thoughts on which one for first rifle for my kids. I have 3 small kids so this will be each their first rifle that they learn to shoot with.

I was set on the .243 but have heard a lot of good things about the 22-250. In fact, everyone that i know that has a 22-250 swears by it. Only folks that recommend the .243 are the one that have never shot a 22-250.

thoughts from more seasoned hunters?

My vote is for the .243.

I've had all of them and like the .243 better.

I don't really know enough about the 22-250 but you can get any gun in a .243 and I think it's pretty damn forgiving and powerful enough to kill anything in TX, less an elk or nilgai.

I have shot both. The 243 is the better deer round and recoil is light enough for youth use.

.243 , lots of arguments for either, can use 243 for a long time, 22-250 good starter and great for head and neck shots, both kill deer,I always lean toward more gun instead of less. . Good luck

Muzzleblast said:

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My vote is for the .243.

I've shot all of them and like the .243 better.

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Ultimately buy what you want it is the only way you will be happy. My boss's favorite gun is the 22-250 he bought for his daughter. The .243 Is more forgiving.

243. get reduced recoil rounds if needed. See Hornady Custom Lite.

.300 blk bolt gun with a can.

.243.

My 9 yr old shots a youth model bolt action .243 and I don't have to hurry (as much) about him pulling a shot a little bit.

they will grow out of both and eventually graduate to whatever you are shooting so the question id be asking myself is, "which one would I rather have?". to me the answer is 22-250, unless you already have another centerfire rifle for varmints.

Uncle Gunnysack said:

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they will grow out of both and eventually graduate to whatever you are shooting so the question id be asking myself is, "which one would I rather have?". to me the answer is 22-250, unless you already have another centerfire rifle for varmints.

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You win!

I'm a fan of the 22-250 for the velocity and flat trajectory. Never shot a .243 and don't have any against it, will likely get one as well. My mother has killed dozens of doe with a 22-250.

Like what was just said, buy what you want for when they out grow of it and want a 300 win mag

Both will likely shoot the nuts off a hog though.

I recommend the 243. we have shot plenty of deer with the 243 and many were DRT. 243 ammo can be found anywhere and there is a wide range of bullet styles and weights. it has low recoil and is plesant to shoot. also as far as growing out of the gun as long as you stick to white tail size animals you have all the gun you will ever need. i love my 22-250 but would always pick a 243 for deer.

I have and shoot both, plus a .308 that I use periodically. The .243 is a lot easier to find ammo I like than the .22-250.

I got the .243 years ago when my dad started having trouble the recoil on his 30-30 (it is not a pleasant gun to shoot). Several years later, he started having trouble with the recoil from the .243 and he wanted to my Jr. a rifle, enter the .22-250. It took a while to find a deer appropriate round that the rifle actually likes. He was trained as an Army sniper, so I was never concerned about accuracy. He could shoot that .22-250 all day if I let him. To date that rifle has performed great on deer and hogs....just the particular ammo I like is a pain to find.

I own both and my kids and I have all hunted with both -a lot.

If I had to chose one it would be the .243. More versatile, more forgiving on marginal shots, basically the same felt recoil, easy ammo.

Both will kill plenty of deer, hogs and coyotes, but if I had to chose between the two of them or to make one as a foundational gun in a collection it would be the .243 hands down.

The .243 is a lot more versatile round - you can get lightweight 55 grain projectiles and pretty much do anything with them you can do with a .22-250. You can go up to 105 grain projectiles and easily take white tail, mule deer or whatever.

And a .243 is,not just a kid round - I still use mine to this day. It does what I ask it to.

.243. And if anyone needs some reduced recoil rounds I have 3 boxes for real cheap right here in Central Texas.'



I also have a Browning 81 in .243 that I would part with.

I'll add one more to the mix .25-06. I still use this to hunt and it will handle anything we see on our place in Rocksprings. Not much more punch than the .243 and they can definitely use it as they grow older. Great round that not many people use.

7mm-08 would be my vote. If a midget like DVM can shoot it, anyone can.

I might be interested in that Browning. You're in the Belton area, if I'm not mistaken?

Email me at aggiebtw at gmail.

BurrOak said:

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I might be interested in that Browning. You're in the Belton area, if I'm not mistaken?

Email me at aggiebtw at gmail.

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If Burr ends up not wanting it let me know. ctgilley10 at gmail

Synthetic stock on that Browning....amirite?

