I have a daughter that is 5′ tall and weights 87pounds. I bought a youth Rossi .410 single shot with a composite stock and it kicks too much for her. She was using this for Deer hunting with a slug. Is there any center fire rifle that will kick less and still be effective for deer?
My now 12 year old son was about that size when we got him started on a 243 WIn. While the 243 isn’t the ideal deer cartridge it can get the job done well under controlled conditions. Use a 95-105 grain quality bullet (doesn’t HAVE to be a premium load,but bonded core at least) and limit the range to use it to 200 yards and only on broadside shots. I load a high quality premium bullet in our 243 and that still isn’t enough for me to be comfortable with a quartering shot-100 grains of bullet doesn’t penetrate that well. You could move up to 7mm-08,still using the same case,but with a heavier bullet )-and Remington does make a "Managed Recoil" for 7mm-08 with a 140 grain bullet, which would be an excellent choice.
My son can put 3 boxes of ammo down range in an afternoon-good thing I do reload- and might be a little sore the next day. If you used the Managed Recoil 7mm-08 she could move up with the rifle as she grows and the 7mm-08 is a very good deer cartridge at full load too-no need to change out into something else. It isn’t my first choice for bear or elk, but it would work.
So, I suggest getting something in a youth stock in 7mm-08,use Managed Recoil for a couple years,then swap out the stock and use full load ammo when she is big enough. Weatherby,Savage and Remington sell two stock youth packages or use adapter plates to tailor length,and the Rem Model 7 and the Browning "Micro" series is a small stock option if she is going to be petite as a teen or adult.Getting the stock to fit well at any age is the key for good rifle performance and recoil tolerance. The 243 we have currently is a single shot H&R Handi-Rifle, and it fits near perfectly for him, and yet it isn’t too small for my use if I want to have fun with it. I got it as a coyote rifle, but again, under close supervision with shot placement I won’t worry much,but the 7mm-08 would be a better long term option for you. My son has already shot 30-06 reduced recoil,but the full loads are a little daunting still.
-
Archives
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
-
Meta
ive used an sks for deer hunting before, but if shes having a hard time handling a 410, then theres not too much out there that would be sufficient, have you tried using a recoil pad on the stock? i had one of those on a 12 gauge for my exgf and she was maybe 15 pounds heavier then your daughter at the same height, it helped alot. but last time i remember shooting a 410, there really wasnt a whole lot of kick to it. you could also try using something heavier, my mossberg 500 with all the tactical stuff on it kicks alot more then my fathers 870 with the full wood stock, both are 12gauge shotguns, but you get the idea
References :
been hunting since i was 5
Let her try the 243 Winchester.* It has Mild Recoil.* Or the 223 if your allowed to use it for Hunting Deer in your State.*
References :
* Run like a Deer.*………………Fly like an Eagle.*~~
Depends on what her recoil tolerance is. I’m 5′ and about 115 lbs (not much of a weight difference between your daughter and me) and I can easily handle a .308, but that’s from working my way up gradually. So, do you have a 20 ga, .223 and a .243 that you could let her shoot? (not necessarily your firearms, could be a friend’s).
Depending on your state laws, you could use a .223, but in most states the minimum caliber is a .243.
References :
I wouldn’t trust much smaller than that for taking down a deer. My first couple times shooting a .45 I thought the darned thing was going to jump out of my hand. Now it’s one of my favorite guns.
It’s just something you get used to. Or you develop a flinch and spend years trying to get over it.
References :
My now 12 year old son was about that size when we got him started on a 243 WIn. While the 243 isn’t the ideal deer cartridge it can get the job done well under controlled conditions. Use a 95-105 grain quality bullet (doesn’t HAVE to be a premium load,but bonded core at least) and limit the range to use it to 200 yards and only on broadside shots. I load a high quality premium bullet in our 243 and that still isn’t enough for me to be comfortable with a quartering shot-100 grains of bullet doesn’t penetrate that well. You could move up to 7mm-08,still using the same case,but with a heavier bullet )-and Remington does make a "Managed Recoil" for 7mm-08 with a 140 grain bullet, which would be an excellent choice.
My son can put 3 boxes of ammo down range in an afternoon-good thing I do reload- and might be a little sore the next day. If you used the Managed Recoil 7mm-08 she could move up with the rifle as she grows and the 7mm-08 is a very good deer cartridge at full load too-no need to change out into something else. It isn’t my first choice for bear or elk, but it would work.
So, I suggest getting something in a youth stock in 7mm-08,use Managed Recoil for a couple years,then swap out the stock and use full load ammo when she is big enough. Weatherby,Savage and Remington sell two stock youth packages or use adapter plates to tailor length,and the Rem Model 7 and the Browning "Micro" series is a small stock option if she is going to be petite as a teen or adult.Getting the stock to fit well at any age is the key for good rifle performance and recoil tolerance. The 243 we have currently is a single shot H&R Handi-Rifle, and it fits near perfectly for him, and yet it isn’t too small for my use if I want to have fun with it. I got it as a coyote rifle, but again, under close supervision with shot placement I won’t worry much,but the 7mm-08 would be a better long term option for you. My son has already shot 30-06 reduced recoil,but the full loads are a little daunting still.
