Looking for good cartridge and budget rifle for 14 y/o

[ReddingArcher]

243

 

[Ringbill27]

If you are looking to just walk in and buy a rifle 6.5 creedmoor or 308 are going to be the most common on the shelf.

 

[ddowning]

It’s funny that the same people who lose their crap when I joke about a cartridge also find it completely acceptable to call accomplished hunters tards. You kinda lose credibility.

It is important to keep in mind the nature of the question. You are asking about a rifle. Yes, it is for hunting. However, I would argue that it is nearly irrelevant what rifle someone is using if they are in fact a great hunter. You want people with knowledge of rifles, shooting, and killing with many different rifles and bullets to answer your question. I don't know who jvb is but I have heard of Ron Spomer. He doesnt seem to be exploring the more modern aspect of shooting at great lengths.

Let's just flip this to archery. I stopped following archery when I was 17. At the time I knew all the latest and greatest equipment and techniques. I have used the exact same equipment since then to kill a pile of deer and turkeys. I am now 38. Asking me what is the best bow to buy would be a bad idea. I have no clue. I can sure as hell use my 22 year old bow and kill a nice buck most years though. Being able to kill a nice buck most years makes me a good hunter. It does not make me qualified to give advice on which archery equipment to buy. Most of the stuff I use isn't even on the market anymore.

Me telling someone they should get a 2002 Bowtech Patriot and shoot carbon express 400s with rocket miniblasters is horrible advice. You can't even buy that stuff anymore, but I've used it to kill some big deer, and I'll probably use it to kill a bunch more.

Please think about the cause and effect of this. I have spent the last 6 years running around shooting Border Wars and Lost Boys and slinging a financially irresponsible amount of ammo through rifles. I have also got my daughters and my wife involved as well as killing a pile of critters with various 6mm over the years with bullets ranging from 80 grains to 108 grains. I have not killed an elk with a 6mm, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it. In addition, I have taught my daughters to shoot well enough that my brother-in-law said they weren't very good hunters, and if they couldn't shoot that far they would never kill anything (and then they both shot archery deer this year).

There are several people in this thread that shoot a lot and have also taught their kids and other youngsters to shoot. Don't get lost in the Fudd-lore. As others have stated, read the info in the 223, 6mm, and 6.5mm killing threads. High sectional density, frangible bullets kill well. Everyone, from expert to novice, shoots better with lower recoil. Guys with a lot of experience, especially guys that have shot a lot of rounds through everything from magnums to precision 22 lr, will tell you there hit rate in no wind is better with a 223 than a 6 creedmoor with the cartridge limits of the 223. That means, even for guys who can shoot magnums better than almost anyone, even a little bit of recoil still matters.

There are a lot of ways that will "work". We are trying to steer you on the most likely path for success for your son.

 

[Raghornklr]

.270 simply because that’s what I had at 14 and killed a bunch of black tail and a few elk with it well into adulthood. Nostalgia

 

[ddowning]

I have a Hankins self timing 4 side port brake on mine. Probably 12 pounds outfitted with a scope and it’ll rock you hard. I had my oldest a cva 45-70 converted and she wouldn’t shoot it so I sent it down the road. Wishing I had kept it. Best picture I have of the setup View attachment 678945

That's a nice looking rig. Mine is ugly as sin. It is in an mdt acc. I'm betting the difference is two small things. One is stock geometry and the second is the top ports in the brake. The best brakes I have used for spotting shots in prs have been the lil bastard 3 and the Holland. Both have top ports. The Holland has big top ports. Supposedly the strike without warning tmb is a little better, but I haven't coughed up the dough for one of those yet.

 

[HappyHuntr]

It is important to keep in mind the nature of the question. You are asking about a rifle. Yes, it is for hunting. However, I would argue that it is nearly irrelevant what rifle someone is using if they are in fact a great hunter. You want people with knowledge of rifles, shooting, and killing with many different rifles and bullets to answer your question. I don't know who jvb is but I have heard of Ron Spomer. He doesnt seem to be exploring the more modern aspect of shooting at great lengths.

