Thread: what calibre for the young fella

Originally Posted by mucko

The target shoot with air rifle all the time mostly prone. Hes a good shot with it.

A good start then, first principles learnt.

Definitely recommend the 243. Anyone who says it’s too small is just trying to justify something bigger. Obviously you would not shoot extended ranges with a 243 on animals though.. I grew up using one and it just plain dropped everything from sika to big red stags with simple factory ammo soft points.

My kids started with a 223 mod 7 good fit for little arms, on goats and fallow, age 6/7. loaded some 130 speer light in my 308 suppressed for bigger animals but was still abit much so now have a suppressed 243 which is awesome.

what range does the young fella want to shoot out to? if its only 150m or so the 7.62x39 is good and cheapish to feed

Originally Posted by gone-tropo

what range does the young fella want to shoot out to? if its only 150m or so the 7.62x39 is good and cheapish to feed

220 yards max.

I load 110g Barnes in my .308 and the 7yr old shoots them ,suppressed sako A7,we hunt bush ranges though.

243 all day long...awesome,

For my 8yr old who is a scrawny average height bugger, I have just sorted out a Rossi 243, shortened and suppressed. Shortened rear stock to suit him. A bit on the heavy side but hardly any recoil at all. Hoping to get him behind it soon. Also have a shortened and suppressed 7.62x39 he will be able to try too. (My Bush rifle)

Confidence is everything for a young guy, I'd go a few months of .22-hunting, ( they too, will easily take goats to 50m) and then move on to a small-framed .223-suppressed. As he's smaller, he may struggle with a full-frame rifle, you really want him happy and confident with what he's using, then he will easily progress to other calibers

My boys both got their first Fallow / Red Yearling with a borrowed 223.
Trail boss in the 243 on goats 58 gr vmax at 2400 fps. (Slow enough that it does not fragment, and passes through)
Then deer with 243 and 87 gr VLD Hunting loads.

Ear muffs and a silencer go a long way.

Last week a mate tried out his young fella on his 7m08 with factory reduced loads (120 gr @ 2675fps).
Did not go well, Due to his small size he was not getting the stock into his shoulder properly and got a scope bump.
Luckily he had shot some 358win trailboss loads of mine first with no issues at a 6" plate at 60 mtrs.
He got a goat later that day with the 358win. Problem was at 110 mtr the drop is signification, he did not aim above it's back as instructed (Can't blame him as it was his first time), so he shot it in the front legs. (Dad backed him up with the 7m08 off to our side so it did not go far)
Zq

Noodle tests out my suppressor i think him and his 6yo brother are hookedhttps://youtu.be/vuTgBSv5iM8y

Originally Posted by mucko

Noodle tests out my suppressor i think him and his 6yo brother are hookedhttps://youtu.be/vuTgBSv5iM8y

Good stuff. My daughters, 13 & 15, both shot there first deer with my suppressed 7/08. 13yr old used Barnes 110TTSX and 15 yr old used 120 Nosler BT.
My friend has used a 243 for years on deer. In the last few years he has switched to 80gr Barnes TTSX and has had a very good run with them.
The other really important thing is practising from improvised rests. Neither of my girls was able to shoot their deer prone off a bipod. One had to rest over a large rock, the other had to rest over my upright pack while sitting behind it.

This was my 6yo he had a ball next generation sorted. https://youtu.be/J5kB5eD1iHw

Originally Posted by stug

Good stuff. My daughters, 13 & 15, both shot there first deer with my suppressed 7/08. 13yr old used Barnes 110TTSX and 15 yr old used 120 Nosler BT.
My friend has used a 243 for years on deer. In the last few years he has switched to 80gr Barnes TTSX and has had a very good run with them.
The other really important thing is practising from improvised rests. Neither of my girls was able to shoot their deer prone off a bipod. One had to rest over a large rock, the other had to rest over my upright pack while sitting behind it.

Im getting them use to different types of support. They been shooting prone unsupported with air rifle but with the 243 i wanted a stable platform so they could use the scope. Cerakote NZ @Doubleshot hooked me up with a youth stock for the Howa. The boys will progress from there. Wasnt sure how much recoil there was going to be with can. Turns out it was like shooting a .22 with 4000ftps loads.