Best youth cartridge based off .308?

  • Thread starter Deleted member 67409
  • Start date

Which youth cartridge?

  • .243

    Votes: 10 66.7%
  • .260

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • 7mm-08

    Votes: 1 6.7%

  • Total voters
    15
D

Deleted member 67409

Suppose you had a .308 rifle and you wanted to make it easier for a kid to use. Dad also wants to build a rifle in a caliber less than .308. With this gun, all you need to do to swap calibers is re-barrel, provided the new cartridge is basically a necked-down .308. The three cartridges that would meet this criteria are .243WIN, .260REM, and 7mm-08. Which one would you choose and why?
 
243 is the perennial youth deer gun.
Probably not a lot of difference between the 3 in real life when all is said and done. A good shot will drop a deer with each, a bad one won't.
I shoot a very lightweight 7/08 and its quite mild.
If you don't reload 7/08 ammo is reasonably available but pricey enough so that letting a kid shoot it enough and often enough to be proficient might be a bit of burden.
243 does have a reputation as a barrel burner with the higher velocity light bullet stuff.
 
Suppose you had a .308 rifle and you wanted to make it easier for a kid to use. Dad also wants to build a rifle in a caliber less than .308. With this gun, all you need to do to swap calibers is re-barrel, provided the new cartridge is basically a necked-down .308. The three cartridges that would meet this criteria are .243WIN, .260REM, and 7mm-08. Which one would you choose and why?

Whats the intended use, and bolt action or semi-auto?
 
Interesting.
So full disclaimer- I'm by no means a rifle expert. Assuming its an AR-10 chassis for ease of switching out-
No reloading book infront of me-
Quick wiki search-
Based on your prerequisites-

.243 seems to be a barrel burner. No point in clocking those down when theres other stuff out there. Max bullet weight of 105 gr?
.260 seems to have an ideal range of weights available (or listed) between 120 and 140 gr
7-08 seems to have more energy with heavier heads 140-175 gr

computing.........
availability of components.....
clickety clack.....
beep bop boop........
mary had a little lamb........

.260
 
6mm-08, 6.5mm-08, and 7mm-08. That's basically what it boils down to. All are soft shooting. If this is going on an AR platform, I'd be searching the webs for any differences in functioning the rifle. Maybe there is no difference; I don't know the answer.
 
If handloading, the 260. Good range of bullet weights, and plenty of bullet availability now. But if handloading, why not download the 308 with 125gr bullets? Although I'm not sure how much more tweaking light loads would need to run a semiauto well. And I've never successfully talked myself out of a new caliber, never mind anyone else. So don't do that download 308 thing - If that sounds like a good idea, get a 300 Blackout. Or the awesome 7.6 Creedmoor.

If depending on store ammo, I'd go with 243 based on what my local stores stock. Even lighter bullets, still an effective deer cartridge.

I've got a bolt action in 260 Ackley that I really like, but doing it again today I'd get 6.5 Creedmoor just for brass availability.

According to my brother 7-08 is common store fodder in his local (CO) stores. Your location may vary.

None of these are a bad choice.
 
Finding a semi-auto and magazines in those calibers won't be as easy as finding one in .308. There are reduced recoil loads from Hornady, Remington and Federal available in calibers including .308 which would drop the recoil level down to match the smaller rounds. Lots of discussion on this topic over at 24hourcampground.com. Google "reduced recoil .308" for plenty of info. Another option might be the Ruger Mini 30, which uses 7.62x39, for which decent deer hunting rounds are available as well as cheap plinking ammo.
 
Based on your initial post I would go .243 Win of the three calibers listed

I have both 7mm08 and multiple .243 that I have used to start new center fire rifle shooters

The .243 has slightly less recoil than heavier bullet weight 7-08

For the .243 the standard 100 grain will kill deer and not burn up your barrel, particularly if you use Remington with are a little slower (-150 to 200 FPS) than other premium brands. If you want to make it super deadly use Barnes TTSX 87 grain for deer.

During the Obama post Sandyhook days when ammo was scarce I never had a problem walking into a Walmart or gun shop and getting .243 Win ammo. Everybody carries it (almost) and few people hoard it.

A fourth caliber you should consider is the 6.5 creedmore. It uses the same bolt face as the .308 Win so it’s just a barrel swap. It’s mild recoiling, factory ammo is very accurate, will reach out as far as you want, factory ammo for target and hunting available ( I’ve taken last my two bucks with Hornady ELD-X ammo). The popularity is skyrocketing so ammo is becoming available also everywhere.
 
Remember, the kids out grow rifles fast. Little Jack (what the hell else did you expect?) Started off with the .243 and took a bear in Alaska when he was 9. Heart shot dropped the bear. Knowing that you can't count on heart shots, he was into the '06 the next year. Plan ahead. Jack.

Yeah, my theory here is that any of these would be really easy to upgrade to .308 when the kid's ready. One of the pros I see with a semi-auto is collapsible stocks: more length of pull needed, no problem.
 
Yeah, my theory here is that any of these would be really easy to upgrade to .308 when the kid's ready. One of the pros I see with a semi-auto is collapsible stocks: more length of pull needed, no problem.

