Guest akaspecials Report post Posted July 10, 2014 So my friend's husband picked up after 15 years and left her and their 4 kids so he could chase strange around the country... Anyways, I decided to pick up his slack and take her kids hunting this year and I just found out that the 14 year old got a deer tag!The only guns though that I own that are suitable for deer are a full sized 30-06 or an AR-15 (5.56). I've taken the kid squirell hunting and a 410 and 20 gauge made him flinch bad, so I'm worried abiout the 30-06. And I think that the AR-15 is probably too small of a caliber unless in the hands of a decent marksman. Are there anyways to decrease the kick of the 30-06 or to make the 5.56 more suitable? Or should I go find a used deer gun of a smaller caliber that he can use until he gets a little bigger and can shoot something larger (.243 from what I've read on here is probably best?) Any suggestions? Thanks in advance! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HuntHarder Report post Posted July 10, 2014 Remington makes reduced recoil loads for 30-06. Very easy round to reload a reduced load for too. Your .223 is plenty IMO. Inside of 300 yards, it will do the job with no problems. Having a bigger bullet and hitting something in the guts will likely have the same result as having a small bullet and hitting something in the guts. 50/50 chance you find it. Go with the AR and get her practicing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted July 10, 2014 Savage axis youth. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
5guyshunting Report post Posted July 10, 2014 A .243 will work for deer, but I do not prefer it for elk. My boys a 10 years old both killed elk with .270 130 grain. My youngest only weighed about 65 lbs. At the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ctafoya Report post Posted July 10, 2014 Good for you for stepping up. I have four kids and my wife and I work fulltime and it still seems like we never have enough time. Cant imagine with only one parent. Is he a larger kid or a skinny guy? I have a savage axis in 308 that my 16 year old starting shooting when he was 13. Took a little time and some rounds loaded down but he got over all the problems with kids and high powered rifles in no time. Nice light weight and accurate rifle for the price. Start him out on that ar for a while till he gets comfortable and move him up from there. My youngest is a scrawny little runt and im trying to get him sized up with something this year for his first deer hunt also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest akaspecials Report post Posted July 11, 2014 Good for you for stepping up. I have four kids and my wife and I work fulltime and it still seems like we never have enough time. Cant imagine with only one parent. Is he a larger kid or a skinny guy? I have a savage axis in 308 that my 16 year old starting shooting when he was 13. Took a little time and some rounds loaded down but he got over all the problems with kids and high powered rifles in no time. Nice light weight and accurate rifle for the price. Start him out on that ar for a while till he gets comfortable and move him up from there. My youngest is a scrawny little runt and im trying to get him sized up with something this year for his first deer hunt also. Thanks. And he is very scrawny and very timid. Has never really been exposed to rifles. I plan on getting him out with a bolt action 22lr and then the 5.56 AR for his first visit to the range. But I'm worried about stepping him up too fast and him losing interest in guns before he even gets to hunt. Do most of you guys think that a 5.56 with the right round and load is sufficient for a deer??? I don't see him shooting over 200 yards, in fact we will likely be set up in a blind in a tank with all shots less than a 100 yards. I'm worried it doesn't have the knockdown power though that an inexperienced hunter may need. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big or Bust Report post Posted July 11, 2014 Yes, sufficient for those ranges. Practice, practice. Shot placement. That's it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1uglydude Report post Posted July 11, 2014 Savage axis youth. Make that a Savage Axis II Youth. $350 on Buds right now with a scope. What kind of a hunt is it? Coues hunt where longer shots are likely, or a mule deer hunt where you have a greater possibility of being close? If the latter, then the reduced 30-06 loads will be fine, or you can load up a Barnes bullet for that AR-15. If you've got a 1 in 7 twist you can load the 70gr tsx and it will do the job just fine inside of 250 yards. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted July 11, 2014 I can't for the life of me understand how a father deserts his kids and I'll leave it at that. What Unit did he draw and at 14 he should be mentally able to handle the recoil of a 243 which is more than enough for Whitetail. I have a couple of youth 243's and can meet you at Rio Salado and let him shoot them. One is a Remington 700 and the other is a Vanguard. IMHO a 223 is on the light side for deer but I also have a 788 in 22-250 he can try and I have both a cut down stock and a full size stock for it depending how tall he is. Don't worry about ammo, I've got plenty. I have an AR with a Trijicon he might find fun to shoot too. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ctafoya Report post Posted July 11, 2014 I'm glad my dad left when I was one. Step dad adopted me when I was 4. I wouldn't be half the person I am today without him. I just don't understand how some people are wired. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sam Report post Posted July 11, 2014 My daughter started with a .270 when she was ten. We used reduced recoil bullets (100 grain) for 5 years. But, she did not practice too much with it at the range. I have a .22 mag that fit very similar to the .270. So, she got used to the scope and gun without the recoil. She shoots the 130 grain now. Last season, she harvested an elk (100 yds) and a nice whitetail (360 yds) - both one shot kills. I also have a .243, but it has more recoil than the reduced recoil .270. And with a .243, you are stuck with a 100 grain bullet. It is nice to be able to go to up to 150 grain with the .270. Since you already have the 30-06 go with the reduced recoil bullets. May be better than buying a new rifle right now. Let him practice alot with a scoped 22. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Will K Report post Posted July 11, 2014 243 hands down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted July 11, 2014 First off, my hat is off to you stepping up helping them out - that's the action of a real man, imo. Secondly, what a scumbag that guy is - makes it hard to focus on the question at hand. I think you should get this young man out shooting your AR. It's probably the easiest gun to learn to shoot on aside from a rimfire. If he can drive tacks with it at the ranges you plan to shoot, it should be OK, but I worry that if the water-hole sitting thing doesn't work out and he has to shoot further, a 55-65 grain bullet isn't optimal for big game to begin with - at longer ranges, it obviously loses a lot of energy. Maybe have him shoot the 30-06 once he's comfortable with the AR to see if he can handle the recoil. If you buy something, .243 is an excellent choice as others have said. Best of luck to you, and thanks for taking the time to step up - really says volumes about your character. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
208muley Report post Posted July 11, 2014 My little 10 year old daughter shoots a 7mm-08. And shoots it well! One shot deer last year at 200 yds. I got her the gun because it's big enough for elk and the recoil is mild after I put a brake on it. Use earmuffs! I also have her use a triclaws to keep the gun stable. If she can handle this gun any youth can as she is pretty tiny! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shanehamblin Report post Posted July 11, 2014 The gun claw will also absorb some of the recoil as well as stabilize the rifle. A lot of good choices out there. Good on you for stepping in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
