223 -22-250 or 243

The 5.56x45 was adopted by the US in 1963 using a 55 grain bullet and by NATO in the late 70's using the 62 grain. I don't know exactly when the 55 grain bullet was phased out of our military but the 1:12 twist barrel wouldn't shoot the 62 grain NATO bullet so barrels had to be changed out on all the M16's in the inventory. However it is the longest cartridge in service by our military and that the 55 grain load didn't last very long is relative to the longevity of the cartridge considering it is going into its 50th year of service.

Again because of the change of the military going to faster twist barrels that made the commercial .223 rifles to start using a faster twist barrels as well. While technically not exactly the same cartridge they are close enough most people don't have a problem running the 5.56 through .223 bolt action rifles. A 1:9 or 1:8 twist of most bolt action rifles allow for a larger selection of bullets to be used that the average .22-250 can't.
 
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With the excellent 60gr bullets available today the 22-250 with a suitable twist is a fine deer cartridge out to 250 yards or so.
I'd go with the .243 for the stated purpose. The muzzle blast is what actually seems to bother kids, rather than the recoil. With proper hearing protection the boy will probably get a kick out of the kick.
 
I just purchased a new Savage Stevens 22-250 and it has a 1 in 12 twist. It shoots 55g very nice and I plan on shooting some Federal Fusion 64g at a whitetail sometime this season.
 
I loved my .22-250 and while I found the 60 grain Hornady bullets didn't shoot especially well in my Remington (1 1/2 minute groups), they didn't keyhole. The 60 grain Nosler Partitions are a bit shorter and may be fine.
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That's not a bad group at all if you are gonna shoot a deer. That would even be ok for woodchucks out past 200 yards.
 
Hey, look, guys, the subject is recoil and an 8-year-old kid. Noise is a health factor, also--which is why I'd disapprove of the use of a muzzle brake for a youngun's hunting gun.

I thoroughly enjoy my .243 (a couple of dozen tagged bucks) and have done a bunch of shooting with the Swift and the .22-250. But for what's wanted for the youngun, modern bullet development has made the .223 a decent deer-killer--and it's history is irrelevant to this thread.

An added benefit, of course, as we've all commented many times, is the relatively low cost for practice as compared to the factory ammo of other cartridges.
 
Hey, look, guys, the subject is recoil and an 8-year-old kid. Noise is a health factor, also--which is why I'd disapprove of the use of a muzzle brake for a youngun's hunting gun.
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The noise factor is true not only for 8 year olds, but for anybody. That's one reason I avoid excessive muzzle blast. I grew up in the 60's and 70's when hearing protection was at best an option, or not even thought of. Anything from cherry bombs, muzzle blast, to Top fuel dragsters (and loud music) has diminished my hearing to 2/3 of my original hearing, and I can't get it back without hearing aids, which I have opted out from so far. My advise is to wear protection religiously at the range, and avoid muzzle breaks or guns with loud muzzle blast at all costs. I prefer 24" barrels over 20" for this reason. I wanna protect what I have left.
 
I got into the .223 Rem late in life, after many years with the .22-250 Rem, which served me well, but I had the chance to pick up a used Tikka 595 for $300 and bit on it. It was one of the best gun buying decisions I ever made.

The .223 Rem cartridge has never failed to impress me with it's lack of noise, recoil, and barrel heating. It will shoot 10 shot strings at the range, hardly heating the barrel at all. It's extremely accurate and tolerates many different gunpowders, bullets, and loads with high consistency.

Although I'd shoot a deer with it, using Nosler Partitions, I'd hesitate recommending it for a youngster without considerable shooting experience. The youngster could gain that experience by successfully shooting the .223 for several outings, then go on a carefully supervised hunt, hopefully for smaller game than deer. If that hunt is successful, deer could be next.

I've been on hunts where someone has wounded a deer and ended up tracking and sometimes finding it and dispatching it. It's probably not the thing to have happen on a kid's first deer hunting experience.
 
The most common Elk cartridge is the 30-06.
If that is just right for Elk, then the .223 is over powered for the biggest mule buck.

The reality is that a boy's rifle is less than 5 pounds and a man's rifle is less than 10 pounds. We all carry all the rifle we can..... and then justify it later.
 
I vote .243. I believe it to be a more versitile round and not too hard on the shoulder
I personally am just as accurate with my .243 as.my..223. My wife hunts with the .243 and she is a baby when it comes to recoil
 
If you handload, then go with a .243. You can make reduced recoil loads for now, and as the kid grows, the capabilities of the rig can grow with him/her.

That was my plan with my Ruger Frontier in 7-08: Downloaded to 2400 f/sec for a 139gr bullet, you have 30/30 energy levels, and later on in life, heavier, more efficient bullets can make it a 300+ yard deer gun.
 
Just because it is relevant to the topic. My daughter just took her first deer today at 120 yards with a .223 and the 55 grain TSX load by Federal. Unfortunately I was unable to be there because I got called to be at work this morning but my buddy took real good care of her and made sure she put the bullet where it needed to be. I guess the doe was quartering towards the blind and my daughter put the bullet right in the pocket behind the shoulder and the little blood spot you see is the exit wound.

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I'll have more pictures and details hopefully tomorrow when my buddy has time to send them all to me. I just wish I could have been there to enjoy the moment. I'll hopefully be there in a couple of years when she can take her first elk in Colorado. She'll probably be using a 7mm-08 or .270 Win by then.
 
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