22-250 vs 243

[Stray Horse]

I'd go with the 243, 257 Bob with mule deer in the mix. My son will use a 6mm Remington soon.

[luvdemcoues]

Ok. Suppose I take mule deer out of the mix. I have access to an old 243 savage that has been in the family for years. Is a 22-250 a good choice for coues?

[Mangum]

.243 all the way. The recoil is very light and it is one of those calibers that just kills better than the balistics say it should. Personally I like the 6.5x55 swedish mauser. No recoil and you can load a 140 grain bullet into it if you have to take down somthing of any size.

[joeybari]

you may think this is bit over kill but go with 30-06 or a 308 good gun to grow up

[Traveler]

I am thinking of getting the weatherby vanguard. I like that it has the interchangeable adult stock and youth stock. What are your opinions on those. Also, would love to hear more about the caliber preferences. Josh

 

If you go with the Vanguard make sure you check the range of the scope (up down) I tried to buy two different ones at two different retailers. The scope was a few clicks away from being topped out at both stores. Multiple hours, multiple sets of scope mounts and they still could not get it right.

I finally bought a Remington Model Seven for my boy. In .243 . They now have the improved adjustable trigger available ( thanks to competition from Savage)

 

I was in the same mode as you 22-250 vs .243 The thought of the regret if he wounded a deer shifted me to the .243

 

Good luck with your decision and purchase

 

[sjvcon]

.22-250 is good for varmints of all types, and is a sweet little round to shoot, but I wouldn't use it for deer. Yeah ... I am sure some people have ... and maybe even with some success ... but it is really the exception. You want to put the animal down. PERIOD. You need a good wound channel for that. The .243 should really be the minimum for a deer rifle. You don't want to wound a trophy and never recover it. If you want to step up a bit to something that can handle a broader range of game, get a 7mm-08 or a .308 (even the .260 Remington, which has the same basic case). Don't give the recoil a second thought. Just put a removable break on the gun and get a thread protector for hunting with. The break will help immensely at the range ... and let's be honest, no one feels a kick while hunting when the adrenaline is pumping.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

One note on the Weatherby ... my son found it to be very heavy. We ended up with a Ruger 77 Mark II Compact, which is a sweet (and light) little gun.

[luvdemcoues]

ya, I am going to stay away from the vanguard. I am looking at the Tikka T3 Lite or a savage.

[Stray Horse]

The Vangurd line does have a compact model.

 

 

[sjvcon]

The Vangurd line does have a compact model.

 

Yeah ... it was their Youth Model, which comes with both youth and adult stocks. It was still heavier than the Ruger by quite a bit. My son is about average size for his age, and he couldn't shoulder it easily. The Ruger was no issue. Neither was the Remington. I'd have bought him the Winchester Classic Compact, but it was double the price, and Ruger makes a pretty decent little rig ... just had to get the trigger done right. We just went through the break in, and it is an absolute paper puncher at 100. Two half circles together and one about 3/8" away ... I'd say that will get the job done. Don't get me wrong ... I have nothing against a Weatherby ... they are just heavy in the Youth Model.

[billrquimby]

Why not buy the .22-250 now, and get the .243 later when he grows a bit and graduates to larger game? I hate to see anyone get boogered by the recoil from his first rifle, and the recoil (and noise) of a .243 is significant for youngsters. Flinching is a terrible thing, and darned tough to cure.

 

I shot many Coues whitetail-size deer (60 to 100 pounds) in the Texas Hill Country with the .22-250 years ago, and it killed them in their tracks. It also should be deadly on young, 110- to 130-pound mule deer out to 150 yards or so, but I'd want at least a .243 if a 225-plus-pound buck presented itself past 200 yards.

 

Bill Quimby

[TAM]

My uncle has killed more deer and elk than you can shake a stick at with his 22-250. Yes, I said he uses it for elk as well. Put the bullet in the right spot and it's a very effective round. He also uses a 7mm Remington mag but prefers the 22-250 because it doesn't tear up as much meat. I've been standing next to him when he shot both a mule deer and a cow elk. Neither took another step.

 

I'm not suggesting that everyone goes out and buys 22-250's for elk hunting, but the truth is that it is plenty of gun for deer and even elk. The key is that the hunter has to know their limitations and be very selective with shot placement.

 

I'm just saying this because nowadays there seems to be a trend that bigger is better. Sometimes I think bigger guns means you get to have a bigger ego or something like that. I'd much rather shoot a small caliber rifle accurately than a large caliber rifle inaccurately.

 

For what it's worth I'm also in the market for a rifle for my young boys and will probably be going with the 243. My reasoning is that I believe the 243 has a little more room for error if the shot isn't quite perfect.

 

Good luck!

[catclaw]

Ok. Suppose I take mule deer out of the mix. I have access to an old 243 savage that has been in the family for years. Is a 22-250 a good choice for coues?

 

 

NO, IT IS NOT.

 

I hunted with one for a number of years and killed a dozen or so bucks with it. As long as I had perfect broadside presentation it was fine. I shot a nice buck in unit 22 one year and it ran off. I made an amazing (read lucky) follow-up shot on it at about 400 yds and broke its back. When I hiked over, it was still alive and pissed off. I never used a 22-250 again for deer hunting.

 

I think it (22-250)is a rifle for a superior marksman, not a kid's rifle. Go with something that shoots a heavier bullet. A 243 doesn't have a lot of recoil and is heads and shoulders better for deer hunting than any 22 caliber rifle. I feel like the 250 Savage is even better- I built one for my kids and they have taken a half dozen cows elk and a hand full of deer with it. Had the 260 Remington been available at that time, I might have gone that route instead.

 

I have heard too many horror stories about big game and the 22-250 to even consider it anymore. It doesn't not have much energy once you get past 250 yds. Do your son a favor, and get him something that will be effective when he hits a shoulder bone or a raking shot. Nothing worse than losing an animal to the shot.

 

Dennis

[king4wd]

Just remember that those tiny bullets are gonna have a heck of a time with wind. I shoot a .220 swift for varmits and it is rock solid out to 300 yards. After that, the slightest breeze pushes the bullet all over. My dad started me with a Remmy 700 in .270 and that same gun is my preffered rifle on any game in AZ from coyote to elk.

[ROCKSLAYER]

i started my son off with a ruger 22 & a 20 guage mossberg youth shotgun.after a couple of squirel & quail seasons he was ready for the larger calibers.we then gave him a 22-250 & a 12 guage.it wasnt long before he was wanting to shoot the 25-06 & 257 weatherby.i have never believed in 1 gun for everything.thats why they make big gun safes.

[Coues Archer]

For mule deer the .308 is the best if you use a 22-250 its just not enough too bring those bucks down like a .308 can. You have to hit the deer right in the button to bring them down with a 22-250.