Let's just flip this to archery. I stopped following archery when I was 17. At the time I knew all the latest and greatest equipment and techniques. I have used the exact same equipment since then to kill a pile of deer and turkeys. I am now 38. Asking me what is the best bow to buy would be a bad idea. I have no clue. I can sure as hell use my 22 year old bow and kill a nice buck most years though. Being able to kill a nice buck most years makes me a good hunter. It does not make me qualified to give advice on which archery equipment to buy. Most of the stuff I use isn't even on the market anymore.

Me telling someone they should get a 2002 Bowtech Patriot and shoot carbon express 400s with rocket miniblasters is horrible advice. You can't even buy that stuff anymore, but I've used it to kill some big deer, and I'll probably use it to kill a bunch more.

Please think about the cause and effect of this. I have spent the last 6 years running around shooting Border Wars and Lost Boys and slinging a financially irresponsible amount of ammo through rifles. I have also got my daughters and my wife involved as well as killing a pile of critters with various 6mm over the years with bullets ranging from 80 grains to 108 grains. I have not killed an elk with a 6mm, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it. In addition, I have taught my daughters to shoot well enough that my brother-in-law said they weren't very good hunters, and if they couldn't shoot that far they would never kill anything (and then they both shot archery deer this year).

There are several people in this thread that shoot a lot and have also taught their kids and other youngsters to shoot. Don't get lost in the Fudd-lore. As others have stated, read the info in the 223, 6mm, and 6.5mm killing threads. High sectional density, frangible bullets kill well. Everyone, from expert to novice, shoots better with lower recoil. Guys with a lot of experience, especially guys that have shot a lot of rounds through everything from magnums to precision 22 lr, will tell you there hit rate in no wind is better with a 223 than a 6 creedmoor with the cartridge limits of the 223. That means, even for guys who can shoot magnums better than almost anyone, even a little bit of recoil still matters.

There are a lot of ways that will "work". We are trying to steer you on the most likely path for success for your son.

Thank you. Your 2nd and 3rd paragraphs make sense. I just don't respect what @Glockster26 said at all. I don't care who you are, I'm not calling you anything close to that if I haven't met you and you're not an obviously bad person. I understand what you're saying about how almost everything will work and just gotta find something the kid likes and works for him.

 

[HappyHuntr]

Due to what close duck hunting friends have said I'm between 270 and 243.

 

[Ringbill27]

What shotguns are these “duck hunting friends” running and I’ll let you know if they are messing with you!

 

[ddowning]

Just read the rest of the posts. If voting for one of the 4 it would be 243.

 

[HappyHuntr]

What shotguns are these “duck hunting friends” running and I’ll let you know if they are messing with you!

Uncle shoots a Berreta, land owner shoots a 870, brothers high school football teammate shoots a sx4, and there is a SBE3 and Nova pump in the group.

 

[Ringbill27]

@HappyHuntr whats your go to for the hunting you are asking about?

 

[HappyHuntr]

@HappyHuntr whats your go to for the hunting you are asking about?

What hunting I'm asking about?

 

[HappyHuntr]

My go to shotgun?

 

[Ringbill27]

Uncle shoots a Berreta, land owner shoots a 870, brothers high school football teammate shoots a sx4, and there is a SBE3 and Nova pump in the group.

O man!!! the high school teammate running the SX4 won’t lead you wrong way!!!

 

[HappyHuntr]

O man!!! the high school teammate running the SX4 won’t lead you wrong way!!!

Couple years older then me. 6 years to be exact. He's 58.

 

[Tx_Razorback]

I started my youngest off with a used model 7 in 7-08 rem. Was able to use the lighter loads on his first few animals in Texas under 100yards and loaded heavier for Kansas whitetail. Most model 7 stocks will fit youth shooters.

 

[Ringbill27]

What hunting I'm asking about?

No for rifle you are asking about. I’m assuming you already hunt these animals. What do you use to hunt them?

 

[HappyHuntr]

Sx4 is a great shotgun.

 

[HappyHuntr]

No for rifle you are asking about. I’m assuming you already hunt these animals. What do you use to hunt them?

Oh ok. Bow and shotgun.

 

[Castronova]

For your hypothetical - .243

Real world where you can buy bullets on the internet - 6.5 creedmoor.