Give me some advice

[Jester896]

that brings back some memories...my loading bench has the same color wood as yours...I just haven't seen mine in a minute. I'm still trying to figure out who in blazes put all of that stuff on top of it....there must have been 2 of them because the 4X8 work table is full too.

 

[The Original Rooster]

Hey, the young man wants a .308, so get him a .308. Seems simple to me. If not, he'll always wonder what if.


Get the .308. Other calibers can come later.

 

[chase870]

I'd say the 308 for him. In my case my Grandfather had all the influence in my life with guns and what I needed or wanted. He told me to not worry about Magnum loads in a shotgun and belted magnums in a rifle. As all young men I had a surge of testosterone in high school and wanted to move away from the 30-30. He put me on the 30-06 told me it would kill anything in North America with the right load and ammo is easy to find compared to the belted magnums. I kill a fair number of deer each year and most fall victim to the old 30-06

 

[DannyW]

A 300 has the possibility of being rough on an 11 year old . I would let him shoot one before dropping the cash on one for him. Zeroing in a 300 WSM I was flinching and chasing the holes for awhile ...Then I went and got a sled ...One shot to take a deer is fine ..but sighting in and just shooting for fun is kinda of rough on the shoulder.... Pretty big difference in the ammo prices also I would say..

In my opinion, the 300/338 magnums were the reason someone invented sissy pads.

The only thing I have shot with more recoil is a 12 ga with 3" turkey loads.

 

[buckpasser]

My simple mind is not sure what’s better than a ruger 77 243 handed down from one father again by the next. Sounds perfect to me.

It is perfect, and can be used for an indefinite amount of time basically. The issue is it’s a mid size rifle. It feels a little small for me and is perfect for him right now. It’s not a full size model. I used it in WY on my pronghorn hunt a couple years ago, and it was perfect for carrying around, but it was bought for me as a youth gun.

 

[baddave]

when I saw M77 in .243 you got my attention. Mine has become "maybe" my favorite rifle since I was introduced to the 80gr ttsx barnes load. My goodness what a killer little bullet. I'd suggest to hammer head he has a great rifle already

 

[buckpasser]

I let him try out a .30-30 today, and then a .270. He said they were “nothing” as far as recoil, and he’s ready to try out my old .270WSM next. He’s a tough, stubborn little ****, and he’s liable to wear me down over the next two years.

Side question:

Is the .300WSM dying/dead? If he does win, is the .300 Win mag holding strong as far as popularity? Is it in any future peril or tough to find ammo for? Thanks again!

 

[Tight Lines]

I let him try out a .30-30 today, and then a .270. He said they were “nothing” as far as recoil, and he’s ready to try out my old .270WSM next. He’s a tough, stubborn little ****, and he’s liable to wear me down over the next two years.

Side question:

Is the .300WSM dying/dead? If he does win, is the .300 Win mag holding strong as far as popularity? Is it in any future peril or tough to find ammo for? Thanks again!

.300 Win Mag ammo isn't going anywhere...one of the most popular rounds...the .300 WSM along with a lot of magnum barrel burners are still around of course, but the ammo is less plentiful overall, with less selection, and more expensive.

Here is just Hornady's selection for the .300 Win Mag:
Vs. the Hornady selection for the .300 WSM (which I bet you can hardly find, at a premium):

 

[Liberty]

Regular 300 win mag will be available around the world for decades

 

[01Foreman400]

The 308 would be a great choice. I carried a Bergara Wilderness Ridge SP (18” barrel) almost all season. My oldest son (12 years old) hunted with it as well. With the suppressor it had very light recoil. I personally wouldn’t put a suppressor on anything that had over a 20” barrel. I can’t imagine carrying a 300 win mag with a 24-26” barrel and a suppressor screwed on the end of it.

 

[Railroader]

I let him try out a .30-30 today, and then a .270. He said they were “nothing” as far as recoil, and he’s ready to try out my old .270WSM next. He’s a tough, stubborn little ****, and he’s liable to wear me down over the next two years.

Side question:

Is the .300WSM dying/dead? If he does win, is the .300 Win mag holding strong as far as popularity? Is it in any future peril or tough to find ammo for? Thanks again!

As long as humans walk Planet Earth, there will be some .308s around somewhere...

 

[buckpasser]

As long as humans walk Planet Earth, there will be some .308s around somewhere...

You don’t have to sell me on the .308 brother. I’m sold! It’s him I’m trying to convince of it’s merits. He’s a kid and I guess “bigger is better” is his mantra.

 

[Tight Lines]

You don’t have to sell me on the .308 brother. I’m sold! It’s him I’m trying to convince of it’s merits. He’s a kid and I guess “bigger is better” is his mantra.

