Give me some advice

[buckpasser]

So, as I’ve mentioned before here and in the deer forum, my son marches to the beat of his own drum when it comes to deer hunting and rifles. He’s 11, a great shot, and hard headed. I would prefer he still be using our .300blk in AR, but as soon as he saw my old .243 M77 last year that’s all he wants to hunt with. I let him use it and he’s got a perfect record of 3/3 with it so far.

He’s stated for a few years that when he’s big enough, he wants his own bolt gun. He’s always wanted it to be a .308, with a good trigger (like his savage .22) and a short barrel (so he can add a suppressor some day). I have been impressed by his thoughts on his “ideal” deer rifle. As of tonight though, he’s saying he might prefer a 7mag or .300mag over .308. He is a hard headed little dude, but of course he can’t buy his own rig as a teenager, so he’ll get what I buy him. Saying that, I do want to get him something he will want to use forever. Otherwise, he might wind up gun poor like me. I’ve got some nice rifles that haven’t seen the stand in decades.

If y’all were buying your young son a rifle, what would your thoughts be on this? I think .308 is the clear winner. It’s got great ammo availability, will kill anything we ever want to hunt, is a great cartridge size/length, and has much less recoil than a magnum cartridge, with less money spent per round typically. I just can’t see a good enough advantage in the magnums.

Thoughts?

 

[Jim Boyd]

.308 sounds right

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Sounds like 308 it is, I'd do 6.5 creedmoor myself for him but I'm sure a hardheaded 11yr old is going to think that's not enough gun for him if he's wanting a magnum. Or he'll be worried about somebody making fun of him with a creedmoor as grade school kids will pick about anything.

 

[kayaksteve]

It sounds like a .308 Ruger American would be a good fit. They have compact models and threaded barrels. At a pretty decent price point. I’m in the market for one in .22lr right now.

 

[buckpasser]

As I said, I want him to want a .308. It’s one of the few calibers I don’t own, but should. Maybe I should put him on a borrowed .300win mag with no pad and some hot rounds?

I showed him a recoil chart tonight and he assured me no kick is too hard for him! Lol

 

[Lilly001]

Has he shot a 300 magnum?
let him shoot a box or two, prone preferably.
A 300 magnum (any of them) is a great round. But it is overkill for most of the eastern US.
In 20 years he will be glad he went with a .308.

 

[buckpasser]

Totally agree. I just made a call about the loner. Even though I’m not a real believer in the caliber, the one I’m gonna borrow shoots really well. This will probably backfire on me…lol

 

[Liberty]

I will say that a 300 mag and a bonded bullet would have likely put my hard quartering buck down a little quicker, but it was laying at the end of the blood and my small framed son killed his deer with the same .308 this year. I'd go with the .308 for the same reason we don't let our children smoke cigarettes and drink beer. Parents often just know better, but I'd let him shoot a couple boxes of Win mag prone so that he understands.

 

[Railroader]

Browning Xbolt .308...

 

[Ruger#3]

I carry a .308 for the reasons mentioned, light recoil and enough to kill anything in North America. I’m not likely Grizzly hunting anytime soon so .308 is all I need. If I was in your shoes that’s what I’d be giving him.

 

[basshappy]

Any reason not to stay with .243 bolt action?

I have .308 but .243 is go to for whitetail here in Georgia.

I appreciate nice things, but for hunting I want an instrument I can use without hesitation or worry. If the clouds open up and rain drowns us - not a problem, I'm not calling the hunt to dry my instrument. If I need to free climb a rock wall I want my concentration on my fingers and toes, not how to climb and avoid scratching the finish on my instrument. Hopefully you see my point - invest in an instrument you can hunt with in all elements without stressing. Two years back a rain event opened up on my boy and I while I was prone on the ground. Drenched like I jumped into the pool. My 308 had water pouring out of it everywhere. I was not worried.

Of course if your son is hunting from covered blinds in nice weather then my concerns may he mute. I did consider a couple real nice .243s, but they are too nice to be best on unintentionally, so I went the workhouse route.

Good luck with the selection process

 

[1eyefishing]

If the majority of the shots will be longer than 225-250 yards, then the long barreled magnums may have an advantage.
Hope this helps.

