And it begins

[G Posik]

A 270 would be alright for a 12 year old to shoot. And will kill an elk. I have shot and killed elk with a 270, this was before you had to have the crazy mag. I only bow hunt now so as far as the best rifle for elk now days, well I am sure someone will be along shortly with a good answer. Good luck to you, my 5 year old daughter wants to elk hunt with me so bad. She wants to bow hunt! Makes me happy and cannot wait till she is old enough to go.

Glenn

[foxvalley]

It warms my heart to a 12 year old girl wants to hunt.......elk no less! If you plan on buying her a rifle for elk you could go a little larger in cal.like 30-06 or 270 for example, and get the "managed recoil" shells,that way she can ease into the recoil,and still have a high power rifle. A light,short, bolt action carbine,that she could handle would be my choice. If she isn't getting a gun(come on dad) the 30-30 will have to work.Hope it's not a lever action.

[FemoralArchery]

Love my .270s, both of them. My dad does, too, he's got 5 of them. It was my first gun and that's what I'll be getting my boys when they get older.

[Indian Summer]

If the wife and daughter are both interested it's time for another gun. Also since you said "my youngest" that means other kids that might be hunting in the future. That makes it a no brainer. That's my take.

That said if you're going to do it, do it right. Instead of reduced energy ammo have a muzzle brake installed. They'll like it, you'll have a better elk gun in the end, and ammo is easier to find. A .270 would be great!

If you think shots will be at close enough range and have a good 50 cal muzzle loader that would be a decent option until you find something suitable and affordable to buy. I know they have some muzzy seasons in OR and WA so thought you might have one. I shoot a Traditions Vortek and they have a ported barrel for a brake which is nice. VERY light too.

Congrats on the new hunter and best of luck.

[BowKill]

270, I've killed around 10 elk with mine.

[Swede]

Another caliber to consider for for daughter would be the 308W. It has plenty of knock down power out to a couple hundred yards without too much kick. The most important thing is for her to focus on placing the bullet in a precise location. Don't just shoot at the elk. Best wishes on your hunt.

[Indian Summer]

http://www.gunbroker.com

Very popular. You just need to find a local gun store with an FFL to have guns shipped to them for your pick up. They have an area for you to look up holders of FFLs in your area. Whatever you want it's likey on this website.

[ElkNut1]

TheelkHunter, If I were in your shoes & I have been through several of my own I would use the 30/30 bolt action rifle you now have. Get her out there practicing throughout the Summer with it to a comfortable range like 175yds & under. That 30/30 is plenty in her hands. Who knows she may not like hunting after doing it, if so then a newer gun would not be in order? If she loves it & you feel like getting her into a different rifle, do it then. You can take the following year & consider the various ones in your budget. Ones like .308, .270, 7mm08 are all good contestants, or she may want to stay with the 30/30. (grin) It itself will take elk no problem, consider broadside shots only, no matter the caliber, instill in her good quality shot positions. Make sure she wears ear protection & maybe even extra shoulder padding during practice sessions. When our kids were young we used to take a stocking cap & fold it in half & stick it under a light jacket right in the shoulder impact area to soften recoil, you'll notice too that 30/30 does not have a lot anyway.

ElkNut1

[Harmy]

I am in the same situation as you TheElkHunter. My oldest son turns 12 this April and he wants to hunt. He will be finishing his hunters safety this weekend and we will begin the application process soon. With my son we have struggled with this exact issue of which gun to use. I have a .243, .257 rbts, .30-06, and a 30-30 lever action. The 30-30 has peep sights and all others have 3-9 scopes. We have been shooting these guns a bunch over the last year and the decision we have made so far is to go with the 30-30 as my son can handle this weapon much better and is actually a better shot with it than with the other guns. The .243 and 30-06 just seem too long for him and he does flinch with the 06 even with reduced loads. The .257 scope is not set well for him and since this is his brothers gun he wont use it. His accuracy and consistency is acutally much better with the 30-30 than any of the other guns and so this will be the gun we will likely use. But, we will reserve that decision as we progress through the summer and he shoots more. Like ElkNut says, I will be right there with my son and will be able to help coach him on taking the proper shot under the right circumstances.

[>>>---WW---->]

Just about any large caliber will work for her. Get someone to reload it to a manageable recoil level and she will be just fine. As she grows older you can simply add a little bit more powder to your loads. This way, she will have a gun that should last her for now and years to come. Plus, by doing this, you won't have to keep buying larger guns as she grows up.

I started my daughter out with a 30 06 loaded to a recoil level of something similar to a 243. She loved it. And the following year she was handling my 7MM Rem Mag with no problem.

[Trophyhill]

.243 have put many an elk down in the hands of youth hunters. i wouldn't give a youth something that is going to kick their shoulder off like an ot 6. they may not want to go again after the pain subsides. jmho

[slim9300]

I vote for either a .270 or 7mm08.

My little sis Kahlen is 11 years old and she killed her first elk in 2011 with my old 7mm08. Two months later she killed her first buck with the same rifle (while I watched over her shoulder) This year she killed her first bull and blacktail doe with her youth model .270. The kid loves to hunt! Good luck to you and your daughter.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360031107.984146.jpg (50.02 KiB) Viewed 5842 times

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360031159.784383.jpg (111.92 KiB) Viewed 5842 times

[slim9300]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360031349.000857.jpg (156.99 KiB) Viewed 5839 times

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360031372.901318.jpg (139.66 KiB) Viewed 5839 times

[pointysticks]

a 7mm08!!

so soft kicking!! i love it. wish i had one.

[Indian Summer]

Elkhunter... I have a bolt action .30-.30 with a side mount scope and man is that gun accurate!

[Indian Summer]

Plus you'll have a nice deer gun for the younger ones, the wife, or even yourself. Good luck!