This spring I’ll be putting together a rifle for my 8yr old who is a bit on the smaller to average size vs my older son who was/is very tall/big for his age.

I’m thinking of a rifle that can be downloaded at first then increased as his skills and tolerance improve.

To keep things simple I’m thinking T3x compact- when he outgrows the smaller stock it will be easy to upgrade. Now to the question...

7mm08
6.5 manbun
243 Winchester

Right now I’m thinking 7mm08. His older brother started with a Ruger American compact in 243 and now runs a T3 in 243. The Ruger got sold to upgrade to the full-size stainless T3

We hunt whitetail and hogs. I’m just starting to handload.


What would you choose? Something I looked over?

7-08

Either 6.5CM or 7mm-08 would work nicely. You can get a can of Trailboss for some really fun plinking loads and then grab some 4198 or 4895 to make him some "killer" loads that are about 2/3 throttle. They'll kill fine inside 150yds or so. My bunch went this route and enjoyed it.

Although I believe they aren’t as accessible to you chaps as they are in Great Britain, I’d consider fitting a sound moderator/suppressor which have the advantage of significantly reducing recoil. It would broaden your rifle and cartridge choices for your son.

Good luck, my son will be 14 next July and will be old enough for his own rifle. At the moment I’m thinking it will be a M70 EW in .243 or .308 with a sound moderator.

Tim

What about a 30-30 model 94? Least he'll have a shooting identity thereafter.

the 6.5 douchmore......

Don't you put that evil on him ricky bobby.

223, if it's legal in your area for hunting. It's no handicap.

If you don't want to hunt with 22 cal, go 6.5 Creedmoor. No reason to try to turn a "5" into a beauty queen when the beauty queen is standing right there.

223 is legal in my area but I feel it’s better suited to an experienced shot. I’ve killed deer fine with it but want a little more bullet for a poor shot kids sometimes make. And there is a 30-30 Marlin he can play with all he wants.

Started my son with a 708. He was a slightly larger than normal size at 10. Used 120 nbt's at low book loads and recoil wasn't bad. Loaded some 85gn npt at low book for his smaller buddy who was going to hunt with us for a .243, recoil on the .243 was noticably less. Kid with the .243 killed his deer that year and cow elk the next year just as dead as my son using his 708.

Agree, if legal I'd got a fast twist 223. If not, I'd go 243. More than enough for deer and more low recoil options either via factory or handloading.

Do you imagine reduced loads in .308-based cartridges are somehow going to kill better with well-placed shot, or somehow prevent a schittshow with a badly placed shot? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but....

30-30 Marlin is a great choice. Mild recoil and kills well out to 200, farther than any new shooter needs to be anyway. Wheel is there,no need to reinvent unless you just want another rifle. 7-08 is a good choice that can be downloaded if that is the case.

I honestly hunt with the Marlin a good bit as we hunt a lot of thick woods. Need to see how it fits him...maybe lol at a youth model with shorter LOP.

The 7mm-08 is my main whitetail gun. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. Highly recommend.

243 - plenty of cartridge for your stated uses. There is enough difference in recoil between the 243 and the others mentioned that I lean in favor of the 243 for a young shooter. After all his brother is getting along just fine with a 243 so why not keep life simple and stay with one cartridge?

drover

Reduced loads in 708 with H4895 and gradually increase it as they get older is what I would do. My son was shooting them out of one of the old birch youth stocked model 7s. I would imagine theyd get popped pretty good with standard loads out of a plastic shortened tikka. I was surprised at the kick of a 6.5 out of my buddies kimber hunter.


I did pick up a 260 m77 compact and sent that youth 708 down the road. My now 9yo has been shooting it full throttle for two years now. Its amazing the difference in recoil even with standard loads between the two.

Buy a youth stock for it. My buddy's son shot his first deer in a stand with me with a 30-30 Marlin so-equipped at 10 years old. One of the best hunts I've ever been on and will never forget. Funny how you forget about all the deer you killed but those special moments with youth stick. Rem did make the reduced recoil 30-30 loads if you can find them or you can roll your own but I have no experience there on the 30-30.

