Youth 243 build

[trauma1]

i am going to build a 243 for my kids to start shooting. I want to keep it short and light. They will shoot out 400 yards.
How short can I go on the barrel and it still be able to kill a deer? Thanks for your input!
P,s, of i course I will be shooting steel with it a further distance

 

[diverdon]

If you go under 16 inchs it is a pistol not a rifle. 16 inches would meet your stated objectives, though most find a lot of readons to put at least a 20 inch barrel on a .243.

 

[FatBoy]

My .243 is about 6# with a 21" sorter barrel and a 3-9x42 Swift. (Talk all the shit you want, it's bright and holds zero) I find it handy in the woods and with a 95 gr Nosler ballistic Tip it makes quick work of them inside 100y, and should do well out to at least 250-300 with this bullet but we don't have that kind of distance where I hunt..

that said, I find the recoil with Varget and the "heavy" bullet sharp off a bench. It would not be a pleasant rifle to shoot for an extended time. Not sure how old your kids are, or what bullet(s) or powder you're planning on. All these will factor in. A slower powder with a light bullet, like a 55gr with H4350, might be just the ticket.

Do you reload? If so have you looked at 6BR at all?

 

[trauma1]

My .243 is about 6# with a 21" sorter barrel and a 3-9x42 Swift. (Talk all the shit you want, it's bright and holds zero) I find it handy in the woods and with a 95 gr Nosler ballistic Tip it makes quick work of them inside 100y, and should do well out to at least 250-300 with this bullet but we don't have that kind of distance where I hunt..

that said, I find the recoil with Varget and the "heavy" bullet sharp off a bench. It would not be a pleasant rifle to shoot for an extended time. Not sure how old your kids are, or what bullet(s) or powder you're planning on. All these will factor in. A slower powder with a light bullet, like a 55gr with H4350, might be just the ticket.

Do you reload? If so have you looked at 6BR at all?

Thank you. I do reload. I may put a muzzle break on it.

 

[Marksman10x]

I have a pre-64 model 70 featherweight in .243 and it is a pussycat to shoot. I don't have any kids, but I've let a few small framed girls shoot it and none had any issues. I load 41.5 grains of IMR 4350 behind a 95 grain Berger classic hunter. This is a middle if the road load, but very accurate. I think it's running about 2930 ft/sec from a 22" factory tube.

 

[cook1536]

My .243 is about 6# with a 21" sorter barrel and a 3-9x42 Swift. (Talk all the shit you want, it's bright and holds zero) I find it handy in the woods and with a 95 gr Nosler ballistic Tip it makes quick work of them inside 100y, and should do well out to at least 250-300 with this bullet but we don't have that kind of distance where I hunt..

that said, I find the recoil with Varget and the "heavy" bullet sharp off a bench. It would not be a pleasant rifle to shoot for an extended time. Not sure how old your kids are, or what bullet(s) or powder you're planning on. All these will factor in. A slower powder with a light bullet, like a 55gr with H4350, might be just the ticket.

Do you reload? If so have you looked at 6BR at all?

I have a 16 year old daughter and she could sit and shoot a box of Hornady Reduced recoil rounds thru a 700 BDL 243 but my 9 year old daughter pulled the trigger once and she was done.

 

[Opticsspecialist]

.243 is a great youth cartridge. I'm also a fan of the 7mm-08. There is plenty of reduced recoil loads available for both .243 and 7mm-08. They will enjoy that rifle! Good Dad!

 

[trauma1]

.243 is a great youth cartridge. I'm also a fan of the 7mm-08. There is plenty of reduced recoil loads available for both .243 and 7mm-08. They will enjoy that rifle! Good Dad!

I am a 6.5 Creedmoor guy. I have never handled a 7mm-08. Is this a good option for kids?

 

[bschneiderheinze]

My son had 243, then 308 and now 6.5 creedmoor all in AR platform. Even with a brake he didn't like the 308. He shot the 243 out 500 but it wasn't very accurate. He loves the 6.5 with a brake on it it's like shooting 223.

 

[WeiserBucks]

243 is a great choice for kids . My son started with one at age 9 and has taken 3 deer and a bear . The rifle is a cheap Weatherby Vanguard (Howa 1500) , easy sub MOA rifle with any factory ammo .

 

[Vmaxed]

I am a 6.5 Creedmoor guy. I have never handled a 7mm-08. Is this a good option for kids?

Not sure how old your kids are, but my 8 year old has been shooting my 6.5x47L for almost 2 years now...enough that I built a 6.5 CM for him to the same specs. Any one of the calibers listed will get the job done within 400 yds. Like OpticSpecialist said, start them on some of the Hdy "reduced load" factory ammo and they will be good to go.

 

[ggmanning]

I did 6.5 Creed in and XLR Element with a 16" barrel for my kids. Kills deer sized stuff good to 400, light shooting and can adjust length of pull as they grow. I would strongly recommend a chassis to allow you to change stock length easily as they grow. A .243 with a twist/throat to allow around 105 gr bullets would make a good choice also. The Creedmoor is not a problem to bang steel well at 5-800 with that length barrel.