Very Promising with Youth 700 .243

[idahohunter8]

I just recently put together a starter rifle for my 8 year old son so he can start practicing for the next two years and be comfortable going afield when he turns 10. The rifle we choose was a Remington 700 ADL youth .243, with a 20" barrel and shortened youth stock. I put talley lw mounts on with a Vortex Crossfire II 3-9x40...

I wanted very reduced loads for him to learn on and couldn't for the life of me find h4895 or trail boss, so per the new Nosler 8 manual, I loaded 90 grain ballistic tips behind 33.0 grains of imr4320...With the 20" barrel I figure these loads to be about 25-2550 FPS...I wasn't expecting much accuracy wise as its so reduced, I just wanted something to hit a paper plate while my son learns to shoot...Too bad I may have found a winning rifle!

Was able to slip away this morning and put some rounds through the rifle and man am I excited. Loaded 14 rounds, fired 5 rounds at 25 yards to get on paper and then moved to 100 yards. Next three shots - covered by a quarter, next three after that about the same. Last three shots - take my time, really try to shoot a good group - 3 shots into .33 of an inch!!!!

If we were in a pinch, that load would be hunting ready right now - going to be a fun next couple years watching my son learn on this rifle...The plan is work up to a full boat 95/100 grain load for hunting.

 

[DrMike]

And that's the way we like our loading experience to go. Great work. Perhaps we'll see the lad at work with the rifle before long?

 

[gerry]

That sounds very good and should be nice and mild for recoil. It's nice when things come together like that......

 

[JD338]

Sounds like a great mild load. Nicely done.

JD338

 

[BretN]

I did something very similar this summer with 125 gr 308 loads and found a very accurate starting load, that is both easy and fun to shoot, and also a load I wouldn't hesitate sending my daughter afield to hunt with. Enjoy shooting those starting loads, not a thing wrong with them.