All of your choices would be good, but me I would go 22 or 6mm CM, 223 or 243. All of these can be shot by a younger hunter with lighter but still full house loads. The 30-30 is not a bad choice especially if woods hunting. The 7mm-08 is the only one that would need reduced loads for a younger shooter. The 7-08 would be a good choice if larger than deer and average hogs are to be hunted in the future but I bet they will have other options if this happens.

My sons progressed from, air rifle, to 22 RF, to 223, to 243 to 270 Winchester in what seemed only a couple of seasons.

Just my opinion, but if a guy is a handloader and hopes to give his kid one big game rifle he can hunt for a lifetime, I see no reason to pick the 6mm stuff over the 6.5mm and 7mm offerings. They'll "grow into" full-power factory loads for the bigger chamberings in only a few years. If handloading isn't part of the plan, I can see getting a kid an enjoyable 22cal or 6mm as an intro rifle for game, acknowledging that they may also want something larger at some point in the next few years. A handloader has the advantage of a "one and done" rifle for the kid.

both my sons shot the same tikka t3 compact in 7mm-08. get some hornady custom lite 120 sst going round 2,650 fps with not much kick.then, when the lil ones are comfortable slip a nosler 120 bt in there to do work with. not saying the hornady custom lite 120 sst won't work cause they wil. i just like the 120 bt. then buy you a fullsize stock for it and later on you will have a 20" barreled carbine for you.least that was my plan.
Big Ed

.223 and a 62 tsx or 75 eld-m if you have the mag box for them.

T3x in a McM rem hunter with ptg stealth and Accurate Mags would be a sweet way to roll.

Hard to beat a 708 with lite loads in a cut down stock (but with a full 20" barrel). Then you've got a cartridge kids can grow with... and that ends up being suitable for most big game later in life. (Especially if you can get an adjustable or second stock to drop the BA into as the kid grows up.) If you go the 243 route, don't forget about noise. A 243 from a cut down barrel is loud and might cause more of a flinch than heavier recoil.

223. The kid is 8yo, and proportionally a 223 is not small for a person of that size.

My 10yo daughter is using an AR15 for deer hunting and the 223/5.56 is the biggest I think she can/should handle. 75gr gold dots. I’ll cut down a tikka T3x in 6.5 CM in a couple years when she puts on a few pounds.

The AR w/carbine adjustable stock is a really great rifle for kids. with ear pro.

Maybe 223 until he gets the hang of shooting, then take him out on his 12 birthday for a big boy rifle. 223 is always “needed” in one way or another.

not in your caliber group but maybe a CZ527 in 300 Blackout

use 150 Gold Dot 300BO bullets over the Max Load of lil Gun will outrun a 30-30 by 100y with slightly less kick
My 10yo son took a nice buck Antelope at 200y with the 150 gold dot 300 BO set up

there are all kinds of subsonic loads of reduced recoil you can buy or handload
we shoot 130grain lead over trail boss for practice

IF Hadn't said hogs then I would have suggested a 250 Savage with 10 in twist. Since you did my choice would be a 260 rem, 6.5 cm or 7mm08. I've taken many deer wi all except the cm. Don't have one. But I do have three 260 rem and two 6.5x55 swedes. Nice thing with the 250 is seeing the deer fall thru the scope.

6mm Remington

.257 Roberts

https://www.eurooptic.com/Tikka-T3x-Lite-Compact-65-Creedmoor-20-1-8-JRTXE382C.aspx

Under $600 on sale.

Howa youth in a 6.5 Grendel. I'm working on a few fir my 8 year old. I'll probably run the 129 ablr at about 2400 fps.

I've ended up with 2 of them now. I bought one at Whittaker's and then found a camo dipped one with a threaded barrel on clearance at sportsmans warehouse. I'm trying to decide whether to sell the non threaded but it is a bit lighter than the threaded. I also have 1 in 7.62x39. I need to get some of that bdl style bottom metal thats made in Oregon.

Bb

I have one of the 6.5 Grendel Howa's and it is great. With 100gr Partitions it could be my big game rifle. I'm shooting 100gr Custom Comps on coyotes with it.

Matt,
I think there is a better way to go about this IMO. I made the mistake with my kids in that I tried to get them to shoot a .243 which was too much in the beginning at that age. It wasn't until I had them practicing with a .22 that I would really ask myself which caliber is best. The struggle for a child is being able to actually handle the gun (in terms of its size). Once they're comfortable with handling a .22, try a .223 or .243. You'll then know what will work.