I’ve been building rifles for grandkids. All are bolt action in .243 or 6.5 CM. I’ve put the rifles in Boyd’s AT-1 stocks, which have adjustable length of pull and cheek rest height so the stock can grow with them and/ or be adjusted for shooting in t-shirt in summer or bundled up in snow hunting.
 
AR 10 barrel change magazine are probably the same. Can't give an opinion on the 6.5 CM but for a comparrison my and are 6.5 grendel are very pleasent to shoot recoil not that much more than a 223.. Not suggesting 6.5 grendel as the OP wants a case based off the 308.
 
Yeah, my theory here is that any of these would be really easy to upgrade to .308 when the kid's ready. One of the pros I see with a semi-auto is collapsible stocks: more length of pull needed, no problem.
The .243 is limited to smaller game and you could probable justify a .308 upper later. Of the three, this is the only Cartrige listed that is different enough from the .308 to justify a future upgrade. The 7/08 is essentially equal to the .308 in recoil (had both) with a small range advantage for improved sectional density. Most would argue that the .260 and the 6.5 Creedmoor are superior to the .308 at longer range due to the sectional density of the bullets with a small advantage to the 6.5 Creedmore... There would be no need to upgrade to .308 in the future unless you found the need for heavier bullets for larger than (Elk) sized game. Even then, the .308 is not the best for these larger bullets (200 gr. or so, and up). The real dilemma comes for the .308 rifle shooter who wants to jump on the latest and greatest band wagon (6.5 Creedmoor) as there is not much advantage for the smaller bullets until about 800 yards. Here in New England, ranges long enough to utilize this advantage are few and far between and a long way off. If I were going for a 6.5, I would go for the .260 Remington over the Creedmoor for four reasons:
1. It is based on your original premise of .308 parent case.
2. I like to shoot the underdog cartridge/firearm. I got a Smith 19 not a Python. A high Standard Victor not a Smith 41. A Smith 57 (.41 Mag) not a Smith 29 (44. Mag) Etc... Won't even get into the .40 vs. 9mm. : 4 to 0. [shocked]
3. I can probably reconfigure all my .308 brass in to .260 with very little bother.
and Finally
4. I can't grow a beard for $hit and my hair is too short to make much of a man bun. [laugh]
PS: bolt gun all the way. [party]
 
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In case you decide to go out west and take out some PD's, the 243 is a good choice for that as well.
 
I voted for .243 but then I saw that you want a semi-auto. Don't do .243 unless your kid is disciplined enough to let the barrel cool off between shots. Otherwise, it'll burn out quickly.
 
Suppose you had a .308 rifle and you wanted to make it easier for a kid to use. Dad also wants to build a rifle in a caliber less than .308. With this gun, all you need to do to swap calibers is re-barrel, provided the new cartridge is basically a necked-down .308. The three cartridges that would meet this criteria are .243WIN, .260REM, and 7mm-08. Which one would you choose and why?
OK. For varmints up to medium-sized deer, I would choose the .243 and not look back. You can feed a .243 anywhere in the world, including isolated areas. The other calibers mentioned? Not so much. I like common, readily available calibers. Actually, .308 is not a nasty-recoiling cartridge and offers the advantages of heavier bullet loadings. The best caliber is the one that you can deliver the most consistent hits with. A well-trained rifleman armed with a .243 is formidable, indeed!
 
just l load the 308 down , you can shoot 110 grain to 200 grain with a large variety of powders to find that recoil to take down power you think you need.

unless the accuracy is ten fold better with the 243.

I personally would find a nice bolt gun in 243 just cause.
 
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243 is a great deer cartridge for anyone. Young or old. East or West. (deer and antelope)

It was my most accurate rifle until I built up a 6.5 creed from a ruger predator setup.

As jump on the bandwagon gay as the 6.5 is.....if you look in the ammo aisle for it, there is no lack of bullets, loads and manufacturers. Your not going to find .260 remington in nearly that amount or availability.

I'd lean towards to 6.5.......I'd also just buy a cheap bolt gun like a Ruger Predator/Ranch type. You'd be amazed at the accuracy. I have 3 of them and they are all sub MOA out of the box with factory loads. My 6.5 shoots cheap shit Herters hunting ammo like it was loaded for it. Nearly better groups than the Hornady Match.
 
.......I'd also just buy a cheap bolt gun like a Ruger Predator/Ranch type.
This was my thought as well. I get that an AR 10 is likely to be better received by a young dude, but 9 lbs + is a lot of gun for said young dude to tote around the woods all day.
Ruger American Ranch in 7.62 Russian is short, light, accurate, mild as hell recoil,can be shot at the range all day long for mebbe like 3 bucks, and if it gets whacked on a rock or dropped in the mud....oh well.
 
A heavier .308 doesn't recoil much, ie something north of 10 lbs - basically put a big scope on a 20 inch AR10 and its more of a push/thump than a kick...

Hell honestly in the realm of recoil .308 isn't even bad in a light rifle, its just takes more time for follow up shots and is more tiring 100+ rounds later, maybe leaves a bruise after 200. Good for a kid, toughen them up.

But if not that, I say 6.5 creed all day. That even uses .308 mags and BCGs.
 
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