Advice on deer cartidge requested.

Just to be different...

.260 Remington. It's based on the .308 case, just like the .243 is. It will shoot a much better bullet for deer than the .243, with very little more recoil.
I imagine the .260 with a 120-125gr bullet would be just about the best "beginner" rifle there is.
 
I would bet if you took a poll the best/most popular, light recoiling, and flat shooting rifle around was a .243. A close second would probally be a 6mm(.244) but these are not made anymore and rounds are hard to comeby it seems. On another note, if you travel out West I think a 20 cal. is not legal, maybe a Westerner will chime in on this info?
 
you have a pretty good list of deer cartridges there. the 243 will most likely have the least felt recoil and is enough for deer, along with the versatility to take smaller game without butchering it if you ever start hunting varmints. The 270 is another great deer cartridge and has a little more bang for ur buck, but kicks a bit more. The 25-06 may be my favorite on the list. its a very flat shooting round with the right load and hits pretty hard, and again is quite versitile. Like you said if you go out of state to another type of deer country that round would suit just about anything the country can thro at ye. i have no experience at all with the 7-08. The 30-30 is another great deer round and in a heavy marlin 336 barely kicks at all and its a great deerwoods brush popper with the capeability to reach out a bit. all that being said youve made a hard list to choose from. id say buy them all eventually :p but if you must chose id start where i started with the .243 good luck
 
If recoil is an issue for you you might consider picking up a recoil shield such as http://www.midwayusa.com/product/284105/past-mag-plus-recoil-pad-shield-ambidextrous I have one that I use when I shoot my Mosin Nagant off the bench, that steel butt plate is a killer. The recoil shield would be great for practice with any caliber you chose allowing you to practice more. When it comes time to actually shoot the rifle at a game animal, I promise you that you won't even feel the recoil. Of all the deer I've shot I can't say I felt the recoil even once and barely remember even hearing the shots.

Now to answer the original question, I'd lean towards the 7mm-08, however the .243 would be a good choice also since you are recoil sensitive.

Stu
 
For beginners as well as veteran hunters the 30-30 is probably the best gun for the money. They're short making them easy to point, and carry. Ammo is everywhere and don't believe that crap about they kick because they really don't. They're a big bore that moves relatively slow and can make up to 200 to 250 yard shots and really shine at 100 yards. I also like the Marlin. As far as ammo goes, I'm a reloader myself but store bought stuff buy 3-5 different brands / bullets and shoot them and see what produces the tightest patern, your gun will show you what it likes best and then set your sights or your scope and then your ready. I personally like store bought 150 grain stuff but my reloads for my gun I load the 160 grain FTX's with Varget powder.
 
So far it looks like the .243 is leading, which I kind of expected.

I got a PM to consider the .260Rem and it looks like a solid choice, but I'm not sure the availability is there.

After that it looks like 7mm-08 would be my fall back plan, then onto .270 and .308. 30-30 will be an option if I come across a nice lever at a nice price.


That sound like a plan?
 
It's a jump from the 7mm-08 to the .270.

There are several cartridges you should look at. The 6.5x55Swede and the .260Rem are ballistic twins worth looking at. .250-3000 Savage, .257 Roberts are also good rounds.
 
sneaesle said:
So far it looks like the .243 is leading, which I kind of expected.

I got a PM to consider the .260Rem and it looks like a solid choice, but I'm not sure the availability is there.

After that it looks like 7mm-08 would be my fall back plan, then onto .270 and .308. 30-30 will be an option if I come across a nice lever at a nice price.


That sound like a plan?
Click to expand...

Though any of the above will be a great rifle, I'd look strongly at the .270 and the .308 as having the most versatility. Though I dearly love my .270, the .308 is a bit more versatile in commercially available loads, and has the advantage of being a short action, together with the availability of surplus govt. ammo.
 
I would add:
250 Savage
257 Roberts
7mm Mauser
44 mag in Bolt or semi auto rifle

These should all provide very low recoils and 243 class stopping power. The 243 win is probably the most versatile. I would guess you would find a 44 rifle limited to about 150 yards or less, but I'm a bolt gun or semi auto, it should recoil very little.
 
Buzzcook said:
There are several cartridges you should look at. The 6.5x55Swede and the .260Rem are ballistic twins worth looking at. .250-3000 Savage, .257 Roberts are also good rounds.
Click to expand...

Those are good ideas for something different than .243 Winchester.

I'm thinking strictly of you being recoil sensitive.

While many people will scoff at the idea of the .270 Winchester, or .308 Winchester kicking hard, off of the bench they may bother you.

My grandfather used a .243 Winchester for 40-50 years and the deer, hogs, etc he killed with it looked just as dead as those killed with more powerful rifles.
 
