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Daughters first deer rifle

I've seen some f'd up shooting thanks to misinformation. Elk shot multiple times just to run away and never be recovered. I've found those dead elk as well while hunting.

Sure using the 22lr is an exaggeration, but so is saying everyone on those forums are 100% honest when they say the the 223 or 6mm works 100% of the time.

Anything quartering towards you has some pretty serious bones between you and the vitals. My kid shot a deer in the forehead with a 103gr 6mmCM, impact velocity was around 2,700fps and it did not exit. That's a lot thinner bone. Sure deer was dead, but based on what I seen I don't think that would have reached the vitals on a quartering elk. That deer skull was what 6" or so front to back?

Deer in question.
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this vs that
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Im a big proponent of creed... for target
 
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An opinion based on years of experience, yet an opinion on 6mm’s based on ZERO experience of shooting animals with them

yourself… just what you’ve heard from other hunters that probably made a piss poor shot and blamed it on the rifle instead of taking responsibility.


There’s a lot of dead deer, elk, and moose in that thread along with pictures showing the terminal effectiveness of 6mm on game from people who have actually shot animals with them…

You don’t see people who have converted to the smaller caliber stuff for hunting switching back to bigger bullets. Only more and more people waking up and seeing that animals actually aren’t invincible and don’t need big magnums to effectively harvest them.

Good grief. You just can’t stand it when someone else has an opinion based on different life experiences that doesn’t line up with yours. I’m not interested in arguing about opinions because it’s dumb and I don’t need your validation of my opinion and couldn’t care less about your attempt to invalidate it, which is not even possible. You must be the life of a party.

To the OP. You asked about the 6.5 cm, 6.5 prc, and 270. For reasons already stated I would choose in the reverse order, but you need to make the decision based on your daughter, the terrain hunted, her marksmanship abilities, and animals on the menu as that could change the order. Also, those recommending that she help pick a rifle that fits her are wise; I would definitely do that no matter what cartridge as you can’t really go wrong with any of them especially if you reload.

Typical SH, OP presents a list of desires and a host of people ignore the list and recommend something not even mentioned and then attempt to argue that they are right when everything listed is more capable. 🙄
 
There’s an example for those who believe that bigger calibers can’t wound deer.

I was hunting with a buddy and had the exact same thing happen only with an even bigger caliber (7STW with a 154gr SST).

Hmmm I don’t remember saying nor reading anyone else saying you can’t wound deer with a “bigger caliber “. You remind me of my 1st wife.

A 154SST in a 7 stw!?!? What could possibly go wrong? Good grief, that’s a very ignorant choice of bullet for that cartridge for a number of reasons which should have been obvious without having to have that personal experience.
 
Good grief. You just can’t stand it when someone else has an opinion based on different life experiences that doesn’t line up with yours. I’m not interested in arguing about opinions because it’s dumb and I don’t need your validation of my opinion and couldn’t care less about your attempt to invalidate it, which is not even possible. You must be the life of a party.

To the OP. You asked about the 6.5 cm, 6.5 prc, and 270. For reasons already stated I would choose in the reverse order, but you need to make the decision based on your daughter, the terrain hunted, her marksmanship abilities, and animals on the menu as that could change the order. Also, those recommending that she help pick a rifle that fits her are wise; I would definitely do that no matter what cartridge as you can’t really go wrong with any of them especially if you reload.

Typical SH, OP presents a list of desires and a host of people ignore the list and recommend something not even mentioned and then attempt to argue that they are right when everything listed is more capable. 🙄

I guess living vicariously through others counts as life experiences. You have no experience, only through others. I’ve shot deer with 6mm’s… a lot of fucking deer.


Hmmm I don’t remember saying nor reading anyone else saying you can’t wound deer with a “bigger caliber “. You remind me of my 1st wife.

A 154SST in a 7 stw!?!? What could possibly go wrong? Good grief, that’s a very ignorant choice of bullet for that cartridge for a number of reasons which should have been obvious without having to have that personal experience.



Yeah such a terrible choice that Hornady loads it in 7RM superformance at basically the same velocity as 7STW gets with it and in reviews people talk about how great it works. LOL

What will you say next to try to grasp validity?
 
Pretty much exactly my point. That much violent expansion will not penetrate reliably.

