Cheap bolt action rifles for son

[paulsharvey]

Held a TC Compass at Academy last night, although son wasn't with me. It was in 6.5 Creedmore, and they had a .308 or maybe it was a 7-08 beside it. Feels pretty handy. I think this fall/winter I'll probably have him use the 6.5 Grendel AR, and I'll use the .270 Win. Let him chew on options, save some money, ECT. There isn't any rush. I have to say I wish more companies offered 6.5 Gren and 7.62x39 in bolts. I also might try to see if any local pawn shops have used .30-30 or .243, but locally used guns are often more expensive then brand new from a big box store.

 

[/pine]

Not trying to start any debates...I know full well how deadly smaller caliber projectiles can be...but in many states .243 caliber is the minimum allowed for hunting deer...
Sure the .223/5.56 is a deadly round but they are not ideal for hunting larger game especially by those that are not expert marksmen...

The .243 is popular with youth and female hunters because of the minimal recoil...but they are also responsible for a lot of shot deer that are not recovered...

Again I'm not trying to start any arguments just stating some facts...

 

[airbiscuit]

Not trying to start any debates...I know full well how deadly smaller caliber projectiles can be...but in many states .243 caliber is the minimum allowed for hunting deer...
Sure the .223/5.56 is a deadly round but they are not ideal for hunting larger game especially by those that are not expert marksmen...

The .243 is popular with youth and female hunters because of the minimal recoil...but they are also responsible for a lot of shot deer that are not recovered...

Again I'm not trying to start any arguments just stating some facts...

6.5mm = .264
7mm = .284

Both are excellent long range shooters (efficient ballistic coefficients).

 

[airbiscuit]

If your AR has a collapsible stock, that might be handy for a 12 year old fit. Maybe consider only letting him put two rounds in the magazine so he learns accuracy is better than quantity.

BTW my son's first deer rifle was a Ruger 44 carbine. It is a great woods rifle but they are spendy if you can find one.

 

[radios1]

one that is good for big game, and can be used for 1000 yard plus target shooting is the .338 win mag there's some here for a very good price. .338 Winchester Magnum Bolt-Action Rifle - Cheaper Than Dirt

 

[LD1]

As usual, Eddie brings up good points. The second deer rifle I bought for my son was a 7mm-08 - I really like that cartridge. The reason I like the 6.5mm Grendel is because it is an easy way to turn an AR15 into a deer rifle. In this case, the OP already has a 6.5mm Grendel, so there is something to be said for a father and son having the same round at the range. It has comparable ballistics to the 243, and is cheaper for plinking (500 rounds of Wolf ammo for $118).

I don't disagree with the many good suggestions on this thread. My dream would be having a 7mm-08 on an AR platform, but alas that is not possible (unless you go to a heavier AR10).

View attachment 563800

never understand why some people insist on publishing skewed comparisons.

THAT is a chart that is "supposed" to compare ballistics right?
So WHY is the 6.5 zeroed for 200yd and the .243 for 100yds??

As far as the "fad" cartridges are concerned and regarding the 6.5 Grendel....Alot of that is sizing something with a bit more knockdown power that can operate in a ar-15 platform. 300 Blackout is another example. Stuff like the .308 is too long, or the rimmed 30-30 are a few examples of things that are more difficult to adapt to a different platform.

I agree though in general.....there are a lot of "fad" cartridges out there and they dont offer a whole lot more than what is currently available. Maybe some younger generation folks just dont like shooting a round that has been around for 100 yrs??

Like the 6.5 creedmore? Better than a .25-06? or a .270? No....not really.

 

[paulsharvey]

never understand why some people insist on publishing skewed comparisons.

THAT is a chart that is "supposed" to compare ballistics right?
So WHY is the 6.5 zeroed for 200yd and the .243 for 100yds??

As far as the "fad" cartridges are concerned and regarding the 6.5 Grendel....Alot of that is sizing something with a bit more knockdown power that can operate in a ar-15 platform. 300 Blackout is another example. Stuff like the .308 is too long, or the rimmed 30-30 are a few examples of things that are more difficult to adapt to a different platform.

I agree though in general.....there are a lot of "fad" cartridges out there and they dont offer a whole lot more than what is currently available. Maybe some younger generation folks just dont like shooting a round that has been around for 100 yrs??

Like the 6.5 creedmore? Better than a .25-06? or a .270? No....not really.

6.5 Grendel had my attention, since the beginning because I always imagined a middle road in 7mm or .277. I thought if someone would have made a 7x33 Krutz back in the 1940s, we would have skipped .308 and 5.56 military rifles.

Now, I am hoping projectile makers can bring 6.5 (or 6.8, or whatever) prices down closer to .224 projectiles. Should a 100 gr 6.5 projectile really cost 3-4 times the price of a 88 gr .224? Seems like 6mm (.243) projectiles seem to have some pretty good selections at decent prices, and 6.8(.277) and 7mm (2.84) are the odd balls out.

 

[paulsharvey]

6.5 Creedmore is not so different than 6.5x55 Mauser, but brass is much easier/cheaper to buy/convert.

 

[paulsharvey]

I read something once about the 'Fad' rounds; ask your self, if it wasn't in AR platform, would it have a purpose?
.25-45 Sharps- no
.277 Wolv- no
.224 Valkerye- no
6.5 Grendel- IMO yes
.450 Bushmaster- no
.50 Beowulf- possibly for weird hunting laws, not generally, No
.458 SOCOM- no
.358 Yeti- no
.300 Black- possibly, in suppressed bolt gun would be fun
6.5 Creedmore- sure, even if it's new, it does about everything

 

[paulsharvey]

6.5 Grendel had my attention, since the beginning because I always imagined a middle road in 7mm or .277. I thought if someone would have made a 7x33 Krutz back in the 1940s, we would have skipped .308 and 5.56 military rifles.

Now, I am hoping projectile makers can bring 6.5 (or 6.8, or whatever) prices down closer to .224 projectiles. Should a 100 gr 6.5 projectile really cost 3-4 times the price of a 88 gr .224? Seems like 6mm (.243) projectiles seem to have some pretty good selections at decent prices, and 6.8(.277) and 7mm (2.84) are the odd balls out.

I really wanted 6.5 Grendel in a Vepr 20" barrel, but, you know, sanctions and stufd