Youth/New Shooter Caliber - 6mm Creedmoor, 6mm ARC, or 6.5 Grendel?

Posted by FlyingAnvils@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 12 comments

I'm looking for a caliber to start my 10yo son on this year for whitetail season. We hunt the Midwest US timber where shots are generally under 200 yards. I'm a reloader, so factory ammo considerations generally mean very little to me. Probably going with a youth size bolt action platform. Love to hear everyone's thoughts and recommendations on these calibers. Thanks!

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12 Comments

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TURBOWyMiaTaToR@reddit

6.5 grendel it's oldest and already established, ammo should be cheaper

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PrometheusSmith@reddit

I bought a Howa barreled action in 6 ARC and put it in a Bell and Carlson M40 stock. It's a handy little rifle that shoots very easy and uses basically any 6mm bullet you would ever want to hunt with. I just started reloading myself and my first batch of test ammo gave me one load of a 95gr SMK at about 2700fps, into a .86" group on 5 shots. I'd have no qualms about giving it to a youth hunter to take out for whitetail.

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FlyingAnvils@reddit (OP)

Do you have any photos you could share? I’ve always been interested in a B&C stock, just never see very many.

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PrometheusSmith@reddit

https://imgur.com/a/46HbKAf#ZkTAFI6 Best I've got. I picked it up on eBay, used but in really good shape.

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Sanford-And-Anfield@reddit

.243

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FlyingAnvils@reddit (OP)

That wasn’t a choice, but thanks anyway.

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Sanford-And-Anfield@reddit

Yeah but it’s the better choice IMO. It out performs all three of those rounds especially considering 6 mm ARC is specifically designed to be fired from an AR platform and you’re looking for a bolt action rifle. But you’re right,. 243 was not one of the listed options.

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65grendel@reddit

In what way would it out perform the 6 Creedmoor?

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Sanford-And-Anfield@reddit

Build a .243 with a one in eight twist barrel. Push hundred grain bullets out over 3100 ft./s. The brass is cheaper. The bullets are cheaper. Factory ammunition is cheaper. If all you were doing is buying a factory rifle, then a 10-year-old is never gonna tell the difference anyway.

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dottmatrix@reddit

Definitely Grendel. Howa Mini with a 20" threaded barrel, add a brake and there's an affordable and accurate rifle with no recoil. If your kid sticks with target shooting or hunting into adulthood, there are now ample factory loads to find one for the use case - 6mm ARC isn't there yet and isn't guaranteed to get there.

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Kokabim@reddit

243 or Grendel

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stevenrodgersBCB@reddit

6.5 Grendel