what my 11-year-old girl carries

[runningboard]

just to get some new topics going I thought I would tell you about my daughter's firearm and you can tell me about yours.
she is small for her age and only weighs in at 63 pounds dripping wet. I bought her a T/C contender carbine with synthetic stocks and put a limbsaver recoil pad on it. we started her out with a 223 REM to get her used to the gun. then I searched and found a 25-35 WIN in a 23" bull barrel and topped it with a 4x Leupold scope. I bought dies, brass and bullets and started loading for it. I settled on 27gr IMR-3031 behind a 100gr Nosler ballistic tip for 2625 fps. it has 1500 ft/lbs at the muzzle and 1000 ft/lbs at 200yds. so I guess according to the generally accepted minimum energy for deer this is a true 200yd deer rifle with almost no recoil and good accuracy. I have shot a five shot group at 100yds that measured 1.75" with some wind. I am imposing a 100yd limit on my girl since she can't hold it well enough to count on a good hit farther. any thoughts or suggestions for improvement? what did you start your kids with? what did YOU start with?

[littletoes]

Good Thread!

Has your Daughter got her chance at a deer yet???

Started my Son with a .243, Remington 700 Youth model.
Figured he could change out the barrel and stock as he got bigger, and as the barrel wears out.

I load up 90 grain Nosler Balistic Tips with 39 grains of IMR 4350. Place under 1" at 100 yards, not a bad load, and it works in his Mom's matching rifle.

Had him at the range several times this past summer, shooting sitting to 300 yards. Just didn't get the chance at 400, but this next summer....
We shoot a 10" steel disc, and if he can keep 'em inside of it, he's gold, and he does.
The kids realy like the reactive steel, and you know for certain that you don't have to check your targets, but I paint them with fresh white paint to pinpoint the hits, and seeing them with the spotter is no problem.



The very bottom hits are at 200 yards, then we moved out to 300 and the little *censored* hit all center....what a turd!

He has the duplex reticle in his Luppy, so at 300 I had him hold on the heavier crosshair for the longer range. It was center for 300 yards.

Rifles get heavy, so I use shootin-stix at longer ranges where there seems to be more time. I also train him for quick follow up shots, and have ingrained it in his head that where the cross hairs are when the shot breaks, thats where the bullets will go.
Its causes him to take his time at longer shots.

I've got a couple of steel targets, but they sure get chewed up at ranges below 500 yards, and steel ain't cheap anymore!

Good luck, Good Shootin'!

[Lincoln4]

Remington Model 7 Youth in .260, 2X7 scope.  Couldn't quite get on a running forked horn last year.  Got her spike this year. 12 years old.

[ICEMAN]

Good job Dad! She looks really excited!

[runningboard]

awesome Lincoln4! both of you look happy!

[sisu]

Great  job. Tell her congrats. Love to see young kids getting into the sport, especially girls they with more women in the shooting sports and hunting we have a chance against the antis.

[Guy]

My youngest son started with a 6mm Rem 700 BDL, which was my first centerfire 33 years ago when Dad got tired of me borrowing his .30-06!    Looks to me like you've got your daughter started off right! I like seeing the young ladies getting started in hunting.



For young John, I put it in a Remington Youth stock, so it fit him a lot better. He was 12 when he started shooting it and took this nice mulie doe with it at 13 with a 275 yard shot through the heart...  Somebody's been coaching him... 

I think it's mighty important to start the kids with something they can handle. Something that fits, has a cushy recoil pad, and doesn't kick too darned hard. My son is 16 now, and almost 6' tall, so he's got the 6mm back in the original stock. I broke down and got him a new 3.5-10x Leupold for it too - and he's been using the same rifle for rockchucks too.

Taking kids hunting and shooting is a great thing! 

[Machias]

I hunted my first two boys with a Marlin 30-30, they did well with it,but my third son was a bit smaller in stature.  So I went with the New England Arms Single Shot with a synthetic stock in a .243.  It is so light in the front and he a  little marksmen with it.  That is where most kids have their problems is being able to hold the front half of the gun up.  It's not so much about recoil, although a heavy recoil with cause flinching problems, it's the forward weight.  This one is so light up front he loves shooting it.

[runningboard]

That is where most kids have their problems is being able to hold the front half of the gun up.

I agree completely, that's part of the reason I went with a single shot without much of an action, it's shorter and not too front heavy. I have seen littler kids lean way back to get the muzzle up since they're too small for the weight of the firearm and that puts them off balance before they even pull the trigger, then all it takes is a light shove to knock 'em clear off balance.

[huntinhick]

RUNNNING BOARD,

Did you cut the stock down to fit your daughter? If so can you tell what kind of stock and how to do it? I have bought my daughter also 11 a contender frame and I am trying to find a stock for her.  I plan on starting with the 223 also then going up to the 30/30 since I am set up to reload it.