Bottom line, short(er) barrel and shorter stock is needed for fit to make them comfortable.

i've started 5 grandkids on a savage axis in 223, then moved them up to a rem 700 bdl in 243, and they've killed numerous deer thus far. i have about 8 more grandkids coming up and i'll start them the same way. i have 2 stands where the deer are approx 40 yards from the stand, easy shot with either a 223 or 243, and the deer rarely go more than 20-30 yards. everyone has a different approach, but this works for my family. ymmv.

2 years ago, I was in your same situation. I got my son a Ruger American in 7mm-08. I am happy with my choice. We tried both the regular and compact models. We ended up going with regular size with a 22 inch barrel. It has considerably less muzzle blast than the 18 inch barrel in the compact model. He was able to shoot it fine as long as he had a good rest. The recoil is less than the 20 gauge shotgun he was already comfortable shooting. Also, in the two years since then, he has grown from about 5’ 4” and 110 lbs. to 6’ 3” and 165 lbs. So now I am REALLY glad we got the full size model.

I also enjoy shooting it. I usually use it instead of my Remington 700 in .30-06 when my son is not hunting.

6.5 Grendal
6 ARC
277 Wolverine
25-45 Sharps
300 BO
7.62-39

I agree about the .223 for big game. My favorite rifle is my .257 Roberts but it is somewhat handicapped by bullet selection. A 6.5CM makes far more sense these days due to similar recoil with much larger selection of factory ammo and high BC bullets for reloading. At 69-1/2 and then some, I have not outgrown the Roberts. No reason I can think of why a kid should outgrow a 6.5CM.

7mm-08 would be my second choice.

What is the barrel length on this? Site says 24, photo and link seem to indicate 20?

H4895

The best youth load powder

I started my boy with a BB gun, then .22, then .223, when it came time for big game I downloaded a Tikka in 7mm-08. No flinch, he handles everything well, eleven years later.



P

I took my cousins kid hunting a few years ago when he was 10. I ended up letting him use my 16" ar so we could adjust the stock for him. I had some 75g Hornady bthps loaded that we used figuring it was enough for mule deer.

I took him to the range 1st and he took over 20 minutes off the bags on the bench to shoot a 3 round group. I kept telling him he couldn't take that time to shoot in most hunting situations and kept asking what he was waiting for or what took him so long to shoot once on target. He wouldn't answer and just kept taking his time. I spent 2 days and few hundred in gas guiding him around. I had him on 4 good shots, one at 30 yards broadside and he never did pull the trigger.

I think the best think for kids is lots of time behind a BB gun. I realize they are slow and awkward and don't have the experience but I get frustrated pretty quick when they won't listen.

I had a nephew mis a chance at a nice buck because we got him all rested up and ready to shoot and the he realized he didn't have his ear muffs and wouldn't shoot until someone went back to the truck and got his ear protection. I told him just take the shot you won't even notice the sound when this buck goes down. He wouldn't listen, wouldn't shoot even with us covering his ears for him. The buck didn't wait around and I'd spent about $400 on $4.59 gas driving him around that year. Now when someone asks me to take their kid hunting I ask if they have a bb gun and how often do they shoot it before i waste my time and gas taking kids that won't listen and have no trigger time.

I took IDmilton and his son up a in about 2014 and the kid had never shot any animal before not even a rabbit. I got him on a couple of nice bucks at about 350 yards. We rested Idmiltons 7-08 tikka over a backpack, dialed for range and talked the kid through aiming small and squeezing the trigger and the kid listen and did exactly what we told him and came away with a nice buck. Then I shot the other one as it ran off with my 7wsm Montana. We were both using 162 amaxes and ended up with two good bucks. So obviously some amateurs and kids do listen and can get it done their first time out. I just get frustrated with ones that won't listen when its go time.

Bb

Manbun loaded down to 6.5 Grendel class. It'll work about like a 30-30 but it'll kick less and fly flatter.

I can tell you having an adjustable stock is very handy when dealing with kids. They grow fast. A gun that fits them makes dealing with the weight go much more smoothly.

Might improve a marginal shot, really bad hits are usually leakier of blood with bigger rounds.

