Reccomendations?

B

bazookajeff89

New member
I'm looking to buy my first rifle bigger than a 17hmr. The things that i want it for are mainly just to go plinking around....target shooting, prairie dog hunting, just having fun. So i would like something affordable to shoot a lot(probably will not be reloading ammo). However I don't want to have something completely useless at hunting things on the smaller end (deer, antelope etc.) until i will eventually probably get a .30-06. I was reccomended a bolt action .223 because it's cheap to shoot and the general consensus is I could take something down with a decently placed shot. I still would like to hear opinions though.

*Yes I am aware of the ammo shortages but it doesn't seem to be a terrible problem here.

*If hunting I wouldn't need to shoot anything passed 200 yards

any advice you fine gentlemen have got would be appreciated
 
my first rifle was a 243. if I only had only one rifle it would still be my choice. I don't live in grizz or elk territory though. bobn
 
thanks for the advice bobn

forgot to mention one thing, if you would say something else is better can you guys please say why you prefer one over the other, I don't have much experience with guns and I'd just like to know why one is better than the other
 
I would not go with a .30-30 for prairie dog hunting. Even out to 200 yards, the round has quite the sloped trajectory.

I would recommend a bolt-action .223. It is a great prairie dog rifle, it is fun to shoot, it (used to be) easy to find (formerly cheap) ammo, and with the right ammo (Barnes TSX, Nosler Partition) it is also capable of taking deer sized game.
 
The .223 being notably cheaper is kinda a myth unless you are willing to feed it poor performing ammo. When it comes to hunting grade ammo it's not much if any cheaper than the other .224 caliber centerfires. Personally when it comes to .224 centerfires my favorite is the .22-250.

You'll find all sorts of arguments about the ethics of using .224 centerfires on deer. Some will even argue against the 6mm's for that matter. I'd just as soon not visit all that again so I'll just say for varmints, predators and deer I'll take a .243. As a matter of fact after handfuls of centerfires the one bolt action I currently have is in that cartridge.

You don't mention where you live but I'll agree with all the post, both for and against, concerning the .30-30. It's far from a great prairie dog gun but a good .30-30 lever gun will kill anything in the lower 48 and has a big fun factor at the range.

Good luck
 
.17 Hornet
.22 Hornet
.22-250
.223
.243

I would go with the .243 if you plan to hunt something larger than a prairie dog. All of the suggestions before are better for smaller game although all of them other than the .17 hornet are deer legal in my state. The .22-250 will shoot like a laser beam out past 250 yards although all of them will shoot level enough out to your 200 yard requirement. The .22-250 will tear prairie dogs into pieces.
 
I prefer the 243 for what you are asking about. Here are my reasons why.

My state has a min caliber for all big game (243/6 mm). Check your state's regulations before purchasing.

I can get factory ammo with 54 gr varmint bullets at close to 4,000 fps.

I can get factory 100 gr big game bullets.

I can handload anything from 54 gr to 105 gr at a very reasonable price.

The bullets for 243 are heavier than 224 and buck the wind better on long shots.
 
hey all thanks for the ideas, i ended up getting a .243 Tikka T3 lite stainless, i've only had the chance to break it in and haven't even sighted it yet, but oh boy does it feel great!
 
As these fine gentlemen stated first, the .243 winchester is a dreamboat I think. It's good for deer and antelope, coyotes and whistlepigs, and wild hogs, crows, targets,,,,,, etc.
And long range??? Check out Dan Newberry's OCW website! He runs a school for long range shooting and they do a lot of it with the .243!!:)
 
.243 Win hands down. You can find loads from 55grn to 100grn easily and do everything you want with it. Recoil is minimal, trajectory is flat, accuracy is usually superb. Hands down a great varmint round to medium sized thin skinned game like whitetail deer.
 
+1 on the .243.

It is a nice cartridge; relatively flat shooting and big enough to take medium game. You also have a wide selection of rifles chambered for it.

When I go to look at the bare shelves it is also one of the cartridges that seems to show up in stock more than others also.
 
differences in grain

so now that i have this .243 and i go to buy rounds for it. there are all kinds of different grain measurements like you guys are saying, possibly a huge beginner question but why wouldn't you just want the highest grain to make it go the fastest, as long as kick isn't an issue?
 
bazookajeff89 said:
so now that i have this .243 and i go to buy rounds for it. there are all kinds of different grain measurements like you guys are saying, possibly a huge beginner question but why wouldn't you just want the highest grain to make it go the fastest, as long as kick isn't an issue?
Click to expand...

The grain refers to the mass of the projectile, not the powder charge. The higher grain will actually have a lower muzzle velocity.

Typically, the lighter factory rounds you will find are varmint rounds and should not be used on medium-large game. The heavier rounds will be constructed to hold together better and are better suited to deer sized game.

For just target shooting, use different types and see what your gun likes, but remember, contrary to what you are currently thinking, faster is not always better (and rarely is it 'best').

Sent from my HTC One X
 
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If long range isn't a consern what a bout a C-Z carbine in 7.62x39 , Cheap to shoot and can take deer and hogs . 223 may not be legal for deer in your state . 243 is getting pricey as all ammo is going up .
 
ha, so i guess it really was a rookie question. and thanks for the endorsement warbird. so is the bullet grain just a personal preference for shooting, not hunting since you mentioned using a bigger grain, but just target shooting?
 
bazookajeff89 said:
ha, so i guess it really was a rookie question. and thanks for the endorsement warbird. so is the bullet grain just a personal preference for shooting, not hunting since you mentioned using a bigger grain, but just target shooting?
Click to expand...

It depends on how far you will be shooting. As you start to shoot at extended range, the ballistic coefficient and the sectional density become more important factors, and they are related to the mass of the projectile. However, if you are just shooting out to like 200 or 300 yards then yes, it is just preference...

But not your preference, it is your gun's preference. Which round does it shoot better? You can only find that out by testing different rounds.

Sent from my HTC One X
 
Lighter weight .243 bullets are normally constructed to work best on stuff up to Coyote size. The heavier weight bullets are normally constructed for deer and antelope sized game. Look on the ammunition manufacturer's websites for what their recommended uses are. There are always exceptions to general rules.
 
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