What caliber for youth elk hunt?

I am putting my 12 year old in for a cow tag this year. If he draws the tag what caliber of rifle should I get him. My son is a small 12 year old. He weighs maybe 65 lds soaking wet. I don't want to have something the recoil is too much for him but I also want an effective round. I hunt with a 300 win mag, obviously too much. I think a 243 is too not enough. I have been recommended a 25-06. I have no experience with this round.

I do understand that shot placement is key. My son is a great shot (with a 22). I am sure if I can get the right caliber and stay within 200 yards he can make the shot.

Just wondering your input and if any of you have experience with the same thing. I never hunted as a kid so I am looking for suggestions. Thanks

I would look at a 7mm-08 and get him lots of trigger time prior to the hunt.

7-08, 25-06 either one will do the job, with the right bullet and shot placement. If you have a 243, let him practice alot with it early on....Low recoil but still makes big boom. Elk have fallen to the 243, but yes, it is too small, IMO. I love my 2506, I would think a 120gr bullet would do the trick on a cow, out to a couple hundred yards.

+1 on 7mm-08 (my wife hunted with one when she was a child)
+2 on .25-06 (I hunt elk with mine now)

270 Winchester with 150gr Partitions is pretty easy on the shoulder.

That's what my niece carried when they went out after elk when she was the same age as the OP's kid.
She did fine shooting it.

270 should be fine. if you want to take it a step further, put a muzzle brake on it. kids could shoot it all day long.

I have used a 243, 25-06, 7mm rem mag, and 300 win mag all with good results.

I would recommend the 25-06, .260, 6.5X55, 7mm-08, and maybe the .308 win. Use a well fitting stock for him and make sure you use a good pachmyer recoil reducing butt pad. You can even add a P.A.S.T gel shoulder pad while working on targets and load development. He won't even notice the recoil in the field when he takes the shot. I would recommend a Tikka T-3 for the rifle as they are chambered in all listed calibers. With the use of good premium bullets and moderate distances these calibers will take down any elk out there.

I like my 25-06. Light recoil, flat shooting, what's not to like? I would recommend 120 grain bullets. For even less recoil you could use lighter bullets. But if you go with the lighter bullets go with a premium bullet like the Noslers 100 or 115 gr partitions.

I agree with most everyone above 25-06, 7-08, 270 Win, 260 Rem, or 308. Either of those with a high quality bullet should do fine. Keep the shots under 200 and I see where there would be no problems providing the bullet makes it to the boiler room.

Thanks for all of the replies. I have a friend that has a 270 with a muzzle brake. He said I could give it a shot to see if it will work. The one down side is he says he has suffered permanent hearing loss from shooting with the brake. I don't plan on letting my son use it for a hunt but we will test the recoil to gauge his tolerance. Right now I am leaning toward the 25-06 or the 7mm-08. A local gun store has a savage in the 25-06 with the acutrigger that he will sell me for $299. Decisions, decisions.

308

7mm mag he will remember it forever

I'm a fan of the 7mm-08 I have taken several cows in Colorado with mine and my son who's also 12 shoots it just fine.

6.8 spc in an AR for the win.

My kids are all big for their ages, except my very youngest who is maybe 75#.
He uses the PAST pad and has NO trouble with most guns.

I'd like to say"winner winner, backstrap dinner" , but that cal is a freakin $$ hole for a beginner. Add up rifle, ammo,optics, etc. and you could be over 2k before you know it.

Grendel FTW!! Oh wait, high start up cost as well.

You could get a bolt rifle chambered in 6.8

I would suggest the .270 WSM, the short mags have slightly better ballistics and lower recoil over the standard .270. I bought my wife a Browning X-bolt in .270 WSM and she loves it.

6.5x55 kills scandanavian moose AKA "elg" like our 30-30 kills deer.

Low recoil, a pleasure to shoot. Just use 140 gr or better.

A 7mm-08 with a good heavy bullet should do about the same.

It can be but I put my 6.8 rifle together for less than $1000 including the Nikon scope. I spent last weekend dialing it in and I'm very pleased with it.

Has anyone had any real success with the 6.8? I've got a .270 which was my Grand Daddy's rifle but it's very antique.

.243 Done

You could get a 30.06 and use reduced load or reduced recoil loads with 150 grain bullets, then you would have a rifle that he could grow into.

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