John,<br><br>Seems like you have it all in hand. To me the 260 M7 Youth has mild recoil but a nasty bark. To the kid it was all the recoil he wanted and stinging muzzle blast (not the loudness - we use ample hearing protection). Same kid shoots an 870 Y 20 ga - but only on his hind legs, not from some sort of supported position.<br><br>The 243 seems to be a superb choice for deer to varmints in conventional offerings. My dad has one (he loans it to family members) and it has dropped mule deer and antelope in their tracks every time.<br><br>I have modified enough barrels to notice that muzzle blast starts to escalate quickly in the 18-20 inch range, depending on caliber and case capacity. When we got the M7Y, they came with a pencil-like 19" bbl. They now have a 20" bbl... guess Remington noticed... Might be worth looking at the M700Y in 243 (1/2 lbs heavier).<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Tom