From your initial post, you only have two choices, the .243 or 7mm08. Cartridges like the .260, .257 Bob, etc aren't readily available and cost a fortune compared to standards. The LA rounds are going to be a handful to someone who is recoil sensative.

A .243 with 90-100 grn bullets a proper shot placement will drop any whitetail or pig around. Step up to a 7mm08 and you can do a bit more. 120grn bullets will drop whitetails and shoot relatively flat. 150grn bullets mimick the performance of a 165grn in a .308 and are flat devastating on pigs and wood goats. IMHO the 7mm08 is the perfect whitetail deer round for nominal responsible shooting ranges 99% of hunters encounter.
 
I have been using a .300 Win Mag for years. Never got nailed over my eye because and "old pro" at the range years ago told me when shooting a heavy kicking rifle to "stick my chin out" and move your head to get a good view through the scope. This keeps you from tilting your head forward toward the scope and getting nailed. Believe me it works. And after doing it awhile it becomes a normal part of your setup.
 
Being recoil sensitive, and seeing the CZ550 on your list in the other forum, I really would recommend the CZ550 American or CZ550FS in 6.5x55 Swede. Very good, easygoing (on you, not game) round, IMHO the finest rifle you can get for under a grand, and beating many over a grand. Set trigger is amazing, accuracy is great, Mauser style action, very nice looking walnut stock. Hornady Superformance 140gr SST gives you very good power, while going easy on your shoulder, yet I would feel great taking any non dangerous game with it. Really,I would trust it to take brown bear, lions, etc., but I would not feel good trying to stop a charge with it.

I really urge you to at least check out a CZ550 before you buy, and look at write-ups of the 6.5 Swede, it really is an amazing round.
 
Farmer Boy is right on; 30-30 is still the best cartridge for the hunter who plans to master his carbine with shooting practise. That is, shooting dozens of rounds from improvised field positions.

This older photo shows my daughter with a huge South Dakota muley she toppled with one shot with my Winchester. Distance was approx 125 yards or so.

30-30 is a keeper!

Jack

Kforkybuck-1.jpg
 
My vote would probably go to the 7mm-08 even though the .243 ammo would be a little more universally available. It is light on the recoil and yet with a good 140gr is adequate for elk.

The .243 is a very popular deer gun (yes, even in the west) and would probably rank in the top 10 calibers when talking deer taken. However, because of it's weight limitations (105gr is about max available), ranges should be kept under 300 yards for reliable kills.

On another note, I believe you can get "managed recoil" loads for the .308 and the caliber is probably the most inherently accurate of the bunch. It can also be loaded with (standard) bullets ranging in weights from 110gr up through 200gr with excellent results. It is actually ballistically superior to the .30-06 in bullet weights of 165gr or less. There is a reason the military snipers use it for their light weight sniper guns.
 
...and the winner is?

Based on the low priced factory ammo criteria the 30-30 Win. With a close second being the 243.
 
I'd have to fall in with a few of the other guys. My 6 yr old son...4'5" tall beast he is likes the .243 and I also recomend the .270. Both are easy to find ammo in just about any gun Manufacturer flavor you prefer. I like the Marlin XL7 in .270, it's light, 22" barrel, and was dead nuts at 100 yrds out the box. To boot it had a "accu-trigger" too. Good recoil pad make a difference too.
 
For overall versatility for the recoil sensitive, you just can't beat a .243 Win. It is also a dynamite long range varmint cartridge when loaded with lightweight bullets and equipped with an appropriate scope. While many tout the 7mm-08 as a mild recoiling cartridge, many of them come in the form of lightweight carbines, and having owned a Model 70 20" barrel lightweight carbine, it was not a light kicker. Particularly when loaded with the most popular factory ammo, a 140 gr SP at around 2700 fps. Great deer cartridge, absolutely, but not in the same light kicking league as a .243 win. Trust me, I have owned 5 different .243 Winchesters, and my current Sako A-7 is probably the hardest kicker of all them and it is mild, even with 95 gr Ballistic Tips at 3000 fps which is good medicine for any buck out to 300 yards. Some prefer the Partition, but I get much better accuracy with the Ballistic Tip. The 30-30 is a good hunting round as long as you are willing to give up half the range and a lot of accuracy compared to the .243 Win. If you want a real pussycat, recoil wise, get yourself a Weatherby Vanguard in .243 Win. They are a little heavier than most comparable rifles and will reduce the recoil even more with the extra 1/2 pound or so they carry. They are also reasonably priced and are available with a 24" barrel to give maximum performance out of factory ammo. Seriously, if you don't like recoil and want to be able to practice enough to improve your skill, get a .243 Winchester and don't look back. At least that is my honest opinion and based on actual experience.
 
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