I put together a 700 youth 7-08 for my nephew years ago and loaded him a bunch of 120 NBTs over the starting load of h4895. He came back about 3 years later when he was about 6' tall and 180 pounds and wanted me to load him more of those light loads because factory 139g stuff kicked too hard.

I loaded him some full power 150g NBTs over rl15 instead and then asked him how they shot later. He said they were great and he liked going back to the lessor kick. Then I broke it to him and he hasn't had me load for him anymore.

He did kill a few little bucks and a doe or two with those first reduced 120g nbt over h4895 loads.

Bb

I built my granddaughter a 6.8 spc. On a savage youth. She has killed everything she has aimed at.

Either the 6.5 or 7-08. Started my son with a .260 when he was 7 or 8 in a stainless Model 7 with 20” barrel. Used plain old 100gr Hornadys with a barely over minimum charge of 3031. Seems book value was between 2600 and 2700 fps or so. Similar to what might be had with deer type bullets from a 16” AR. Hardly made the rifle bounce but killed deer fine. Just no recoil. The 6.5 Charlie Manson should be almost as good.

Load the 120 BT over 40gr Reloader 15 for my wife and her 7mm-08 Browning Micro 20”. Almost the same story. Very little recoil and dead deer. Either of these cartridges can be loaded a lot stronger should the need arise, and we have done that.

Starting a lightly built young man of 8 with his first deer & pig rifle I’d lean toward the 6.5 with 100 grain Ballistic Tips, Partitions or Hornadys. He’ll never outgrow it.

As much as I hate to say it, but I think the 6.5 Manbun would be a good choice. Low recoil, more power than the .243, cheaper factory ammo than the 7-08. Seems to be the happy medium.

^^ This ^^ ...... I'd own one but for a 257R and 6CM already in the safe waiting for the g-kids to show interest.

As much as I dig the 7mm-08 (and own several), the 6.5manbun is just marginally superior if trying to also incorporate a small kid for early-years shooting. No flies on a 100gr NPT at reduced speed for a 8-9yr old as a game load. Got to be about as deadly as a .243 factory load and outclasses the .223 on killing. Powder-puff loads for plinking are right there with the .223 for recoil.

I've put these pics us before, but my baby girl was about 7 or so here. 260Rem 700 in a youth handle with a stock pack riser. 85gr Sierras with Blue Dot. She'd shoot and shuck as many as I'd stick in the magazine. The 6.5CM is the better mousetrap these days, but there are certainly many ways to skin a cat, as folks have already illustrated in this thread. Good info to be had.

What scope is she using there?

That's a Leupold 2.5x. Due to the big FOV and eye-relief, it's what I started both my kids on. Super easy to get behind for a shooter not used to head positioning with a scope. Made a good AR scope after they moved on up to 3-9x40 models for their deer rifles.

Not a bad idea at all.

For an 8 year old average size kid go with the Manbun 👍......Good luck....Hb

This. The Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel is about as close to the perfect youth deer rifle/cartridge combo that I have found. Recoil is significantly less than the 7mm-08 or 30-30 unless loaded way down. The Federal Fusion 120 grain ammo works very well on deer.

I started my boy on a straight 6x for the same reason.



P

Check out how far back from the ocular JPro's daughter is in her comfortable shooting position. I don't think even a Leupold 6x would have enough eye relief for that. That 2.5x is pretty good for really small shooters.

I like the idea too that they aren't cultivated on excessive magnification.

I posted this on another thread a couple weeks ago. You may check it out for more suggestions:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...youth-rifle-for-my-daughter#Post15292293



If I was starting from scratch and wanted a long term gun for a little boy, I would probably go with a 6.5 CM or 7-08. But I never tend to worry about long term as I buy mostly used guns and can resell them at any point for little or no loss......

Does the 6.5 Creedmoor shoot the lighter bullets well? It is throated for the long match bullets.

Why limit it to those cartridges?

You can build him an AR with an adjustable stock, mount optics on a rail, with a 5.56 upper in 1:7 and another in 6.5Grendel or 6.8 SPC and the gun will be infinately adjustable, and adaptable. The 5.56 upper can be used for practice, rabbits, 'yotes, ground squirrels, etc. and up to deer eventually if desired. The 6.5 or 6.8 would provide a bit more thump and a bigger hole better blood trail and be a bit more forgiving, with low recoil.

