would a .300 be a good gun for me?

Question

im 13, 5'4", and athletic so im pretty muscular, but my dad told me that a .300 would be good for me for the youth hunt, but its really loud and im a bit gun-shy..
will a .300 take down a big deer??

yes my dad is a hunter and he said that a 300 would be fine b/c he's trying to get me into that kind of gun b/c he said that if i can shoot a 300 i can shoot anything

Answer 1

Too much gun, too soon. Unless your doing some long range mule deer hunting, then the power overkill. The 30-30 have killed a alot more deer than the .300's have. The important thing is to make that first shoot count. If the gun is too loud & recoils alot, then you will not be a happy camper.

Answer 2

I'm assuming that you want a .300 Winchester Magnum.

It's a great cartridge but more that what you need, especially for a 13 year old.

You may want to consider .308 or .30-06, which are much shorter than the .300 Win Mag. The ammunition is substantially cheaper. Unless you want to take out deer from 1000 yards and you have a reloading press, get a .308 or .30-06.

I hunt with a .308 Remington 700, great all around hunting rifle.

Answer 3

A .300 Win Magnum is a powerful rifle. There are many full grown men who do not want to shoot that large a gun. It has tremendous recoil. Not that you can't shoot it but it won't be fun. Sure once you can drive a semi truck you can certianly drive a car but it makes much more sense to start with the car. Get a smaller caliber rifle or use extremely light weight bullets. Be prepared for some bruising.

As a female your bone structure is different than a males especially in regards to your collarbones. Most rifles are made for men. That much recoil, an improper hold, and you will be hurt.

A good .243, 7mm-08, 30-30 in a decently heavy gun will be a pleasure to shoot.

Answer 4

You didn't specify a 300 what; 300 Savage ( a good all around rifle) or a 300 Win Mag (also good). Either will put down a deer or elk without any problem. I have two granddaughters that shoot 8mm Mauser rifles with no problem whatsoever so if you shoulder your rifle correctly you should be okay. Don't be gun shy; get some ear plugs; and a few boxes of shells to do some practicing with. Miranda (age 11) refuses to wear her ear plugs but wears wolf ears instead, I guess it is just an individual preference.

Answer 5

.300 may be too much. I agree with most everyone here. 30-30 is a great round and it doesn't hurt to shoot, the 30-06, the .308, a .243 will take most deer. But if you're shooting a .300 get a good recoil pad and some good hearing pro.

Also, it's great to see girls getting into hunting and shooting. It's something a whole family can enjoy. Best of luck.

Answer 6

At your age and size, I'd say Dad is wrong.

You'd be better off with a .308 Win, or even a .30-30 WCF.

That .300 WinMag is going to kick the snot out of you and will probably develop a world class flinch.

You really need to use a more moderate kicker until you are more experienced.

Feel free to tell Dad he can contact me via e-mail if he wants to discuss this matter.

BTW, the .308 Win will kill any deer that a .300 WinMag will kill. It will do so with less muzzle blast, less recoil, and using the same bullet weight, it will use less powder than the .300 WinMag. And both the .308 and .300 WinMag hold 1000 yard target shooting records.

Doc

Answer 7

If you were my daughter I would say no way too much gun.
I would go with a 308 and expect you to like it’s performance, and the recoil is not bad.
The 308 will handle everything in the deer class and even good for black bear.
But the 300 is too much for most deer, that my opinion.


D58

If your talking of the 300 Savage it would be fine.
But the 300 Magnum way too much gun for most adult women and some men!

D58

Hunting with Rifle, Pistol, Muzzle loader and Bow for over 3 decades.
Reloading Rifle, Pistol and shotgun for over 3 decades.

Answer 8

Any of the 300's is more than adequate for any deer on the planet. To heck with being gun shy. I'm not, and have no problems with larger calibers, but I seldom hunt deer with anything larger than 7mm Mauser, unless I'm just in the mood for my favorite old 348 levergun. I suspect your dad may want a 30 caliber magnum in the family for additional reasons, which is fine.

Answer 9

if you are expecting to shoot a deer at 1000 yards a 300 is the perfect choice. but most people are not capable of making a 1000yard shot anyways. a 243 with kill a deer easily for a more assured kill go with a 270 or 30-06.

Answer 10

WOW! I hope you mean a 300 Savage b/c the 300 Win Mag is hurtfull. I shoot a mag and I would never let my wife, who is about the size you are, shoot my mag. I am even a little gun shy of it some after 15 years of shooting it. I bought my a wife a .243 and she loves. She has killed several deer with it too!