# Best Deer & Elk Rifle for my 12 year Old



## Calling all ducks (Apr 22, 2009)

Just need some help from a few of you guys that may have been around a few of these calibers with your boys. Here is a list of them, any info would be help full. Thanks

7mm 08

308

25 06

270

243


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

This very topic has likely been discussed 15+ times in just over the last two years, it may be helpful to search this forum for the other threads. With some of the low recoil loads available you may include a few other calibers also. The one obvious caliber that is a default for this discussion and not listed above would be the 243 and is often even available in youth size stocks. Good luck!


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Got my boy a win 270 for christmas,and he loves it. lHe is 13 and handles the gun well. I also shoot 270.Sold my 06 and like it better(270)


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## Calling all ducks (Apr 22, 2009)

Hey thanks will the 270 kick much


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Personally.......after buying my son a 7mm-08 just a few years ago.....if I had to do it all over again I would buy him a gun that would stick for a few years, like the rest of his life. Your son will have no problem shooting a 270. The key is hearing protection. People get gun shy more from the sound than the kick. Get a good butt pad and good hearing protection and get a him a bigger gun IMO. Tons of opinions on this but I would opt for a gun that he will grow into. It is amazing how fast they get big.

Nothing wrong with a .243, .270, 7mm or a 30-06 a 30-30 is a good choice as well.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> Hey thanks will the 270 kick much


Mine kicks like a pizzed off mule.

I recently bought a .308 with a nice pad for my wife to shoot and it's been an awesome gun for her. There's very little recoil to it and it's a sharp shooter.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

+1 muleskinner.My 1st gun was old 30-30,I remember the first time I shot it it knocked me on my arse -8/- ,but shoting at an animal I did not even feel it.Let him grow into the gun


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

you need to get a different mule BirdDogger.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Dunkem, Muleskinner and Callingallducks, what is the size of your sons at age 12? I know that not all are built equally. At 12, I think I was like 5'8" and probably 120, yet some can be 20 heavier or lighter, which makes a huge difference. That may be helpful to place in perspective the different bits of feedback. My son is only 10 and about 90 lbs, which is likely a littler over average for his age, but certainly not prepared for a 270.
Here is another tidbit you may find to be helpful, list of recoil for numerous calibers http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm By extrapolating it appears that even the 30-06 using the low recoil rounds (125 grains) you can get the recoil energy down to about 15 or so, which is about the same as the 270, in like fashion the 270 should be down to about the same as the 243. The kids sure do grow fast, Muleskinner may be on to something, however what kind of a man would refuse the chance to add another rifle to the collection with even a halfway reasonable excuse? :mrgreen:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Get him a .308 rifle and a couple boxes of reduced-recoil ammo.


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

If you are considering a .243, I would take a close look at a 6mm, same round, just a little faster and flatter shooting. It is my favorite small caliber deer rifle. I am also a big fan of a 25-06. I bought myself a .270 when I was 14 and even though it kicks like a mule, I used it just fine. It is still my favorite rifle to this day.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

My son is and was about average size I guess. I learned to shoot with a 30-30 as a kid because it was the only gun available to me to hunt. My brother was on a .243, a fair amount of my friends were shooting what their father had and in most cases it was 30-06. 

I can see the case for getting a smaller gun. I just tend to lean the other way. Just my opinion. I thought that I would do my son a favor and buy something smaller in the 7mm-08. Looking back on it I think it was waste on money. He was wanting to shoot my gun (7mm) within a couple of weeks of practice on his. He is now 16 and would rather shoot mine any day than his "learner". The 7mm-08 hardly ever gets shot at all. Fact is for us bowhunting is the ticket anyhow.

All things being equal......I would say get a lever action 30-30. Something about learning on one of the all time greats that has a more heritage than you can shake a stick at. Years down the road he'll always cherish the lever action.


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## A-Weezy (Jun 27, 2011)

I'd agree on the 308. My fiancé that's 5'3 105lbs handles my 308. Like a champ. Scared at first but after the first shot she hasnt hesitated. Most kids are more afraid of the noise than anything. No matter what caliber you choose make sure you hit the target range and practice practice practice.


