ORIGINAL: ipscshooter
ORIGINAL: stalkingbear
The 7mm08 is MUCH better choice than .243.
Not based on what he plans to use it for...
Not only does the 7mm08 have the capability to cleanly kill deer,elk,black bear,as well as pronghorn antelope,but is also almost always finely accurate and not much more recoil at all. In fact,the 7mm08 with 120-140 ge bullets recoil so mildly,I started my kids out on them at 10 and 12 years old,and they both killed deer the very 1st year they hunted with 7mm08s.
The 7mm-08 is a fairly mild kicker, but, it still has about 50% more than the .243...
The 7mm08 will kill any deer ever to walk the earth-and at any reasonable range too. Yes,I realize the .243 is a fine cartridge,but it's not near as good as the 7mm08. With the 7mm08,you can use controlled expansion bullets on elk too-not so for the .243-at least not ethnically (IMO). The 7mm08 is arguably the BEST whitetail cartridge of all time!
He said deer and varmints. NOT deer, elk, black bear, etc...
Folks should give advice/recommendations/opinions based on the question that was asked, not on some hypothetical that ignores the intended uses and adds a bunch of others. The man asked about rifles in .243 and 7mm-08 for deer and varmints. He didn't ask about Weatherby Magnums, or .338's, or .17's, or what works better on elk.
For the uses described in the original post, the .243 is perfect. My son shoots a Model 7 Youth, and I've got a Model 700 ADL. I haven't had a deer yet that needed more than one shot.... Both rifles are very accurate. The Model 7 is really sweet if you hunt from a blind or if you have to carry it a long way. Very compact package.