Well the most normal rifle I have is 308. I can't imagine handing junior a 30" barrel or a premium 6.5x55 Spanish mouser. The only other realistic choice would be a win 94 in 30-30. My rifle choices for actual hunting are sad but I'm not a hunter. At 14 he is more likely better off with one of my pistol carbines in 357 or 45 colt. I'm pondering looking for a 280 for him later and possibly a follow-up shot if he isn't effective.
At 14 I was hunting with a 4-5/8" Ruger Blackhawk in .357Mag BUT I had been hunting since I was 10, mostly with a borrowed .357Mag handgun, from a blind on private land. I don't expect to see that kind of thing too often anymore.
I have both options. I currently have 2 boxes of Remington core lkt 170, 2 boxes winchester 170 power point, 300 Hornaday interlock 170 rnfp, 200 Hornaday 160 ftx and more lead than you can shake a stick at.
So the old grand slams in the clear plastic 22lr style box were gooder. I have 20 of those loaded in 308 with 45 grains 4064.
You mentioned 300yds. A .30-30 won’t get it at that range. If a 300yd shot is a serious concern then go with the .308 or something in that range class. I really recommend using the ,30-30 or .45Colt and limiting the range to under 150yds. The .30-30 with an accurate 170gr FN will do the job.
A 308 is basically the same class as the 7-08 the 280 I think is a different class, but I could be wrong.
Yes. .280 is a long cartridge like a 30.06 while the 7-08 is a short cartridge like the .308.
I've been looking for Norma bullets so far their 175 match, but I hope they come more available.
I look at it more of what result do you want, not does it get the job done. I would very much like to avoid bits of lead and jacket spread through the animal. That idea applied is hunting small game with 22 vs shotgun. Fortunately my Bing bangs don't generate the velocities to make it a serious problem, but that in mind they don't generate enough speed to make monos optimal either. That technology continues to improve though.
The 30-30 with any of the common "cup and core" bullets have great weight retention (aka. shed less lead/copper) I've retrieved many of the slugs over the years. I've never had a jacket separation with a 30-30
The 170 seems to stay together at the velocity the 30-30 generates. I have watched a bunch of how to process and bullet recovery videos. I don't believe gel is a good representation of reality other than a fair test medium to compare energy and expected expansion against each other.
I'm partial to the Sierras: Game King and Pro Hunter. They stay together just fine. That's how they're made. Just about any of the bullets made for hunting are like that. Just don't over-drive them. There are times when more power is too much and that's a bad thing.
Lots of guys loving the 110 in the ar platforms from what I'm seeing.
