204Ruger

Hello 204 Team!

My 12 year old daughter finished up her hunter education course this spring, so we are looking into a rifles. She has 4 younger siblings so this rifle will definitely be passed down.
She is also 100 lbs soaking wet, so we won’t be shooting any 300’s Magnums for now. We will be hunting mule deer and cross canyon shots of 300+ wouldn’t be out of the question, depending on which caliber we choose and how much she is willing to practice.

I would like to hear which rifles you started your hunting careers with or which ones you started your youngsters with???

Cheers!
RLKondo

Good to see you back again there, RL.

My first choice for that task would be a Remington Model Seven in either 7-08 or 6.5 CM. Both good for those cross canyon shots, minimum recoil, short action = easy to pack for a small person and available ammunition and components.

Good for you for getting your young-un's out there in the wild.....good dad!

Those are both very good choices, good bullet weights available and if you don't reload, plenty of factory ammo around for them. Another decent short action rifle in 308 Win is a good third choice.

My first big game rifle was Win. model 88 in .308. Although it isn't very tame as far as recoil I've taken moose, caribou and black bear with it. I got it as a high school graduation gift back in 72 and still have it. Another good choice for the youngsters is .257 and .243. Randy.

I bought one of my daughters a .243 and she loved it. Another I bought a 12 ga, so she could go duck hunting with daddy.

Thanks all for the input! Unfortunately, with our current ammunition and reloading hoarding, I think this is going to be a big factor in my decision. I think I will start the kids off with the 243 and then bump them up to the 6.5 or 257 in a couple years, granted that I can find 243 ammunition.

This purchase will be a little backwards, I will be hunting for ammunition before I purchase the rifle.

Thanks again!

Hello Again,
After hunting around for ammo, there isn’t any 243 rounds to be found in our area. I have found a decent supply of 6.5 CM, so I think I’m going to that route.

Just curious what factory loads and bullet weight you suggest? We will be hunting Mule Deer.

Thanks again!

I have a 6.5 Creed in a Kimber and love it. With all the bullet options for that caliber it can get mind boggling. I decided to choose a bullet based on past experiences with other calibers. I don't think the plain ol' Hornady Interlock bullets can be beat at their price point and performance in any caliber. It's a great bullet, nothing fancy, but works as it should. H4350 and RL16 gave me great results.

The Barnes Factory tipped 120 grn TTSX bullet will take any deer walking, mulie or white tale, just fine. Are you planning on reloading any of your ammo, down the road, or just buy and use factory ?