Kids Gun

[bullrider]

My 8 year old granddaughter is hunting with a 243. She has shot 2 deer with it, the first one almost didn't find and the second we didn't find. No blood trail on either one. Her dad is looking to get one with more knock down power, will leave a blood trail. (Hunting in thick pine cut over). Give me some help

[Transom]

30/30 if she can handle the recoil. Everyone is using 243 in the role these says but it don't get any better than the 30/30 IMO.

To be honest if you are not getting a blood trail with a 243 at least one of two things is happening.
1) Wrong ammunition is being use. Make sure to use a good bullet close to 100gr. If shots are short which is likely with an 8 year old a premium bullet may be needed with the high velocities and short shots to keep the bullet together.
2) Bad shot placement. A bad shot with a 30-06 is bad but a bad shot with a 243 is even worse. A 243 will do the job but no shooting through shoulders or texas heart shots.

Coaching a young child on shot selection and placement is critical.

[mrlawler1]

Been lots of deer killed with a 243.... If you have to buy another rifle move up to a 308... Would be the same recoil with a slightly larger bullet... But much more knockdown power... But I really don't see the need.... As mentioned you can place the shot in the correct place with a pellet gun and get the job done... Shot placement is critical... With a 243 I would try to teach to shoot just behind the shoulders and not thru....

[bullrider]

Her dad was in the stand helping her yesterday, said she made a good shot, man hunting close by heard the bullet hit the deer. Once it gets out of the food plot without blood you have to get Lucky to find them

[Landers52x]

.300 blackout, 30 cal bullet with .223 recoil

[Transom]

Been lots of deer killed with a 243.... If you have to buy another rifle move up to a 308... Would be the same recoil with a slightly larger bullet... But much more knockdown power... But I really don't see the need.... As mentioned you can place the shot in the correct place with a pellet gun and get the job done... Shot placement is critical... With a 243 I would try to teach to shoot just behind the shoulders and not thru....

I agree with this post except for the recoil. A 308 recoils much more than a 243. A grown man will find 308 recoil mild but it is unlikely that an 8 year old will.

[yetti462]

Load that 243 up with some 80 grain Barnes.

[bigfishingstud]

Have killed a lot of deer with the 243, We used a 80 gr Speer soft point with 40.2 grs of 4320 powder...

[alanhore]

260 remington or a 7mm-08 should get the job done. I she shooting good enough to be out there to begin with.

[Zoomworms]

6.5 Creedmoor with a muzzle brake. Very soft recoil.

[mrlawler1]

Shoot a lite load in that 308 with a recoil pad and it will pull some of the recoil down...I was shooting a Remington model 700 .308 at 8 so I never think nothing of it... The 7mm-08 is another with a light recoil... But it would be similar to the 243 in my eyes as far as leaving a blood trail...

[BP in ME]

. The 7mm-08 is another with a light recoil... But it would be similar to the 243 in my eyes as far as leaving a blood trail...

Ah, no. Ballistics are closer to a .270.

Your other points about recoil pad and reduced recoil ammo I agree with completely for either 7mm-08 or .308. The 7mm-08 lite kicks less than standard .243 load

[mrlawler1]

Ah, no. Ballistics are closer to a .270.

Your other points about recoil pad and reduced recoil ammo I agree with completely for either 7mm-08 or .308. The 7mm-08 lite kicks less than standard .243 load

I don't look at ballistics numbers anymore...I just go by my experience.. I go by damage and hole size... One I don't know that would be good for a smaller kid maybe I guess the 25.06... But I still think the 243 is more than capable.. Been shooting the old .308 for several years now because of the bumb shoulder... My big rifles have seen the field in several years...

[TrackerPro16]

Another one is 7X57 (.275 Rigby if you are in the United Kingdom) which is pretty close to a 270 power wise. You can pick them up pretty cheap in the old military configuration but can provide surprising accuracy and a great bullet selection.
I agree though, this sounds like more of an aiming issue unless you are using the wrong bullet. .243 will drop a deer no problem.

[Chief Paduke]

Probably an aiming issue, but it could be a bullet problem. Explore a bullet that expands more quickly. I killed double figure deer with a .243, before some unknown person borrowed it, and none went very far.

[d'Wayne]

Doesn't matter what you use if you can't shoot accurately, never believed in knockdown, other than hitting one short range in the spine.

[Roddy]

260, you won't be disappointed. That is what I stated my son's with and IMHO much more suitable for deer than a 243.

[Chief Paduke]

It ain’t the gun.

[Ky-triton]

I don't look at ballistics numbers anymore...I just go by my experience.. I go by damage and hole size... One I don't know that would be good for a smaller kid maybe I guess the 25.06... But I still think the 243 is more than capable.. Been shooting the old .308 for several years now because of the bumb shoulder... My big rifles have seen the field in several years...

In my experience, a .25-06 has a lot more recoil than a .243. I have killed plenty of deer with a .243, but there are better deer cartridges out there.

[mrlawler1]

That's one I don't know..guess it's what .06 casing with a 25 cal bullet?

Still a fan of the .308 myself.. I'll be shooting it again Lefty this year..