As much as I like hunting with my 223 for deer and pigs, get him the 243. If recoil is a problem then switch to managed/reduced recoil loads or even better start him out with those then move to normal loads later.

A good fitting gun with a good recoil pad goes a long way toward reduction of felt recoil. For a scope make sure what you choose has lots of eye relief, something overlooked by many when choosing a setup for youngsters. Hearing protection is another thing, always use it, have known those that developed a flench from noise and not recoil.

Whatever you decide thanks for getting your youngster out hunting

What he said!

I'd go with a .243! My Dad bought me one when I was about 6 and it never bothered me.

.243 all the way, very little recoil, very accurate and a excellent deer rifle for Texas whitetails.

I am sure the 223 would be fine for Texas deer hunting, but I would go with the 243. Put a big, thick jacket on him and let him fire away.

The 243 has been proven to be a good caliber for deer, no telling how many deer have been killed with them. Ammo is widely available and is also inexpensive, relatively speaking.

That would make him a fine firearm for many years.

Just make sure it has a good recoil pad (I like the Limbsaver pads and the ones Remington is now using) and shoot 80 grain bullets. They'll do the job and with that combo recoil shouldn't be a problem.

After a few years you can step up to 100 gr. ammo and He'll have a good hunting gun for a long time.

You might also consider a scope with a lower power and plenty of eye relief. Encourage shorter shots with bullet placement.

243 over 223 all day any day...remington 700 has a youth model in .243 im not gona lie its gona have a lil more kik than a 223 but its still not bad at all.

Do not buy a Rossi rifle! There are some out there that say they shoot OK. But they are few and far between, and I have yet to see it for myself. I have seen two of them in 223 that I would not drive in the ground to tie my feeder leg to. I've seen 12guages loaded with number 4's shot better groups.

The HR/NEF rifles are a step up, but still a single shot. My first rifle was a H&R 30-30/20ga combo. I still regret ever trading that thing off. But the lighter weight and easier handling comes at the expense of recoil. My 30-30 kicked like a freaking mule. But I never let my dad know it. It was my first rifle, the only smaller rifle my dad had was a 22, and I couldn't hunt with it. So it was take the beating from the rifle, or sit at home. No brainer, even to an 8yr old boy!

My recommendation is to find a Remington 788 in 243. They are very reliable rifles, weight is not bad but heavy enough to soak up some recoil, and everyone I have seen shot better than the users. I, being 6'3", find the pull quite short.

I'd go with the .243. Not much if any more recoil, and more forgiving in shot placement.

Stay away from cheap rifles, buy something you can sell later and not lose money on such as Remington and spend as much on decent glass as you can afford, they are kids and why not give them every chance to have a successful hunt with good equipment you cam afford as you want them to continue hunting with you and not have bad experience due to equipment failure and give up on it. And you can always get your money back on good equipment as you can right it off as a loss if you buy heap rifles and scopes. Just my .02

As if it wasn't said enough, 243.

Not everyone has the ability to necessarily get what they want. To a certain, they must go "cheaper"" in order to satisify their needs. Besides, there is some creedance to getting your kid a little cheaper version of something until he/she cane fully appreciate what they. I drove a crappy single cab beater truck around for my first car. Could my parents have bought me something better? Yes. Should they have? My answer then would have been yes but my answer now is no.

Well after a couple of months debating what I should buy, I went with the H&R 243 single shot. It came with a BSA 4-12x40 scope. What grain cartridge would be best? Hopefully I can get him out and sighted in and comfortable shooting this weekend and in the stand before the end of the season and try to get him a deer.
Thanks for all of the input.

Federal 85gr barnes TSX...the barnes bullets are the best for calibers like .243 iv put down some big boar with these rounds and it does wonders on deer

I like both the 85 dru tsx by federal and the 80 gr ttsx by Barnes vote-tx ammo

Barnes grouped better in my rifle

My 243 loves 100 gr Core Lokts!! They're pretty cheap and seem to work well in that caliber. They've killed pigs, deer, Aoudad, and Elk at varying ranges so far without any hiccups. I have always been and am a premium bullet advocate...Nosler, Barnes, etc. but the way my rifle groups the Core Lokts and the way they've performed, I see no reason to change. My gun just likes 'em. Just a cheaper option to consider.

Regards,
Scott

What is the difference, besides the obvious weight in 100 grain and 80 grain cartridges. I had some 100 grain corelokt in my hand and some 80 grain corelokt. This might be a silly question, but is there a difference in recoil? Is the main difference going to be penetration? I shoot a 30-06 (when I am not bow hunting) and this is the first .243 I have ever owned/shot.

You won't notice any recoil difference between the two but the deer will notice it. Go for the 100 gr if your gun likes 'em.