You're hunting a wheat field with your 14 yr. old son. The biggest 10 pt you've ever seen appears 300 yds away on the other side of the field and beds down behind a brush pile where you can clearly see his head and antlers and you get to study him for 30 minutes. Having measured a lot of deer you put him in the 170 - 180 gross class. Your Son wants to shoot at him with a 6mm but you think it's too far for that caliber + 300 yds is a long shot for most people so you don't let him shoot. He then asks to shoot him with your 300 ultra mag but you're not comfortable with that either. The reason he wants to shoot your gun is because you've mentioned that you could probably make the shot. This whole time your lying down and have a rock solid rest on your shooting sticks. The conversation then goes, well Dad, maybe, just maybe he'll come closer, that's the deer of my Dreams! Great, he's the deer of my dreams too! After 30 minutes he stands up broadside and just stands there for 1 - 2 minutes, 170 - 180 class 10 pt, prone position, shooting sticks, you know you can take him. Do you shoot or watch the buck of a lifetime walk off into the brush? I know what I did, what would you do?

rock paper scissors lizard Spock to see who gets to pull the trigger with the 300 ultra mag.

whats you comfortability issue with your son shooting your 300 depending on what the issue is I would let him take the shot and you would probably be surprised at the joy you get out of it

I would have told him it is going to kick like a mule and where to place the cross hairs. Then stuck my finger in my ears...

I guess you could shoot. I wouldn't do that to my son though. Would rather miss my opportunity than show my kid his dreams were secondary to mine.

Buck of your dreams?? You better of laid him over

I don't have kids.. 300 yards?? Pretty long shot to put on a kid.. Makes ya wonder if he would yank the 300 ultramag and miss the shot.. Thats alot of recoil from what I hear?
6mm? Pretty close to a 243 right? 300 yards might be a bit much for it, but have heard of it done.. Put the Kentucky windage on it..

Call me. I'll solve it.

What did you do?

6mm will do 300yrds all day....but i woulda shot and told him it misfired...and accidently hit the deer

i would have let my son have a shot at him. it would feel amazing if he got the deer. much better than if i shot it i am sure. if he missed, well then you have the converstation of this is what happens in hunting sometimes and we can try again and you both get to go back out there!!

I don't think I would've taken the shot. If you trained your son well and you took him hunting - then either he makes the shot or let's it pass. 300yds may be a bit far for a smaller caliber, but it has been done. Did you take a camera? Sometimes a photo of something like that is a good 2nd option then you can "shoot" for another day....

Depends on his ability. If I thought he had a real chance of hitting the deer then it wouldn't be a discussion. If he couldn't then I would try and explain to him that either I take the shot or he walks. If he didn't understand the circumstances then I let the deer walk to keep from crushing his dreams.

Brings up a good point that it would be a good idea to discuss parameters and limitations prior to hitting the woods. I have small children and they are learning to hunt but they are going to be required to earn a large buck.

What did you do?

I would let him line up his 6mm and take the shot. I would have my 300mag ready to go for back up. If he misses and that deer gives me the shot, I take him.

x2 at 14 he should be able to make a good shot

if my son were comfortable with the shot then I would let him take it or I would let the deer walk. If he wasnt comfortable shooting at that distance or with a 300, I would tell him we would have to wait for the deer to move closer or let him go. Great teaching opportunity! My children"s "dreams" will always come before mine.

Most kids could not have made that shot at 300 yards. Either let the buck walk or shoot him yourself.

There is also secret option number 4, belly crawl another 100-150 yards closer and let him shoot.

Put a stalk on the deer if you get busted oh well thats hunting. 300 yrds is a long shot if you never practice it. I dont think I would make a 300 yrd shot on such a deer.

I would not let me son shoot the 300 ultra mag at the age of 14. My son is 14 shoots a 270 WSM and that kick is a lot but he can take it. My son is 5'9" 185. He a big guy for 14. the 300 ultra mag has almost twice the kick. Also I am guessing he has not practiced with it and this 300 yards.

I like the stalk idea. If you get busted then so be it.

He will have plenty of time to get the buck of his dreams.

Unless he's practiced and proven he can shoot at that range, I tell the kid he has to get closer. The only way I take the shot is if he tells me he wants me to shoot. Otherwise, the deer is entirely his. I'd rather see a kid kill a deer any day of the week.

Wait and hunt him another day. It teaches a great lessn to your kids if this is what you did. If you let him shoot then good for you.

Like someone else said: ROCK PAPER SCISSOR

Dont have any kids yet so have never been in a situation like this. I do hunt with my wife alot and when she goes she is the "shooter". I get more enjoyment from her killing one than I do myself. I would have probably tried to put some kind of stalk on him seeing how he was bedded down for 30 minutes so that the kid could get a doable shot or wait like you did to see if the deer might get up and head your direction. If he said something like that shot is just to far for me, you should shoot him then that might be a different story.

Personaly I dont want my kids starting out hunting and blasting the buck of a lifetime first thing. I think there is some time and effort to put into it first. I think taking them out and blasting a monster for the first deer kinda teaches you get what you want without putting much into it. I know alot wont agree with this, its just how I feel about it.

This problem was simple for us when my brother got old enough to hunt dad got a second lease for him, dad was not allowed to hunt on that lease, just my brother. When I reached that age dad quit hunting bumped brother to take his place on his lease and I took my brothers place.

Out of all the ethics debates on here most on this thread are saying give the kid the shot with a gun he has never shot, at a range he has never shot...

I thought we always say if you havent practiced at 300 yards dont shoot that far, but when a kid comes into the picture it is whatever they think they can do or want to do...

I have been a kid, kids are stupid, they have lots of learning to do. No way I would let him go busting off at a monster of a buck or any deer at 300 yards with a gun he has never shot at a distance he has never come close to shooting. Either the deer gets closer, you get closer to the deer, you shoot the deer or yall let him walk. Kid shooting is bad/worst choice in my mind.

matt

I as a 14 year old hunted with a 300 winchester and also hunted by myself. Id rather have my son take the shot. If he misses it will be a lesson learned in life. If he kills it that will be a memory that will last him a lifetime.

Also I dont know the child in questons skill level so that may make a difference, but it doesnt sound like he has done this kind of thing in the past.

Echoing something 2G's said. If I was the kid in that instance I think I would have told my dad to get him. I didnt start hunting till I was 11 or 12 so I have some pretty accurate memories of hunting with my dad when I was just along for the ride. He shot some of his best bucks with me, and it is funny but I sort of consider them mine to because I was with him and I bet he sees it that way too.

matt

So thats what you teach your kids, if it works out good then its good if it works out bad then learn?

Drink and drive once you made it home ok so its good... Its only bad if you get caught the first time?

Ive told my kids that if we are out hunting and a big buck comes out further than they are allowed to shoot, I will shoot it. If I was in your situation there, and I had never killed a buck that big, I would have told him that its too far for him to shoot and if he keeps hunting, he will get a chance at a buck like that again. And then I would have shot it. Now, if it would have come out within range for him to shoot, I would have let him shoot it.