Best budget .243

[Steel4sam]

My daughter is 11, I’m looking for a great .243 for her, I’d like threaded and compact. Looking between ruger American gen II and the savage axis pro. Does anyone have any experience?

 

[rabbithuntr]

If you’re looking for a great 243 I’d look at Tikka I think all of their rifles are going to be threaded going forward. The tikka is a much better rifle than the axis, I haven’t been around the ruger American to much.

 

[Lionheart]

This^^^

 

[ktm450]

My Mauser M18 outshoots my Tikka (both in .243) and was very inexpensive.

Eurooptics deals on the Sauer 100 has gotten fantastic reviews as well

 

[WormSportsman]

Nothing wrong with a Ruger American gen II. The few I have been around have all shot very well. The stock isn’t the best but in that price range none really are great anyways.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

https://palmettostatearmory.com/weatherby-vanguard-synthetic-compact-243-winchester-bolt-action-rifle-reliable-accuracy-in-a-compact-black-vyt243nr0t.html

 

[AndrewMT34]

Most Ruger American’s I’ve been around shoot great. I would still choose a Tikka, mostly because all my other hunting rifles are tikka’s and I’m used to the form factor.

 

[robtattoo]

It's almost like we don't even have a dedicated firearms forum......

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Tikka T3X or Sauer 100.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

The Ruger Gen 2 would probably be the better solution for an 11 year old because of the spacer than can be removed from the stock to shorten LOP.

However, a Tikka compact would be nicer if you can increase the budget.

You can get a Ruger in 6mm ARC, have you thought about that? Less recoil and totally effective for the range an 11 year old will be shooting (for most hunters actually). Has cheaper practice ammo too. A 16” with a compact suppressor would be a great set up for a new shooter, no blast or recoil to fear.

 

[ColPenguin]

Im not sure your thought process on choosing a .243 for an 11 yr. old. There are a few good threads on this topic already, such as this: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/kids-rifle-manifesto.348812/

A Tikka t3x Lite Compact .223 could be a good value starter option for a youth. The compact model will have that shorter length of pull. The .223 will have less felt recoil than a .243 to help establish foundational marksmanship fundamentals. It will be cheaper per round to get more practice repetitions in with the .223 and will be less fatiguing to the youth shooter.

The 2025 Tikka models are factory threaded, or can send an older model off at clearance price for threading and it is going to be similar total cost.

Beretta also has a $75 rebate in place until Nov 30, 2025.

 

[kkp005]

Easy. Tikka 243 compact. I’ve got one with the 20” threaded barrel.. Shoots 5 shots of federal fusion under an inch.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Im not sure your thought process on choosing a .243 for an 11 yr. old.

I am assuming that legality plays a part in this decision. There are still many jurisdictions where .224 calibers are not allowed for deer.

But, if I was buying a deer rifle for my kid, I would be looking hard at a 6mm ARC. Not that there is anything wrong with a suppressed .243 or 6mm CM, but the 6mm ARC is enough for deer at any reasonable range and a lot cheaper and easier for practice.

 

[ColPenguin]

I am assuming that legality plays a part in this decision. There are still many jurisdictions where .224 calibers are not allowed for deer.

Understand caliber restrictions may be in place for hunting.

My thinking, so much more time will be spent at the range with the youth.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Understand caliber restrictions may be in place for hunting.

My thinking, so much more time will be spent at the range with the youth.

That’s where 6mm ARC comes in. 223-ish recoil (especially if he gets a can) and affordable ammo to practice.

To the OP: As a dad who has raised two boys that have been shooting since they were 4, A suppressor is so worth the money. It really takes any fear out of the equation and allows the kid to truly focus on the fundamentals. The “Boom!” of an unsuppressed rifle I have found is actually what leads to bad form more than recoil itself. Eliminating the boom while reducing recoil combined with an affordable cartridge to practice a lot, is a recipe for success. A Suppressed 6ARC is the answer.

 

[Chris in TN]

I think the .243 is a fine choice. I'd think 6mmARC would work too but at the end of the day I think 6.5cm's cheap ammo availability is a plus, and recoil doesn't seem to bother my very recoil-averse 11 year old girl, nor my very recoil averse 8 year old boy. If you don't reload, the availability of cheap but decent practice ammo such as what AAC offers, is a huge deal, IMO. I *do* reload so my choosing a 6.5cm for the kids was based more on long barrel life and ease of finding components.

All three of my kids started on .22lr then 5.56 and they've hunted with 5.56 but never actually shot anything with it. Is it a perfectly sufficient hunting caliber? Yes. But it isn't legal everywhere. Step up to 6mm bore size and you're legal everywhere. From there....I think there's a lot of good choices ranging from 6mmARC on the small side to 6.5CM on the large side and that includes the .243 and I wouldn't criticize any of the choices you might make in that range and all of them are more than sufficient with good ammo to the sort of hunting ranges any 11 year old will likely be capable of shooting anytime soon....and then some.

As for rifles....there's a lot I like about the RAR but I am not much of a fan of their stocks or magazines. I'm even less of a fan of the Savage. I'm not saying they aren't great values, just that I personally like better stocks and a bit more refinement than the Savage offers, at least. Between the two I'd get the Ruger, hands down, but I was in OP's exact position recently and I picked up one of the threaded compact Tikkas (not my first tikka but my first T3) in 6.5cm and it has been a great easy-button solution. My oldest is old enough that I *thought* she'd be able to shoot it well with the longer stock spacer. I was wrong; she could shoot it but had a lot of consistency problems with it and those vanished when we shortened it back up to the youth length, and I've already learned long ago that a full sized adult (me) can usually do passably well with a youth stock if they have to, so all three of my kids (plus me) can easily shoot this rifle.

I'd also look at the Sauer that others have mentioned. YMMV, I 100% get the idea of budget constraints but if I have to choose between the Ruger or spending another $200(?) on the Tikka, I'd choose the latter. The Savage wouldn't even be an option IMO.

And, honestly, a significant part of that is because I prefer the available vertical-ish Tikka grip over the Ruger's grip angle. That might seem like a small thing but I believe their vertical grip is much more natural and lends itself to a faster learning curve and comfort from a variety of field positions. YMMV. If the genII Ruger had a better grip angle I'd reconsider.

All three of my kids at 400 yards, prone, a few weeks ago. Still learning with a lot of room for improvement but they're learning.

 

[Chris in TN]

A suppressor is so worth the money. It really takes any fear out of the equation and allows the kid to truly focus on the fundamentals. The “Boom!” of an unsuppressed rifle I have found is actually what leads to bad form more than recoil itself. Eliminating the boom while reducing recoil combined with an affordable cartridge to practice a lot, is a recipe for success.

My two younger children simply wouldn't be shooters, if not for suppressors. In a more perfect world every new rifle would come with one and they'd be available in the checkout aisle at walmart in blister packs for $49.

 

[Steel4sam]

I am assuming that legality plays a part in this decision. There are still many jurisdictions where .224 calibers are not allowed for deer.

But, if I was buying a deer rifle for my kid, I would be looking hard at a 6mm ARC. Not that there is anything wrong with a suppressed .243 or 6mm CM, but the 6mm ARC is enough for deer at any reasonable range and a lot cheaper and easier for practice.

Thanks for the feedback. You’re right on, .24 cal is legal for deer in the states we wish to hunt. .22 is not.

I ended up getting a great deal on T3, having it cut down and threaded. Should be a great gun!