Youth hunting rifle-Savage or Rem? .243 Win.

[CLP308]

I'm in the market to buy my 11 year old daughter a .243 and am contemplating the options. I have an old Rem 788 in .243 with the 18.5" barrel, but it's way too heavy for her. She shoots it very well. I was going to buy her a Model Seven youth, but they stopped making them. So, my choices are Savage stainless 11 youth package for 500 or a Rem 700 youth for 450, no scope. I'll probably put a better scope on either way. I have also noticed the Howa/Vanguard youth models, but they weigh a pound more. Most have a 22" bbl. What are your thoughts? Has to be light- 6-7 lb with scope.

 

[backwoods83]

Savage model 10 predator hunter + nikon, or similar
Savage model 11 fxp3 package + nikon, or similar
Tikka ultra lite + nikon, or similar
Remington 700 sps + nikon or the like
Don't skimp on the optics!

 

[padd54]

Howa makes a Youth/Adult .243win. It comes with two stocks. I have one for my grandsons and it shoots MOA with my handloads.

Good luck,
Ray

 

[diriel]

@CLP308,

Sir...STOP!! All Stop! That little 788 is one of the best little actions you could possibly ever desire for your daughter! I wish to high heaven I could locate a semi-sorta-decent deal on one for my little daughter! In all honesty, take all the money you were thinking about on a new build and put it into that awesome little 788!

Sir, you are "talking" with a Remington Model 700 Livid Hater! Sorry if that statement ****es A LOT of you off! But they are just **** near....ok i'll stop there. But that 788 is seriously a *NICE* little action for any kind of "Carbine" / "Youth" / "Petite" shooter! Hell, a very good friend of mine has one in 308 he says will be buried with him, and he is 6'4"!

Call Shilen, Bartlein, Kreiger, Borden, Lothar Walther, ect ect up, find a good smith, take her Length of Pull measurement, and have that little 788 put together for her! I honestly believe you will be money ahead, if not ahead, then you will not be much in the hole by comparison to a whole new youth rifle!

It warms my heart to see a "youth build" / "buy"! It warms my heart even more to see you already have one of the top 5 best actions ever produced already in hand to accomplish a first rifle for her!

Ok, so now 243, it is very good for sure! Do you reload sir? If you do IMR and Hodgdon both have Youth Loads based on 4895 powder that can make even a 308 into a mild mannered ***** cat. Recently another good friend of mine pointedly pointed out that a Barnes TTSX 130 in 308 is absolute Pure Poison for hogs, deer, and other critters. Man don't laugh at it being lite! If you plug in what a 308 will do with one of those bullets Speed and Trajectory wise clear out to 400 yards I think you will be astonished! I sure was! It gives up precious little to a 243, but later on down the line, she still has a 308 that CAN step up to some pretty heavy bullets if there is ever a need. Please do not think I am knocking the 243, heck the 85gr Sierra Game King bullet is a serious game taker too! And Barnes does make an 80gr TTSX, and that bullet is also a serious game taker out to around 300ish yards. I have recently been researching a build / buy for my young (too young right at the moment but...) daughter. So these things are all fresh in my mind, and I am one of those super freak reloaders / shooting enthusiasts who enjoys a good research project! It also helps I have two friens who are super freaks when it comes to hunting I like to hunt, and will certainly teach my daughter, but I truly love to shoot, and reload.

Have a great day!
Gary

 

[backwoods83]

I will agree that a 788 is a good action a buddy has one in 22-250, but so is a 721, 722, pre 64 model 70, keep it and let its value gain cause you could easily spend well over a 1000, also hes right with the 308 more uses later down the road, loading with H380 as you would with 4064 or varget will give you very mild recoil.

 

[diriel]

As for buying a youth rifle, believe it or not Weatherby Vanguard has a Youth rifle that has a spacer system included. It starts out at 12.5" LOP, and you can later use the spacer system to lengthen it. It is based on the very nice Howa action. The prices I was seeing was right around $420, so they are sure priced to sell! I may end up grabbing one of these for my daughter.

In all honestly, that howa 1500 action is a very Good Action. They are well designed, well machined, and a pleasure to take on a hunt.

Have a good one!
Gary

 

[backwoods83]

he is right about the vanguard I do not have the youth version but I have a sub moa 30-06 (same action) and it is great, very smooth for factory, and it will shoot 3/4 moa or less all day, one of the best I got cause I can put a pile of rounds through it and shows no real signs of wear, probably got 2,500 rounds through it!

 

[CLP308]

I love my 788, but it tips the scales at 9 lbs w/scope. She can't hold it up without a rest.And it's finicky about how the brass is resized. I'm going to take her to some upcoming gun shows to see what fits her. Hopefully they have a good selectionI think the 308 is a bit much in a light rifle. My Model 7 ultralight is brutal in 308 with the tiny 18" bbl. Even loading 110gn sierra's light it smacks pretty good.I will definitelyy check out the Howa and Weatherby. Thanks.

 

[roninflag]

the howa or remington 700.

 

[yotehunter73]

I am in a similar situation. Needing a youth .243 i stumbled upon your post and was wondering with all feedback you received which direction did you choose? I am leaning toward the Savage hunter package.

 

[270winshort]

I would go with the howa they are a great action and shoot great I have built 4 semi customs on these actions and all shoot 3/8' ' or less, I have also done loads with the factory barreled actions with similar results.

 

[diriel]

The 135gr Sierra Match King loaded to Hodgdon's YOUTH load of H4895, or IMR's YOUTH load of IMR4895, in conjunction with a muzzle brake and *GOOD* hearing protection should allow pretty much any youth to handle a short barrel 308. The awesome thing about 4895 is that you can load it so extremely far down.

H4895 @ about 36.5gr with a 135gr. SMK according to hodgdons YOUTH LOADS reloading data. This data is available from their homepage under: DATA / YOUTH LOADS.

Have a good one,

Gary
P.S. they have youth loads for many different calibre's, including .243.

 

[Tikkamike]

Seems like everyone is giving you suggestions rather than answering your question. I have experience with both. My vote goes to the 700 youth or the model 7 on gunbroker.com they have them on there. My little sister started out years ago with a model 7 in 243 and id has been a great little rifle. she has been packing it since she was 12 with a leupold straight 6x on it. she has killed elk out to 350 with it. That is why I pick that rifle. The savage is a good little rifle too but just something about them I dont like the feel of them like I do the Remingtons. I think the best thing to do though is take her to your local gun shop and have her try all the youth rifles and see which one she thinks feels the best and order one in 243 (great caliber choice btw)

 

[DZelenka]

My vote would be for the 700, but in 7-08. WHen my daughter was 10, I bought her the Model 7 youth in .260. 32.0 gr H4895 pushed a 120 Bal. Tip about 2400 fps. She could handle the rifle easily and it killed very effectively. When my neice showed interest in hunting at age 11, I learned that the Model 7 Youth was no longer available so I had her dad buy the 700 youth in 7-08. I load the 140 BT over 35.0 gr H4895 for around the same 2400 fps. The first weekend she hunted with it she killed 3 deer - all 1 shot kills. The recoil doesn't bother her a bit.

If you don't handload, both Remington and Federal make reduced power loads in those calibers. I just like a bigger bullet than a .243 for a less experienced person.