Except it does… I’ve shot plenty of them I. The body with the same combo with exits, sometimes only an inch or so wide, sometimes so big you could stick your head in it. Again, you can look at that thread I linked and see pictures of exits wounds from 6mm’s on animals much larger than a deer.
 
I don't care what random strangers on random threads on rokslide post when their whole goal is to affirm the ridiculous. Stupidity at its finest. I have plenty of real world experience to formulate my opinion on, not based on other people's opinions.

I'm not saying the 6mm won't kill, it will. I'm saying it not the best choice if larger animals then deer are planned. If your hunting larger then deer and can tolerate the recoil of a larger round, why handicap yourself.

Anyways I'm done with this BS on here.

Back to the old hide

The only answer is an Accuracy International, you only need to change the barrel to hunt anything you want.
 
OP, are you dead set on the choices you listed ? 6 creed wouldn't be a bad choice at all. I've recently gotten on the 6mm bandwagon with a 243AI and I'm loving it. The 6 creed would be pretty much the same but with factory ammo options.

Also, don't overlook the 7-08. Can a 308 necked down to 7mm really be all that bad ? My wife shoots one in a model 7 with 140's. It's a deadly combo and she's confident with it. Confidence with your rifle counts for a lot.

Of the choices you recommended though, I say 270.
 
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OP, are you dead set on the choices you listed ? 6 creed wouldn't be a bad choice at all. I've recently gotten on the 6mm bandwagon with a 243AI and I'm loving it. The 6 creed would be pretty much the same but with factory ammo options.

Also, don't overlook the 7-08. Can a 308 necked down to 7mm really be all that bad ? My wife shoots one in a model 7 with 140's. It's a deadly combo and she's confident with it. Confidence with your rifle counts for a lot.

Of the choices you recommended though, I say 270.
Nice thing about 7-08. I have heard it called 308 lite. Similar performance to 308 with manageable recoil.

And even though I could suggest 6.5 CM noting the success of others, I would not hunt with it. I have hunted with no less than .308. I have not harvested a deer but my intention is, especially being of average skill, to have a bullet big enough to do the job at ranges to about 300 yards.

Even though I have said that bigger caliber does not always equal 1 shot one 1 kill, there are advantages to it.

For me, given the choices presented in the OP, I would choose 6.5 PRC. Enough speed to hit the well at usable hunting ranges.

Personally, I am hunting now with a 7 PRC. The trick is work out what to do with recoil. Hence, I cannot recommend the Backstop recoil pad by Backfire TV. I bought one but the recoil changes from shot to shot and sometimes you get a hit from the edge. That brought me some pain and a flinch.

I went back to my old recoil pad and spent a few weeks getting rid of the flinch.
 
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First, if she’s already handling a 16” 308 with a brake, the 6mm’s everyone here is suggesting would not even remotely be a consideration, especially considering her age. The 6.5’s are obviously great choices and the minimum of where I would start. Do you load your own rounds? If so, out of the choices you mentioned, I would go with the good old 270. There’s not much a good 130 or 140 grain bullet won’t do out of that gun and with the right powder, it can be pushed to 3000-3100 in a 270, or run around 2800-2900 fps for a reduced, but very effective deer round. Also, you can run 150 partitions or a 129 Barnes LRX for elk or moose within a reasonable distance. If she’s recoil shy, get her a Caldwell Recoil Shield to use at the range; they work very well. The 270 isn’t going away anytime soon, there’s too many of them out there, and they are just as effective as today’s new “hotness” rounds and the ammo is cheaper.

I started my center fire shooting when I was 13 years old and 95# soaking wet with a Ruger 77 in 7mm mag. Yes, everyone, and I mean everyone, except my dad, wanted me to get a 6mm. They were wrong. The 7 mag was great and I would have outgrown the 6 mm almost instantly. I still have the 7 mag and three 270’s, two of which were given to me. Go with the 270, especially if you reload.
Nobody said it wasn’t effective they said it was stupid and you’re further proving us right.
 
The more recoil a weapon system has the harder it is to shoot accurately, particularly in field conditions. Women have smaller frames than men which means that mild recoil to 180 pound man is going to be much worse for a 105 pound woman. For these two reasons I would be looking at a Ruger in either a .243 or 6 CM. Low recoil, shoots flat, good in the wind, and plenty of terminal performance.

