I'm starting to think about gettin a rifle for my 2 sons. I already got a 243, but I want another rifle, I mean for my sons. I was thinking of a 260, I want a rifle that kicks about the same as the 243 but with more power. I got started off with an old 94.

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Originally posted by kennedy:
I was thinking of a 260, I want a rifle that kicks about the same as the 243 but with more power.

The 260 is a great choice but the 243 will do plenty of work too. The most important thing is put youth length stocks and serious recoil pads on both rifles. Starting a hunter with rifle that fits and doesn't hurt is the key to success. I wouldn't shy away from a 6mm Remington, 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, or the 6.5x55 either, especially if you handload.

I bought two 45-70's for my sons, 300 gr bullets at 1,250 fps don't kick, yet hit with authority and the boys love the lever action. I fitted each with a Williams peep sight and told them that they need to learn to shoot open sights....and it's the last rifle I will ever buy them, it will kill anything in North American and most everwhere else. They had better learn to shoot it or get a job so they can buy what they want. So far I can't keep loaded ammo in the house. I'm loading about 250 rounds a month (buying bullets by the 1,000).

nordsetta, Ilove the 6mm, I had a 788 in th 6mm, but I was foolish and sold it, wouldn't mind having the bob or 6.5 swedish.

A good aftermarket recoil pad on a .270.

450/400 how old were your kids when they started shooting? My oldest is 3, I know he's a little young yet, but he likes to go with me when I go out, he shoots my 17hmr but its too heavy for him.

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The 260 is a great choice

The .257 Roberts ain't bad either.

5 or six, they are 10 and 12 now. They liked shooting a 20 ga more than a 22 lr so we moved up quick. I bought a Model 7 in 243 but that didn't interest them either, they were shooting a 30-06 with light loads by 8 or 9. I figure one gun to do it all at 100 yds or less and they will have to learn to shoot without a scope and keep shots to reasonable distances. I took them out this last weekend hoping for a pig and both sat in stands when the sun came up and had deer around them - they couldn't believe that they could get that close to deer if they were still.

Kennedy, look into one of those little Cricket 22 lr single shots, they're very small.

kennedy, you haven't mentioned whether or not you reload.
It is great that you are getting your youngters into shooting and hunting!
My younsters both shot at a very early age but alas, they did not keep up the interest. (Or I was unable to keep them interested). My youngest son fired my 44mag at age six - it hit him on the earmuff strap! The older one shot a corn cob with my 223 Mini-14 at age 5. (Not too far and with a rest over the side of a truck - that day I walked him into a bramble patch and had to carry him out on my shoulders ).

Have you though of a Hornet or Bee in single shot? (Or the more common 223).

I believe I started with a 22lr, then used the old mans 308 and old 303british..

My first rifle was a 300WSM kimber 8400. cant say i enjoyed the recoil so i now own a much heavier 280ackley. its luxury

303guy, yes i reload. been reloading for about 3 years. i am still new to reloading, i think i try to reload as much as i can. mainly for a 30-30 and 243 cause i got alot of bullets for them.

Not sure where you're at in SE Oregon, but I've done my share of coyote hunting over there. Would like to get to know the area a lot better, however.

I didn't catch how old the kid is or how big, but for your area a .25-06 might be the ticket. Kids get big fast. I started on a .270 and that was a little harsh (I'll admit, it must be the stock design because that .270 is still overly harsh). A good fitting .25-06 would be something your kid could hunt with forever and it's a burner, in case he gets the itch for speed.

I'm not a huge fan of the .260, but I do love the 6.5 bore and it would serve well for elk at appropriate distances with appropriate bullets.

steveA My oldest is 3.5 I take him deer hunting with me when I can.Rather with bow or rifle. I like the 6.5 calibe myself. 264 WM to be exact. I thought about 25-06, I got th brass and dies but no rifle. I seen a single shot H and R at sportsman wharehouse in 25-06 for like 260. But I'm not sure. Hard discision. I want em all. I live in Burns, lots of coyotes, ground squirrels will be coming out shortly too.

Since you have the 264 and reload, I would go with the 260. It will do everything you need depending on what bullet you load. My 260 is my "heavy" varmint rifle just because it is so accurate with the Sierra 107 match bullets on coyotes. The 100 Ballistic tip does well also.

3 ?
Wow , By the time je is 10 he should be a prety good shot.
I would start them with a .243 if you are a factory ammo guy, but if you hand load, include a 6mm .250 svg .257 Roberts or any non magnum up to 6.5.
Buy somthing you can get an after market wood stock for , like a Richards microfit,and start with a thin recoil pad and light loads.
Then as the boys get bigger go to a thicker pad to increase length , eventualy retuning to the origional stock.
Nothing rong with starting them on a little .223 or somthing as they are years from hunting game .
...tj3006

My Grandson turned 13 last year. I bought him a Win M 70 in 7mm-08. A month later I took him to Namibia where he took 28 animals including Zebra, Gemsbok,Warthog,springbok, and several others. This is a fantastic Cartrige for youths as well as anyone else. Factory ammo is in-expensive and bullet selection is more then adequate, Recoil is mild. The 7mm-08 gets my vote.
Larrys

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The 7mm-08 gets my vote

I've seen one - a Remington - shoot those copper bullet into one hole at 100m! Only three shots fired but still.

