Caliber for my son’s first deer hunt

It is a really long story but I dropped the ball with my son on introducing him to the sport. He is 16 and has never hunted anything but dove, geese, and shooting rabbits around our house. I work a ton, traveling a lot, and didn’t have a place to take him. That ends now. I just bought 330 acres an hour from our house and am intending on making up for lost time.

I was on the property earlier this week and there are plenty hogs and deer. We are gearing up for a hunt. I am planning on sighting in whatever rifles we decide on tomorrow (I have a 300 yard range at my house) and then going this weekend.

It is kind of messed up I built this range five years ago and I don’t think it has had fifty rounds fired into it yet. My son has shot my AR a couple of times but other than that has never shot any other center fire rifles.

At our disposal are 204, 223,22-250, 243, 270, 270 WSM, 308, 300 w mag.

Any recommendations on which one I should start him out with? He is a big strong kid. Plays high school football. Other than possibly the 300 I don’t think any of them will bother him. The 204, 22-250, 270WSM are all new in box rifles with no scopes mounted but I can pick one up tomorrow if need be.

Start with the .223 or .22-250 to get him comfortable then hunt with the .270

I also think .223 or .22-250 are great.

Start him off with whichever one he wants to shoot and tell him not to be a puzzy. Why would you even ask this question? He’s a man, not a boy.

Have him practice with the .223 then let his first season be with the .243 (plenty for deer, shoot hogs in the neck).

After that .308 (relatively mild recoil, plenty for hogs or deer). Just DON'T over-gun him starting out. You want to avoid him developing a 'flinch' which is very hard to get rid of later.

Regardless his size or strength....you just don't know how recoil sensitive (or not) they might be. Let him build his confidence (through success) the first season, then move him up (power factor) later if needed.

I shot and hunted a ton growing up. The flinch thing is very real. The only gun in my life that startled me is the 300 win mag. It is a light gun with a synthetic stock but when I got it I was sighting it in and hurt like heck. Call me a puzzy if you want I don’t care but I was anticipating the shots so bad I couldn’t shoot a good group. I put it in the safe nearly 20 years ago and it hasn’t had more than a half a box through it. I would get rid of the darn thing but my dad gave it to me. I just am really wanting to avoid any bad experiences for my son as he hasn’t shot a lot. I have a limited window of time to introduce him to all of this and don’t want to start off on a bad foot with a gun that scares him.

If he cared about shooting he would have already made use of your range. It may be too late for him.

Fify! Seriously, txtrophy85 has good advice. If any of the larger caliber rifles is semi auto, it would get my nod.

I agree with this.

Congratulations on the land Sewer, and don't beat yourself up over your situation. Been there Sir. We all travel different roads in this life and the fact that your Son and hunting is in the front of your mind speaks volumes.

As much as I love the 22-250 and 223, my first deer rifle was a 270 at age 13. I was skinny but never had any issues with recoil, every animal was a one shot kill. Your boy will be just fine.

Post up some pics of his kill when it happens.

That is all on me. I have spent way too much time working 100+ hour weeks and spending 200 nights a year away from home working. He is interested I have been absent.

He bought a high end pellet gun on his own and has been killing the crap out of pigeons around our place.

I think this is a great strategy but time is limited. I literally got access to the property today and we don’t even close until next week. Scouting around there when we viewed it with the realtor all I saw was mule deer and hogs. Mule deer season ends Sunday so the plan is to get sighted in and accustomed to the gun tomorrow and hunt Saturday and Sunday. There will be time for whitetails and hogs after that. I can’t imagine whitetails not being there I just didn’t see any.

Oh, btw...

The 308 is an AR-10 but all the others are bolt actions.

Thank you. I am excited about it and introducing my kids to to hunting. Aside from my 16 year old I have a 9 year old son and I have plenty of time with him.

My dad was an amazing man. He spent so much time taking me hunting, he taught youth shooting sports, hunter’s safety classes, etc. He always talked about someday he and I going in together and buying a place to hunt on for his grandsons. Dad got cancer and passed away and mom died not too long after. I recently settled their estate and used the proceeds to buy this property. It seemed like the best thing to do and something that would honor their memory. I am hoping the kids will love it and someday we take my grandkids hunting there. A legacy type of thing.