If you think your daughter might reload I would lean towards the 6 CM, if not then the .243 as there is going to be all kinds of factory ammo options for a very long time.
 
Conversely the larger the person is shooting the faster they will stop the rifles rearward movement and increase the felt recoil.

A smaller person will so the same work to stop the rifle over a longer recoil pulse. So the felt recoil will be less.

That might be BS, but makes sense in my mind.
 
Conversely the larger the person is shooting the faster they will stop the rifles rearward movement and increase the felt recoil.

A smaller person will so the same work to stop the rifle over a longer recoil pulse. So the felt recoil will be less.

That might be BS, but makes sense in my mind.
No, just no. Fuck, really? No. You don’t give a 6 year old a 300 weatherby “because he’ll feel the recoil over a longer duration, lessening it.”

IMG_6534.jpeg
 
I've seen some f'd up shooting thanks to misinformation. Elk shot multiple times just to run away and never be recovered. I've found those dead elk as well while hunting.

Sure using the 22lr is an exaggeration, but so is saying everyone on those forums are 100% honest when they say the the 223 or 6mm works 100% of the time.

Anything quartering towards you has some pretty serious bones between you and the vitals. My kid shot a deer in the forehead with a 103gr 6mmCM, impact velocity was around 2,700fps and it did not exit. That's a lot thinner bone. Sure deer was dead, but based on what I seen I don't think that would have reached the vitals on a quartering elk. That deer skull was what 6" or so front to back?

Deer in question.
View attachment 8535368
For reference, my wife shot a cow elk this year quartering to at 180 yards with a 147 ELDM at 2650, and she dropped it
 
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I’d wager any big box store carries a ton more 243 than 6CM, if they have any 6CM. The local academy has several varieties of 243, but no 6creedmoor, no 6ARC, no 22arc. Lots of 6.5creedmoor.
I’m going to academy tomorrow I’ll post a picture if I remember I’m not being a dick I just truly never see mass quantities of 243 or 22-250 like I do the 6.5 and 6 creed also been seeing a ton of variety/volume in the prc game
 
I’m going to academy tomorrow I’ll post a picture if I remember I’m not being a dick I just truly never see mass quantities of 243 or 22-250 like I do the 6.5 and 6 creed also been seeing a ton of variety/volume in the prc game

Then you’re not looking. Walmart always has fusion, powershock, core lokt 80gr and 100gr, and 3 different Winchester loads. They’ve got 3-4 6.5CM and zero 6CM. Local gun stores will also have a half dozen or more 243 loads and a few 6.5CM but I’ve never seen 6CM at one. Bass pro will always have over a dozen 243 loads, a half dozen 6.5CM loads and sometimes they’ll have 6CM ELDM. Academy also tons of 243 a few 6.5CM but I’ve never seen a box of 6CM at either of the stores near me.

Sportsman’s is the only place I see 6CM with any regularity. They always have ELDM, and will usually have a couple boxes of Berger 105gr and precision hunter. They’ve always got close to a dozen 6.5CM options and well over a dozen 243.

6CM is nowhere near as plentiful as 243. Even at sportsman’s with usually 3 options it’s not even half as many options that every Walmart that sells ammo has.

If you want to be able to find ammo local easily 243, 6.5CM, 270, 7RM, 308, 30-06, and 300WM are the options.
 
I’d wager any big box store carries a ton more 243 than 6CM, if they have any 6CM. The local academy has several varieties of 243, but no 6creedmoor, no 6ARC, no 22arc. Lots of 6.5creedmoor.
I guess it all depends on your ao. My academy usually has several offerings in 6cm, plenty options in 6.5cm, several more in 6arc, all of the prc's are well represented, as is the venerable 243win. I think I've even seen 22cm at least once. My little small local gun store always has 6cm in store, as well as 243.

Some that have been waning in popularity locally, regrettably, have been 300winmag and 22-250. Usually only 3-4 options in those.
 
Hey guys. I want to get my 17 year old daughter a Ruger American Gen 2 for Christmas. She's hunted and shot with me for years. She's no problem but pretty proficient. Right now she's been shooting a Gen 1 American 16" .308 with a spiral break.

I'm stuck between a .270, 6.5 PRC, and 6.5 CM.

My boy shoots a 270, my dad and father in law did too but l personally have no real experience with them. For some reason this sounds good to me.

