What Dangerous Game Rifle For A 16 Year Old?

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Size and experience level of the kid as well as just what dangerous game he/she is to hunt might help folks make good recommendations.
 
More info is needed, what are you considering dangerous game and what is your end goal.
 
He's as big as many adult men, then. Buy a rifle that suits the game he'll be going after.
 
Maybe it's just me but handling a shotgun and shooting a high powered rifle accurately were not the same.

I didn't see what game you're after but pick a suitable caliber and if possible work up a few loads to see where his tolerance is at. Or have him practice with lower power loads and give him full power loads that have been sighted in to hunt with. He won't notice recoil in the heat of the moment.
 
Grumulkin said:
What would be a good dangerous game rifle/chambering for a 16 year old?
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What is he hunting? Dangerous game is a pretty broad statement? .375H&H/Ruger is the obvious answer if African DG is on the menu. Possibly a 9.3x62 depending on the country.
 
How about a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun. They seem to be getting pretty popular for that purpose.
 
H&Hhunter said:
What is he hunting? Dangerous game is a pretty broad statement? .375H&H/Ruger is the obvious answer if African DG is on the menu. Possibly a 9.3x62 depending on the country.
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Yes it sure is broad statement. Could be anything from rattle snakes to elephants.
 
It was Mother's Day so we had a bunch of family at the house including my 16 year old grandson. I had offered to let him shoot my 460 Weatherby Magnum before but he had declined. He now decided he would try it. Just to keep it in the 460 family, he also shot my 460 S&W Magnum revolver.

Shooting 460 Weatherby and 460 S&W Magnums

They should be enough gun for anything.
 
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Grumulkin,
Never hunted dangerous game. Probably never will. But he handled that 460 quite well. Are you buying him a gun or asking what we think he can handle? Because only he can answer that. I'd say get him some trigger time with the 460 and when he's confident, let him take that.
 
He probably won't hunt dangerous game for awhile but I think it's evident he could handle whatever he wanted to. What you saw were his first 2 shots with a really big rifle; I don't think he had shot a rifle larger than 223 before.

Several years ago one of his other grandfathers gave him a Savage 223 Remington he had won at a Safari Club auction. I asked him how far he would be comfortable shooting a ground hog and went down range until he told me it was far enough; it was almost 200 yards. I had a couple of card board boxes that were very near ground hog size which I then put down range at that distance. He drilled them both.
 
Simplest answer: .375 H&H.
My favorite "big" gun: A Ruger #1 Tropical in .416 Rigby. If he can handle the .460, then the Rigby will be just fine.
Pete
 
A classic Mark X Whitworth Express ( the one with the express sights and barrel band swivel) in .375 H&H will be perfect! It is easier to shoot than that 460W, ha, and he can shoot anything from deer to big bear with it, and of course, it is the epitome of an African rifle. ( Of course, a "good" granddad would just buy him a custom Dakota set up the same way :)) Light his imagination with African/Alaskan dvds, hunting books,etc. 16 is a magical age for a young man....hunting, horses and honeys sure got me through the teen years, ha! By the time he's ready for buffalo, etc, he can takes his .375 and "grand dads old rifle", that .460W and make some great memories! BTW, I had an uncle who did for me what you are doing for your grandson. My only grandson's (12) mom only lets him go fishing with me...she is the "liberal half" of my identical twin daughters...the other one is a military vet, conservative...that egg split right down the middle, ha.
 
Have him read Capstick and Selous. He'll be itching to go on safari.....

As for calibers, looks like he could handle anything he needs to.;)
 
Someone hunting dangerous game should use a rifle/cartridge suitable for that game. If that someone is not able to shoot a suitable round for any reason (small, inexperienced, frightened, whatever) that someone should not hunt dangerous game.
 
Aletheia, If you had read the thread before posting, you'd have seen in post #12 that he posted a video of the boy shooting a .460 Wby. Mag. I believe that is sufficient for African Big game. I will point out that he needs to work on his form some, and it would have been interesting to see him shoot it with his foot on the picnic table seats, as he was going to...
 
i guess a lot would depend on the kid. my son at 8 yrs old could not wait to shoot a 12 ga shotgun. and did a good job of it

at 6 he was seriously pissed that i would not let him hunt by himself. i made a deal with him that when he brung in a rabbit or squirrel with his bb gun he wud them be able to hunt on his own with a bigger gun. that was a stupid promise.

2 weeks later he showed up with a full growed rabbit.he litterally ran the rabbit down and killed it with 2 shots.

i had to eat my words. i explained to him how i did not think he could kill a rabbit with the anemic bb gun.and what kind of trouble id be in if he got hurt hunting by himself at 6 yrs old.

he totally understood.

at 12 he was a very good shot with his gpas 06.

at 16 he had killed many deer with the 06, one in fact was the biggest deer id ever seen.

at that time i wud of not been afraid to hand him any rifle up to a 375 and expect good results.

so again a lot depends on the particular kid!
 
Entropy, I did read the posts. My point is that, if the shooter can (and it seems he can) he should shoot whatever cartridge is suitable for the game, or he should not hunt that game. The shooters age is irrelevant. He needs to shoot what is appropriate, and asking "for a 16 year old" is a waste of time.
 
I believe Grumulkin meant he was specifically referring to his grandson. Your answer does hold true generally speaking, of course.
 
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