Should it seem to be inadequate there are some crazy good options in wildcats as well. ( .358 Yeti is amazing in an 18" AR-15)

I would pick the 6.5 Creedmoor from the choices you give.

30 years ago I used the .243 loaded to about 2750 with a 100 grain bullet for the job you describe. Some of my kids are still using them in their 40's.

Both my boys started with a 357 Mag Handi-Rifle with a red dot. Out to 100yds, the red dot worked great. Intuitive and no worries about eye relief.

6.5 Creedmoor, it's perfect for the proposed task

The choices are A, B, or C.

The 'Fire responds: R, F, Z, Q, Y, M, D....

I have made 7 carbines that were commissioned for small women and young boys and girls and the one that are getting the best results overall are AR15s in 6.8 SPC and 6.5 Grendel. Tele-stocks and standard A1 size grips are a "one-size-fits-all". VERY light recoil. I install match triggers in them so the pulls are excellent. I install both folding irons and a scope so the kids can (and should) learn how to use iron sights well as well as learning the use of the scops. Accuracy is very good to excellent, and both shells kill deer and antelope very well.

Most parents today never think of a "1st gun" being an AT, but I think they probably should.

If you don't like the semi-auto to start a kid, you can buy the fake magazines with the trough in them for single-shot application and they are cheap. So you end up with a single shot rifle until they are ready to progress.

The MDT LSS chassis gives the pro's of the AR adjustability with the pro's of a bolt action usage....not that an AR is bad but I prefer a bolt for most of my use. LOP that works for any age.

You can decide the merits of the round you want based on what you value most. One thing that you should consider is practice. The more the kid shoots the better he/she is going to be....it should play into the decision on the round. Choose something they can (and will want to) shoot often. If your decision is based on "they only have to shoot once in the field" I'd encourage you to rethink.

This was from Monday. Hard to see in the pic because I had to downsize it but the middle of that orange is bare from 70 grain speer spitzer's in a 223AI.

Started both of my boys on 7mm08. Both lefty's so went with M700 20" youth models and found adult sized SA stocks for them to grow into. Swapped in Timney triggers just to be completely worry free.

I have found 2-7x33 Leupolds in low Talley rings work just as well as for grownups once a foam and neoprene cheek piece kit is in place.

Youngest shot his first one with 120gr Hornady SP over 36 H4895 at 2400 fps. Did the job very well at 80 yards.

Last year he was 10 years old and all of 80# when he used the classic "campfire load" of 120 TTSX over 44 RL15 to take a big doe. Doesn't mind the recoil or the muzzle blast.

My only regret is he may never need another rifle.

GE

Don't you know need isn't a restriction on rifle acquisition?

JCMCUBIC makes a good point about practice/familiarity being important. I recommend time in the front yard or even in the living room, with the bolt removed, practicing getting set up for hypothetical shots. We did a lot of that as kids. Also spent a lot of time around the house with a youth-sized RWS with 4x glass. It was good fun and taught us how to not take forever to get a shot off.

I do, OH do I. But, that's on his checkbook ... not mine.

GE

I started my sons on whitetail deer an 30-30. I'd still recommend it for a kid. One nice thing about a visible hammer is that Dad can instantly see the status of the rifle.

Of the stuff I've played with since my kids graduated to 30-06, I'm eyeing 7mm-08 for my #1 Granddaughter. I just bought my first one myself, but I am really fond of the light recoil. I'll be using it this season and see how it goes.

Honestly, I'd not shy away from any of the choices for a yute chambering. It all depends on how much recoil the kid can handle. One of mine was a complete recoil hound and his younger brother got himself all wound up over the 30-30 and couldn't pull the trigger without wincing. We worked on it for a year and by the next season he was shooting a Mosin Nagant M44.


One other thing: Bring the kid into the discussion and have them do some reading on their own. It motivates them a lot and they try harder when it's something they helped on. My sons were talking with me for years about what they wanted to shoot their first deer with.

