Out of the following group, which cartridge do you feel would be the best choice as a "starter" centerfire cartridge?

223 Rem
22-250 Rem
243 Win

243---light recoil, but will kill deer and antelope,besides varmites. also fun for target shooting.I'm assuming you big game hunt.

Do you mean a starter as in start to reload with, or start out shooting with?

for Reloading, I would go with the 223, based on economy and ease.

then work up to the 22/250.

if your meaning was for hunting, 223 for varmints, 243 for deer.

Personally I can't envision being a hunter, shooter and varminter without all three in the gun cabinet.

You didn't say starter for what use. For plinking & varminting, the .223 wins that one. If you intend to hunt deer/antelope, do yourself a favor & pass over the .243 & get a .260 as a min. You can hunt/target w/ the .260 as well.

Nebraska
If you mean as a "starter" to hunt deer I would go with the 243. Use 100gr bullets, in factory ammo I like the Federal.
For reloads I used the 100gr Sierra and the 95 gr Nosler Partition.
If you are just getting a rifle for a youngster or your wife to learn to shoot then the 223 would be a good choice. Ammo is cheap and there is no recoil to speak of. While many people hunt deer with the 22 centerfires, the 243 is a much better choice.

Gee, why makea decision at all? Just get a .22-250 and a .243...

Either will take deer/antelope sized game and either will do varmints.

When I saw the post title I figured you meant the blank shotshells used to power the starters of old Lantz Bulldog tractors, various aircraft engines, etc.

Or blanks for starter pistols at races. Speaking of which, a not-too-intellectual girl classmate of my daughter once looked all around at the ceiling in the swimming pool area at the high school with puzzlement and asked her "Where are all the holes?" "Holes?" asked my daughter. "The bullet holes from the starter's pistol!"

I'd go with the 243. I have used a 6mm (244) for over 35 years. It will kill any deer or antelope without problems.

It can also be downloaded well for varmint hunting with 55 and 60 gr bullets.

Thanks for the replies so far. Sorry for being so vague. I was inquiring about a starter centerfire for a young shooter/hunter-to-be. What's the best cartridge after a 22lr and 22 WMR? I'm looking for something that would be used on paper for a long time and eventually evolve into a varmint/deer rifle. Thanks.

Much talk about 3 guns and the need for all three for specific duty. .223 can be an inexpensive choice and depending on the load and one heck of a tack driver. If you are talking about alot of bench time it's a good go. The big factor is if you are reloading or buying from a store and also the physical size and demeanor of the shooter (recoil abuse). If you are going to reload them and the individual can handle the recoil .243 is you best option especially early on. You can brew up loads to handle from bobcat size to deer. Just know which round to use to control expansion. 223 is just legal in nebraska for deer if you use some of the hotter loads and means that your shot placement has to be better to avoid tracking time and game loss. I have both .243 and .223. If I were to sell one the 223 would be out the door due to the versatility of the 243. One the flip side I like the 223 for deer due to the added challange. If hunting is to become a passion or that is the avenue that you want to travel I would say that the best combination would be the 223 and a bow due to Nebraska's season lengths. But if it is rifle only go 243. If a lot of consistant bench time choose the heavy barrel. Contrary to some beliefs it does make a difference if you accurately track your bullet data. Hope this helps.

243 is the most versatile cartridge and all you will ever need for deer or varmints if you know how to shoot. Recoil is light enough for most beginners also.

22-250 has kill more than its share of deer also and is an excellent varmint and plinking round. I wouldnt use it on anything larger than whitetail though. If I was just going varminting and shooting paper up to 400 yards this would be my choice.

223 is a decent varmint round and its cheap to feed and reload for. Your max effective range is definately less than that of either the 22-250 or the 243 but your powder costs will be cut in half.

Personally if I could only have one caliber for the rest of my life I think it would be a 6mm type round, probably a 243. Luckily Im not forced to choose and can afford one of each!

About 4 years ago I bought my 12 year old boy an ugly little youth Savage 110 bolt in 243. He bagged a whitetail, a muley, and an antelope with it. Now my soon to be 13 year old daughter wants to deer and antelope hunt with it. This gun shoots better than my pretty 270 Remington mountain rifle. Now Jesse is 16 and he's "graduated" to a 308 stainless synthetic Ruger that kicks him silly. I'm hoping to get a Leupold 4-12 scope for the Savage someday for the varmints. I don't ever plan on getting rid of it.

I wouldn't mess around with any of the three, if subjected to a "one gun only" rule (GAG!!), I'd get a 7-08, load it down some (check Hodgdon's "Youth Loads" data), then, as he grows into it, crank it up. The others will kill deer and antelope (I guess, never shot any antelope), I'm sure, but, I just like the larger caliber.

With 115/120's it's at least as good as the smaller ones for varmints, and none of them can touch what it can do with 139 - 150's on bigger stuff.

I know, I know - put the bullet in the right spot, etc.., but, why not put a BIGGER bullet in the right spot?

R-WEST

Never thought about a 7-08. I'll have to look into that one too. Thanks!

7mm-08 is not a bad cartridge but I would take the 243 over it, its kicks more, its not as flat shooting and its not as versatile as a 243. 243 you can load down to 55 grains moving at around 4000 fps which can really be fun for making misty gophers. 7mm is a sweet size bullet but the 08 just doesnt have the capacity to get it moving fast enough. If I were going to get a new 7mm I would get a mag I think but thats a totally different class of gun than you want for this purpose. Let us know how it works out though.

I would pick the .243, lot's of guns chambered in it, and very accurate, low recoil, versatile. The .260 might be a better choice, if it's a big game rifle, or my old favorite the .257 Roberts.

If you're planning to hunt deer with it I would go with 243 - heavier bullets, longer range. If it is just paper and varmints, the 223 would give you more shots per dollar if that is your concern.

fredj338 said it first and he's made others see the light. I'd skip the 243 as well and get a 260 (or a 7-08). Something that's too easily forgotten in these discussion about relative recoil is total gun weight. Start your kid with a rifle of reasonable weight and make sure he builds himself up. Combine that with softer loads at first and he'll be off on the right foot.

As an aside, please don't take this as anything but an observation:
I see guys beat themselves black and blue with 270s all the time, "Featherweight" equals "brutal" on the bench. Someone here said once "it's easier and cheaper to take 10lbs off myself than to take 1lb off the rifle."

So there's my too-lengthy input on the matter. A 260 of reasonable weight, with soft loads to start if needed, and a strong kid. Pull-ups and push-ups baby, no gym required.