re: Best rifle/caliber combo with little to no recoil

The 300 BlackOut, 300/221 or 300 Whisper would be a great youth gun. Others I'd recommend are the 6.5 Grnedel (especially for the AR platform), 260 Rem, 6.5 CM, 7-08 Rem and 308 Win. I imagine all of the above rounds will have more recoil than the 223, but she may still be able to shoot one well; you'll know after a few shots. Whatever the caliber is, start out w/ reduced recoil loads. 25-06, 270 Win, 280 Rem and 30-06 will have more recoil than comparable short action rounds because the larger rounds use more powder. A reduced recoil 308 Win actually recoils less than a full power 243 Win. When my son started hunting at 10 y/o I bought him a full size Savage bolt action (308 Win) package gun w/ regular stock. He shot reduced recoil loads that I handloaded. While it's true he won't notice the recoil from a shot taken at live game, I'd still do everything I could to prevent him from developing bad habits at the bench; bad habits at the shooting bench usually result in bad habits in the field. Tips for shooting from the bench:
Use good ear muffs AND soft plugs at the same time.
Keep the number of shots in a shooting session to a minimum.
Consider a shooting sled of some sort to minimize recoil.
Consider a small sandbag (we used to call it a "sissy bag" when I was growing up) between the butt stock and shoulder if it doesn't mess up how the stock fits.
If it looks like he's having problems handling the recoil, DO NOT force the issue.

Full disclosure: I've never hunted w/ a 7-08 rifle, but I deer hunt w/ a 15" barreled 7-08 handgun (Remington XP-100); it's one of my favorite deer hunting handguns. In addition, I killed 3 hogs w/ it. OTOH, I recently bought a Thompson/Center Compass rifle on sale to be a "grandchild's gun." Guess what it's chambered in....... 7-08.

Good luck and keep us updated!

7mm-08 with reduced recoil ammo. My 9 year old hunts with it in a CVA Scout single shot. He is quite accurate with it at 100 yards. It doesn’t have much recoil at all.

Both would be good and you can just get a full size stock in the future.

Get her a good set of ear protection while your at it

My kids shoot an AR15 in 300 blk. The adjustable stock is great as they are three different ages and the recoil is non existent.now this is a 100 yd gun for sure but honestly I probably won’t let them shoot much over 50 yds anyway

.243

Savage axis in .22-250 is the most accurate off the shelf, centerfire rifle I have ever shot. Straight up.


It has no recoil too, but I hope she will only be shooting at does or cull bucks, so she can make head shots, or neck shots. With those small bullets, shot placement is everything, unless you don't mind extended tracking, suffering of the animal. Don't mean to preach, but damn...

I think there are heavier grain bullets available for the .243 that might be better for body shots.

As a rule though, recoil is directly related to bullet weight,because of this thing called inertia, and for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The heavier bullet that you have to get moving, the heavier that your recoil is likely to be...but..it builds differently in some rounds.

I don't give a crap about trophies, and haven't even shot at a buck in years, but whatever I shoot at, I want it to be instant finish.
If you want her to be a trophy type hunter,(and she also wants), I think you should go with a rifle that will do the job. I think recoil will be part of it.

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My 7yo has been shooting a Thompson Center Compact in 7mm-08. It's had great accuracy and the trigger is suprisingly clean. Recoil, even with Hornady performance ammo, has been mild. I am very impressed with the little rifle.

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Fantastic rifle.

.243
Caliber Recoil

My personal experience. Both children started hunting with me. I purchased a 22-250 and used 60g Nosler Partition. Every deer shot died quickly except one. One requires a follow up. Bullet placement is key.

Moved up to. 7mm-08 with reduced recoil loads. I picked the Vanguard youth model that comes with stock LOP adjusters. Good rifle devistating on deer. Moved up to 140g Fusions.

My son now prefers to shoot my 270 and I prefer his 7mm-08. Tonight I shot an 13pt at 170 yards. The bullet passed through both shoulders dropping the deer instantly and it died in the spot. Missed the heart but shock destroyed one whole lung. Fantastic performance.

One suggestion, don’t have the kids shoot paper. Save milk jugs and fill them with water. Shooting then provides instant feedback when they explode and it teaches them to watch the target after they shoot. You take care of sighting in the rifles.