[please forgive any misconceptions from this rookie hunter! I'm still learning about hunting/rifles/cartridges, and probably will be for life, right?]
I have read much about the .243 Winchester being an excellent, flat-shooting varmint round and also a good, low-recoil deer round "at long ranges" with the proper bullet weight (and placement, of course). Is there something about close range, velocity and expansion that would make the .243 less than adequate for deer hunting at ~ 100 yards using premium factory ammo?
The reason I ask is that this will be my first deer hunting (whitetail) season. I'll be hunting mostly in lightly wooded areas, from blinds and stands, in NC and SC farm country. I'm guessing that I'll be no exception to the usual ranges of <150 yard shots.
I'm in the market for a deer rifle chambered for something that won't cause me to flinch each time I fire it. I hear that some of the bigger magnum rounds can do this with some folks, although others can handle them just fine. I figure I'll start with something capable and save the big stuff for future gun purchases...
I'm considering .243, .25-06 and .25 WSSM but I am open to advice. I've also recently learned that some rifles (Browning, Weatherby) come with recoil reduction system options that might let a shooter step up to a larger cartridge. Then of course, there are the low-recoil cartridges...
It's too much information for a newbie to decide! Help!
I have read much about the .243 Winchester being an excellent, flat-shooting varmint round and also a good, low-recoil deer round "at long ranges" with the proper bullet weight (and placement, of course). Is there something about close range, velocity and expansion that would make the .243 less than adequate for deer hunting at ~ 100 yards using premium factory ammo?
The reason I ask is that this will be my first deer hunting (whitetail) season. I'll be hunting mostly in lightly wooded areas, from blinds and stands, in NC and SC farm country. I'm guessing that I'll be no exception to the usual ranges of <150 yard shots.
I'm in the market for a deer rifle chambered for something that won't cause me to flinch each time I fire it. I hear that some of the bigger magnum rounds can do this with some folks, although others can handle them just fine. I figure I'll start with something capable and save the big stuff for future gun purchases...
I'm considering .243, .25-06 and .25 WSSM but I am open to advice. I've also recently learned that some rifles (Browning, Weatherby) come with recoil reduction system options that might let a shooter step up to a larger cartridge. Then of course, there are the low-recoil cartridges...
It's too much information for a newbie to decide! Help!