243 or 7mm-08

How big is the kid?

I own both! my wife prefers the .243 and I the 7mm08! The felt recoil in each is very similar, with the 08 having slightly more. Ammo availability for the .243 is somewhat better, every Mom & Pop store in the rurals around here has it. The 7mm08, not so much! Either, is plenty potent for the whitetails around here. Either would be a good choice! Both of ours are remington 700's.

As a side note; I do not reload. I can tell you from personal experience that around here the .243 ammo is considerably cheaper to purchase than the 7mm08 ammo. with the .243 going for around $15 a box and the 08 going for $25+

.243 simply for the point of ammo availability. If you plan on reloading, then I guess it's a moot point.

Go with the .243 and don't look back. It's a great cartridge, I wanted one for years and now own one.

I'd rather see a kid with a .243 than a 7mm-08 and developing a flinch.

.243. I've never really been impressed with the 7mm-08. It can't do anything that the .243 can't do just as well and the .308 couldn't do better.

A 243 isn't just a starter gun. With good bullets it is good for anything in the lower 48. I'd buy the 243 and she'll be set for life.

Start with a 243.

I started with a 243 many years back but recently bought my first 7mm-08. 6mms (.243cal) leave something to be desired in the terminal performance department, and 7mm tend to kick a little more then is comfortable for small/beginer shooters. Split the difference and you have the 6.5mms which I feel are the ideal compromise. 260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmore, and 6.5x55 are as ideal a low recoil hunting cartridge as you could ever ask for. I prefer the 6.5x55 but I handload everything I shoot, if you are buying factory ammo the Creedmore would be my first choice. Browning, Savage, and T/C all chamber the Creedmoore.

if your thinking about 7mm/08,might as well just get a 308

dprice3844444 said:

if your thinking about 7mm/08,might as well just get a 308

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True enough, just remember the fit of the rifle can make just as much difference as the cartridge, my Winchester 70 Featherweight in 308 Win has less felt recoil then my Browning 7mm-08.

.260 Remington

i've got to disagree. I think the 7mm/08 is easily the better all around cartridge. especially for your 5'11" kid. The lighter weight softer shooting bullets in the 7mm/08 are still good for deer sized game, and don't kick noticeably more than the heavy weight .243 bullets. I'd chose 7mm/08 and not look back. sorry to be the dissenting voice here

Offfhand said:

.260 Remington

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Fantastic round for kids or grownups. My pick for the perfect whitetail round.
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The mid ranged 6.5mms (260, 6.5x55, 6.5 Creedmore, 6.5x57, and 6.5x47 Lapua) are kind of the ideal balance, let's compare to some of the more common hunting cartridges.
To be totally fair lets compare at factory speeds since not all of us reload, and with common bullet weight and with common Ballistic Tip bullets. Keep in mind these are all built on the same 308 parent case. For recoil I figured 45gr of powder seeing as that is about standard for anything in the 308 case. All trajectorys are figured with a 100yd zero.
95gr 243 2950fps
120gr 260 2950fps
140gr 7mm-08 2850fps
150gr 308 2820fps
243 Win 300yd trajectory -12.2" 300yd energy 1074ft/lbs recoil energy 10lbs
260 Rem 300yd trajectory -11.6" 300yd energy 1494ft/lbs recoil energy 13lbs
7mm-08 300yd trajectory -12.5" 300yd energy 1659ft/lbs recoil energy 15lbs
308 Win 300yd trajectory -13.2" 300yd energy 1652ft/lbs Recoil energy 16lbs
That is why I like the 6.5s, easily the flattest shooting of the bunch with energy rivaling the big boys and hardly any more kick then the 243 (I cannot tell the difference) figure it delivers over 40% more energy on target with the added caliber mass and momentum of an extra 25gr and half a mm it makes for a strong argument.
For comparison my 6.5x55 300yd trajectory -10.5" 300yd energy 1621ft/lbs recoil energy 15lbs.

Any of these will work. One not mentioned, if you should run across a good one at a good price, is the .257 Roberts, which has been used to start my older son and children of some friends. Sits in between the .243 and the 7mm-08.

jmr40 said:

A 243 isn't just a starter gun. With good bullets it is good for anything in the lower 48. I'd buy the 243 and she'll be set for life.

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Except elk, moose, large bears, and caribou.

According to my dad, who lived in Montana for a number of years and knew a lot of Native Americans there, he said that a good number of them used the .243 for elk and moose with great results.

243s, 257s and yes even my 6.5s need surgical shot placement for large bear class game. None of those would be my first choice on an elk hunt, I have a 30-06 with 180gr SGKs for that

if your thinking about 7mm/08,might as well just get a 308

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And if you're thinking about a .308 you might as well get a 30/06!...lol

shaggy430 said:

According to my dad, who lived in Montana for a number of years and knew a lot of Native Americans there, he said that a good number of them used the .243 for elk and moose with great results.

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You have to realize that Native Americans have the chance to choose their shots. If the angle or range isn't right they have the option to wait for a better shot. Be it that day, the next day or the next week. Most of us don't have that option. Plus they are probably better versed in stalking. The question isn't if the 243 is capable of taking large game, it is, but is the shooter disciplined enough to know his or her limitations?

I'd suggest the 243 over the 7mm08. I have both and will simply say"you know you've stepped up to a big game rifle" when you light off a 7mm08. I ceratinly wouldn't expect one of my Grandkids to start their centerfire experience with a 7mm08.

The .243 would be my pick, but the .260 Rem or 7mm08 is not bad either. If you going with a lightweight rifle stick to the .243