re: 243 for young first time hunter, did I make a mistake?

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I was really wanting to get him, my 8yr old, a 7mm-08 or 350 Legend but pulled the trigger on what they had in stock which was a 243.

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You got him a 243, which was more readily available.

Heck that was smart. 243 ammo will always be more readily accessible.

Disclaimer: I didn't read all 8 pages. Traditionally, I've not been a fan of the 243, except as an "expert's" rifle. When my son started hunting w/ me, I bought him a Savage bolt chambered in 308. This was before factory reduced recoil loads, but I handload so I loaded him reduced recoil loads using 125 Nosler BT at 2400 fps. Over the years, he killed a good number of deer w/ good performance. Once I started have grandkids, I bought a T/C Compas, a bolt action in 7-08 at a steal. I'll take one of my grandsons hunting in 2 weeks at the Youth Hunt weekend. A few years back I bought a Rem M700 in 243 Win w/ an upper end Leupold scope from my daughter's father in law. His grandkids no longer hunted so he had no use for it. I had no use for it either, but it was a great price at $350. Fast forward to last year. I've been in Shreveport on Saturday taking my wife to a treatment. My son-in-law (whose son I'll take hunting soon) called me, saying, "Do you have a 243?" He wanted to take his son on a youth hunt that afternoon. We were eating at Cane's so I went across the street to Academy and bought 2 boxes of 100 gr 243 ammo. They shot it 3-4 times and went hunting. My grandson shot a doe at 60 yards. They saw it up after a <50 yard run. The 243 I'd always denigrated did just fine.

TLDR: The 243 Win does well on our whitetail deer if a careful hunter makes a good shot in the heart/lungs (hopefully broadside). I'd suggest a 100 gr load.

Nevertheless, my first choice for a youth deer gun is the 708 or 308 if one can find good quality reduced recoil/youth ammo. A reduced recoil 308 actually recoils less than a full power 243.

The 350 Legend is a mild recoil round that kills well at average whitetail ranges. But, I agree. 7-08, 6.5 CR, and .308 all do that, with the potential to stretch the reach out if the young shooter becomes proficient. My guess is that many rifle buyers never look at a ballistics chart.

Good idea.

I’m not crazy about the 350 legend, but I did get one because it seemed like the best option in the rifle I wanted. It will be dual purpose youth gun and a loaner primitive so I don’t have to share the 1885.

My kids first rifle was a ruger youth model 308. He killed 7 deer with it, all dead within 50 or so yards. No issues with it.

We now hunt on a place that requires straight wall only. So we got him a savage axis 400 legend. That thing is a beast under 175 yards. He is one for one with it. I could put my fist in the exit wound. Devastating. Edit, we use the 190grain barnes tsx. We sighted it 1.5" high at a hundred. Put the crosshairs where you want to hit out to 150. I won't let me kid shoot further than that regardless of what he is shooting.

Both rifles are supressed. Almost no recoil and very quiet.

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Oh yea i get the primitive season niche that it fills 100%.

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That’s the only reason i own a .350 legend. For Louisiana primitive.

I think a lot of the newer primitive laws are stupid though. How is a .35 whelen primitive. You can roll deer @200yds with that. At least a .350 legend becomes a turd past 100yds, making it somewhat more primitive.

I find it funny that we have all these modern calibers that are considered primitive, but my model 1894 30-30 made in 1923 is considered a modern rifle

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That’s the only reason i own a .350 legend. For Louisiana primitive

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Yea, but for Louisiana it still doesn’t make a ton of sense when you can get a 35 whelen instead.

How far was it and how did the interlock perform? The reviews seem pretty good for the 170 gr in 350 legend.

If I could only choose one rifle it would be a 243 or a 308.

You did well.