If he's recoil sensative, that 308 will probably be the softer shooting of the 2.

I feel sorry for this kid. Why would a 16 year old man need someone to tell him what rifle he needs to shoot? When I was his age I was guiding deer hunters in Terrell county. Drinking whiskey every night and guiding a lot of out of state hunters on trips to Boys Town. I had a full time job in the summer cutting metal in a machine shop and played football on a state championship team in ‘91. I don’t know what it takes to grow up these days but my sons need a lot more supervision than I did. Hopefully when they’re 16 I won’t have to choose a caliber for them.

I am sorry to hear about your Dad. It sure hurts losing them.

Your heart is in the right place.

Keep doing what you are doing and enjoy every memory you make with your kids.

I get it. I grew up in a similar fashion. When I was 16 I was working using explosives. Pretty sure that isn’t legal now and likely wasn’t then but no one cared. Different times. My dad taught me to shoot at a very young age. We lived in New Mexico with lots of BLM land. I remember when I got my drivers license at 15 heading out to the public land on my own many times to hunt.

I really feel I failed my son in a lot of ways due to my career but I can’t undo the past. All I can do is try and make the future better. If he had a lot of experience shooting I wouldn’t be asking this. He doesn’t though. The only center fire rifle he has ever shot was an AR.

I miss Boys Town.

That was cool.

I don't feel sorry for your son. Everyone's circumstances are different and not all of us get introduced to firearms and hunting at a young age. Some people only take up hunting later in life and it's never too late. It's exciting that you are going down this path now and it's wonderful for him and for you. I'm happy for him.

I would take him to the range with the .223, 243 and the .308. He already knows about breathing, squeezing etc from shooting around the house so you're not starting him from scratch. Let him shoot a good group with the .223 first to get used to the bang and recoil of a centrefire. Two "getting used to" shots and then maybe two 3-shot groups. If he shoots a good group then there is no point continuing with the .223. Move on to the .243 using a similar approach to the above. If he shoots a good group with the .243 then you have a suitable calibre for deer/hogs and the marksman can do his bit. You could always stop there. However, if the lad is keen, he can try the .308 as well. If he can't group with that go back down to the .243. If he can then so much the better. If it were my son and he couldn't group with the .243 then I wouldn't want to take the chance of him using it - or anything heavier - on game. If he is a crackshot with the .223 then perhaps I would consider allowing him to take a heart/lungshot on a small hog. I certainly would not want to risk him wounding an animal on his very first hunt when I knew he wasn't quite ready.

Best of luck to you and your son this weekend. I hope it goes well.

"I feel sorry for this kid. Why would a 16 year old man need someone to tell him what rifle he needs to shoot? When I was his age I was guiding deer hunters in Terrell county. Drinking whiskey every night and guiding a lot of out of state hunters on trips to Boys Town. I had a full time job in the summer cutting metal in a machine shop and played football on a state championship team in ‘91." Not real sure these are actually all signs of growing up.

I feel sorry for judgmental people who act obtuse when someone actually calls out for help. My girls started out with the 22.250 and it is still utilized this day. They went to the range (not just once) and would then take head and neck shots out in the field. They started when they were ten and were already on the way to being sturdy, but they were ten. By the time they were 16, each were 5'10" and if starting at that time, neither would have feared the .243.

Good luck with it all. I hope your sons discovers a passion he didn't realize was out there.

270 would be my pick but I think that is a generational thing. At 16, I would advise him which of the rifles to choose from. Then I would give him the rifle he picks for his own. At 16, he is old enough to take himself if you can’t make the time for him.
Good luck this weekend

Sounds to me like he is fixing to be a very, very lucky kid. Give him that 270, I bet he will like it a lot!

for lots of reasons, i think a .270 is the way to go. id spend's the time and get him comfortable with that.

