What about .308?
 

Newbie question. I've been hanging out here for a while taking in all the info. I will be buying a new rifle for South Texas whitetail in the next couple of weeks. I will use it for a few years and then hand it off to my son. I'm leaning towards the 7mm-08, 25-06, .257 Roberts and the .308. Which of these would be the best choice for a young hunter's first rifle? Why haven't I heard much on the .308 here? Thanks for the help.

RE: What about .308?
 

The 308 Win is an excellent cartridge, but depending on how your son handles recoil it might be a bit much. It all depends on the weight of the rifle and the stock design. The 7mm-08 Rem has less recoil and offers excellent ballistics paired with the versatility of the 7mm bullet which can handle anything from varmints to elk.

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RE: What about .308?
 

.308 = cheap surplus ammo to practice with, and near .30/06 performance in a short action rifle.

RE: What about .308?
 

Any of the cartridges you mentioned should work, but my first two picks would be the .308 or the 7mm/08 for his first centerfire rifle. I'm a big fan of the .308 for many reasons. It's a very accurate cartridge, it allows you to use a short action, and cheap surplus practice ammo can be picked up far cheaper than any of the other cartridges you mentioned.

I hope he's been getting a lot of practice with a 22. It's a heck of lot easier and cheaper to learn with.

RE: What about .308?
 

DG, when using a 120 grain bullet in both 25-06 and 7mm-08, the 7mm-08 generates higher velocity and flatter trajectory. So in actuality the 25-06 is really no better at long range than the 7mm-08. Both are fine cartridges.

RE: What about .308?
 

i love the 308...of the large rifles its definently my favorite...performs great on deer...accurate..and little recoil...and many bullets to choose from...i love it...but i stepped up to a 30.06 when i bought my own deer rifle...if i had the same rifle in 308 to pick from it would took the 308

RE: What about .308?
 

If I were picking the rifle for the kid, it would be the .257 Roberts or the 7mm/08. Both will take deer to all reasonable ranges and do so with minimal recoil. They also make excellent "grown up" guns.

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

RE: What about .308?
 

I personally like the 25-06. The 7mm-08 is, if memory serves me correctly, the most efficient round in terms of powder + performance out there. I like the 308 for reasons described above. None of hte bunch are bad.

Sooner

"Size isn't important, but it HELPS!!!"

RE: What about .308?
 

25-06. Good luck.