10year olds first hunt/rifle/ suppressed?

All the kids started with a 243. All shot reduced loads with green dot and clays powder to learn fundamentals. None used a brake or suppressor because it wasn't common in the 90's. By the time Danny was old enough he didn't like the extra noise of the brake. Where Live suppressors are No Beuno here in Mass. A 243 will kill emphatically with proper bullet placement. A 70-75 blitzking, v-max at an easy 3100fps will smoke coyotes and the gun won't move. Step up to the 85bthp sierria and 87 v-max at the same velocity and deer don't have a chance. Once they are fundamentally sound full power loads of the 85 and up class for black bear are a nightmare.
 
I got my son an NEF 30-30 single shot when he was 10. He took his Hunter Ed class earlier that week and finished up on Wednesday night. Thursday he shot his rifle and Friday he killed his first deer. 28 years later (a couple of weeks ago), his youngest daughter (10 years old) killed her first deer with the same rifle. Making memories with the trusty old 30-30!
 
I got my son an NEF 30-30 single shot when he was 10. He took his Hunter Ed class earlier that week and finished up on Wednesday night. Thursday he shot his rifle and Friday he killed his first deer. 28 years later (a couple of weeks ago), his youngest daughter (10 years old) killed her first deer with the same rifle. Making memories with the trusty old 30-30!
I just picked up one of the old savage bolt 30-30 for my kids. I used one years ago on a moose hunt and was impressed how compact they were. My plan is to shorten stock and slim down wrist area as much as I can. No value to rifle so I'm going to have fun with it.
 
Ear muffler regardless of natural, suppressed, or with a brake.

A .243 is the easy button for deer but probably a little small for elk. A 6.5CM/.260 don't have much more recoil and are capable elk rounds.
 
I just had a similar dilemma come up with my 6 yr old and 10 yr old both wanting to hunt this year. My 10 yr old is a great shot, but my 6 yr old can't hit the broad side of a barn, or so I thought.

I test fit them with an Sig Cross at the local Bass Pro and quickly picked up a used one in 6.5 CM. I load 120 gr Sierra Gamekings at 2100fps and they both are hitting a 3 inch target at 100 yards. They shoot it suppressed so there is very little recoil. I'll start upping the charge weights to get a little more velocity, but I like the low recoil so they don't start building bad habits.

The youngster was perfectly capable of being a descent shot, but I never had a rifle that fit him well enough to shoot. The adjustability of the Sig Cross stock makes all the difference in the world.
 

Attachments

  • A0D8B195-CD60-4FBD-A9BA-1F464FE131E5.png
    A0D8B195-CD60-4FBD-A9BA-1F464FE131E5.png
    1,020 KB · Views: 53
My soon to be 10 year old has killed one a year since he was 7yrs old. First at 7yrs with 6.5cm fieldcraft, next one with 7-08FC, both unsuppressed. Shot the one this year with 6.5CM Ruger American suppressed...
the recoil of the first 2 were not an issue but the ability to hear after the shot with the can was pretty cool.

Sig cross is a great option as well...
My son also has shot steel with me out to 400 yards with the 6.5cm, and shot my 7prc recently but it was suppressed so that helped the recoil.. lol
 
My son has been shooting a Ruger American Go Wild in 6.5cm since he was 7, and has taken two mule deer with it. He's 9 now, and weighs 70lbs, so not very big.
 
With elk on the menu, a suppressed or braked 7mm-08 be best. I just don't see the 243 Win for elk, but that's just me.

Good for hunting out to 500 yds or more, and targets out to 1,000 yds.
 
My boys are now 15 and 17. I like overthinking and over analyzing everything and I did that when they were younger. I've owned at least a dozen 300 blackouts in every conceivable configuration, If you are shooting bad guys in a shoot house it's perfect. For everything else it's trash (I've hand loaded every bullet from Hornady, Barnes to high dollar solid copper monos etc etc) they don't go fast enough to be effective past 50 yards. I don't shoot without a suppressor and haven't for 10+ yrs. Ended up with a 16" 6.5 Grendel heavy barrel suppressed bolt action in an XLR chassis. The boys shoot everything pretty well now. I still take new hunters out every year and they shoot the same gun (6.5 Grendel) never had a whitetail go over 30 yds and they hardly know the gun ever went off. Not to sound like a pu$$y but 243 and similar are snappy and you aren't going to see your impacts at 100 yds with lightweight (normal hunting weight) guns.
 
First......put a good trigger in whatever caliber rifle you decide on!

Coworker bought his 12yo son a savage axis in 243win without the accutrigger. That rifle had a trigger pull of 7.5# on my wheeler scale. His son's groups were 8-10" at 100yds. I put a timney trigger in it for him and set it to 2.75# and he's now shooting actual measurable groups of about 1".

Depending on how far you are shooting the 350 legend has almost no recoil in a suppressed bolt action. 6.5grendel is another good one to consider. Both are offered in a howa mini action and in chassis with adjustable stock for under $600. My 40cal pistol has more recoil than my suppressed 6.5grendel and I've shot the Grendel one handed a few times. They both also do well with the 20" 6.5grendel or 16.5" 350 legend threaded barrels. They make for an easy to maneuver rifle in a blind.
 

Recent Posts

Top