About 10 years old but at that age things change pretty fast as far as growing up.

I like the .260; however, I am slightly concerned about her being able to readily find factory ammo. She lives in northern Arkansas.

Thanks...Bexar

260 is pretty easy to find ammo. Especially with the Internet

7mm-08 and start her out with either Remington Managed Recoil or Hornady Custom Lite ammo.

Lots of places to get ammo these days; depending on where in northern Arkansas there might even be a Cabelas not too far away. .243 would have a wider bullet-weight selection in factory ammo, but a .260 offers heavier weights if she wanted to go after larger deer or game larger than deer. Nothing wrong with either one and about the same recoil.

Speaking of managed recoil...does anyone have any experience with .308 managed recoil?

I'd go .243.

.243 is tough to beat. Ammo availability, cheap ammo, wide range of ammo and easy on recoil.

I was very negative about the .243 for years ... until I was forced to use one. With modern ammo, they're pretty darn good.

Flip a coin

I don't think you can go wrong either way or with 7-08 thrown in the mix. One of my girls now has my old Remington BDL .243 and one has a Tikka T3 in 7-08. If I had 3 girls the third one would probably have a .260.

I slightly favor the 7-08 simply because it can shoot a tad heavier bullet.

Both good chamberings. I like the .260 Rem better due to heavier bullets. Probably more readily available ammo for the .243, though. The .260 Rem is a handloader's cartridge. If you want to get her a 6.5mm, but are not a handloader, get her a 6.5 Creedmoor. Exact same bullet leaving the muzzle at exactly the same speed, but Hornady makes plenty of excellent ammo for it.

This!!

Either will work well and last her a lifetime

Get a 243 and be scrupulous about using only bullets designed for deer.

A 243 is my choice too.
It is easy to find ammo any place.

I've shot both. Shot the 243 for 20 years. Killed lots of critters with the caliber. Bought my first 260 8 years ago......had kids......they all shoot 260's including myself. Same recoil but better penetration and they kill quickly. It will do everything a 243 can do but also a lot more because of the bullet weight choices and the sectional densities are much better resulting in a game killing machine. We have 4 rifles in this caliber. I had 2 - 243's in Remington 700's. But in the last 2 years I took the barrels off all of them and put 260's put on both of them if that tells you anything. I would not be scared to take up to elk size animals with them within reason.

Can't beat a .243/.260/7mm-.08. Howa makes a youth model with the shortened LOP that is a fine rifle. They use to have one that also included a standard LOP stock also, not sure if that is still offered.

Im a handloader and would probably buy a 260. As a person buying ammo looking for a deer gun for a young person I would go 243 every day due to cost and availability of ammo and the 243 just plain has what it takes to get the job done, not saying 260 doesn't, but its not going to kill them any deader. Also the 243 will have less recoil unless you load 100 grainers in the 260, which I bet is tuff to find in factory ammo.

I've had young boys, 9 - 10, shoot both a 260 with 100 grains and a 243 with 80 - 95's, and they could not tell a difference in recoil.

The 260 has plenty of ammo choices available online, more than the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Midway shows 7 available in stock ammo choices for the 260 and only 2 for the 6.5 Creedmoor.

The CM is proprietary and thus, not able to be loaded commercially without paying licensing fees to Hornady. The 260 Rem is no longer protected intellectual property and thus able to be loaded commercially without paying licensing fees and thus loaded by a variety of companies.

The 243 works fine, but the 260 really brings a much more solid punch to the table. I've used both for the last two years, and both work, but the 260 really has delivered more consistent DRT results. In the 243, the 80 grain Barnes TTSX is the way go.

How does a 100 grain 260 deliver much more punch than a 100 grain 243? Performance with similar style bullets should be nearly identical as well as recoil.

How is finding 100 grain factory ammo for a 260?

Most likely related to higher velocity, also penetration is a factor.

The 243 with 95's have run 2850 - 2900 in the one rifle I used them and checked. The 80 grain Barnes TTSX's are up to 3100, and have provided through and through wounds on pigs, where the 95 cup and cores have not exited.

The 100 in 260 are 3075 to 3100 fps.

I am loading for both, so have not looked for either on the shelves.

The Barnes TTSX really has shined since I changed to lighter weights than usual for caliber. Have used the 260 with 100 grain TTSX just beyond 200 yards with DRT results. The 243 with 80 grain TTSX is a nice combo as well, and is also a good choice for deer and pigs.

I don't understand how the recoil can be the same for the 243 and the 260.


260:
120gr bullet at 2950 = about 11.3 ftlbs
140gr bullet at 2700 = about 12.3 ft lbs

243:
100gr bullet at 2960 = about 8.53 ft lbs

this is per the recoil calculator on handloads.com using 8 lb rifles; published velocities for factory ammo

Note, I referenced the 260 with 100 gr Barnes TTSX at 3100 vs. 243 with 95 grain (bullet of choice, there are several) at 2900.

Rifles I use are about 8.5 all up. 260 is 8.9 ft/lbs. vs. 7.75 for the 243 with the first recoil calculator I pulled up. I use slow powders in both right at 45 +/- grains for each (H414 for the 260 and IMR4831 for the 243) which makes a difference compared to faster powders in the same rifle with the same bullets.

The 243 with the 80 grain Barnes at 3100 drops recoil to 6.9 ft/lbs, which is even a shade less. Overall 6.9 - 8.5 is a very low recoil range.

Those numbers are distinction without a difference.

Stock fit, powder choice, and teaching good form, will may make more difference between the choices, but both are low recoiling rounds. Also as noted, both will work fine.

All very true. But the OP is asking about factory ammo.

243 certainly is easier to find on a local shelf.