New Rifle for my Kid

[Andy L]

I know I have talked about this quite a bit, and hope Im not boring anyone. But, this is a big thing for me. Much bigger than I thought it would be. Ive bought lots of guns for me. Alot on more or less a whim. Some just to see if I liked it, and if not, traded, sold or just stuck it in the corner. This is different. My boys gonna be almost 12 by the time hunting season rolls around. Hes used a 243 Handi Rifle Youth since he was 7. (Contrary to what Rocky said about them being a experts deer rifle, I think it did fine. Of course I saw to it that he could shoot it good and the set ups for deer were going to yeild easy shots. Only one I think we took a chance on was the first. You never know how a young one is gonna react when pullin the trigger on something live for the first time. Anyway thats off topic.)

Anyway, hes outgrown that handi rifle. Just too dang short and uncomfortable. I wanna do something for him kinda like my dad did for me. Only better. Im wanting to buy him a nice rifle that he can keep for years to come and be proud of. My dad bought me a Marlin 336C 30-30. At the time, we had no plans of going anywhere for big game and that was the cats meow for whitetails around here, so people thought. It was good. It got stolen btw. I have looked, studied, bugged people, did all I could and came down to two and think maybe made up my mind. I wanted to run it by you guys one more time. Keep in mind that not only whitetails, but most likely he will be hunting antelope, black bear, hogs, mulies and possibly elk with this thing at some point before leaving home. Unlike my dad, I like to hunt and go alot of other places and plan to take him along. Soon. Like this fall.

I had narrowed it down to the 260 Rem or 7mm-08. I had actually thought of the 280, mainly because I like them and want one, but its a bit much for him now. Im afraid he may flinch a bit, maybe not. I love the 25s, but the bullet selection isnt much and its on the light side for some things. I had a chance to buy a really nice 257Rob in Mod 70 Win pretty cheap the other day, probably shoulda done that just because for myself.

Ive heard alot of guys talk really well about the 6.5s. I am very interested in them. On paper, they dont look all that impressive, nothing special anyway, but there sure seems to be a cult like following for them, especially the Swede. Only thing that concerns me, again, is bullet selection.

Therefore, I think I have set my mind on a 7mm-08 in a Remington Model 7. Beautiful little gun. 6 1/2lb, 20"bbl. Great bullet selection. Should be good for about anything but the big bears and moose. (I heard someone talking about 6.5s being a popular moose round in some places, so maybe this will work, I dont know). Shouldnt be hard on his shoulder. Should be very nice for him. Or at least I hope so.

Sorry for the rambling and thanks to anyone who actually took the time to read and think about it. This is a hard choice for me. If anyone has any better ideas, please speak up quickly, as Im probably going to get this thing ordered soon. Deer season in the end of October (youth season), and I got a hog hunt booked for us in December. I didnt realize how hard of a choice this is, but I know how I look back on that day when I was about his age and got that 30-30 and I want him to feel the same thing, only better.

Andy

[popplecop]

I don't think you could go wrong with the 7mm/08. It's a great little cartridge and very common. The 260 Rem. does not share the popularity, not that it isn't a fine cartridge. In this country the .264 calibers don't seem to have caught on. I do think the 6.5x55 is an excellent round. Just my humble opinon.

[gspsonny03]

I agree with popplecop's assessment wholeheartly. I don't think you'll go wrong with the 7mm/08, and that includes even Moose. I'd love to have a 260, but as was mentioned bullet selection is sometimes hard to come by. My only concern with your picks would be the recoil for a 12 year old. Now you know your son better than we do, can he handle the recoil of a 7mm/08 at this point in his life, probably, but who know's. If I had a friend who had one, I'd sure see if I could borrow it for a shooting session before I spent that much money on one, but like I said you know your son better than we do. JMO

[Andy L]

Thanks.

As for recoil, I dont know anyone who has one, thats practical. But, hes shot my 25-06AI, my dads 30-06 and a host of 243s and smaller. I really dont think he will have a problem. Now, maybe with one of the 06 based cases, shooting it alot, he might run into problems. But from what others have told me, the 7-08 should be fine.

I know a couple of folks that got em, but they are over a thousand miles from here, not practical. But one of them got it for his wife and says she loves it. Hes stouter than most women. I think he will be fine.