My oldest started on a BB gun, then 17hmr, then 243 He is 10 now

At 8 the 243 was brutal too him. Bought a suppressor which helped tremendously, but he was still scared. I know everyone can’t or won’t get a suppressor but for kids it has been a game changer for us. 22lr is so quiet they never develop a flinch due to noise when starting out

Picked up a Remington model 7 Kuiu 300blk. Shoot Barnes 110 or nosler 125 nbt. Kills deer with ease and no recoil.(7 for 7 so far with not a one going more than 35 yards). When I say no recoil my 40lb 5 year old shoots it in a youth stock and it doesn’t bother him at all

It changed everything for my oldest. He went from being terrified to loving it. He shot 50 rounds last weekend from 50 yards to 150. No issue at all

Nephew started on the 300blk as well. He isn’t as recoil shy. He is using the 243 this year at 9

Kids are all different. Need to know how your kid will handle recoil from a 6.5 or 7-08 before you should buy one. Try a buddies gun first. Or a 243 you have and see how they react. May need to start with a 223 or 300blk and then advance

Started my 10 year old daughter this year on Rem 700 MR in .260 Rem in a chopped up Tupperware stock with a 1” Lymbsaver and an adjustable cheek rest. Been practicing with some reduced loads with 100gr bullets at 2000fps and have some 100gr Partition loaded at 2600fps for hunting.

308. more/cheaper ammo and the diff in recoil, etc is negligible. that said, when anyone asks what caliber for deer for kids, newbs, etc, 308 is my answer. my son was small and hunted with my 77 RSI 308 for years. never had a problem.

308 vs 243 in the hands of some kids is a minuscule difference. For others it’s significant.

Wouldn’t say 308 has cheaper ammo for hunting than say a 243. Plenty of good cheap ammo available for a 243


Learn from my mistake. Try your kids out and see how they handle it before you commit to a caliber

Example

Best friends 9 year old daughter. Maggie is a really good shooter for 9. She shows the boys up! Started on a 300blk. Moved to a 243. Handles 243 with ease, even stout loads for a 243. She is a confident shooter to 200 yards at 9 years old.

Shot her dads 6.5 creedmoor and was almost in tears. It kicked her hard. She is afraid of it now. 243 is a cake walk for her though.

Try them and see how they do before you commit.

I can feel a big difference between the 6.5 creedmoor and 243. And a huge difference between those and the 308.

I think the 6.5 grendel is a great option for kids

Lot's of truth on what folks are saying about each kid being different. Some may be bothered by the physical recoil more/less, some it may be muzzle blast, some both...... One things for sure. Less recoil and less muzzle blast is a positive for any of them....even those it bothers less.

How about a CZ 527 in 7.62 x 39?

60 second review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMi_yAkJRn4

Hickok45 review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSu7EuQr6o4

Available in a youth model too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xkZKseNx9E

As stated somewhere above, not enough difference between the chambering to fret too much over. Stock fit and type will be the key player in this quest. Any Light and narrow type butt stock is going to punish the kid. A quality recoil pad at proper length is key. My boys were average size at best but had no problem shooting anything that fit them well. They are all grown now but they still talk about all those days at the range when they were learning and how much fun it was.

Starting an 8 yr old and utilizing for 5-6 yrs + I’d look for an inexpensive Rem 700 new or used in caliber 6mm, or new Rem action and add barrel. 6mm is a potent caliber and has no problem piling up deer size game and beyond. Easy to shoot on one end plenty of power on the other end. If used Rem SA in 308 Win is found, I’d be tempted to rebarrel as 243 Win or 6mm Creedmoor. A nice Rem 700 Magpul stock is extremely adjustable for LOP and comb. You can dial it in for years of use from 8 yrs old on up to adult use.

I have really come to like the 6.5 Grendel for the kids. Howa makes their mini action in it. It's such an affective pussycat I am thinking of using it.

Thinking really hard about that MDT LSS chassis I see they make them for a Tikka. Anyone confirm for me how short the lop on that can be adjusted to?

Here’s some pics of the 300blk in use. I have a aac in a Remington model 7 wood youth stock and the Kuiu model. Buddy has the Kuiu for his kids as well. 2 guys at work bought ruger American after seeing how well they did for us. If more people tried it for kids they would Impressed at reasonable ranges. There is literally no recoil

I’d go the 7-08 route.

7mmo8.

Try the H4895 reduced loads. 40 grains of H4895 behind a 140 should give you about 2600 FPS and low recoil.

Would a 357mag or 44mag lever action be legal in your area? If so, a Marlin or Henry chambered in one of these would be a solid choice IMO.

