I have 3 kids. 2 of them are lefties. I picked up a savage left hand 300 win mag,a year ago because the price was right. My thinking was that sometime a long ways down the road, it'd be there for one of them, since I don't find used lefty guns every day.
Well, I met a guy at work that is a lefty. He has 2 left handed savages, in 22-250, and 243 win. He wants something bigger to hunt the Adirondacks with, and he approached me on a trade.
My daughter will be old enough to hunt deer next year. I love the 22-250, and i've been seeing Winchester 64 gr power points on the shelf.
On the other hand, the 243 does well, and marginally better with the 100 grain bullet on deer.
I've owned both, and killed deer with both.
I'm undecided, between recoil, and bias. I'd only shoot a deer broadside, with either. In my opinion, neither would be up to the task of marginal angles.
My daughter would need plenty of benchtime, getting comfortable with the rifle.
Which one should I take, the 22-250, or the .243.
As a side note, I have a 25-06, and a .308 tucked away for a few more years down the road, when she's accomplished.
Mike73

quote:

On the other hand, the 243 does well, and marginally better with the 100 grain bullet on deer.

Mike,

I'm a Lefty; let me help.



I'd go for the .243 Win. it's not a shoulder buster by any stretch of the imagination and you can still load (up/down) some .243" 85 grainers that'll be more than adequate for the task.

Have Fun.

I’m a left-handed person too. Like Gerry I would choose a 243/6mm for the kids. I would force them to use a right-handed rifle though. Life is not always fair, it’s a right-handed world, make them deal with that fact. You only cripple them by buying left-handed stuff for them. Lefties can get over the obstacles.

I’ve lived in a right-handed world all my life and never felt handicapped.

My son is left handed, just turned 8. About 3 years ago he started shooting a cricket rifle. They only make them right handed.

I taught him how to shoot right handed and it's natural for him now. I think he's right eye dominant which is lucky and helped.

Like Mick said, he lives in a right handed world and never felt handicapped. My brother is 10 years older than me and is left handed. He taught me how to ride a skate board, slalom ski, and many other things. I use my right foot forward---so he screwed me up pretty good, but using the other foot is unatural to me even 30 years later.

I would never try to get my son to write or throw or bat with his right hand, but schools used to. So now he has all of my rifles at his disposal.

I'd opt for the .243, there's an older remington model 7 in that caliber waiting for him when he's ready. That said, he's going to learn to shoot coyotes with a 22-250.

Get them both!!

Here's a you tube video of my son shooting when he was five 5 year old shooting

I shoot right handed bolt action rifles on my left shoulder. No problem.

There is nothing wrong with mounting a right handed rifle on the left shoulder.

Yeah, but I figure I could learn to be efficient with a left-handed bolt on my right shoulder. My kids are left eye dominant anyhow.
I think i'm leaning towards the 22-250. All else equal, either gun is a tremendous broadside shot maker.
When she gets used to that blast, and that unfamiliar slap on the shoulder that the 17hmr does not give her, we'll graduate on to the browning a-bolt 308 in a couple years. By then, i'll be good with a lefty, and i'll have another yote' slayer....
Mike73

Good thinking Mike....I'll be honest with you, a few years back I bought a Browning blr compact lever action in 308 thinking that eventually he'd need it. A lever with no comb doesn't know any different between a left handed and a right handed shooter (as long as the brass ejects correctly).

I on the other hand was devasted because of my Weatherby collection with their high combs. I was truly relieved he's right eye dominant and shoots from the "right" shoulder

What about letting her hunt with the .308 using Remington's Managed Recoil ammunition, the recoil is negligible.

quote:

Originally posted by keithv35:
Good thinking Mike....I'll be honest with you, a few years back I bought a Browning blr compact lever action in 308 thinking that eventually he'd need it. A lever with no comb doesn't know any different between a left handed and a right handed shooter (as long as the brass ejects correctly).