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Originally posted by kennedy:
steveA My oldest is 3.5 I take him deer hunting with me when I can.Rather with bow or rifle. I like the 6.5 calibe myself. 264 WM to be exact. I thought about 25-06, I got th brass and dies but no rifle. I seen a single shot H and R at sportsman wharehouse in 25-06 for like 260. But I'm not sure. Hard discision. I want em all. I live in Burns, lots of coyotes, ground squirrels will be coming out shortly too.

I've hunted out of Burns a few times. Once for deer and a few times I've hunted around there for coyotes. The name of the area escapes me now because I haven't been there in so long, but I deer hunted the area to the south or west of town I believe that had been in a wildfire probably about 10-15 years ago now. We scouted the area in early August and counted at least 40+ 4 pt mulies with about 10 around 30 inches wide and a few well beyond that. They were all teasing us. Of course when we came back for rifle season in October they had gone in to hiding. I ended up killing a decent buck. No monster like I dreamed about after the first scouting trip, but certainly a decent buck.

Given that your son is only 3 now, I'm with you on the .260. A 6.5-06 would be fun, but probably a little heavy for a while. Good hunting to you and your son.

Hard to beat the 260 Remington or 7mm-08 Remington. However, I love the 25 wssm.

Let me start by saying to steve a, You're not a fan of the 260Remington because you've read to much and not shot one!!! Now to the original posters question! The .260 Remington is a great rifle for introducing kids or wives or small framed folks to shooting and also is a "no frills get on with the program" round for advanced hunters!! The .264 bullets available and factory loads available in .260Rem are so much more forgiving in the case of a misplaced shot with a .243!!!! I am not a proponent of mis placed shots with any caliber but I dont intend to shoot a bull in the ass with a BB gun and expect him to fall!!! The 260 as well as the various 6.5's just seem to have that extra little bit of steam over the 6's!! BTDT!!! I love the 6's!!(6mmRem and .243 and shoot a 6x47 also) but the 260 is almost coming close to the 25-06 in "DDRT"..........that's dead deer right there!! There are loads available for 260, 7mm-08, 270, 7mmMag, 308 and 30-06 from Remington calle, "Managed Recoil" loads that are proficient in killing power at 200+ yards that are truly fun to shoot!! 50% less felt recoil than parent cartridges! And accuracy is still there! The 260 Remington and 7mm-08 are both GREAT choices for small folks and using this factory reduced recoil ammo is another added plus!! If you handload, try 41.0 grains of VARGET and the 100 grain Nosler BT in the 260! I'll bet your rifle will shoot it well and the kid will not be hurt!! Bump it on up to 43.0 grains of VARGET and you'll gain a bit of speed and the recoil won't be bad either. And deer die very quickly and cleanly with WELL PLACED SHOTS and this combo!! Just ask Sarah! Miss GHD. My daughter. She has yet to see a deer take a step after pulling the trigger on her 260! And her first on was 271 yards lasered, 8 pointer!
And her Daddy's 1000 yard gun is a .260 Remington also!! Thank y'all for your time reading this. Charlie (GHD)

260 REM. gets my vote. that is what my grandson will shoot. but i will start out down loading them. if all they will ever shoot is deer size game, then they will never need to buy another one..

I'm partial toward the original military loadings and think the 6.5X55 Swede and 7X57 Mauser are about perfect for kids. The 257 Roberts is a strong contender also, and all offer killing power far in excess of what their paper ballistics indicate. Just as starting kids out right is important, these cartridges also offer kids a chance to gain appreciation for the "classics."
I'd consider something like the 260 only if the overall rifle package fits the child better, besides one could probably be had for less money than it would take to modify a different rifle.

.257 Roberts. roger

Have you thought of a 6.5 Grendel on a mini-mauser actioned rifle? The kids would never out grow it but they would be big enough for it very quickly. (Now that rifles are getting heavier, I wouldn't mind such a package . In fact .... mmmmm... ).

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Originally posted by 303Guy:
Have you thought of a 6.5 Grendel on a mini-mauser actioned rifle? ).

Really don't think it will be here for very long.I doubt if it will ever have the following that the 250-3000, 257 Roberts or the 6.5 Swede have. It really brings nothing to the table as far as a hunting round goes. Should have been a military round back in the 40s and 50s. roger

That's fair comment Roger. I was thinking it would be an ideal substitute for the 223 or 7.62x39 on small actions. The same way it would have been a good subtitute for the 223 in the M16 when they came out.

