Youth - 260 Rem or 25.06??

[RYEWSKY25284]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the input.

I agree with (MOZIYINMORIN) .243 is a good starter for the youngster. When he's proficient with that rebarrel it up to a .260 or 7-08.
I wouldn't put him on a rifle that might give him a bad flinch habit.
Start at the bottom of bullet weights, and as he gains confidence move up in bullet weight.
Flinching is a very hard habit to break

 

[Swinehunt74]

Trying to think like a 9 yr old is tough. What i remember most about shooting, was the difference between 25-06[long action] and 260[short action], the actual length of bolt throw. I felt like the long action was LOOOng, and short action just felt better. I kept short throwing the long and binding my follow up shot [if necessary]. Either caliber is fine, let your child decide which they like by borrowing one from fav uncle/friend and see which the child likes to shoot most. BTW, i have reduced load 260 Remington Factory ammo i could provide for a 260 shooter. I have 5 or six boxes. 2103671610. Bought after rotator surgery and only shoot one box. Even after surgery, 260 with full house reloads was manageable. Have hunted with both calibers and each has their own qualities. I lean towards 260 though.

 

[mace]

.260 for sure! Start him with lighter bullets say 120 grain.

 

[98dyna]

.260 When he wants more rechamber to a .260 AI. I knocked down 4 mulies in 4 days with my .260 AI, from 75 to 325 yards. All 1 shot kills.

 

[teekayo260rem]

.260rem.
I shoot .260 for range and hunting here in Australia, have for years and swear by it. For large varmint like hares, Kangaroo's, wallabies and fox , also medium-sized game like dogs, goats, smaller deer and pigs(hogs). Sadly in Australia some states have calibre bullet size laws for deer, Victoria you must shoot with .270 or bigger for Ruska deer. But with the right bullet weights like 140gr to 156gr and shot placement the .260 will take out nearly anything.
So makes a perfect choice rifle cal for a youth with Sako, Tikka, Remington and Savage all selling in the .260rem.
Happy hunting
Cheers
TKO

 

[DirectDrive]

Thank you, I'm ignorant on all of the various savage models. Is the action the same on all of their various models (does the Axis have the 111 action)?

Not a 110-based action.
The Axis as I understand it, is a "budget" action.
But it's a low-cost way to get the boy into a starter .243
And I think your first instinct (.243) was the right one for an 8 year old.

Then for the next step up, the perfect transition would be 7mm-08 and I wouldn't worry about tying it to re-barreling.
When he's ready, there should be plenty of 7-08 rifles around.
It's a very popular chambering.

 

[Hoss50]

Both are good. I would lean on 260 for the wider bullet variety. I do love a good quarter bore though so 25-06 wouldn't hurt my feelings either.

 

[teekayo260rem]

Not a 110-based action.
The Axis as I understand it, is a "budget" action.
But it's a low-cost way to get the boy into a starter .243
And I think your first instinct (.243) was the right one for an 8 year old.

Then for the next step up, the perfect transition would be 7mm-08 and I wouldn't worry about tying it to re-barreling.
When he's ready, there should be plenty of 7-08 rifles around.
It's a very popular chambering.

You are spot on about the Savage Axis ,it has a 'similar' looking type of action to the model 10 but that's about where it ends and the barrels are very much the same screw and lock nuts type. I have had Axis XP camo since 2009 and burnt the .243 barrel out and I always had the intention to re-barrel it too .260rem once it was gone. I got it re-barrel in 2018 with a 24" chrome molly TSE and it is still my go too hunting rifle, in accuracy it is not far behind my Tikka Super varmint .260rem.
I think the OP poster might have wanted to re-barrel the rifle he will buy for his son to maybe save on cost, and then he will have the option of going to 7mm- 08 or 308. Now if it was me I'd keep it in 260rem, best medium LRP /hunting calibre ever imho.

 

[teekayo260rem]

Thank you, I'm ignorant on all of the various savage models. Is the action the same on all of their various models (does the Axis have the 111 action)?

No, but just as accurate due to there great barrels and the unique screw in barrel with thread -in headspacing ,lock nut and how it fits into the receiver so well. The Axis for the money is great entry level rifle and the Axis 2 was a big improvement ,so I hope they bring out a Axis 3.

 

[D2wing]

My grandson loves his 243. I would consider a 7-08 as well. 260 over 25-06 for sure especially in a youth gun.

 

[orifdoc]

I shot my first deer with a 25-06 as a 12 year-old 75 lb whimp. But, that was with a heavy bull-barrel 700 that soaked up all the recoil. My son shot his last antelope with a 260 Rem. Both are great. With the right bullet, a 260 is fine for elk up to a reasonable distance.

 

[26Reload]

When my son was 9 he got his first blacktail(and a nutria) with 2506.... couple months later a Roosevelt cow with 260......at the rock pit or the range he shot both equally well..and most times better then I did..even though I built the handloads for each....he hasn't touched a rifle since he got his first rocky elk with his 2506 at 300yds..quartered to..110ab just inside front shoulder taking out the heart and lodging just inside behind opposite shoulder...dropped on the spot.......
Teach him to shoot to absorb the recoil with the rifles and he will be fine with either caliber......then have a huge bucket of 22s ready for plinking......

 

[Mike Matteson]

25-06 or 270 will work just fine. They are both long actions. That way he learns with a long action than on a short action. You can use a lighter bullet in the 25/06 and a lower powder load. The 260 is a slow boat to china in my estimation. With 25-06 you achieve over 3000fps in the 115gr bullet. That will get you down range to 5 hundred yards on deer or antelope. The 234, 25/05, and 260 are little light for Elk, and you better be a great on shot placement.

 

[Longtine88]

My kids shot 260's from 8 to 15 years old. Lots of deer taken with them. All from 140 vld's and 120 TSX's. None got away. Never complained of recoil. They had fun. Now they have upgraded their rifles and all 5 of the 260's still sit in the safe. Kinda sad. Those rifles took lots of game when they were growing up.