Surprised no one has asked yet -- you said he's been wingshooting. What shotgun did you have him on? If it was a 12 gauge, especially inertia driven, then the recoil won't bother him on almost any of those except the 300WM. What will get him will be the noise. Make sure you give him some ear plugs and then put some muffs on over those.

At 16? take the 270 and don't look back...

Honestly what I'd do no matter that he is a big kid is I'd start him out at the range with one of the smaller calibers and make sure he has the fundamentals down well and can accurately group his shots whether that takes 5 shots or 5 boxes of shells. Then, gradually move him up to larger calibers and see how he does with squeezing off his shots and making sure he is not jerking the trigger or flinching. It truly doesn't matter how big and strong a person is as I've seen 40 year old men that weight 250 or more and have been hunting their entire lives not shoot worth a damn because of very poor shooting habits.

Then, for me it is either the 308 or 300WM.
I take the 308 most of the time and I know my gun and my loads and their is not a deer in this state that is going to walk away from me if I have solid rest and he is within 350 yards!
I've killed a ton of deer with 222, 223, 22-250, and the 243 as well but to me the 308 is my favorite.

Good luck to you both and congrats on your new place!

He started dove hunting probably five years ago and was using an 1100 20 ga. On the goose hunting trips he was using a 12 ga super black eagle with 3” shells. He seemed fine with it but was bundled up like an Eskimo.

Recoil shouldn't be an issue then. In fact, give him a shotgun and have him hit a clay before he sits down behind a rifle. I stand by my hearing protection comment though -- nothing will make someone flinch faster than a loud noise

Fact is the vast majority of people, including full grown adults, shoot lighter recoiling rifles more accurately than the heavier recoiling cartridges. It was proven to me time and time again over a 15 year period of guiding hunters, and it's true for myself as well. I'd grab that 243 and good bullets, which will kill any deer in N America very effectively, and not look back. He can always graduate to bigger cartridges as he gets older. I've watched my landowner buddy's son whack hundreds of inches of big mule deer with his 243 and 95g ballistic tips.

Congrats to you and your son. You'll have many years of enjoyment ahead of you. Comments from scalebuster are downright assinine.

You only mentioned yourself when referring to sighting in the new rifle. A 16-year-old is plenty old enough to learn everything that goes into buying a new rifle and scope and getting it setup for his use. Don't overlook this as an opportunity for the two of you to work together and create some valuable memories along the way. I would do the very same with everything else that's needed to get your property hunting ready. Whatever you do, don't limit this to just setting up a feeder and box stand. There's plenty more of teaching opportunities in shooting, hunting, and woodsmanship to be learned along the way. Heck, the learning process really never stops unless you decide otherwise.

I agree with the others that a .270 would be an excellent choice. There's not a big game animal in North America that you cannot harvest with it.

I'm sure there are many who envy the opportunity you have in front of you. Enjoy every minute of it.

Yes cause every kid nowadays has access to West Texas outfitters who are super eager on letting teenagers guide their hunters or being a quasi-pimp.

He is a dad asking for advise on what is the best way to get his son going on deer hunting, pretty dang commendable if you ask me.

That was my first thought, he's likely been banging away with a 12ga, almost none of those should give him a problem. I would test them all for fit, let him fire a few from the .223 to get a feel for scope usage and such, and then pick one of the group that fits him well. Have him shoot it a couple of times and go to work.

Golden, absolutely golden.

I do not represent to know what JG knows or doesn't know, but there is experienced gold in his words. Too many tend to believe bigger is always better, when it is not. A gun comfortable to shoot should be both a starting AND ending point.

243 this year and 270 next. I'm just glad you are taking him!

Congrats on getting the place and hopefully the time you both can enjoy it together. Any of those you listed will work for him though I would go with the 243, 308 or 270 for starters. You have a range at the house, use it and see what he likes. As others have said see what fits and use good hearing protection.

At 16 and has hunted with a SBE with 3 inch shells recoil should not be a real factor if he handled it well with that shotgun and load.