I like the idea of the 300 Blackout

The 300 blk has been great for us. Good bullets and limit to reasonable ranges. My small 5 year old son is shooting the 300blk subsonic with ease. 8-10 shots at a time comfortably. No way he could handle a 243 at all. Im confident he could easily shoot a deer under 100 yards right now with a full power load. Unfortunately Tennessee starts hunting at 6 or I would take him this fall.

I didn’t get to start with a low recoil caliber. Dad had a 307 Winchester and a 30-06. At 8 I was shooting the 307. I remember it hurt, but I was dead set on going hunting with it and I did okay.

It’s totally kid dependent though. If the kid handles muzzle blast and recoil with ease then sure a 243, 6.5, or 7-08 is probably perfect.

My Limited experience with a sample of 4 kids in the past 2 years has been that the 243 was at the upper limit of what most kids could handle without developing bad habits. I am a huge 243 and 260 fan. I use them almost exclusively for my hunting and have for years. The 6.5 creedmoor made a little girl cry that shot the 243 with ease out of the exact same model gun as the 243 she was shooting. She is a tough little booger too. It was way more recoil than she could handle still

As I mentioned before. Might try the kid shooting some different calibers to see how they handle recoil before committing to a caliber they can’t handle or use.

I used my Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel all season. Several coyotes, One Blacktail and a good muley all fell to the the 100 grain Hammer bullet. If recoil is a consideration, this is your caliber.

My last gun purchase was a Grendel....Both action Ruger American Predator...

I'll admit, handloaded, it is a lot more capable cartridge than I expected, due to its size...
I was using 140 grain Speers at 2400 fps....using 30 grains of W 748...

it was also shining at the range, tight groups from 100 to 300 yds... with 100 grain Ballistic Tips, to the 140 Speers..

Certainly capable on blacktails....

and with 30 grains of Powder, recoil is pretty soft...

Ideal as a truck gun...Bushnell AR 223 scope on top, 3 x 12, with a ballistic plex.. a simple one..

but then again, a 243, 260, 6.5 Creed'smore & 7/08 with 30 grains of 4198, and a 120 grainer for either (except the 243 where a 90 or 95 grain Ballistic tip would work out well..) will easily drop a deer without a lot of recoil either...

Granddaughter killed a few pigs and a couple dee with a 223, moved up to reduced load 243, then full power 243, now has a 6.5 Crudmoor. She loves the Creed, shoots it well.

6mm Creedmoor!

Our kids shoot a Ruger American Compact with 243 Hornady 87 Grain Factory reduced recoil loads. North Texas hogs and White Tail so they are decent sized, but by no means large. 300 blackout with suppressor is good as mentioned, but has somewhat of an arc in terms of trajectory.

They were probably 10 or so when we started them and had logged some time on a 17 HMR and a 22 Mag. Shot a lot of 22 with my son In a kiddo rifle with iron sights to get him interested. Once they saw tannerite and pumpkins it was game on.

BR series: 6.5 BR, 7mm BR or 30 BR

The more I read about the 6.5 Grendal, the more it intrigues me.

The CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendal is on my "research it more" list, particularly the Varmint configuration with the medium-heavy barrel (0.70" muzzle diameter), not the heavier barreled MTR version (0.83" muzzle diameter).

Maybe a CZ 527 American, or Howa "mini" 1500 bolt gun in 6.5 Grendal for the youngster?

CZ 527
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsVbWIiIzvI

Howa mini
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlt-IqnDe9M

I started my oldest son who is small when he was 8 with a 7mm-08. It has only shot hornady custom lite 120 gr sst. He has killed 10 deer in 3 seasons. The first year was great. He did all his practicing with a .22. He killed 5 deer that year with one being a good buck. The next year he practiced with his rifle and developed a flinch. He still killed deer but missed some too. Last year I put some weight in his stock to help. I also get him to practice trigger squeeze dry firing.

My second son I went the .243 route due to his older brother flinching. He killed 3 last year.

I think you can go either way. I like the 7mm-08 but be careful how you introduce recoil even with reduced loads. The .243 will kill well too and has a little less recoil. Whatever you get, pick the gun that fits him best. Also if he shoots off a rest don’t worry about getting a super light gun as it will recoil more. However If doing lots of walking and shooting from different positions you probably don’t want it too heavy.