6.5 with a 100 grain Barnes TTSX provides more consistent terminal performance than a 243 even with comparable bullets.

The last thing a new hunter needs is a wounded animal. Recoil is similar.

I worked up that load for kids and now use it myself occasionally because it works so well and is so pleasant.

Couple cell phone videos, but they show the terminal performance of the lightweight Barnes TTSX's in action. They work well with mild recoil.

Here is one of my nephews using the 100 TTSX in a .260.



A .308 with a 130 TTSX is a step up in recoil, but is a mild .308 load and now is the load I use most of the time on pigs and deer.

Here is my wife using the .308 130 TTSX.

My first son I bough him a .243 shooting the Barnes TTSX 80 g bullets. My 2nd son I bought him a 6.5 creedmoor shooting Hornady ELD-X 143g bullets. Both started shooting/hunting when they were 8 yo. If I were to do it again, i would have bought them both 6.5 Creedmoors if only considering between the two calibers. Granted the 6.5 is a Browning X-bolt with a stock break on it, but undoubtedly it is a more comfortable rifle with less perceived recoil than our unbreaked .243. Sure, the break has something to do with that. The noise is a non issue as they have never fired it without great hearing protection.

How so?

I test shoot pigs with a load combination several times with a variety of shot placements before letting the kids use them. Comparing like to like, .243 bullets do not penetrate as consistently and do not exit as consistently and do not consistently provide the DRT results as the same bullet in .264, that is with Barnes TTSX’s and Partitions. Can they, yes, but not as consistently as the small step up to .264 cal with the 100 TTSX. Partitions are the other bullet at the top of the list to use in a .243 from my first hand use. Can it work well? Absolutely, but again it can be inconsistent on the big pigs. What I observed is moving up to around 100 grains in .243 bullets helps, but the heavy bullets need faster twist barrels than the old R700 had. I ended up selling it, and now use a .223 for them to practice and then have them shoot the .260 100 gr combo to make sure they are comfortable.

The only Barnes bullet I have ever recovered was an 80 TTSX from a large boar hog. To the bullet’s credit, it penetrated through both shoulders and paralyzed the hog, but it was still very alive. Similar shot placement with the same bullet, but in a 100 grain TTSX from the .260 exits consistently and it is lights out.

Last year, a sounder of pigs came in while one of my nephews was with me. I tried to focus him on waiting to have one totally clear with no pig behind it. He did as taught and aimed for the base of the ear and that pig dropped like a rock. However, there was a smaller pig behind it shoulder to shoulder. The 100 TTSX went through the skull of the first pig, and also through the skull of the second pig.

Where I mainly hunt has thick thorn brush and DRT can save an unpleasant outcome for everyone. We do not use heart/lung shots, but high shoulder, point of shoulder, or brain.

My silencer will be free from jail next month so I do plan on threading the barrel of whatever gun they get.

That will make a huge difference. With that in mind, I'd go 6.5 CM or 260 Rem with a full power 140'ish load. If they don't like the recoil, and there won't be much, you can always drop down to a 120. I've got a Tikka CTR in 260 and running a suppressor on it and my medium hot handloads gives me recoil about like an un-braked (or un-suppressed) 223.

i really like the ruger ranch in 6.5 grendel. Nice compact gun, and very little recoil. Already threaded.

I don't know what your two girls have shot so far but my advice is to start them out very small and work them up so as not to develop bad habits from not only the sound but recoil.
Start them out at the range on .22 and move them up to .22mag or 17hmr and then on to a small centerfire like a 222 or 223.....or even a hornet if you can. Then, once you see they handle it well move them up to a 243 with light bullets and graduate them up to 100gr bullets from there. Hell, an 80gr bullet will kill any deer in this state when put through their pump room!

As far as 243 vs 6.5 needmore, that is your call. I'll say this, I have a couple 243s and one of them has probably killed more deer & hogs than all the other rifles in my arsenal combined! I shoot handloaded 100gr sierra boat tail bullets and NO deer stands a chance out to 300 yards if I have a solid rest! Last, I've killed WTs down south as big as 185lbs dressed and that one was rutted down so he would have been over 200 before the rut. He made it about 50-60 yards with one through his ribs. I've also seen my son pile large bodied bucks up in their tracks with mid to high frontal shoulder shots with that same gun and round through it.

I’m 13, and shoot a 6.5 creedmoor. I have a muzzle break on it, just the normal one that comes from the factory. I hardly notice the kick at all. I shoot the 143 eldx bullet and have good success with it so far. I do not think the 6.5 is the end all be all, but it is a really good youth rifle with enough bullet to take some larger game. I would recommend that over the 243 because it’s a bigger caliber and has hardly any recoil.

Wow, I just want to take a second and recognize this post. You sir, at the age of 13, communicated a point, backed it up, and provided good context. Very well done!

To the rest of our membership, let's not forget that we have young men who read our content, intake our opinions, etc.. I think we all too often forget that, at least i do

I was thinking the same thing when I read his post. We have many adult members that can't articulate that well. Keep up the good work, young man!

I just got out proper sentence structured by a 13y old. Well written and articulated Sir.

But there's just no "sizzle" in buying a new rifle that's cambered for a cartridge that's been killing deer for well over 60 years.

Well, except for break/ brake
If you have a break on a firearm there's a problem
If you have a brake, you can reduce recoil ( sometimes)

Benefit of the doubt says, autocorrect got him. He still beats the majority of my posts in error percentages.

Ok Creek....

It's Friday wooo

Excellent contribution.

Thank you for posting.

Good luck this season. 👍

Thanks!

Going to pick up my kid's new 708 today. She's 13. She shoots my long barreled heavy 708 and loves it, she just isn't comfortable moving it around due to its size. This one is lighter and shorter. I'll have her practicing with 100gr bullets to start, then she'll hunt with 140's and never know the difference.

My two girls are now 15 and 11. They shoot my 6.5 very well and recoil doesn’t bother them.
(That’s the main battle with kids and new shooters)
If they are scared of it, they won’t want to shoot it.
Plus it has more meat than a .243 and gives them more options.


Ain’t nothing wrong with a .243 though for sure.

My son started with .243 at 8 Still shoots .243.at 17. It really is all about shot placement.

When he started shooting I put an empty cartridge in after his 3rd shot. No flinch which made me happy.

I have shot his .243 on hogs and deer. Easy to shoot.

Kudos to the young man, and I could not agree more with his observations.

It has nothing to do with sizzle. One has a better ROI than the other. FTR I own both.