My 11 year old son has been shooting a 7mm-08 now for a couple years. This year he wanted to shoot my .270 when we were sighting in rifles and did fine with it. A couple weeks ago I'm sitting in the stand with him with the .270 and it's the moment of truth. We get back to the camp and my wife ask him about the shot. He says "Now that i think about it I don't think i even heard or felt the shot". He is not a big kid either but has been shooting for a while. Your son should be fine with any of those but maybe leave the .300 in the safe.

the .300 win mag in a sporter weight rifle is considered my most gun experts to be the upper threshold of what the average shooter can comfortably handle and still shoot accurately. Unless you are shooting actual big game ( Elk, Moose, Bear ) its really a for purpose rifle not a general hunting round

I got to tell you, it doesn’t sound to me like you have dropped the ball in any kind of way. A man provides and you are doing an excellent job and setting a great example for him to follow. You are doing a great job!

A healthy, strong 16 year old athlete can probably manage a .270 or something like that just fine and maybe a lot more. Already shooting a 12 gauge, right?

Congratulations on the new property That is a legacy.

My Tikka T3 stainless light 270 kicked more than my Kimber wood 84 in 300 win mag. Neither had muzzle breaks and there is no doubt about this.

Sold the Tikka and secured a heavier 270 with a brake on it. Yes, it is a loud tack driver, so far at the range. I will not knowingly shoot it without ear protection and it will be tested on hair soon.

My son started hunting at 16 with a 270. I bought him Hornady lite. The recoil is minimal.

Congrats on the land and getting to go hunting with your boy.

If the 308 is on an AR platform, that would be the easiest choice to me. BUT, I think he would be fine with any of them. Just get him on the range for a few rounds.

Good luck and post pics when he gets one!

Good luck finding that ammo right now. Most any ammo for that matter. Hope the OP has some onboard already.

Do you have ammo available for all of these? That may be the limiting factor.

i started with a .308 when i was 12.

Man y’all make a good point about ammo. Probably pick the rifle based on the cartridges you can find, lol. Find a case of .308 or whatever soft points, then get the rifle!

I would definitely consider buying ammo from individuals if that becomes necessary to get the caliber you'll want once it becomes more widely available. In other words, I wouldn't buy a given caliber rifle just because that's the only ammo you can find on store shelves.

As to the ammo I have 204, 223 FMJ, 243, 308, 300, and about ten rounds of 270. The 270 is sighted in it was my dad's go to rifle for as long as I can remember.

Today didn’t go exactly as planned. I live a little over an hour from the property. It is pretty rough country and even on an ATV you couldn’t get to over half of it. I hauled my dozer over there today to make some paths through the rough area over the coming weeks. The intent was just to drop it off and then come home and do some shooting. Well once I got in an unloaded there was no way to turn the semi around and get out so I had to clear out an area to turn around. It needed to be done eventually just didn’t plan on doing today. I found four feeders out there and three of them are working. I am going to fill them tomorrow and see what’s wrong with the fourth one. It looks nice it is one of these Mighty midget. It has power and and the display works but I could tell it hasn’t worked in a while and pushing test doesn’t spin the plate and the plate isn’t jammed it just doesn’t nothing.

Start and keep him on the .243 for a while and then then the .270

Lots of support for the 270 and its a great cartridge....but the recoil is typically 'sharper' than that of the .308 (more a push)....using their most popular bullet weights (130 gr. for the 270 and 150 gr. for the 308). Either will handle any Deer or Hog out to 300 yds. with ease.

But honestly.....I'd have him use the .243 this season and let him build his confidence.

We will assume the Lad already has his Hunters Education Certification?

Get some Barnes and smokem down with the .223! Seen more fall where they stood with light recoil guns and heavier ones. 22-250 is lights out with a good bullet!

I like the .270 and the .308. Neither one should discourage him

We got sighted in today. He wanted to use the 270 and had absolutely no issues with it. He was grouping about 1.5” three shot groups @ 100yds.

Took more rounds than it should have but the scope was giving me fits. The rifle was my dads and it has an old Leupold 3x9 that doesn’t have clicks the knobs just spin and I kept over and under correcting.

