looking to buy a new rifle for my 8 year old daughter need suggestions

[mp.hunter]

When my boy was 8 and he started I bought him a little Savage youth model 11 in 7mm-08(came with a little Nikon 3x9) and its been a sweet little rifle for him and he's 12 now.  He's take a couple deer out passed 300 with it.  I load 120 gr Barnes TTSX and it's done the job on both elk and deer for him.  The scopes not the best but plenty for a youngster I think.  I think I paid $475 for it new.

This....my boy just passed as well and he is 8. This is the gun I got him as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ghosthunter]

7mm08
Look. At the savage or Ruger American packages that come with scope mounter.

Bought my grandson a savage Camo package.

[fishngamereaper]

Consider the Ruger 6.5 to. Very similar to the .08

[huntnphool]

 Another vote for the Ruger Compact 7-08, my daughter shoots/packs hers very well.

[MuleySniper]

My son is ten and his go to rifle is a Remington 660 Mohawk. He has been shooting guns a few years and handles this rifle well.  In .308 it is a savage with the factory plate. Added a Boyds stock, limbsaver pad, aluminum bottom metal and a timney trigger its a nice sized rifle for a kid. Not a feather to carry but the fit and action is great for a smaller person. He shoots factor 160's and 180's from it. Ive wanted to load a nice light 150 range bullet so he can shoot it more. I know the 660 also came in a few other calibers as well so it might be worth taking a peek at.  :two cents:

[one shot kill]

My son at 7 years old last year with his first deer. Ruger American compact 7mm-08 with 100 grain sierra hollow points at 180 yards. I can load this round down so it's about like a 223.

[pianoman9701]

I'm not sure how big and tough your 8-year old daughter is, but why not build an AR in 6.5 Grendel or Creedmoor? Get a 16-18" barrel and basic furniture. No kick, fairly lightweight, accurate, and a heck of a lot of fun to shoot. And the added benefit of having more firepower around the house. 

[bobcat]

Another option to look at would be the Savage "Lady Hunter." Really nice looking rifle, I just don't know if it would fit an 8 year old.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/11Lady

[C-Money]

Remington model 7 youth, 243 or 7mm-08

[Stein]

A cartridge that can take elk well is going to be tough for an 8 year old, so I don't really have any advice there.

The rifle depends on your budget.  If you aren't looking heirloom, the Savage Axis/Remington American will both shoot sub MOA out of the box and can be had for under $400.  For my kids, I start them with a .243 and then a separate rifle if they are interested in elk.  Right now, my daughter uses mine as she hasn't decided if elk are her thing or not.  The .243 can handle deer and antelope with ease and she may end up sticking with that.  If not, the rifle will go to her brother and she'll get a 30-06.

[bobcat]

I think I'm going to go with the 308 Winchester for my daughters (9 & 11 years old.)

I can download it to begin with, using 125-130 grain bullets at around 2,300 feet per second. That will work just fine for deer out to about 200 yards.

If they end up hunting elk, bump up to a premium 150 grain bullet at around 2,800 fps and it's now an elk rifle.

[Whitpirate]

Ruger American Compact 7mm08. You can get factory 120gr loads that will kill any deer and only about 3# more kick than a 95gr 243. Best part is she can move up to a 140 or 150gr bullet with almost the same exact ballistics as the ever so popular 6.5 creedmoor. No 243 can do that.

This    My boy is 12 now and killed a bull and a couple of deer with his.  Great little rifle.

[724wd]

I think I'm going to go with the 308 Winchester for my daughters (9 & 11 years old.)

I can download it to begin with, using 125-130 grain bullets at around 2,300 feet per second. That will work just fine for deer out to about 200 yards.

If they end up hunting elk, bump up to a premium 150 grain bullet at around 2,800 fps and it's now an elk rifle.

   but there's no flies on a 7mm-08 either.  I went with an H&R Survivor in .308 for my kids.  It's got some weight and with factory reduced recoil loads it's a dream to shoot.

[bobcat]

7/08 is very similar to the 308, of course, since it's the same case just different diameter bullets. Either one is a great choice, I only would choose the 308 because of the cheaper ammo/brass and the fact that I already have two 30/06's and a good supply of 30 caliber bullets for those rifles, which I could also use in reloading a 308 Win.

[grade-creek-rd]

For calibers, I too chose the 7mm-08 for both of my boys (one started at age 8 and one at 9), and I also have one (killed a couple of elk and a bunch of deer with it). For guns I would highly recommend the Thompson Center Encore, as you can get a bantam stock (kids stock) and later change it to a full size one, plus you can get a bunch of barrels for it, including a 20 gauge and 12 gauge, a .223 for realistic rifle training (shooting a .223 mimics the deer size calibers much better than a .22 lr, especially at 100 and 200 yards) and you can upsize calibers as she gets older, they are a single shot (very safe) and ambidextrous (I am left eye dominant but right handed...I shoot better with my left eye) and they come with open sights or you can throw a scope on them...basically, it's the most versatile gun out there.

Grade