.243 for my son

[WVmike]

My son is 7 but I plan on buying him his very first deer rifle in a year or two. I’d like to get him a .243 but not set on any brands. I have always had Winchester model 70s, Weatherby Vanguard and Remington 700s. Does anyone have any experience with the Winchester XPR, Mossberg Patriot, Ruger American or Tikka? He has used my ar in .223 wylde up to this point and shoots it pretty well.

 

[blackbeard]

The patriots seem the shoot good, barrels seem to heat up quick. Tikka will be my next gun purchase when I can find a left handed 308. Just depends on what feels good to him.

 

[RevJim]

I bought an older T3 Lite in .243 awhile back. I had also bought some Nosler 70gr Varmeggedon ammo. It shoots them into .5-.70" easily. I don't know anything about a Youth Model in a Tikka, but the rifle itself is awesome! Good luck to you and have a ball with that boy!!

 

[Walkathon]

I have a Ruger American in 7MM-08 that shoots well, but I don't feel like it is nearly as nice of a gun as my Tikka's are. Either would work fine. Just depends on how much you want to spend, and availability, in my opinion.

 

[wsco3506]

My son has a Ruger American in 708. The stock is trim and slender and fits him pretty well. It is light which he likes. It is not as nice as my other son's a- bolt or my vanguard, but for the price is a decent rifle. The main advantage we can see is the weight and that we could find it in a left-handed model.

 

[Don Fischer]

I've got a patriot and a 700 ADL in 243. Like the Patriot best, nicer wood. Both shoot very very well, under an inch with handloads. Question mark on the Mossberg bedding. It's plastic and no clue how it might hold up. Also have had to replace one trigger guard as torqueing the action screws to much messed up the plastic. Would I buy another, yep.

 

[Redman]

Tikka would be my thumbs up. .243 is a great deer round. Have you considered the 7mm08? Just a thought if he would ever like to go on an elk hunt someday. Plus the felt recoil isn't a noticeable difference between the two to me.

 

[huntin24/7]

The savage axis is another good option. I got the option with the accutrigger last year. My step son shoots 1” groups at 100 yards consistent with both factory and premium ammo.

 

[CPAjeff]

We have two Tikkas in our household, one in 7mm-08 and one in .243. Both shoot factory ammo incredibly accurate. I don't have experience with the other brands/models you've mentioned, but I won't hesitate to buy another Tikka or five of them in the future. Pick up a limbsaver recoil pad and throw the factory pad away.

 

[Addicting]

My son is 7 but I plan on buying him his very first deer rifle in a year or two. I’d like to get him a .243 but not set on any brands. I have always had Winchester model 70s, Weatherby Vanguard and Remington 700s. Does anyone have any experience with the Winchester XPR, Mossberg Patriot, Ruger American or Tikka? He has used my ar in .223 wylde up to this point and shoots it pretty well.

I have a rem 700 stainless barreled action for sale. You just need a stock and bottom metal to get him going. PM me if your interested.

 

[wolfpup]

Love my Ruger American in .243! Feels and shoots above its price point compared to others in the price range.

 

[RaiderRich]

While not in 243 Winchester (I have a Savage Axis 2 in that), I would rank what you listed in order of my preference as Tikka T3x, Ruger American, Winchester XPR and Mossberg Patriot. To be fair I don't have a Mossberg Patriot but have read enough mixed reviews. My better half has the Tikka in 7mm-08 and she loves it. The Tikka has about the smoothest action you will find in that price point. I love my Ruger American (308) but I did accessorize it with a Magpul Hunter stock. It shoots lights out. My Winchester XPR is a 30-06 and it shoots decent but I am still looking for the factory ammo that it really loves.

Don't count out Weatherby Vanguards and its near identical brother Howa rifles (they are both Howas' after all).

While I am not the biggest Savage fan, they, like certain Mossberg Patriot models, do have the adjustable length of pull stocks which may be a good option for as he ages and grows. The Magpul Hunter on my Ruger American also has the adjustable length of pull option.

Just have him hold everything you can get your hands on and see what fits him best.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

My kids shoot a compact Tikka T3 in .243. It’s shot every load well. I’d go cheaper, like Ruger American, if it was more of a short-term-then-upgrade situation. I plan to keep mine through all my kids’ childhoods.