References :
I reload for 223,243,30-06 and 300 WSM
.243 Win. Get a "Past Pad" for her to wear. It will cut the felt recoil way down. I used to use one on 12 gauges for my wife where she had a hard time with recoil. It will make a 30-06 feel like a .223 in recoil.
http://www.battenfeldtechnologies.com/past/catalog.asp?family=past-recoil-pads
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/11FNS
References :
There are a lot of things you can do here. You could get a 243 or even a 270 but in a semi auto. That alone will cut down the recoil because a lot of the gasses are used in making the action work instead of going into the gun as recoil. You could also put on a muzzle break and a recoil pad. That should make it really soft shooting.
Good luck
References :
It may not be legal for deer hunting, but a .223 has less recoil. My 7 year old nephew shoots my son’s AR-15 without a problem. My oldest son was shooting at deer when he was 9 with a .243 Win. A .30-30 would be light on recoil too. How old is she? Is she holding it correctly? Tight against the shoulder, cheek down against the stock, and wearing good hearing protection?
References :
.357 magnum in a lever action rifle, a 7.63×39, a .243 Win.
Remington offers their Managed Recoil line of ammunition which delivers 50% less recoil than standard loads. It’s available in several calibers and shot gun slug loads. http://www.remington.com
References :
I think the kick from that gun is much different than any other shotgun when teamed with a slug. The gun is very light and seems to have more of a snap. You may be surprised, but a 12 ga. and a recoil pad "feels" much different. I
I would take her out and shoot some clay pigeons or something that allows for light loads. She can graduate to slugs in a fairly short amount of time. This is only if she is strong enough to properly hold and aim.
Some lever action .44 mags have a different feeling recoil that some people seem to prefer as well.
References :
.243 Win.
References :
I am not surprised at all. The reason she can’t handle the Rossi is because of its light weight. A heavy gun produces far less felt recoil.
I have a 224 Weatherby Magnum that has very little recoil. I would suggest simply buying her a decent bolt action rifle in a varmint class caliber and seeing how she does with that. I am thinking a Ruger M77 in 220 Swift would be adequate to bring down a deer and offer very little in the way of felt recoil.
Be sure to check your state game laws to make sure they do not have a minimum caliber requirement. But, if she was using a 410 slug for deer, I am guessing that there isn’t such a law in your state.
References :
Marty,
What you’re not addressing is that the lighter the weapon and straighter the stock the more the recoil. Those youth models look just right for a kid, but they do actually kick more than a full size shotgun. If you can afford one, a semi-auto .410 is pretty cool because it uses alot of its recoil to operate the mechanism. You also might try a padded shooters jacket. As for center fire rifle for deer that kicks less, no such animal, unless your can use an AR15A2 where you hunt.
References :
Hunter / Shooter
Lots of good suggestions, but I don’t like the smaller bullet ideas, a crippled animal can make a non hunter out of your daughter faster than anything. My suggestion would be to get an old 30-30, put a 4x scope on it, and limit her shots to 100 yards until she gets some experience under her belt. If you can find a cheap old well used one, cut the stock down to fit her, that coupled with the heavier weight of the rifle will do more to alleviate the kick than anything. 1 more thing, if she has become at all recoil sensitive shooting the .410, start over with a .22 and have her practice until the flinch goes away.
References :
In my opinion the SKS in 7.62x39mm is the lightest recoiling rifle I’ve ever fired. an additional AK74 style muzzle brake further helps reduces felt recoil. Its legal for deer in most states and similar to the 30-30 Winchester in terms of power and range.
the SKS is a semiautomatic centerfire gas operated rifle, 20" bbl 10rd fixed magazine. you can swap that for a 5rd magazine to comply with hunting regulations if needed.
uses a font hooded post sight and rear leaf sight marked in meters, per 100 meters from 0 to 1000. effective range 300 meters. Any random SKS can hit a 8.5×11 sheet of paper at 100 yards. Many come with a folding bayonet (which can be removed). Roughly $250 to $300. Do not buy any Yugo SKS rifle. There are around 10 makers of the SKS- Russian, Romanian, Albanian, Norinco (PRC), Vietnamese (rare), Yugo, just to name a few.
the smallest caliber ok for deer in the US (don’t know which state) is 22-250.
the 22-250 is like the .223 Remington but with a slightly larger powder charge and a heavier bullet. results in a bit more muzzle energy. There are many rifle in 22-250
Next up is .243 Winchester, which fires a 6mm bullet with low recoil. popular for varmint and deer.
generally gas operated rifles will recoil the least and bolt action, lever action or single shots in .30-30, 22-250, and 243 will recoil a bit more.
References :
instead of getting a new gun, you can buy a winchester limbsaver recoil pad to put on the .410, bought one at walmart the other day for a .308 and it kicks hardly at all!!!
References :