7mm-08 ultimate youth elk cartridge?

[Mustang72]

7-08,260,or 6.5all sound like great choices. If it's in the budget a Remington model 7 makes a great kid or adult rifle. You can get an extra stock and have a short and long one.For a kids gun at 300 yards or less a fixed 4 power scope keeps things simple.

 

[fabricator21]

The 7mm08 with 140 accubonds will hammer an elk at those distances. I also recommend looking at the tikka.

 

[jebel]

However you choose, I'd be interested to learn how the result turns out, good or bad.

Introducing kids to experiences like this is a bit of a skill. The trade offs between recoil and efficacy can play tricks on you. Regardless, I'd like to think we could all get better at it. I'd like to be better.

Good luck.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

My kids shot a 300 blackout in a TC Contender with 110 grain Barnes until this year. We stepped up to a custom 6.5 creedmoor I had built. It is heavy and all we do is blind hunt or hunt out of a ranger/mule. I will say that little rifle doesn't recoil any and the one animal we harvested (hog) it hammered him--it is also suppressed so that helps too with an blast(so was the blackout)..I will say one of the nicest cailbers I have ever shot that fit a kids hunting round-- was a 257 Roberts we have one for a camp gun for visiting hunters--it was a browning BBR and no telling how many deer that thing has shot. I know kids as young as 10 and men as old as 65 have used that gun and all were pleased. With a 100 grain Barnes plenty for anything up to elk..not much muzzle blast and good reach. Just not much selection for new rifles--maybe one of those kimber hunters.. I've always liked a 7-08..sure think it will work too...

 

[RED MIST]

My 3 Gandkids have killed about 6 cow elk with a 7-08 and it has worked great.

 

[fmuguira]

+1 on 6.5cm or 7-08. Both good choices and Elk worthy in range kept reasonable.

I would mention that a "light enough rifle" for a young kid to carry can have some recoil.

My daughter started with a 7 lb scoped rifle and we worked her into 140 gr full power loads via some practice and time with 120 gr mid-range rounds.

A good stout 120 bullet in either of those calibers, (mono etip, partition, etc) might keep the recoil in check if any problems.
Good luck

 

[tgonza]

My grandson killed a big 6x6 when he was 10 with a 7mm-08. It was 100 yards when he hit it. Ran about 50 yards and fell over dead. He killed a pronghorn a few weeks later with same gun. It's very versatile caliber.

 

[One shot wonder]

I have 5 kids, the oldest just got her license and got her first deer last fall. This year, Elk is on the menu for her.
Now I'm a gun nut, and I have several great elk rifles but none that a young kid can handle comfortably. Being as she is the first of 5 and I assume all of them will at least try hunting, I figure any money spent on the ideal youth hunting rifle will be a good investment. For our uses I expect this rig to be used primarily on Elk and Mule deer at moderate ranges generally under 200 yards and no more than 300 yards.
My criteria is that the rifle have a short length of pull, light enough for a young kid to carry, enough power to kill elk reliably without heavy recoil (remember it's a light rifle), and a MPBR of near 300 yards just to keep things simple.
It seems to me that a compact 7mm-08 would fit the bill about perfect. Are there better options out there? Any experience with the 7-08 on elk good or bad?


This is a cow I nabbed on a late season extra tag this January.View attachment 126697

I bought my wife a tikka t3 light .308 its light and shoots great. My daughter who is a toothpick in size shoots a .270 tikka t3 light with the composite stock.

 

[JASmith]

The secret sauce is recoil easy enough that the shooter can concentrate more on sight picture and trigger release than on managing recoil.

Concur on the Creedmoor for Elk.

Try going with a 6.5 Grendel for the younger ones. Even less recoil from lower velocities and less powder. A number of folks do harvest Elk-sized game with it.

The Creedmoor, however, will reach further out without going overboard with recoil. The 6.5-284 moves one closer to 270 Win territory with respect to recoil, especially with rifles light enough to tote into the woods, up hills and down dales.

 

[Mystras]

My three children have all taken elk with our Marlin XS7Y in 7mm-08. My son took his first two mule deer in AZ and CO at age 10 and his first cow elk the same year with this rifle using handloads. I went with the Marlin because the twist rate was 1:9.5 over guns like Savage etc. which have 1:11.5 twist. Recoil is very manageable for the youngsters. I wanted a higher twist to stabilize heavier/longer bullets we used for elk. I use one load for that rifle and the bullet is a 139 grain Hornady SST. It has been very effective gun/load for my little ones. My wife has also used this rifle on her elk hunts. Unfortunately I don't think Marlin makes these anymore. My son is now 19 years old and 6'1" and looking to purchase his first full-sized stock bolt action hunting rifles at 6.5 cm and 30-06. He still loves to shoot the XS7Y. My 18 y/o daughter, 15 y/o daughter and my wife all still use the 7mm-08 and plan to do so this coming fall as the each drew cow tags in AZ. 7mm-08 is good choice.

 

[Rebell]

I got my first experience with the 7-08 this last season. My son got one for his 9 year old daughter. He got the lady model weatherby and was shooting the reduced recoil hornadys. I shot it at the range and was totally amazed at the minimal recoil. She shoots it well and ended up killing two deer, each with one shot. I was impressed with the reduced recoil loads and the performance of the 7-08.

 

[Sledhead406]

The 7mm08 is one of the most underappreciated rounds out there. Load 140/150 Partitions and it will do the rest.

 

[HobieH3]

The 7mm08 is one of the most underappreciated rounds out there. Load 140/150 Partitions and it will do the rest.

Concur. Performance just a shade below .270 Win in a short action with less recoil. Hand loads could probably match any .270 factory ammo. Ruger American would be good with an aftermarket trigger spring and a hand polish on the sear mating surface of the trigger.

 

[Dstickney]

I have 5 kids, the oldest just got her license and got her first deer last fall. This year, Elk is on the menu for her.
Now I'm a gun nut, and I have several great elk rifles but none that a young kid can handle comfortably. Being as she is the first of 5 and I assume all of them will at least try hunting, I figure any money spent on the ideal youth hunting rifle will be a good investment. For our uses I expect this rig to be used primarily on Elk and Mule deer at moderate ranges generally under 200 yards and no more than 300 yards.
My criteria is that the rifle have a short length of pull, light enough for a young kid to carry, enough power to kill elk reliably without heavy recoil (remember it's a light rifle), and a MPBR of near 300 yards just to keep things simple.
It seems to me that a compact 7mm-08 would fit the bill about perfect. Are there better options out there? Any experience with the 7-08 on elk good or bad?


This is a cow I nabbed on a late season extra tag this January.View attachment 126697

I have both 6.5 CM and 7:08 and like them both. The ballistics are very similar with a slight edge to the 6.5 in terms of energy lbs at 200 and 400 yards with the Hornady 143 ELDX high BC bullet. Advantage to the 6.5 in terms of easy to load, accuracy, and wind drift. Think about 6.5 PRC though.