If you're stuck with over the counter ammo, 243 every time. Every gas station in a small town, that sells ammo, will have it. Its not just for kids and wimmens. If I could only have one, it would make the short list.

6.5 Grendel, 6.5x55, 260 Rem, or 6.5x284. Or a .243 will work, though I like the 6mm Rem better!

You're welcome, you earned my respect long ago.

I've done as I suggest. Below is one of my nephews when he was 9 with his 243 R700. I let him pick a scope from all I had. He liked the big Nightforce (MOA of course ) , so let him use it. He shot lots and lots of 22LR. He and his brothers did the custom winter camo paint, which turned out pretty nice. Let them have some fun. He shot the 243 to 200 yards in practice with 70 SMK's with a light load of Varget.

He shot the pig below from a kneeling position- but only after sneaking within 25 yards. Load is an 80 gr Barnes TTSX, which produced a through and through wound and DRT. He since moved down to a fixed 6x SWFA SS, which is easier for him to handle.

Good stuff, sir!

Seeing kids have fun is one of the best joys in life.

All the scientific nerd stuff aside, 7x57 will do what you ask pretty easily.

7mm-08 if you can't find one.

Without a doubt. Had lots of that lately with my 8 year old daughter, coyote calling, .22 lr shooting, even just getting better catching the soft ball.

Y'all educate me on the 7mm-08.

Per Hodgdon's website.

Bullet weights from 100 to 175, but it would shoot 180's = 14 bullet weights.

13 Hodgdon powders
12 IMR powders
1 Winchester powder
=26 powders that will work in it.

Brass that works, 243, 260 Rem, 7-08, .308 and I probably forgot some.

Load it with a light bullet excess of 2900 fps, or load it up to a 175 gr that'll kill an elk. It can be made to be kid friendly, without a problem. And it is a top performer in long range shooting, if you ever wanted to try that.

Versatile I tell ya!

Back when Remmy 1st intro'd the 7-08 I kinda wrote it off when I was schlepping CF rifles all over the SWest, cause my mfg'er didn't think it was a long time keeper.

Then I discovered my largest customer, Carters in Houston, had bought a pile of 'em to use as loaners on their Day Hunt ranch's, after a season of experimenting with different calibers...and settled on the 7-08 as the best of the bunch for recoil non tolerant, younger, inexperienced, small framed folks or elderly less than athletic shooters with it's mild recoil, excellent game performance and 270 like performance all around, with out the 270's can be "crisp" recoil in light rifles. The 7-08 seems to have about killed the 280 too, that used to have a small but reliable steady market.

May have to finally try a 7-08 all these years later, as I now fit more than half the criteria that Mr Carter was trying to satisfy, and am looking for that One Caliber Do All to keep up with, and is available in enough price point different platforms in both ammo & rifles for even my budget & performance requirements.

Just need to burn up and/or sell off all the rifles and components I've accumlated...and move everything into a 7mm platform of some sort.
JMHO & YMMV
Ron

In 1982 I was looking for a new deer rifle and was planning on getting a 308 but a competitive shooter friend talked me into getting the 7mm-08. Walmart had 3 of them on the rack but no ammo, in Starkville MS and I was in College at MSU at the time.

Found that one LGS 30 miles away had one box of factory ammo and reloading dies the would hold for me so stopped by and picked up the rifle, then went and bought the ammo and dies. When that ammo was shot up and the brass used in reloads to the point it had to be scrapped I got some 308 brass and tried using it but necked down it was too thick in the neck to chamber so back to the friends house with the 308 brass to neck turn with his gear so I still could shoot the rifle as ammo was still hard to find.

From that I have seen the popularity of the 7mm-08 to grow to what it is today. A very good versatile round with a loyal following. Over the years I have used lots of other rounds for hunting deer and hog sized critters 30+ different ones and none have really been any better than the 7mm-08 IMO. Of over 50 deer shot with that rifle by me and a few others only one have made it out of sight in brush and woods before expiring and both of those were not so good of shots.

This sums it up.

I think my LGS has a featherweight in 7x57 still if you wan't to be more of a snowflake like myself.

243 or 7mm08. 308 if you use reduced recoil rounds.

Had Alamo build me one of these on a SS LH 700 action. It's deadly accurate even with factory ammo but it's affected by gravity like anything else.

Mike,
Alamo built you a 7mm-08?

I'm thinking I may use Alamo to build something for me. But if I'm going to the trouble of building a gun I want to make sure it will a) stand the test of time and b) meet my objectives I outlined above. I'm a few years away from really needing it since my kid is 5 but I've got the itch. of course I'll use it until he is ready.

I shot a 7MM-08 at the range on Saturday. Nice round with limited recoil. If it was me, I would go with the .243.

It depends on the size of the child to me. Started both my children with a .243 at age 11, both moved to the 7mm-08 at 15. I am not a .243 fan myself because most deer ran a ways after the shot. Now that they both shoot the 7mm-08, none have gone more than 50 yards. Daughter, whom killed several deer with the .243, shot her first deer at age 15 with the 7mm-08 and dropped him in his tracks, so she took it away from me. My son shot a 10 point during youth season a week ago Saturday with my 7mm-08, went 40 yards at most, so he took it away from me too, lol. So I ordered him another 7mm-08 and picking it up at Cabelas on Saturday so I can have mine back.

I shot a 25-06 for 20 plus years using various loads and it is a real shooter, custom built on German 98 action. But I have retired it strictly to varmint hunting now that I am in love with the 7mm-08.

In my opinion, and I know everybody has 2 or 3 or 10, lol, go with the 7mm-08 if you think your child can handle the recoil. But don't get them gun shy, have a good honest option. If not, go with the .243 like I did for a couple years then move up to the 7mm-08 so they don't get gun shy. You won't have any problem selling a youth .243 when you get ready to.

And no matter which caliber you choose, .243 or the 7, Cabelas has the TC Venture compact in both calibers on sale for $379.99. Never had or shot a TC Venture, both my other 7's are Remington, but for that price I am going to give it a try. Adjustable trigger, stock shims and guarantee sub moa. A lot of gun for a little money.

I think the 7mm-08 is more versatile than a .243 and that's what I started my daughter on. She didn't like it so I got her a .243 which she did like. She'll be 26 in two months and still prefers a .243. I think recoil tolerance is the determining factor.

I love my .243's got one in a AR-10 and a re barrelled 700. Shot alot of deer with the 700 that DRT although you have the occasional tough guy that takes it like a man and runs 50 yards. You can't beat the 180VLD 7mm BC but the 08 needs a lil more case for it. Getting a .284 built to run 180's, been salivating for it, its still under construction. But, the 7mm-08 is a fine cartridge too, its hard to beat the BC of a 7mm. Both are great for kids, women, and men.

Another vote for 7mm-08.

Agree...I would choose the 6.5 of the three.

.338 NOSLER

no really I may go 6mm creed. read some good stuff on it over on accuraterifle.com

I don't have one, but growing up all I ever saw my dad shoot was an old .243, he loved it. I don't hunt much, but I do like varmitting so I run a MVP varmit in .223. I love that gun as well, but probably not the best choice for hunting larger game.

6mm creed is fun. I've put 1500rds down mine. I'm not sure how much more it's got but there sure are a lot of new 6mm bullet options out there I'm ready to try.

.308 It can be downloaded for reduced recoil and I believe they sell reduced recoil ammo. Bullet weights from 90-180 gr are available for all types of critters.