All good points! And, ones that should be addressed. I forgot to mention that swapping the bolt face is another thing that is going to happen.
I was very heavily thinking of going with a .260 ai, as I have all the dies and such, and it's a great round. I have even killed elk with my 29" barreled .260ai, at over 900 yards, 156 eol @2940. It's doable, but also on the borderline at further ranges, on elk. There are a couple reason why I decided against it. I want to have a shorter barrel on it, so it is easier to handle for him. He got the short genes from his mother, and is probably only going to be around 5'5" as an adult ha ha. And also, it may eventually be ran supressed. Another reason is, as stated, elk. I usually get two elk tags every year, a general as well as a late season cow/calf, and while I know I have killed elk at range before with a .260ai, I would have to take off 200-250 fps from what I have used, putting performance at or likely below that of a standard 6.5 creed. I can always just make sure we get close, but I'm sure you know, hunting elk in open country doesn't always allow you to do that. I just don't want the limiting factor to be the rifle, but instead, his ability.
As far as his ability, I have watched him consistently hit prairie dogs at over 400 yards with my .260 ai, which has a MBM Lil Beast brake on it.....since he was 6 ha ha! He has been at it for a bit. Also, he has done the same, with his mother's 20" 7 sherman max, which also wears a MBM lil beast 3 port brake. Which comes to the next part, I would definitely put a solid brake on it, at least at first. Once he got comfortable with his rifle, I would probably swap out to a supressor, as long as he was still able to shoot it well.
The other aspect to that, is I want to try to get a load with the 140 Badlands bullet, we have seen great terminal performance from it, and with the speeds attainable from it, as well as the .333 G7, it outruns the 170 Berger, with significantly less recoil. I would expect to run that 140 around 3100 fps or so, from an 18-20" .270 ss, putting it actually very similar to my .260ai. I know there would be more recoil, as it burns a lot more powder, but it will certainly be nicer than a 170 @ 2850 or so.
That is how I came to this cartridge choice, I think a short mag 30 cal would be a little too much, even with a brake, but I feel confident that he can handle a lighter bullet in a .270 cal, even a magnum, as he has shown with his mother's 7 Sherman Max. My first rifle was a sporter weight 30-06, shooting hand loaded 190 Hornady spire points at 2800, and no muzzle device ha ha. It wacked me pretty good, but I still loved that rifle and shot it as much as dad would load me rounds for ha ha. I think he will feel the same.....probably gonna wear my press out!