 

[jrgeorgia]

Sounding like a broken record but I would toss the Sauer 100 Classic XT if you consider the Tikka T3x. I was impressed with the discussion I had with the Sauer factory about the rifle (says it is a Blaser quality barrel and superior bedding that won't be improved with fiberglass bedding) and so I bought one. One good thing, right now seems easier to find more calibers in the Sauer 100 than some of the other similar priced guns. The Sauer 100 seems to be not as popular as I do not see it mentioned much on web forums for budget rifles. I pulled the below part of post from 24 hour campfire website. I also posted the reviews I found of the gun and they all were pretty good.

"The Sauer 100 was introduced in order to compete directly with the Tikka T3. It has the following advantages:

1. Remington 700 scope spacing for the attachment of any type of scope base you choose.
2. 5 round, flush fit magazine
3. The synthetic stock is more rigid than the Tikka.
4. Externally adjustable trigger.
5. Typical Sauer fit & finish.

Full disclosure here, I'm on Blaser-USA prostaff & J.P. Sauer & Sohn is part of the Blaser family. The barrels are made in the same room as Blaser & Mauser barrels with the same equipment.
Having said all that, I have been a fan of Tikka rifles for years, currently owning 4, one of which is a custom re-barrel. Either rifle is going to deliver a high level of satisfaction to the owner."

The 300-Yard MOA Test Of The Sauer Model 100

Affordability + Performance = Sauer Model 100 In 6.5 PRC.

gundigest.com

In Depth with the Sauer Model 100 Classic XT - Petersen's Hunting

It was a hot Wyoming afternoon, hot and dry as it often is on the prairie, in spite of the fact

www.petersenshunting.com

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Tested: Sauer 100 Classic XT Rifle

One of Germany’s oldest gunmakers has delivered a detachable-box-magazine-fed rifle with a polymer stock to American consumers—the Sauer 100 Classic XT.

www.americanrifleman.org

 

[GearJunky]

I started my son out with a Tikka t3 compact .243. It is honestly my favorite gun to shoot. The shorter barrel makes the handling of the gun incredible and the youth stock that tikka provides allows for the gun to grow with them. The tikka youth stock can always just be replaced with any T3 stock as well, but the youth spacer works pretty well as is.


As a side note - The shorter tikka barrel is a little thicker than the standard barrel and makes threading the barrel that much easier. My .243 now has a muzzle brake and the gun essentially has zero recoil. This has been the go-to gun for teaching all my kids how to shoot, and it has worked extremely well..... I was a horrible shot as a kid (I flinched), so I may have overcompensated here, but it has worked.

 

[rideold]

I bought a Savage 110 Hunter for my son to use this year. The fully adjustable stock is great and he is shooting a full size rifle with a properly fitting stock. I shot it with normal stock dimensions before we changed out the modules and liked it quite a bit. My only gripe is the DBM is a little flimsy but it seems to work fine. No reason it won't last him a lifetime and fit whatever size he grows up to be.

 

[pabearhunter]

First gun starting out Ruger American. You can't go wrong for the money.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

Winchester xpr has treated me well as a deer rifle in 243.

 

[noharleyyet]

My kids shoot a compact Tikka T3 in .243. It’s shot every load well. I’d go cheaper, like Ruger American, if it was more of a short-term-then-upgrade situation. I plan to keep mine through all my kids’ childhoods.

This one...

 

[ImBillT]

I don’t have personal experience with any of the rifles you’re asking about BUT, I have two things to say.

A) a Weatherby Vanguard is a Howa 1500 with a high polish and a fancy stock. You can get equal usefulness at a significant savings by getting the Howa if that’s a reason you’re not looking at the weatherby for your son.

B) I haven’t owned or examined a Tikka, but I’ve seen a couple people shoot Tikkas at matches in open classes(instead of factory classes) because they shot so darn well. They are owned by Sako, whose rifles I have owned, and while Tikka might be a step down in class, they are not a step down in accuracy or getting the job done. Their barrels are as good as Sako barrels, and they usually shoot VERY well.