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

*Best Deer & Elk Rifle for my 12 year Old*



BirdDogger said:


> > Hey thanks will the 270 kick much
> 
> 
> Mine kicks like a pizzed off mule.
> ...


+1

I'd go with a .308.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Since elk are on the list, I'll throw in another vote for the .308.

Let the kid fondle a few different brands in the store. The one that "feels right" to him is the one to choose..


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## Uni (Dec 5, 2010)

*Best Deer & Elk Rifle for my 12 year Old*

I have used a .270 for elk since I was 14. I was very slender thoughout my youth. If you use 130g with a limbsaver slipon pad, I don't think you will have any issues.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Howa makes a neat youth rifle package. It's called the 2-n-1. Comes with a short LOP stock and then an extra full-size stock that the young one can grow into. There's also a bore-sighted scope included:

see: http://www.legacysports.com/products/howa_youth.html

Howa makes a great rifle at a very reasonable price. I'm thinking of having kids again just so I can get one.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

.300 ultra mag or .338 should work, if not a .458 will do the trick.
I'm with goob on this one, .308 would be my choice and a more versatile gun for future use.


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## Stickboy (Oct 28, 2010)

Another vote for 308. When my son was 4 mnths old I picked up a youth ADL in 308. With reduced loads it will be just what he needs on his first hunt. My first was an 06. It was really too much gun for me, but i managed. I plan on working him up to the 308 thru a 22, then 223...then 243 to 308. He is currently 6 and has progressed to the 223.

Good luck!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> Howa makes a great rifle at a very reasonable price. I'm thinking of having kids again just so I can get one.


Goob, remember you are always a kid at heart, so go get one, you never know when you might have a grandson that you can let use it.

As for what rifle, I would stay away from the .243. While it can get the job done with the right ammo and the right shot it can also just wound one to where you will need to teach your boy how to track a wounded elk. I would also suggest the .308. Let him shoot it with reduced loads for target practice and then use the full strength loads for hunting. The 7mm-08 would also be a good one for this.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

I'd go with a .308 in a Rem 700 sps or maybe a howa 1500.


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## Oblivion5888 (Sep 12, 2011)

I may be biased, but I say go with the .270. It was my first, and only big game cartridge that I have ever shot, and I love it. I was, and still am quite a skinny guy. When my dad bought me my first .270 when I was 13, I was probably 5"4 and 100 lbs on a good day. I was scares of the rifle at first, but I quickly realized it was the sound, not the recoil, that was making me gun shy. The gun doesn't kick bad, at all, I could shoot it all day if I had to. Another bonus that the .270 has when compared to smaller calibers like the .243 is that it will take down deer and elk more reliably. It also has great flat shooting ballistics. I wouldn't own any other caliber personally.


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## tommyp (Sep 16, 2011)

+1 on the 270. I've been shooting one since I was 11, the kick was a bit more than the 243 I had shot, but I have never EVER noticed it when shooting at an animal. It will do an excellent job on deer and elk. I have shot 3 deer with it, and I shot my my first elk with it last year, and it did the job just fine on all of them. IMHO The way to go is a 270 with a good pad on it.


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## toymanator (Dec 29, 2010)

No one has mentioned the .257 roberts, I know this topic has been beat to death before. I started out on an old .257 roberts and loved it. I took my first 3 deer with that rifle before I bought my .270. I have now loaned that gun out to two people for there 12 year old sons to hunt with. It isn't as common as the .243 but I am a big fan of the .257 roberts.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

.257 Roberts is a fantastic round (as good as deer round as there has ever been IMO) but for me one prerequisite is knowing that shells will be on the shelf of any store in any town.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

My primary hunting rifle is a 7mm-08. I have killed coyotes, pronghorn, deer, and elk with it. It is a great caliber and I highly recommend it. A .308 is also a great choice. It has more varities of ammo and it is cheaper to shoot than a 7mm-08.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

