Which one would you recommened for a first gun for my 9 yr old
son. Finally convinced the wife to let my buy him a rifle. Only rifle he's shot was a 22. I've never shot either one so don't know how the recoil is. My first rifle was my grandad's 30 cal carbine. thinking of letting him start with that,too.

I have both... JUST IN CASE!!!! One of my boys is BIG at 5 and the other is small at 3 so I will start with a cricket 22, go to the 223 and then 243.

Better to have them and not need them then to need them and not have them.

Either or... Both work great the 243 has a little more range.. I'd be more concearned about good hearing protection then recoil.. noise to me is the biggest scare to kids.. IMO

Great point. Electronic ear muffs are the greatest thing ever!!! My boys love to wear my around the house and "hear all the stuff".

Josh shot his first deer at age 8 with a 223 and it was a mess. Deer hit the ground when he squeezed off, but flopped around for a bit. I decided to pop it with the 300 and put it down finally. Shot and that damn thing jumped up and took off. Now he only went 40 yards, but my son was none to happy with me. Thought I had lost his deer. 223 had hit the front shoulder and broke apart. Deer had one lung gone and was soon to expire, but we went to my old 243 the next year and Josh has laid everything to waste ever since. I would go with the 243.

Thanks. I have a pair of electronic ear muffs he wears all the time,too. I'll probably go with the .243. Figure he'll have it for a few years, then could pass it on to my daughter.

I broke out on a .243 over 20 years ago and still have it though its a safe queen these days. The one and only time I have ever shot a deer with a .223 was a neck shot and she hit the ground kicked in circles for a bit and got up and run out of the county. Thats the only deer I have ever lost with a rifle.

My vote goes for the 243 as well. Recoil is hardly noticeable anyway and has considerably more power.

i would split the deference and go with a 22-250 if the 9 year old is not big for his age and has not been shooting much the 243 may have to much recoil him.

243

If he starts using it, there is no need for him to grow out of it until he is old enough to buy his own rifles.

The 243 is my choice if numbers..The 22-250 has a harsher muzzle blast to me than the 243 does.
With the managed recoil rounds, 7mm-08 will recoil less than a 243 and he can use it for life,
by adding a full size stock later as he grows.

i vote 243, he can hunt with it till he can buy his own guns. much better than the 223, almost nothing for recoil.

i started with a 25-06 when i was in 4th grade.

243

I have the same issue. My son, 9, and I have a 6mm and two 223's; one M4 and a M77 Ruger Target.

My plan is to let him shoot a spike this season on the family place with the 223 target rifle. He has been shooting it and is comfortable with the NO recoil. 223 55gr. Soft Points should do the trick.

In another year or two, he can step up to the 6mm.

I still havn't outgrown my 243. It has a lot of deer and hog blood on it. Figuratively speaking, of course.

Me neither, Tikka 243...Love it.....

It would really help to know how big this kid is, but still I'd go with 243 and managed recoil ammo if needed.

I got me boy a Weatherby 243 for deer and hog hunting. A 223 is a great round but it is for smaller varmits. I love the 243 round.


Grainraiser

It's hard to beat a good .243

It's just my opinion mind you - and born of lots of experience with both calibres thru a great many guns, but there is just no comparison between the capabilities of a .223 and a .243.

If you are a varmint hunter or an expert shot that plans to allways neck/head shoot a deer - the .223 will work for you.

But if you are going for a heart/lung shot you want the added performance that a 100 grain .243 will give you over a typical 55-63gr .223.

Earl

My son shot his first doe last year with a Ruger M77 in .223 at over 150 yards and she didn't go more than 30 yards. The shot placement was the key and as some have stated if the bullet placement is off due to wind, not a good rest, overly excited, etc...then you are rolling the dice but since I don't own a .243 that he could shoot comfortably starting out (he's very recoil shy and pretty skinny frame for his age) I decided to let the boy try a .223 on his first doe. I witnessed it again yesterday trying to put him on another one to get some Tamales made for the holidays. It was a similar shot, 150 yards out, he got comfortable, worked on his breathing pattern and squeezed off the Ruger .223 that he used last year and she didn't go more than 20-30 yards falling over. His doe yesterday weighed 101 pounds btw.

He has a lot of confidence in that gun now that's for sure. What bothers me though is I know that when the right first buck steps out he really needs to be holding a .243 and not the .223. Yes...the .223 will kill it with the right bullet (which I'll get to in a sec) but the chances of him wounding his first buck will go up with his .223 vs. a .243. Needless to say...Dad is on the hunt for a .243 right now because his next kill will hopefully be a management buck and I'd hate for him to hit it in high or back and loose his first buck.

If you go with a .223 as I've done for his first couple of does I highly recommend the Winchester Ranger 64 grain Power Point. This round was very impressive on the two deer he has taken for a .223.

Between the two listed choices, I would choose a .243 for deer, hands down. The difference in recoil is so small it shouldn't be a factor. If recoil is a concern, don't get a featherweight/ultralight rifle. Good luck and post those pics when he gets one.

If your 223 is an AR15, I'd suggest you just get him an upper in 6.8 SPC. Ballistics on it are virtually identical to the 243 Win. out to about 350 yrds with similar weight bullets. If you don't already have an AR15 lower, then I'd say to definitely go with the 243 Win. It has alot more footlbs of energy at any distance and will outperform a 223 on deer any day of the week.

.243 without question. Many whitetail, mule deer, a few exotics and pronghorn antelope have fed my family because of it, in the hands of a boy I gave it to and taught to hunt with it.

243 all day

243 youth model of the non single shot variety. Those things are hard to outgrow as they become good short "truck guns".