Thread: A project for next year

My howa mini is 1:8 twist has a 10 round mag and is super accurate, mine wears a 4-16×40 Nikon monarch have hosed several goats with it at 200+y I will say it is not an emphatic killer with 55gn soft points at that range unless your shot placement is spot on. No doubt hand loads and 65gn would be far better.
My 12yr old daughter learnt to shoot centerfire with mine, I suspect that it will be the same no matter what brand of rifle you will have the same issue with the L.O.P being too long for the wee ones to shoulder the rifle properly.
That said I have no intention to hand load for the 223, so I got my daughter to try my suppressed 308 with lighter loads 125-130gn and she was ok with it. She will likely shoot her first deer with it early next year all going well.
I'll be much happier with her tagging a fallow with a light 308 round over the 55gn 223 round.
That said still get one, they are great fun, cheapish to feed and a better pest rifle than a 17hmr imo as can be used to dispatch bigger critters with well placed shot if the situation arises.
Also a great teaching aid for youngens stepping up to louder centerfire rounds but with little recoil.
That's my 2 cents anyway.