There certainly is something to say for getting one that will last for decades, I still have my first rifle that I used to shoot my first elk, a sweet old gal they call BAR in 7mag. Of course, I was 17 when I got my first shot at one and not 12. A bit of an heirloom for me since my dad bought it new in like '68. 
I like the idea of controlling the sound and getting an upgraded putty pad. I presume that many of you have done this successfully? I am a little gun shy (no pun intended) with my 10-year old. He took a scope in the eye brow at the age of 6 from my 1,200 fps pellet gun and has been shy of anything other than his red ryder since. Being that he can be hunting in a short two years I better get on it. I already have the 243 for him in the 700 SPS. I may need to keep my eyes peeled for a good pad. Do you just use foam ear plugs inside normal ear muffs when starting? I need to at least get him on a 22 soon if these fires will ever let us get out of the city. What do you all recommend for the pad, Limbsaver?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

You can't go wrong with a limbsaver for sure. As far as hearing protection, I like the two part mold-able earplugs that you can mold specifically for his ears. They fit great and do a far better job at protecting the ear drum. They also work great for camping with people that snore They last longer are washable and don't break the bank. I picked up my last set at Sportsmans. I think one kit will make two sets of plugs.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> You can't go wrong with a limbsaver for sure. As far as hearing protection, I like the two part mold-able earplugs that you can mold specifically for his ears. They fit great and do a far better job at protecting the ear drum. They also work great for camping with people that snore They last longer are washable and don't break the bank. I picked up my last set at Sportsmans. I think one kit will make two sets of plugs.


I am not familiar with those, can you post a link?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I have been looking for one since the post I'll keep looking and see if I can find them.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

http://www.radians.com/main/p-282-radia ... plugs.aspx


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## bigbuckhunter64 (May 6, 2008)

I went through this same thing 2 years ago for my 13 year old and after looking at a lot of different things we decided to go with the 308, the 7mm 08 was a close second but its cheaper to shoot the 308 and shells are more readily available in any sporting good store. My son is on the small size now for 13 he is 5'1" and weighs about 110 and he loves shooting his 308. He smacked his first cow elk with it last winter.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Just get him a 30-06 or 270. By the time he draws a tag, he'll be bigger than you anyway.

+1 on the 308.


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## flyfisher20 (Aug 5, 2011)

My first rifle when I was 13 was .308. I loved it then and I love it now.


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## duckhunter1096 (Sep 25, 2007)

Uni said:


> I have used a .270 for elk since I was 14. I was very slender thoughout my youth. If you use 130g with a limbsaver slipon pad, I don't think you will have any issues.


Had the word "Elk" not been injected to this list, I think the .243 OR .257 Roberts would be ideal for deer... But with the E Word in the mix, run with the .270. I have always been a twig, since the time I started hunting. The worst part (Not a bad thing at all, I'm just using it as a point of reference) of having a .270 for me... Packing the d*mn thing. Recoil hasn't ever been an issue for me... But here's the thing... Regardless of what caliber you go with, you gotta carry the thing, right?

I would think that the biggest issue you may run in to is finding a gun that fits your child. I remember at 14, my .270 felt a little big... But at 16-17, it felt just right.


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## sneakyhunter87 (Dec 23, 2010)

Twelve years ago I bought a .270 for my first hunting season. Killed a small buck and a large cow elk, the elk was roughly 200 yards away. I used a 140 grain bullet at the time. I still use that gun almost every year. I've killed 5 deer, 2 elk, and a antelope with it since. The kick was never too much for me and I was rather small at 12 years old weighing probably only 85 lbs.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

Yet another vote for the Howa 2 in 1. In a .308. Good versatile rounds available, not to much when he's young, more than plenty as he gets older.


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=30098&p=318118&hilit=mossberg+atr#p318118


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## Shockgobble (Apr 22, 2010)

.270 with reduced recoil loads. Took the boy out for his first hunt last year and he was terrified at first, after shooting the reduced recoil loads he didn't want to stop. After 3 shots he was grouping a coffee can lid at 100 yards. Needless to say he wasn't going to shoot much further than that and at 100 yards I knew he could make a good shot. Plus he will have a .270 that will last him his life that he can grow into with the larger loads.


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