I understand wanting him to have input, but at 11 he really has no idea what he wants or the factors that go into it...I purchased and decided on the first weapons for my kids including:

.22 rifles, .22 pistol, 5.56 AR, .410, 12 guage, and 6.5CM...then my son had input on a 9MM...

From here on out, or when he can buy his own weapons, he can decide...

You might consider having him read and watch YouTube videos on the merits of standard rounds vs. the more exotic / obscure rounds...ballistics, recoil, versatility, etc.

For a weapon he'll have forever, I'd personally steer him toward rounds that are not going anywhere, that are versatile, and that he can pass down...

Lots of good advice in the thread...

By the way, not specific to your child, he may really be into it and doing the research, just saying kids "think" they want something until they really understand it...

My son though he liked my tactical shotgun...until it was loaded with a full magazine of 3" 00 buck...and I made hit shoot the entire mag at a target...he wasn't so sure that was as much "fun" as he thought it would be...not that he needed one, but his semi-auto 12 with bird loads is much more docile and easy to shoot compared to that...it was a good lesson...

 

[bullethead]

30/30 and 270win are both mild recoil cartridges which is one of the reasons that both are popular. They are more than capable of killing game because the mild recoil makes it easier to put a bullet where it needs to be.
I went through the magnum craze in my late teens and 20s. They are fun, I am not recoil sensitive, and I killed a decent amount of game with them. 7mm mag, 300 wbymag, 375 H&H, 3.5" 12ga and 10ga, but at some point along the way I realized that there are quite a few cartridges that burn 15gr to 40gr less powder or use 1oz less shot, that have killed everything in front of them just as well.

I know this. A few shots at the range with a hard recoiling gun that is sighted in is doable by most. Fun is the word that probably fits. It is different when someone is trying to dial in a new scope or trying out different loads to see which one shoots the best groups or a day of patterning turkey loads, buckshot or slugs. Without a pad or Lead Sled, at some point in the round count you start to anticipate the punch instead of letting it surprise you and then you are chasing groups.

And if factory ammo will be used. The difference in price will be
an extra $25+++ per box for magnum rounds.

 

[buckpasser]

I understand wanting him to have input, but at 11 he really has no idea what he wants or the factors that go into it...I purchased and decided on the first weapons for my kids including:

.22 rifles, .22 pistol, 5.56 AR, .410, 12 guage, and 6.5CM...then my son had input on a 9MM...

From here on out, or when he can buy his own weapons, he can decide...

You might consider having him read and watch YouTube videos on the merits of standard rounds vs. the more exotic / obscure rounds...ballistics, recoil, versatility, etc.

For a weapon he'll have forever, I'd personally steer him toward rounds that are not going anywhere, that are versatile, and that he can pass down...

Lots of good advice in the thread...

By the way, not specific to your child, he may really be into it and doing the research, just saying kids "think" they want something until they really understand it...

My son though he liked my tactical shotgun...until it was loaded with a full magazine of 3" 00 buck...and I made hit shoot the entire mag at a target...he wasn't so sure that was as much "fun" as he thought it would be...not that he needed one, but his semi-auto 12 with bird loads is much more docile and easy to shoot compared to that...it was a good lesson...

I’m with you, and this purchase is a couple years out. I can definitely just get the “smart” choice, but there is something sweet about having what you want as a young man (or any age man).

I’ve come full circle and this is my deer rifle cartridge course:

.243
.30-30
.270WSM
.30-06
.300blk (to use AR-15)
6.5 Grendel (to use the best AR-15)

I’m now using smaller than where I first started and thoroughly enjoying it.

 

[menhadenman]

Spotting your own shots at 500 yards and understanding ballistics sure sweetens the deal on having a rifle you can do it with.

 

[buckpasser]

Spotting your own shots at 500 yards and understanding ballistics sure sweetens the deal on having a rifle you can do it with.

I’m sure that is a thing of beauty, but I’ve never set a stand up for over 200. For many years I didn’t even have a shooting rest at most spots. Mostly woods deer in near archery range shooting.

I do have the ability to go for more now on some field setups.

 

[SC Hunter]

Like my daddy asked me when I was younger and wanted a new wsm when they first came out, you gonna buy your own bullets? He was going to be buying them therfore I kept shooting a 270. Ammo cost comes into play at our house because we all shoot a good bit.

 

[FlipKing]

I had a .300 win mag TC. After shooting it a hand full of times I sold it. I'm 5'6 160lbs. The guy I sold it to was 6'6 350lbs and played o-line or d-line at Bama. Lol

 

[Jester896]

you sure don't need a Win Mag inside 200