Hes trying to talk me into shootin the 500 SW. I told him I didnt feel like a hospital trip to get the hammer out of his skull. Hes nervie.

Andy

[Evan03]

ummmmm i shot a short barrreld ruger compact in 7mm08, id compare its recoil to my 22" barreld 270.

i think if it were me and it more then likly will be someday, ill go with 257rob in a 22" barrel sporter model in any of the bolt actions, probly a ruger or remington. actualy ill bump that to either a 257 or 2506.

that way that will get him or her hunting deer with me then we can step into 30cal later on for elk or one of my rifles in 270 or 3006 will be used when the time came, but there would never be any reason to get rid of the 257 cal. itl work for life time on all deer sized game and is right at home chaseing smaller critters

at about 10 or 11 i was shooting my 270win the same one i have now. the rifle killed my first deer first elk and first everything else.

one bad thing is the rifle is a lighter weight 22" model 78 rem(700 adl) basicaly. i bet i spent 3 years or so working myself away from the flinch id grown into. but this flinch was worked out with my 22/250 22lr and 2506.

the flinch is bad thing and id avoid it all costs. even if youve got to drive aways to shoot the 7mm08 in compact rifle.

good luck
Evan

[HPBTMTCH]

Andy, a lot of ammo makers like federal and remington are now making reduced recoil rounds. If you hand load you can tame a cartridge down also, and have a lot better chance to find a load the rifle will shoot. So a 30-06 can have the fps and recoil of a 30-30 for a few years till he grows into it. Remember, the lighter the rifle, the heavier the recoil. Hodgdon has a whole page of reduced loads for various calibers. I like the .260 over the 7-08, but if you can reduce the load, even a 7 wsm might work. My kids like to shoot my .308 baer, (weatherby) it weighs 18 lbs., i carry it out to the field, put it on the bags and they do the rest, even the 6 yr. old shoots it well. Got them a rossi .410 for deer, it weighs about 2 lbs but has amazingly stiff recoil, and although they can carry it, not one of the 3, ages 6, 10 and 13 want to shoot it. They would much rather shoot the muzzle loader. If you know someone with a rifle he likes, have him shoot it and find out his tolerence for recoil. If you watch someone shoot a gun that is to much for them, they will often squint or tense up their facial muscles as they squeeze the trigger because they know it`s gonna hurt. Every ones different, make sure you pick one he likes to shoot, and you will have a hunting partner for the rest of your life

[Cossack]

Of the 3 you mention 243, 260 and 7/08 ( I shoot all three plus the 280) the 7/08 seems most logical. Not much recoil difference between 260 and 7/08 plus more selection from available components and ammo. It's unfortunate but judging from sales, new chamberings in short mags that compete for sales and poor public acceptance of only other commercial 6.5 previously offered (264 Mag) I predict the 260 is headed for premature obsolescense. Too bad.

[Adirondacks]

I know that alot of people have bad
feeling toward the win short mags but
I've heard very good things about
the 270 wsm. It's probubly not too
much but more than enough.
If he can shoot one of the light
7-08 rifles then he can probubly handle
the 270 wsm. They are pretty mild as
I understand it.

[Andy L]

Im sorry, call me hard headed or old fashioned or whatever, but I refuse to fall into the WSM or WSSM or any of that new crap.

This horse has been beaten to death, but I think its nothing but a big ploy by the manufactures to sell more guns. They were running out of ideas. Personally, I would like to have seen them make some more of the popular wildcats factory instead of makin this short action crapola that wont do anything the standards will do, usually better.

For instance, I wouldnt have minded seeing a 22-284 instead of a 223 WSSM or whatever they call it.

Again, I know alot of you think the new rounds are the berries, but I got my opinion too, I wont own one.

Andy

BTW, thanks for yalls help. Rem Model 7, in 7mm-08 is gettin the nod for his new rifle. And, Im rebarrelling a Rem 700 in 223 to a 20" 17 Rem for him as well for a callin gun. He will be pretty well set, along with his Rem 870 Youth he already has.

His 243 Youth Handi Rifle and 22 Cricket will be put up for two more years til his 5 yr old bro is ready to start.