2 year old son shoots a remmy 700 in 270 wsm I get jealous reading these posts

[AZJR]

Started both son and daughter with the same Remington Model 7 in .308 Winchester. I handloaded reduced "plinker loads" for the bulk of their shooting practice. My daughter has moved on to use two other rifles, a Remington 700 SPS in .243 Winchester and a Ruger M77 in 7X57 Mauser. My son now hunts with a custom Savage M110L in .30-06.