Everyone else in my world says go 6.5 CM and l have to admit it's prob perfect on paper. She's tough but a pretty small framed girl.

The 6.5 PRC seems perfect but not sure about price and long term availability of ammo.

What would you guys do?

Also would you buy now when available or wait for a Christmas deal and hope they are available?
All of them will kill a deer just fine. Simple answer without all the bullshit opinions and stories.
 
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What is with all the fudds and Chad's using way overkill shit to hunt deer? I mean for fucks sake...it's a light skinned easy to kill animal. Inside 300 yards .223 is more than adequate. Anything more than a .243 is complete overkill. 6 arc is about the sweet spot. Using a .308 or a PRC is nothing but a waste of meat. Unnessirary recoil does not make young shooters better hunters and shooters. In fact it does the opposite.
Tell me you don’t have grown ass deer without telling me you don’t have grown ass deer.

No, it’s not my kill and not me in the pic.

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Tell me you don’t have grown ass deer without telling me you don’t have grown ass deer.

No, it’s not my kill and not me in the pic.

View attachment 8535929
I don't think any of this disproves his point. A .223 will kill a "grown ass deer" easily. They're not hard to kill.

Edit: I guess I could be more productive about this so I'll elaborate.

When hunters shoot at animals we are shooting at cross-sections of animals. We are not shooting at a long 120lb mass versus a 250lb+ mass. So the only difference your deer being "grown ass" makes is two-fold.

1) the amount of muscle the bullet has to go through before reaching the inside of the chest cavity which will have very low impact resistance in any animal since it's all organs and the lungs (filled with air) take up a lot of that space. The muscle difference is probably about 1-2".
2) the depth of the chest cavity the bullet has to go through (again, through very low impact resistance)

If you have 5 minutes, watch 2:40-7:30 in this video which explains it well.

 
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I don't think any of this disproves his point. A .223 will kill a "grown ass deer" easily. They're not hard to kill.

Most hunters just like to make them out to be some super elusive invincible creature to make them feel more badass while out killing an animal that’s easy to fool and easy to kill.

These same people also like to shoot more powerful magnum rifles to kill the same animals that youth hunters kill with much smaller calibers and works fine but are only ok for women and children. If your a man’s man you must use a magnum.

The one trait they all share to no surprise is little wieners. You may also find them driving trucks with the tow mirrors out but towing nothing.
 
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Most hunters just like to make them out to be some super elusive invincible creature to make them feel more badass while out killing an animal that’s easy to fool and easy to kill.

These same people also like to shoot more powerful magnum rifles to kill the same animals that youth hunters kill with much smaller calibers and works fine but are only ok for women and children. If your a man’s man you must use a magnum.

The one trait they all share to no surprise is little wieners. You may also find them driving trucks with the tow mirrors out but towing nothing.
The tow mirror thing cracks me up lol. I see that a lot. Especially on ¾ ton short beds.

That said, my favorite cartridge to shoot period is 300winmag. I just enjoy shooting it. I never run around with my mirrors extended though.
 
The tow mirror thing cracks me up lol. I see that a lot. Especially on ¾ ton short beds.

It’s rare to see a ram with tow mirrors that aren’t out. They’re the second gayest group of vehicles on the road next to people who buy jeeps to have built in friends so that they can wave at each other and collect rubber ducks.
 
Most hunters just like to make them out to be some super elusive invincible creature to make them feel more badass while out killing an animal that’s easy to fool and easy to kill.

These same people also like to shoot more powerful magnum rifles to kill the same animals that youth hunters kill with much smaller calibers and works fine but are only ok for women and children. If your a man’s man you must use a magnum.

The one trait they all share to no surprise is little wieners. You may also find them driving trucks with the tow mirrors out but towing nothing.

Subsonic 22lr with the 40gr round nose will pass through the chest cavity of a whitetail, and puncture both lungs.

No I don’t have tow mirrors, just a class A drivers license.
😀
 
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I can still haul almost 18k with my short bed.

The new rams have improved “moose antlers”
Not downing the ¾ ton trucks at all. It's just most people driving them aren't exactly using them for much more than a daily driver.

Honestly, I almost fall into that category. I could do 90% of what I do with a truck with a half ½ ton. I do occasionally have to pull my tractor or other bigger equipment around though so I keep hanging on to my 1 ton. And it's paid for.

