243 for my son

Hunting_Gal · #1 10-02-2006, 11:14 AM

my son is getting this youth combo
for hunting

http://www.academy.com/index.php?pag...345-03613-0243

JimPic · #2 10-02-2006, 12:45 PM

well good for him--i hope he kills a big buck with it!

Hunting_Gal · #3 10-02-2006, 01:07 PM

Hi J , glad you made it over

JimPic · #4 10-02-2006, 02:40 PM

Hi Gal,nice place you found here

Hunting_Gal · #5 10-02-2006, 03:37 PM

thanks j

fabsroman · #6 10-02-2006, 03:58 PM

Hey Jim, I don't know if this was your first post or not to this website, but Welcome to Huntchat just in case it is.

Hunting Gal, I don't have any experience with a Rossi or a .243 for that matter, but it is great to see that you are getting your son out with you to hunt. How old is he and how did you come to the decision to allow him to use a .243 at his age?

JimPic · #7 10-02-2006, 07:20 PM

thanks for the welcome,fabsroman.Real nice site you have here!

L. Cooper · #8 10-03-2006, 09:38 AM

I have seen many deer shot with a .243. The cartridge can do the job if the shot is a good one.

Be sure to stick with 100 grain bullets (my deer reloads all get 100 grain Nosler Partitions). The .243 is light for deer, but by using the heaviest bullets it becomes much more capable of handling those "awkward" shots that sometimes become the only shot.

Hunting_Gal · #9 10-03-2006, 03:13 PM

oh we use my 243 and we love it , i was just looking for a youth one for my son so i can have mine back lol
the only thing im not happy with it the rifle im looking at for son is not a bolt action

and dont know if he can cock this rifle though

Andy L · #10 10-03-2006, 04:02 PM

My son used one for 5 sesaons, starting at age 7. It was a handi rifle youth 243. Much the same as the Rossi. It was great for him. He couldnt cock it for the first couple of years and I liked it like that. I had to do everything but aim and pull the trigger. Thats not all bad for a youngin.

As for bullets, 100gr would be better, but I had him using 80gr. Less recoil, and yes, you could feel a big difference. Especially on young shoulders. The compromise was taking only good shots and making sure he was confident shooting it. I would much rather have a kid shooting 80gr bullets with confidence than shooting 100gr and closing his eyes and flinching at the last moment. No question.

Thats up to you. He had 5 clean kills with the 80 gr bullets.

fabsroman · #11 10-03-2006, 05:07 PM

Andy,

Did he have any non-clean kills with the 80 gr. bullets? I just ask because saying that he had 5 clean kills doesn't answer the other half of that issue.

The first shotguns I ever used required the hammers to be cocked, and I didn't seem to have a problem with it once I was about 7 or 8 years old. Same goes for my brothers.

Andy L · #12 10-03-2006, 05:25 PM

Fabs,
Nope. 6 shots, 5 dead deer. 4 dropped in their tracks. 1 ran about 20 yards and keeled over. 1 clean miss. Longest shot was 150 yards exactly and the closest was approx 35 yards.

Good little gun.

Andy

L. Cooper · #13 10-03-2006, 06:17 PM

I want to emphasize my recommendation for heavier bullets. The 80 grain .243 bullets are not meant for deer. The .243 is a light caliber for the task; use heavy for caliber bullets.

If someone cannot handle the recoil levels of a .243 with 100 grain bullets (and the gun CAN be shot at the range for training with lighter ones to work up to full loads) then the hunter is too inexperienced to hunt deer.

While someone may have examples of success with inappropriate bullets, you do not want a new hunter having the experience that varmint style bullets may produce if the shot is not perfect.

Use enough gun.

(Hey, that's a pretty good line! Think it will catch on? Think I'll get the credit?

)

Aim to maim · #14 10-03-2006, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hunting_Gal
the only thing im not happy with it the rifle im looking at for son is not a bolt action and dont know if he can cock this rifle though

Even more important is whether or not he can safely DECOCK it in the event that he decides not to fire for some reason after it's cocked. Accidental discharges can and do occur when people unfamiliar with the procedure or lacking sufficient hand strength try to lower a hammer on a live round.

What is second nature to most of us is not necessarily self-evident to novices. Assume nothing. Assumptions are especially dangerous where firearms and novices are involved.

Not intended as a lecture, just sharing the benefit of teaching experience. I wish you and your son many, many rewarding hours in the field, whether it be the Hill Country or the Brush Country.

fabsroman · #15 10-03-2006, 07:36 PM

Aim to Maim,

You are spot on. My brother had a similar problem with the .410 we were using and he almost shot somebody in the leg. He was trying to cock the gun and the hammer slipped out from under his thumb, resulting in the gun going off. I have no idea what the adult was doing standing in front of my brother, but luckily my brother had the gun pointed at the ground and there was no harm done. That was a good lesson at a young age for he and I, and a good lesson for everybody involved. Always stand behind the shooter when the shooter is shooting clay pigeons.

Andy,

Didn't think there were any bad shots, but just figured I would throw my attorney hat on for a second.

L. Cooper,

I agree with you. 80's can be used at the range, and the heavier 100's can be used for hunting. Most flinches are developed at the range, and not while hunting. I know I never feel the recoil from my rifle or shotgun while hunting, but I feel it from target shooting. Heck, I can shoot a 12 ga. almost all day at clays, but one day of waterfowl hunting with 3 1/2" 12 ga/ shells and I used to wake up the next morning with a sore back. Never felt a thing while hunting though. Now, I use a recoil reducer on that gun.