I on the other hand was devasted because of my Weatherby collection with their high combs. I was truly relieved he's right eye dominant and shoots from the "right" shoulder

Hey KeithV,
I too have a pile of weatherbys. Thankfully my middle son is a righty through, and through. Amen to that.
Mike73

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
What about letting her hunt with the .308 using Remington's Managed Recoil ammunition, the recoil is negligible.

I about ruined her permanently last spring, turkey hunting. I had my buddies 20 gauge 11-87 for her with 2 3/4 inch high brass, and by the end of 5-6 rounds sighting in, she had a horrible flinch. I found out, when I pulled the old "empty chamber trick" on her.

We were out last month shooting, and I tried to get her to send a couple downrange with the 308. She wouldn't go for it. She's a good sized kid, 5'6" and around 115 lbs, but she's 13 and skiddish.

I figured we'd get a bunch of trigger time on a 22-250 blowing up gallon jugs at 100 yds.
She's turning into one hell of a shot. Most days a quarter will cover a 5 shot group at 100 yds with the 17 hmr.
The longer we shoot, the longer it takes her to get those 5 shots off, which tickles me pink, because I know where her focus is.

Obviously, the 22-250 is a lazer, and we've got 900 yards of field, to crow hunt, and predator hunt. Down the road a couple years, when recoil is a distant bi-product in her mind, she can move up to anything she wants.
Mike73

I have killed boat loads of deer with a 22 cal rifles. If I had a choice between a 243 and a 22-250. I pick the 243 everyday and twice on Sunday. They mess up less meat and the extra 30 to 40 grains of bullet weight are if nothing else comfort.

Ed

Let eye dominance dictate rt/left shooting. The eye dominance is the most important fact in determining how to teach them to shoot. No question, period!

As far as the 22-250 vs the 243, pick one. It will not matter in the field. I have shot a bunch of deer & antelope with 22-250 and 53gr Barnes bullets and have shot two this fall with the 45gr Barnes. See the 45gr TSX thread for pics.

If you choose the 243, use lighter than 100gr bullets. Someone mentioned 85gr. I am not that familiar with 243 caliber bullets as I do not own one.

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
Let eye dominance dictate rt/left shooting. The eye dominance is the most important fact in determining how to teach them to shoot. No question, period!

As far as the 22-250 vs the 243, pick one. It will not matter in the field. I have shot a bunch of deer & antelope with 22-250 and 53gr Barnes bullets and have shot two this fall with the 45gr Barnes. See the 45gr TSX thread for pics.

If you choose the 243, use lighter than 100gr bullets. Someone mentioned 85gr. I am not that familiar with 243 caliber bullets as I do not own one.

My uncle carried an old 788 in 22-250 for years, and piled up tons of deer with it.
I've owned 2 243's and 2 22-250's and hated 1 of each, and loved the other 1 of each. Coincidentally, the ones I loved were both savages. I'm pretty excited to get the 22-250 home.
Thanks for the input guys. I've enjoyed alot of triggertime on the 243, but theres just something about that 22-250 that draws me, like a bee to honey. Call it nostalgia.
Mike73

I've used the Speer Hotcore bullet on deer in my .243 with good success, but I feel more comfortable with a little heavier projectile.

Swampshooter, what advantage does the downloaded .308 have over a .243 shooting 100 grain bullets? (This is a serious question, not a jab at you.)

Lefty here as well. Go with the 243. More versatile than the 22-250.

quote:

Originally posted by ghostrider272:
Lefty here as well. Go with the 243. More versatile than the 22-250.

Not here in NY. I'd use either one on a deer, and neither one on a black bear.
Theres nothing in between.
Mike73

The .243 has more:

And the 22-250 has more velocity.

There is such a huge difference between the two. I don't think anyone can tell the difference in the field.

Arguing the difference is akin to chasing one's own tail.

I don't think it matters, their both good for what you want. Like someone said, find out which eye is dominant. I see a lot of women whose dominant eye is not the same side as their dominant hand (like my wife.)

Either the 22-250 or 243 in a savage can easily be rebarreled with hand tools. Can be 260, 308, 300 Savage, 338 Federal, 358 Win, any short action non magnum.