99 F350, 7.3L, 6spd, about to roll 46k.
20240730_112427.jpg
 
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Not downing the ¾ ton trucks at all. It's just most people driving them aren't exactly using them for much more than a daily driver.

Honestly, I almost fall into that category. I could do 90% of what I do with a truck with a half ½ ton. I do occasionally have to pull my tractor or other bigger equipment around though so I keep hanging on to my 1 ton. And it's paid for.

99 F350, 7.3L, 6spd, about to roll 46k.
View attachment 8536064
Nice truck. I could barely justify the 3/4 ton for our 3 horses and a trailer to fit them. Figured I’d rather have more than I needed and opted out of the 1/2 ton route. Couldn’t sell myself on a DRW or 1T truck though, just a tad overkill I think.
 
Most hunters just like to make them out to be some super elusive invincible creature to make them feel more badass while out killing an animal that’s easy to fool and easy to kill.

These same people also like to shoot more powerful magnum rifles to kill the same animals that youth hunters kill with much smaller calibers and works fine but are only ok for women and children. If your a man’s man you must use a magnum.

The one trait they all share to no surprise is little wieners. You may also find them driving trucks with the tow mirrors out but towing nothing.
The truth is for the vast majority of people "hunting".. especially east of the Rockies.... its more harvesting than hunting.

Sit fat ass in a blind that may be baited and wait for dumb animal to walk by and shoot him. Most shots under 100 yards. That's hunting for 98% of people.

It's why bow hunting is incredibly popular. Much more challenging and requires actual skill. Any retard can kill a deer with a rifle.
 
OP... sounds like you are focused on coming up with the right/best caliber for your daughter. My daughter is involved in shooting sports as well, but not a hunter. What I came to understand is that selecting the right stock/chassis is a key consideration.

Responses around caliber and associated recoil are good but reality is that the difference between the recoils are really not dramatic. Recoil of by 6.5 Creedmoor is not significantly more than the recoil of my .223 bolt gun. My daughter shoots both equally well.

However, the overall shooting system should be considered because the right stock, trigger, muzzle break, scope mount/scope should be considered because they will contribute to how the recoil is being managed.
 
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I feel compelled to throw more feces on the rotary air recirculation device.

At one of the gun ranges local to me, I was talking to the guy who ran the place. Another customer was trying out his CZ 1911 (in .45 ACP, of course.)

I had surmised that such a gun (that CZ was all metal) might be a little too heavy for a woman. He corrected me. My opinion was misinformed. Women can fire that weapon just fine because it is technique, not how many arm lifts you can do.

So, if a young lady has a way to handle a heavy recoil, then fine. And that depends on the build of the rifle and most budget rifles could use a little help in the recoil management department.
 
Hey guys. I want to get my 17 year old daughter a Ruger American Gen 2 for Christmas. She's hunted and shot with me for years. She's no problem but pretty proficient. Right now she's been shooting a Gen 1 American 16" .308 with a spiral break.

I'm stuck between a .270, 6.5 PRC, and 6.5 CM.

My boy shoots a 270, my dad and father in law did too but l personally have no real experience with them. For some reason this sounds good to me.

Everyone else in my world says go 6.5 CM and l have to admit it's prob perfect on paper. She's tough but a pretty small framed girl.

The 6.5 PRC seems perfect but not sure about price and long term availability of ammo.

What would you guys do?

Also would you buy now when available or wait for a Christmas deal and hope they are available?
Ask Yourself this question ; Will your daughter likely continue hunting ( she's in the precarious age bracket ) and if so will she be hunting anything other than deer or larger game ?.
IF yes , then 6.5 or Gas gun .308 will serve a specific purpose . I own several and like 6.5 most anything and in capable hands is even Moose effective . Scandinavian Moose aren't as large as North American Moose ,about 2/3's size . However unless she's gonna hunt Bear or game larger than deer on a regular basis ,I'd not go .308 .

It's also note worthy when folks tell you 6.5 will do Moose and use Scandinavian Countries as reference ,please remember 98 % are taken inside 100 meters . Having been in that part of the world ,a huge clearing might be 200-300 meters across ,otherwise it's FORREST CENTRAL and shots of 40 meters isn't uncommon .
 
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