Go get 'em

At 16 I would go 243. Hate to have him go lighter and wound and/or lose a deer. That would be worse than a little more recoil.

Whatever he is comfortable with, my Dad bought me a Savage lever action 243 in the late 80’s at a gun show that was 25+ years old at the time. I still hunt with that gun now, just shot a doe last weekend. I tell myself every year I will put it up and not hunt with it anymore but I still use it. We lost my Dad last year and I think about him every time I bring it with me. Sometimes it’s not the caliber of rifle but what that certain rifle means!

My kiddos shoot a 25-06, not much recoil

I teach entry level shooters and will offer few friendly suggestions fwiw.

The scope sounds like it is broken. Buy one that is in good working order and mail that one back to Leupold for repair.

The scope is not positioned correctly forward and rear for him to use comfortably. There is no way his head position is giving him a consistently clear sight picture through the scope.

The scope should be positioned forward and rear so he can comfortably hold the rifle, sitting squarely and comfortably behind it, leaning forward from the waist, (not scrunched up at an angle like in the photo) with the image in the scope completely clear around the edge.

Sitting squarely behind the rifle, rather than at an angle, and leaning forward from the waist into the rifle helps manage recoil.

Put the front bag under the stock with nothing touching the barrel.

Good luck.

Good advice Jeff, on the old Leupold, they made scopes for years that had no "click" and were easy to do as he said over correct or under correct. I have owned several of them and yes they were gold ring scopes. The first few Leupolds I bought were that way, might still have one but think I purged them out of inventory. Oops I still have one, a 6X target scope in a 1885 low wall Hornet. Forgot about that one.

Good luck on the hunts with your son, mostly have fun and be safe

kmon,

does your Leupold have friction pressure during adjustment?

My old 70’s vintage Leupold and Redfield did not have “clicks,” but definitely had firm friction resistance to the adjustment until they broke. Then the adjustment dial moved freely.

Good for you on getting him outdoors now that you have the opportunity. If you need ammo, let me know. I'd hate to see an eager new hunter not have an opportunity due to an ammo shortage. I may have some of what you settle on. I recently got one of my girls in town for the holidays and she wanted to hunt. At 28, it had been years since she shot one of my rifles, and had never killed an animal. There is A LOT to know and I didn't want to overload her with info. I put her on the range with a .22 and let her get comfortable on the gun all on her own using a rest and bags. She looked good so I didn't have to jump in here. I gave her two keys to focus on, smooth on the trigger and stay on the gun all the way through, and after the shot. On trigger pull, I told her to not release it when the gun goes off, and keep your head on the rifle, and see your shot hit through the scope, not to raise your head and look down range. We all know that recoil moves you off the gun, and for a split second you often loose sight picture but these two thoughts on trigger pull and staying on the gun have helped me more than anything over the years.

This worked for me, that evening she put a great shot on a pig with my 6.5 Creedmoor at 138 yards. Good luck to ya'll and enjoy your time together, it'll be fun.

This man asks for advice, and gets insults from you just so you can brag about yourself. Classless.

I have killed so many deer & hogs with a 243 I can't even count them. I also have a 308 & 270 but love the lightweight 243 as it's hard to beat.

It is not the caliber,It is the placement!!!!

I have a Leupold 3x9 on my 270. I have no idea of its vintage as my uncle gave it to me as a present. It was new in box when he gave it to me but could have sat in his house for 20 years lol. It did not have clicks either, just a smooth turn. We always tapped on the adj. knobs as if you didn't sometimes the sight wouldn't move, sometimes it would move as you continued to shoot till it settled in. Sometimes a small adjustment would move the point of impact greatly and sometimes it seems like you had to turn on it for days to get it to budge. Once it was sighted in and set it never moved on me, but it is nothing like the other scopes I have today that are repeatable and track etc.

I had an old late 70's I think Leupold and the adjustments would never adjust correctly. I sent it in a d they sent me a brand new scope. I guess it was easier than repairing. I was very impressed with that service from Leupold and I have been very happy with it since.