Looking for good cartridge and budget rifle for 14 y/o

[CC55]

It's always interesting what the cartridge debates stir up. You've gotten lots of opinions, I'll skip the recommendations and bounce some ideas around:

-What will he shoot the most accurately in large sample sizes? It's never the "biggest gun he can shoot accurately" like most recommend. 6mm options are about 7# (6ARC) to about 10# (6CM). 7-08 will take you to about 14#. At 400 yards the 6ARC will drift 0.75" more in a 10mph wind with 1/2 the recoil. Things will die just as fast with a 6mm, no reason to get hit with more than you need to.

-You sound like you aren't going to reload. You can walk in and pick up a box of ammo in a Hornady based cartridge that does what a custom setup did 20 years ago for like $30. Getting skilled with a rifle requires volume, just like with a bow. You gotta shoot enough. Will be hard pressed to find something that matches what they offer in a cheaper, factory option. 6ARC or CM are hard to beat here.

 

[MT-nuffgun]

If I was a righty, I would buy the 6 ARC in the howa mini action immediately. I have a cz-527 .223 in a left hand and those mini actions are awesome. Too bad cz stopped production on the 527

 

[Ringbill27]

Assuming they’d be chasing deer and elk. I’d get a Tikka T3x Lite SS in 7mm08. The rifle is great, the cartridge is great. It’ll be a rifle they could have forever. Once they grow and can handle larger cartridges I’d make the 7mm08 the deer rifle and get something bigger for elk.

I have one in 30-06 and need one in 7mm08.

 

[xsn10s]

The OP could do that but wanted to stay $450 and under on the rifle. Sims Vibration Laboratory is in WA so getting a recoil pad from them is easy. A clamp on Witt muzzle brake is $89-$100 and would probably make the rifle recoil like a 243 Win. Soft point 150 gr ammo would work on whitetails and costs about 30 bucks per box.

 

[hunting1]

All my kids started with a Savage Sierra 10 in 308 with 125gr NAB's. They took antelope to elk.

 

[xsn10s]

We didn't have 6.5 CM in stock during the pandemic. 308 win and 30-06 was the most easily obtained ammo.

 

[Ringbill27]

The OP could do that but wanted to stay $450 and under on the rifle.

Oops I missed that part. I guess I’d recommend a savage axis or a mossberg best on budget. Recommended knowing it’ll probably be traded off and upgraded in a few years. I’d spend an extra dollars and get to a Ruger American. But then you not far from tikka.

 

[HappyHuntr]

The OP could do that but wanted to stay $450 and under on the rifle. Sims Vibration Laboratory is in WA so getting a recoil pad from them is easy. A clamp on Witt muzzle brake is $89-$100 and would probably make the rifle recoil like a 243 Win. Soft point 150 gr ammo would work on whitetails and costs about 30 bucks per box.

Didn't realize they were that cheap of muzzle breaks. Do they rip up your ears to shreds?

 

[xsn10s]

Didn't realize they were that cheap of muzzle breaks. Do they rip up your ears to shreds?

I would imagine so. I never shoot without hearing protection. And when shooting with flashiders or muzzle brakes I wear plugs and muffs.

 

[HappyHuntr]

I would imagine so. I never shoot without hearing protection. And when shooting with flashiders or muzzle brakes I wear plugs and muffs.

Ok.

 

[HappyHuntr]

Let me try to get this thread on a more peaceful track.

If you were going to get your 14 y/o boy a rifle and you could only choose between a 243 win, 270 win, 7mm-08, and 308win , what would you get.

No opinions, no other cartridges, only the 4 listed above. This is a hypothetical.

 

[Ringbill27]

Let me try to get this thread on a more peaceful track.

If you were to be my your 14 y/o boy a rifle and could only choose between a 243 win, 270 win, 7mm-08, and 308win , what would you get.

No opinions, no other cartridges, only the 4 listed above.

308win. Available and cheap.

 

[HappyHuntr]

308win. Available and cheap.

Thank you. Type of post I was looking for.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Let me try to get this thread on a more peaceful track.

If you were going to get your 14 y/o boy a rifle and you could only choose between a 243 win, 270 win, 7mm-08, and 308win , what would you get.

No opinions, no other cartridges, only the 4 listed above. This is a hypothetical.

Limited to those 4 and everyone is learning, 243.

 

[Alex Genereux]

.243

 

[xsn10s]

Ok.

I suffered a lot of hearing damage in the Army and while training law enforcement. Army gave us orange flange hearing protection which accounts for most of my hearing damage. Do your son a favor. Get him plugs and electronic muffs. I got a cheap Caldwell electronic muffs on sale for around 35 bucks. I can't even hammer nails without hearing protection now. And my ears constantly ring.

 

[fwafwow]

I suffered a lot of hearing damage in the Army and while training law enforcement. Army gave us orange flange hearing protection which accounts for most of my hearing damage. Do your son a favor. Get him plugs and electronic muffs. I got a cheap Caldwell electronic muffs on sale for around 35 bucks. I can't even hammer nails without hearing protection now. And my ears constantly ring.

^^^this. On a long term basis, doing this will have far more important benefits than any caliber or rifle maker choice. You can sell and upgrade the gear. You can’t get back hearing loss.

 

[Ringbill27]

308win. Available and cheap.

Ruger American predator in 7mm08. Final answer!

Not as available. But flat shooting. And the predator is threaded. Brake it now suppress it later.

My wife has an American in both the 7mm08 and 308. She loves them.

 

[Danny Hoey]

.308

 

[HappyHuntr]

243 in the lead but the 308 is pulling closer!!!