Why else would I want to get rid of it?

Touche my friend. Well played.

Email sent.

Gilles if we do not come to a deal you are 2nd.

ursusguy said:

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I have and shoot both, plus a .308 that I use periodically. The .243 is a lot easier to find ammo I like than the .22-250.

I got the .243 years ago when my dad started having trouble the recoil on his 30-30 (it is not a pleasant gun to shoot). Several years later, he started having trouble with the recoil from the .243 and he wanted to my Jr. a rifle, enter the .22-250. It took a while to find a deer appropriate round that the rifle actually likes. He was trained as an Army sniper, so I was never concerned about accuracy. He could shoot that .22-250 all day if I let him. To date that rifle has performed great on deer and hogs....just the particular ammo I like is a pain to find.

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What ammo for 22-250 do you use for deer?

I prefer the 55 gr Fusion round. My rifle does not like the Winchester 64 gr or 60 Nosler rounds. I've never had a problem dropping deer with a regular 55 gr soft point, but the tend to blow up inside (to say the deer have dropped is an understatement). But if I ever had to blood trail them, it would be a royal pain. My rifle likes the Fusion rounds, and to date I've had good luck with complete pass throughs.

Veteran of raising 3 kids as hunters. I got a Remington youth 243 and put a good scope on it.
1). None of them had any trouble with the weight or recoil, including my daughter who was/is very small.
2). Youth model has smaller stock etc. which made it fit them better earlier.
3). They are now all grown - and I love the gun. I have harvested more animals (deer, antelope, pigs, varments) with it than anything else in the gun safe. It is very light and easy to carry - only gun I ever use when walking/stalking. Great truck gun because it is so small.

As everyone above has said - get something you will want to shoot when the kids outgrow it. I think the 243 is more versatile and if you get a youth model, perfect for the kids. Just my 2 cents.

Here's another thought..... not .243 or 22-250-

CZ is making their mode 527 carbine in 7.62x39 and it's a helluva gun. Good close to intermediate cartridge. Cheap ammo and a sweet little bolt gun that goes from kids gun to truck gun and back. Buddy is clover leading 3 shot at 100 with his using tulammo surplus and has taken many deer with his.

Worth a look. http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-527-carbine-223-rem/

My son has a .22-250, and has killed 2 does, a spike, and a 8pt with it. All shot behind shoulder. It expends 100% of its energy in the chest cavity, shredding heart and lungs. 55 great Core Lokt bullet with extreme velocity is devastating, yet damages little edible meat.

Sarge - that's actually my only concern ever when shooting with or letting someone shoot my 22-250. When and where it gives up all its energy......

IF they end up shoulder shooting a deer instead of shooting behind the shoulder or in the neck, it has the propensity to blow up right there instead of entering the chest cavity.

Devastating when it gets into the cavity without hitting big bone first, but I've seen a deer shoulder shot with the 22-250 and it was a horrible wound that wasn't immediately fatal. Blew up right there and made a huge mess.

I'd always rather a nervous or inexperienced shooter push a .243 towards a deer than my 22-250 for that very reason.

The .243 will push on through into a deer's chest and deliver more energy where its needed even if it hits shoulder 1st.

Just my experience in the field with both over a lot of years - your milage may vary.

tx4guns said:

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7mm-08 would be my vote. If a midget like DVM can shoot it, anyone can.

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I learned on a .218 Bee. Ammo is expensive, but boy do I love that gun

my wife shot her first deer last year at 125 yards with a 22-250. 7 point. he ran about 25-30 yards. put it behind the shoulder. almost no meat was ruined.

One more thought I'd throw out, regardless of what caliber is chosen, is to not get a youth model unless you are talking about 6 & 7 year olds or younger. My oldest son shot his first deer at 8 with a 22-250, but it was a Thompson Contender with a heavy octagon barrel - not a youth model. My youngest son killed his first deet a few days past his 9th birthday with a regular sized .243. The shots for both were right around 100 yds. Neither would have likely been able to free-hand that size rifle at that age and make the same shot, but resting out of a blind window it was no problem. The 22-250 was their grandfather's gun that we used and I have since gotten a .243 for each. The good thing about the .243s is that they each can use it into adulthood with no problem and pass it along to their kids some day. The alternative is a youth model that the older child would have all but outgrown by now and the younger wouldn't be far behind......then it is a (hopefully) 20 year wait until they have kids that are old enough to give it good use.