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Originally posted by 303Guy:
That's fair comment Roger. The same way it would have been a good subtitute for the 223 in the M16 when they came out.

We're singing from the same hymnal !! roger

You have to go with a 257 Roberts!!

ddj

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Originally posted by groundhog devastation:
Let me start by saying to steve a, You're not a fan of the 260Remington because you've read to much and not shot one!!!(GHD)

GHD, I'm not a fan of the .260 Remington for the same reason I'm not a fan of the .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, or .257 Roberts. All great cartridges and very popular, but they just don't do it for me.

Would it be a great cartridge for my wife or kid to shoot? Undoubtedly! Will I ever hunt with one? No! Will I ever be a fan of it? No!

I can buy other loadings that will do everything and more than the .260 Rem can do for ME.

Me not being a fan of the .260 is an opinion, not a claim that it is a bad cartridge. Since I don't recall ever being to the range with you, I should tell you that I have shot it and it just doesn't cook my grits.

Since you reload, I'll toss a vote for the .308.

Both my kids (11 and 15) cut their eyeteeth on .308 Weatherby Vanguard Compacts. I load Winchester 150 gr. Power Points about 3 grains of IMR-3031 under max. It's somewhere in the .300 Savage power range. They kill deer DRT and the recoil, especially with that humped-up Weatherby stock, is very pleasant. The guns are cut to fit the kids. But they come with a 2nd stock with adult dimensions so the rifle can grow with the kid. when the time comes, you can load up to full .308 potential. My daughter's will shoot 1/2 MOA (not a typo) and I think the gun was around $460. I've been considering buying one for myself.

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Originally posted by Strut10:
Since you reload, I'll toss a vote for the .308.

Both my kids (11 and 15) cut their eyeteeth on .308 Weatherby Vanguard Compacts. I load Winchester 150 gr. Power Points about 3 grains of IMR-3031 under max. It's somewhere in the .300 Savage power range. They kill deer DRT and the recoil, especially with that humped-up Weatherby stock, is very pleasant. The guns are cut to fit the kids. But they come with a 2nd stock with adult dimensions so the rifle can grow with the kid. when the time comes, you can load up to full .308 potential. My daughter's will shoot 1/2 MOA (not a typo) and I think the gun was around $460. I've been considering buying one for myself.

+1 for the 308!

Since you already have a 243, try a 308 for the oldest. Get some of Rems Managed-Recoil ammo and duplicate this load. As they get older thay can grow into the full power loads.

quote:

Originally posted by kennedy:
I'm starting to think about gettin a rifle for my 2 sons. I already got a 243, but I want another rifle, I mean for my sons. I was thinking of a 260, I want a rifle that kicks about the same as the 243 but with more power. I got started off with an old 94.

A few years back I had a 30-06 rebarreled in 6.5x55 SM. Loaded with about 45 grs of IMR4350 it is about as accurate as you can get. Last week I shot it at a Tactical shoot out to 1000 yds and was able to put 5 rounds in a 12" group at 1000. I know that's not great and it can do better, but that was the first time out that far. You can shoot it all day without any trouble and it doesn't cost that much to reload.

I have a son that is 8 and he has been shooting my 260 since he was 6.I started him out with 100gr hdys about 2850fps and now he shoots my 120gr loads at 3000+.I took a 700bdl sht act stock cut the lop to 12 inches.Whittled the stock out for the dm and it fits him perfect. The 260 will take any game he will choose to hunt including elk with the right bullets.

Thanks for the input everybody, the smallest caliber in oregon for deer is 22cal and for elk is 24cal. I was looking at ruger catalog and seen a compact stainless hawkeye with a 16.5" barrel, nice looking rifle. Available in 223,243,260,7-08,308,300rcm. That would probuly be the rifle I would getwhat you guys think?

Perhaps a nice little kimber in 7mm 08. 140 gr. Good for anything up to Elk. Mild recoil.

I choose the 243w for my eight year old, and got a 308 for when my son is a little older and maybe hunting game the 243 is light for. I think the 257 Roberts or 250 Savage would also be fine choices.

We occasionaly hunt in rifle areas, but mostly in shotgun only areas. A 20ga slug gun kicks a bit more than he likes so he mostly uses a 50 cal Omega I cut down for him. He's killed two buck with a 50 cal. One last year with a .429" Hornaday pistol bullet in a sabot over a 50gr Pyrodex pellet and this year over 50 plus 30gr Pyrodex pellets. Recoil is mild, performance is excellent.

JPK

260!

I think the 250 Savage is a great choice. I picked up a used .308 Remington 7 from my local gun shop and had it rebarreled.

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Last week I shot it at a Tactical shoot out to 1000 yds and was able to put 5 rounds in a 12" group at 1000. I know that's not great and it can do better,

Yes, that is great. I'll take that anytime.