 

[buckpasser]

Any reason not to stay with .243 bolt action?

I have .308 but .243 is go to for whitetail here in Georgia.

I appreciate nice things, but for hunting I want an instrument I can use without hesitation or worry. If the clouds open up and rain drowns us - not a problem, I'm not calling the hunt to dry my instrument. If I need to free climb a rock wall I want my concentration on my fingers and toes, not how to climb and avoid scratching the finish on my instrument. Hopefully you see my point - invest in an instrument you can hunt with in all elements without stressing. Two years back a rain event opened up on my boy and I while I was prone on the ground. Drenched like I jumped into the pool. My 308 had water pouring out of it everywhere. I was not worried.

Of course if your son is hunting from covered blinds in nice weather then my concerns may he mute. I did consider a couple real nice .243s, but they are too nice to be best on unintentionally, so I went the workhouse route.

Good luck with the selection process

I’m the same and I think he would prefer a synthetic stock beater over a beautiful wood gun. The .243 he’s currently shooting is a very nice wood stock mid size Ruger M77 with tang safety and a red butt pad. It’s got a lot of sentimental value as it was my first deer rifle, from my Dad.

As I said, he’s the one that has been wanting a .308 which I prefer him shoot over a .243 (nothing against the .243). Now I’m hoping I can get him back to seeing it my way before it’s purchasing time! Lol

 

[Jester896]

As I said, I want him to want a .308. It’s one of the few calibers I don’t own, but should. Maybe I should put him on a borrowed .300win mag with no pad and some hot rounds?

I showed him a recoil chart tonight and he assured me no kick is too hard for him! Lol

i think a .308 will hammer you if you let it...but I shoot 50-60 rounds. I have both if you want him to shoot them. I might be able to round up a scope for the Win Mag...think I have a few WSMs too. Then he can try my .260 and the kids won't make fun and he won't Needmoor.

 

[bullethead]

I wouldn't let him shoot the 300mag just yet. The last thing you want is for him to develop a flinch that may stick with him to other rifles.
Instead I would get him a .308 win and the 300mag can be a treat to himself later on when he is able to make the move on his own.

 

[bullethead]

When my youngest Son turned 11 I bought him a Tikka T3 in 30-06. I loaded him some 130gr Spire Points around 2500fps. He shot groundhogs all Spring and Summer with that and then Killed a buck with it in deer season. He used the same load the next year killing a buck and 2 doe. The 3rd year I bumped him up to full power150gr loads and he used that gun/cartridge until he was 24yrs old.
That .308 is in the same category. Varmints to Bears. 350yds is a breeze.

 

[FlipKing]

Browning Xbolt .308...

It'd need to be the newer supressor ready versions. The regular versions normally have the smaller threads and require an adapter. I'd look at 16" sig cross. Short barrel, light. Ready for supressor.

 

[Kev]

I love a .308 for a GA deer gun but if he’s got his heart set on something else then I might get it for him.

 

[bighonkinjeep]

Well if you hand load for now and reduce the loads for about 3 years or so till he reaches full grown adult size, and buy a good scope with.plenty of eye relief A Win Mag will do him for the rest of his life on any continent in the world from Whitetails, Mulies, Bear, Elk and Moose in North America to Red Stag in Algeria, Argentina and New Zeland to Blue Wildebeast, Hardebeast, Kudu, Zebra and Greater Eland in Africa etc etc... I have a really good friend with a Rem 700 Stainless Deluxe .300 Win Mag that has done just that all over the world and shot another whitetail buck last weekend with it.
If you just want a rifle to hunt southern game and have great versitility a 30-06 or .308 as well as many others will get it done.
The .308 bore diameter cartridges are the most versitile with the widest selection and availability of components and ammo. .30 cal rifles just flat out whump game with authority.
Good luck

 

[sleepr71]

.243, 6.5 CM,7mm-08,or 308. All are good choices. I think he will dislike a Magnum..in short order. I sometimes have to shoot Left handed from one of my stands..and my 7mm RM will thump you hard. I think the extra recoil may cause him to flinch,etc..