Youth - 243 or 7mm-08 (break & sub pressed)?

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Dec 26, 2022
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Mammoth Cave, Ky
I’m looking for a deer rifle for my 7 year old. I am looking at 243 or 7mm-08. It will have a brake and silencer.

My thinking is the 7mm-08 shooting 125 grain wouldn’t be a bad choice.

I know a 243 or 6mm creedmoor would work.

Not sure that with a brake and silencer the recoil differential would be noticeable.

Looking for suggestions from folks with experience with young deer hunters. I have access to a single shot 223 that I may use for the first year.
 
I second the 7mm-08. That's what I got for my kids, and we still love shooting that rifle. Deer and cow elk have been taken with it by us. Even my wife got one because of the light recoil and great performance. 120gr to start, and 140gr down the road.

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started my kids on a .243 and now i find myself pulling it out of the safe too. Its just a good tack driver that always goes boom, ammo is still pretty easy to find and I enjoy shooting it.
 
3rd for the 7mm-08. I hunt everything with it and my two young daughters used it with zero recoil problems.
 
We used a .243 this year. My 8yo daughter who is small for her age shot two does @ 172y and 145y. First was perfect (she had zero recoil expectations). You can see it kick her and get her take on the recoil in the video. second shot on another die was pulled a little but still dropped it, and I think she developed fear of recoil after that. My 13 year old daughter says she feels no recoil with the gun.
 
7mm 08 or 7 saw would be my pick for youth. I grew up on 7-08 and 308 for hunting.
 
The worry with the 223 is increased risk of wounding. Generally poor bullet selection in factory ammo so if you do go that route make sure of your bullet.

A light load 7mm bullet would be my choice for kids. But every thing will work if they make a good shot.
 
also get a rifle with good recoil pad (1" pachmayr pad) or a plus 7lb gun to mitigate recoil if that's what you feel might make them not shoot or enjoy it well.
 
I see no downside to a 243, and doubt I will ever be without at least one of them. They work so well that I have never had the need for a 7-08.......

That said if you can get that 223 to shoot a decent bullet, I'd go with that. Be a hell of a lot better for a lil kid.
 
Another vote for 223 with correct ammo or a 243 suppressed. I grew up killing deer with a 222 Rem so the 223 will do the job. Once I hit high school, I used unsuppressed 243 and never had an issue killing multiple every year. I still deer hunt with 243 now but have it suppressed as it makes it pleasant to the ears.


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.243, recoil is minimal, its effective, and I believe underrated today. Still use mine for deer, 80gr TTSX is good medicine for deer.
 
If you reload, I'd look at the 7mm-08. 125gr ballistic tips and a reduced recoil load with H4895 is a deadly combination. You can gradually increase your powder charge as the kid grows, and eventually have them in a full power load.
 
If the wasn’t 7 I’d recommend either the 243 or the 7mm08.

But they are 7 and probably can hold up the rifle so I guess I’d say the 223. If short range. What not go 300blk, 350 legend or 7.62x39 heck even the 6arc? You could get a gen2 ruger American and I believe can take the insert and shorten the LOP.

Id give them a couple more years to grow myself. But I grew up in the day when you needed a firearms training certificate to hunt deer. I know that’s not the way anymore.
 
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