So, my daughter will be 13 next year, and has said she wants to go hunting with dad.  I am looking for a rifle for her.  She is fairly tall for her age, but  thin.  I have told her that this means practicing quite a bit, and she says she is up for it.

I  hunt about 5 miles from my house.  I will be with her the whole time hunting, and will be beside her if she takes a shot.

I am looking for a high powered rifle which comes in a youth model.  I think recoil is going to be an issue.  I have considered 7mm08 and .270 for caliber, or may go with .308 and reload some ammo with a high quality bullet but a little less velocity.  I will probably limit her shots to 100 yards or less.  A muzzle brake would be a plus, especially one like the Savage which can be rotated "on and off" so she could practice without developing a flinch.  Stainless would be a plus as well.

I don't mind spending some money on it (maybe up to $700 without scope), as I have two more kids coming up behind her who will likely use it as well.  I want her to have a good experience shooting it, and not get beat up and become disillusioned.

I have my eye on this, but it would mean cutting down the stock to fit her better.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Remington Model Seven in .308 with a VAIS brake.  The Model Seven is a smaller stock (designed around a short-action,) and the .308 is plenty of cartridge for an elk at 100 yards.





I've got one in 7mm SAUM and the brake made a huge difference in recoil.  Keep in mind that she won't even notice the recoil when she pulls the trigger with an animal in her sights.





Get a Caldwell Lead Sled for her range time.  She won't develop a flinch.

 

I was thinking 7-08.

Women without lots of shooting experience tend to be ultra sensitive to noise.

Blast and noise gets associated with recoil.

When doing the range work I would suggest several things.

When hunting later in the season your daughter will likely be wearing heavier clothes but earlier at the range you might want to find some type of shooting vest with a recoil patch or pad . Think of the type of vest shotgunners wear for skeet or trap.

Double up the hearing protection. I like the Peltor "shotgunner" ear muffs as they are fairly slim and don't interfere with the rifle stock. They are not of the highest noise rating so have her wear a set of foam plugs under them . This is of greater importance if you end up with a break on the rifle,they can be real loud .

Keep the range trips fairly short so the kid doesn't get pounded too hard . Mix up marksmanship training with a similar style rifle in rimfire or 223 so she can get lots of shooting in and then work in the heavier rifle

The Speer manual has reduced loads for many center fire calibers,start her out real low and at shorter distances to build her confidence and skill , then slowly build the load and distance.

Dad hunting with his kids= huge profit!

+1. Use within it's range and consider a deep penetration bullet design.

I know I am going to probably catch flack for this, but I am going to say it anyways.

I had a Remington 700 SPS tactical in 308 at one time. it was very accurate and with the heavy contour barrel and houge overmolded stock, the recoil was very managable. I am 5'7 and 150 pounds and had no issue shooting it all day at the range at 100 yards. It is a bit loud though as it is a 20 inch barrel.

I do agree that 7mm-08 would probably be a bit better, but the plus to 308 is it is available everywhere and match grade rounds are plentiful.

Anyways, I think the 700 would be a great gun, especially with all the aftermarket support it has. I might be a bit biased as I have never shot or owned a savage, but all the ones I have handled, did not fit me as well as the 700.

Theres my 2 cents, and good luck with however you end up going

what you need is a browning Micro hunter.
Best higher end youth gun you can buy. any caliber you will need for any application. Shorter barrel, shorter LOP on the stock, lighter weight.
can't remember if you said $700 with or without glass as the micro hnter is something like $675ish.
your kids may not know the difference between a savage and a browning but the features will help them enjoy our sport, and humanely harvest an animal.
They don't offer a stainless model or a muzzle brake but i would steer you away from the brake. I was initially looking at a brake for my fiance. after we had been around someone shooting with a brake, I quickly changed my mind. The noise really was too much for her.
If you handload, 7-08 would be sweet.
Everyone has a different philosophy on how much money to spend on glass and another wrench in the equation is the fact that it's for a kid. Regardless, a Redfield 3-9x40mm or a burris fullfield 3-9x40mm would be a great choice.

This might be relevant.

7mm-08 would work great. Same ballistics as a 7mm Mauser.

but, I'd go with a 270 win

Have you put any thought into the kind of action?  

The NEF single shot rifles might be a good way to go because you can go and get just about any caliber under the sun all on one action.  The compact has an 11.75" LOP and comes in 7-08.

I'd have to agree.

single shot would kick a lot for a kid

So am I the only one thinking 6.5x55 ?

Lower pressure than .308 or 7mm-08, and better penetration than either with good bullets.

6.5x55 with a 140 Nosler partition would have no trouble at all on elk.

To my knowledge, the only rifle in his price range that offers 6.5 swede is the Tikka and they don't have a youth model.

Could get a m/96 Mauser and sporterize it...



I think the Swedish Mausers are going for around $400 right now.



Here's a solid-looking one on gunbroker for $450.00
 

Fail

Yada yada yada.  Some people buy a Mauser to collect.  Some people don't.    Neither choice is 'right.'

No more than any other non semi-auto.  An 8lb .308win bolt action is going to kick just as much as an 8lb single shot .308win.