A lightweight 243 is not any kind of low recoil. It uses twice the powder of low recoil rounds. If you have to have a traditional deer cartridge, find a reloader friend and a box of Speer 130gr for a 30/30. That's about it unless you get obscure with something like a .250 Savage, which by the way is pretty much a 6.5 Grendel.

6.5G kills better than 243. All the reduced recoil loads of common deer cartridges come back to 6.5G level performance. There is no free lunch. 6.5G does have cheaper target ammo available, but again while it is better than 223 it's not by a whole lot.

As for AR 22, that'd be good just don't think he'll be able to run it himself right off. About the only repeater a 7yo will run easily is a lever action.

If you are worried about recoil and ruining him on sbooting at an early age, as mentioned I would get him comfortable on shooting a .22 for shot placement and familiarity with a gun. The one you buy him, you get it sighted in and let his first and future shots with it be on a deer. He will never feel or remember the recoil because he will be so hyped up. I did this with my son after I bought him his first rifle. A ruger compact in 7-08. He killed several deer with it at ages 7 and 8. I always asked him if he felt the gun kick and it was always "No sir!".

I think you are right... he needs to learn more gun "management" before he hunts with a deer rifle. Little bolt action 22 is probably what he really needs.

If we're on to a learning to shoot a gun there's no better than: https://www.pyramydair.com/product/daisy-match-grade-avanti-champion-499?m=617#1239

Find a 5m BB team y'all can do together. If BB sounds easy, let me tell you it is not. The 10 ring is smaller than the projectile.

Don't know if this might interest you but there's a Ruger American Predator 6.5CM in the classified right now

Ruger American Predator 6.5 creedmoor

First off the river American compact is an excellent gun. My son has one that shoots great and everyone I have talked to with one says the same thing. Second, I do believe a smaller round would be a better for for a couple of years. I thought my son would start with my AR but he ended up preferring my .223 varmint rifle and shot his first several deer with it.

The Browning X bolt compact that my oldest daughter is currently shooting is a joy to shoot with the HSM low recoil rounds. They are 140 grain bullets and the gun really likes them.

That being said, I’m not sure I wouldn’t get a 357 single shot that shoots 38 special. Can practice cheap, sight it in for 357 rounds, let them shoot 38’s practicing and 357 hunting. Keep shots within 100 yards….which most people ought to be doing anyway.

The AR idea is a good one as well.

My son has used a 223 in the AR version since he was 6. He is 10 now. He is comfortable with the gun and the three he has killed hasn’t ran more than 25 yards. He is wanting to try the 350 legend so
I will change uppers for that. The versatility of the AR and the stock adjustments make it a really good choice for little ones.

My daughter, 12yo now, has killed nine I think with 223. Most of them with an AR. I had to track two. She tracked one. The rest died where they stood. She has not lost a deer. All have been one shot and go collect the deer.

It's hard to convince people these smaller rounds work so well when they've shot and lost deer with bigger rounds. The issue is they hate to admit they missed their mark. Many miss because they try to learn on a gun that kicks so much they can't tell what is going on when they miss their mark.

What grain and type bullets are y’all using with the.223’s?

62gr Fusion mostly. It'll punch shoulder blades and still exit.

The hollow points? I found some 62 gr fed fusion hollow points

Don't know about hollow points. Federal has the same softpoint sold as Fusion, Fusion MSR and Speer Gold Dot. I expect the MSR and Gold Dot versions have harder primers for use in ARs.

I had found a couple boxes of the Federal premium 55 grain Barnes tsx that I bought but I have no experience with a gun this small on deer or this particular bullet. Might take it and try it out on a doe.

Don’t know how tsx Will do but I used a .55 gr federal hollow point for hogs when out came a 200lb big 8…I shot him at 51 yards behind the shoulder and never found a drop of blood. Just a heads up.

Howl, the soft points are what I was told to use as they are the best bullets for those deer. Where have you found some to buy?

That’s kinda what I am worried about. I guess there’s only one way to find out.

I have a few boxes left from what I bought a couple years ago. Here's the stuff for an AR https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...fusion-sp-rifle-ammo-20-rounds/p/1369172 Kinda high because free shipping ain't really free.

Ammo for ARs tends to have a harder primer because the firing pin hits the primer every time you chamber a round. You can see the mark if you look.

Hollow point sounds like varmint bullet. Probably went in and blew up. That's what they're supposed to do. A 55gr TSX I don't think you'll ever see again after you fire it. The exit probably won't be as big as a 60+gr bonded soft point.

Which bullet you want depends on what rate of twist.

Most ARs made these days are faster twist from 1 turn in 9 inches to 1:7 and will work with a bullet up to maybe 80gr. I can vouch for 62gr Fusion working on 150# deer. Haven't caught one yet.

Most older 223 rifles are 1:12 or 1:14 twist and won't stabilize a 55gr TSX. It's too long. A 55gr lead core, it will because they're short. A standard 55gr lead core soft point, like in Federal blue box, should punch a single shoulder blade and make it to the spine to drop the deer but it probably won't exit. A bonded 55gr soft point like Gold Dot might exit, but more likely it will make it to the offside hide and stop. There are some heavier bullets made to be short enough, but it's iffy on whether they work in a particular rifle. Winchester 64gr Power Point is one. Federal loads the 60gr Partition.

It's the 55 gr TTSX that requires the 1:9 or faster twist. The 50 gr TSX is OK with 1:12, I have some I plan on loading in a 22-250

55gr TSX did not work in 1:12 I have. First thing I tried. Barnes says 1:9 or faster for both 55gr with 223. 22-250 may be different due to increased velocity?