rifle options for daughter

[aasbra]

You will like the 7mm-08. It is a very versatile round and has impressive ballistics. A Remington Model 7 in that round was what I mainly hunted with when I was a kid. It was a gift from my Dad after I started out hunting with a Remington Model 7 in .243 that belonged to my Mom. After starting with the .243, I convinced myself that a 7mm Magnum was just for me, but I found that the gun was longer and heavier than I wanted to carry around western OR, and the recoil caused me to flinch and not shoot accurately. I really liked Mom's Model 7, so my Dad got me a Model 7 in 7mm-08. Years later, I stopped hunting, and gave the 7mm-08 back to my Dad, which he still uses to hunt. A couple years later, he gave me the old model 7 in .243 that I took my first deer with. It was my Mom's old rifle and I have lots of fond memories with it. That one will stay with me and be handed down to family someday.

Enjoy hunting with your girls. I have lots of fond memories of hunting trips with my Dad.

 

[blitz]

yeah i am hoping she will be able to handle it just fine. i will find out soon when i take her out to test it after i get the scope. i was gonna go with a 243 but shot placement was kinda concerning me because of the fact that she doesnt shoot too much then i was gonna go with a .270 but decided against that because i didnt want her to develop a flinch. hopefully this will be the perfect in between. i will also be using this rifle for deer hunting now. for the past few years i have been using a 300wm mainly and a 300 blackout if i was going through the bush. the blackout is a great bush gun but the 300wm is way overkill so i wanted something else specifically for deer. now my 300 wm will only come out in elk season.

 

[Liberty97045]

My daughters learned to hunt with a NEF single shot in 223. With their barrel accessory program it is also a .243 and a 410

 

[orygun]

now i think i am leaning more towards a marlin 336 30-30. wouldnt mind adding another lever gun to the safe and i think she would be able to handle it fine.

As a guy that grew up in the generation where a lever action 30-30 was the "standard" learning gun, I'd say "No".
For a first timer, they kick more than most people think. The stock design on the newer guns may be better and help some, but I'd still pick something different.
The chart that lists recoil figures has to make the comparison with guns of the same weight and the lever 30-30s are usually fairly light, especially when compared to a "full size" rifle.
Since your daughter is fairly tall she'll be able to handle a full size gun ok. If she was smaller, I'd recommend the Ruger Compact whole heartedly. I bought one for my wife and she loves that gun. But she's probably only 5'3". I'm 5'9" and the darn thing is too small for me to shoot well.

Now that I've typed this far, I notice you already picked a gun and you beat me to the punch! I was going t recommend a full size gun in 7mm-08. The 7mm-08 is a great round. It doesn't kick very hard and will kill anything you're going to hunt around here. Some people say it's "not enough" for elk, but the wife's proven differently.

Great choice!

I've heard a lot of good about Nikon scopes. But, I'd buy another Leupold, or even a Redfield Revolution which is nearly the same. I last bought a Leupold Rifleman at Bi-mart for about $200. Very good scope and has the Leupold warranty (which you'll probably never need) Plus, if you needed to deal with them on a warranty issue, Leupold is right in your neighborhood!

 

[blitz]

thanks for the reply. i have quite a few leupold scopes and a few nikons. i have been impressed with both. just went where money would let me go on this one. i had the same scope on a savage 116 30-06 and it was a great scope. the hunting rifle that i use savage 116 300wm has a vx-3 4.5-14 with the b&c reticle. way better scope but couldnt afford it on this one.

 

[blitz]

also just picked up a rem 700 sps in 300 blackout and am topping it with a nikon p-300. if she cant handle the 7mm-08 i will let her use this loaded with some tac-tx black tips

 

[blitz]

the range will be a little shorter than this but ideally she will only making shots up to 100 yards anyways.

main reason i got this one is for subs and am not really planning on putting any supers though it (i will dial my sbr'd AR in for supers and this for subs) but it will be a backup plan for just incase the 7mm-08 is not manageable. i am guessing she will be able to handle it though

 

[Stomper]

I say kids today are too soft, and it's up to us parents to harden them up for real life. Since she's 13-14, get her a 300 WinMag and don't look back.

 

[blitz]

I say kids today are too soft, and it's up to us parents to harden them up for real life. Since she's 13-14, get her a 300 WinMag and don't look back.

lol! i have 2 of those

 

[Stomper]

lol! i have 2 of those

Cool, then you slap one in each of her hands and tell her to let 'em rip simultaneously.

Harden the H up America!!

 

[blitz]

Cool, then you slap one in each of her hands and tell her to let 'em rip simultaneously.

Harden the H up America!!

lol! good idea! i thought about getting her a nice soft recoiling .340 weatherby but figured it wasn't enough for deer. if i ever take her squirrel hunting i will go that route.

 

[orygun]

Anyone that can shoot a 243 well will be able to step up the slight, very slight increase in recoil of the 7mm-08. My wife's first gun was/is (still have it) a Savage 99 in 243. The Savage is much heavier than her Ruger 77 MKII Compact in 7mm-08, yet she shoots the Ruger far better than the Savage.
Once again, I applaud your choices. You've made very good ones.

 

[blitz]

Anyone that can shoot a 243 well will be able to step up the slight, very slight increase in recoil of the 7mm-08. My wife's first gun was/is (still have it) a Savage 99 in 243. The Savage is much heavier than her Ruger 77 MKII Compact in 7mm-08, yet she shoots the Ruger far better than the Savage.
Once again, I applaud your choices. You've made very good ones.

thanks so much! i feel i made a great choice and hoping to have pictures next season to post with her and her freshly shot deer

 

[Marine Airedale]

Don't think you can go wrong with the 7mm-O8, it has good ballistics. After teaching hunter education for a bunch of years I feel a bolt rifle is a safer rifle. On the lever rifles all the rounds come through the action when unloading.

jbett98, that is an impressive collection ... beats mine by at least a dozen!

 

[jbett98]

That tackle box came from a G. I. Joe's after they went out of business.
I have sold/given away more then half of it already.
The best part was all the little screws that are hard to find for old vintage guns.

 

[Deavis]

I love levers but for kids the unloading process sucks!

 

[3MTA3]

The 7mm-08 stays supersonic to about 1,ooo yards, and I think still retains enough energy at that point for deer. I wouldn't worry too much about elk at normal ranges. It's a very efficient and accurate round and really all you need for non dangerous game to medium long range.