[taylorce1]

I was a little worried about the .223 for deer as well. I couldn't get her worked into anything bigger even though I tried, since I have a .243 Stevens 200 that I could drop into her stock as well. However, now I wouldn't be afraid to put her on a big mule deer buck with that rifle and the 55 grain Barnes TSX load she used if it were legal in CO.

My daughter was nine when she shot the deer pictured and the biggest thing you can do for your daughter to ensure her success is to instill confidence in her. If she is confident in her shooting ability then she'll be able to be successful when it comes time to take the shot. Confidence will do more to ensure success than any advantage one cartridge will give over another.

My daughter lost her confidence about two months before her hunt took place and almost made me cancel the hunting trip. A few extra trips to the range, going over deer anatomy, and one day of shooting prairie dogs was all it took to get her back on track. When she realized how small of a target a prairie dog was compared to the kill zone on an average deer. She shot several pasture poodles that day past 200 yards and I was a super proud dad.

When it comes time for the hunt make sure you do everything possible to ensure her success as well. Make it easy for her by having the blinds set up to where if possible you can keep the shots 100 yards or less. Have shooting aids available for her to use, my daughter had a tripod to shoot off of out of the ground blind. Don't rush her to take the shot and if she isn't comfortable don't be afraid to go home empty handed. My daughter couldn't shoot the first day out hunting even though she had deer much closer to the blind than on the second when she shot the doe pictured.

The biggest plus of the whole journey with my daughter, is the pride she shows when we sit down to dinner and eat the venison that she put there.