Carl

[boneaddict]

10-22 and old pump but its a bit front heavy, then 32 Winchester

[washingtonmuley]

I'm in the same boat as I have a 12 year old daughter and I'm trying to figure out the right rifle for her as well. Thanks for the info.
Good luck

[dbllunger]

Love this thread.  We need more and more kids involved in hunting and shooting sports.  Kids are just awesome!!!!!!
Started my son out with a .243 SS Ruger (his first gun) at 10.  First year killed a nice 4x4 Whitey.  Then he used my 7mm STW at 12 to kill a 3x3 bull.  He then was totally into his sports (preferred over hunting) and had little time to hunt.  All his pics are non digital sorry.  He passed several small bucks up over the years on his few days of hunting.  I would say his range limit now is 300yds.  It was further earlier on, but his shooting skills have degraded because he does not shoot as much now.  Playing JC College Baseball now with one current offer to play at a U, so it was worth the dedication to his sports.  Hoping to get him into archery so he can hunt during his Thanksgiving break.  Only two more years left of college and then we can start hunting together more.  He has only been able to hunt about 4-5 days each year due to all the baseball. 
The middle son hates hunting (totally my fault), but shoots clay pidgeons and steel plates with my guns.  He prefers pistol shooting and wants a "Colt 45".  I have a custom built Springfield 45 I am going to give him for graduation this spring (his first gun).  He is a pretty good shot overall but don't have a hunting distance as he does not like it.  Really just does not like hunting.  He is a better athlete then my oldest son and again sports are his first hobby to do.  He also has some offers to play JC college Basketball now, but hoping for a better offer after baseball this year.   
My daughter  started with a 243 700 last year, and did not get an opportunity at a legal  buck.  This year I bought her a Savage SS 300WSM (her first gun) with a muzzle brake (temporary as I hate them for hunting).  She got her first deer this year on a LE hunt that scored 153.  200yd shot almost straight down.  She likes hunting but is not totally gung ho about it.  So I am taking more time with her.  Her hunting range is farther then I want to post just to alleviate the nay sayers.  I will say she can knock off ground hogs at 350yds and farther shot after shot.  Tried to post photo but forgot how.  I posted a pic earlier.

[boneaddict]

I just bought that 410, I hope that will also get them into shooting.

[PacificNWhunter]

The first gun I got was a .410 side by side shotgun made by Churchill or something that sounds like that anyway. My first hunting rifle was a Savage model 99 .300 savage topped with a fixed 3 power scope. Still have both of the guns, took the scope off of the savage and use it with open sights in the brush, great flat shooting gun too.

[runningboard]

Did you cut the stock down to fit your daughter?

No, I just took off the factory buttpad/plate and put on a small slip-fit limbsaver recoil pad. But there a couple of places that sell stocks at not too crazy prices, I have the links on my other PC and I'll post them later. One outfit will even cut it to whatever length you want and install the recoil pad before they send it to you.

[Drop Tine]

Great to see the kids get started. Got a 4yr. old grandson that got a red rider BB gun for xmas. Good job dads!!

[actionshooter]

Heres my daughter from this year, 13. She has a tikka T3 lite and a single shot .410 with the grouse. The tikka fits here very well but she's a really big kid.

[dbllunger]

Yard photo and field photo.  153 W/O eye guards.  Not a huge deer but a good first buck.  She passed this buck up the first morning, and she shot him in the same draw a week later. 

[Drop Tine]

That is a great buck for your little gal WOW no WOW backwards.   

[actionshooter]

Passed it up?  Most adults wouldn't pass it up Nice buck

[runningboard]

huntinhick, I found the link I was talking about

http://www.gunstocksinc.com/

I considered this route since I thought the little bit of extra weight of a laminate would help but since I went with the 25-35 it doesn't recoil anyway.

[dbllunger]

Try ebay then you can save the original stock.

[lhrbull]

started my daughter off with a 22-250 for target practise then when it came to her first hunt which was a wyoming antelope hunt we got her a winchester youth in 257 roberts. the antelope scored 80 3/8. she now shoots a 700 rem in 280 rem.

[Skycruiser]

My son and two daughters all started off with my spare 30-06. It's a Winchester 670 with one inch cut off the stock. I load 125 Ballistictips to 2600 fps with 42 gr. of H4895. Very accurate, low recoil.

[ICEMAN]

This year my son will start carrying and (hopefully) pulling the trigger. I am starting him off with a Mossberg youth 20 gauge pump for turkey and grouse, maybe duck. For big game, he will be shooting a Savage .243

[Skycruiser]

Two more pieces of info for dads considering a hunting rifle for their youngster:

Ramline makes drop-in youth stocks for the major American rifles for only $50. Scroll down here to see them: tjgeneralstore.com

Both Remington and Federal make reduced-recoil ammo for the medium calibers 270/7mm/308/30-06/300winmag. some info here

My opinion: For a lot of reasons (pride, familiarity, economy), buy a rifle that will last them a lifetime. No need to start off with a small caliber, only to have to upgrade later.

[mossback91]

Another thing I knwo somebody wa slooking for a youth left handed gun. Remington now offers left handed youth model rifles.

[boneaddict]

dbl lunger, I know alot of seasoned vets on here that would love to take a deer like that.  Congrats to her.

[Head-shot]

dbl lunger, I know alot of seasoned vets on here that would love to take a deer like that.  Congrats to her.

Yeah... ME! My biggest would fit inside that one.   That is a nice buck for sure, sure will be fun for her to rub it in some "snotty big shot boy's" face that her buck was bigger. Congrats to the both of you.

[actionshooter]

Took the rug rats shooting today. The oldest one is shooting an AR15 in 9mm and the youngster is shooting a chipmunk deluxe with a redfield scope. I had a little contest going shooting cans with .22s and the youngest won the grand prize, a hershey bar 
 They even beat me by 1 shot (I was limited to one hand .22 pistol  )
 How often do you guys take the kids shooting?