I agree, the 7-08 would be a better choice than the .243. Start out with 120 bullets and the recoil would be just a tad more than the .243. Remember these are all basically the same case (.308, .7-08 and .243) with the .308 being the parent case. Then if you decide to hunt something a bit larger than deer, you can up to the 139 or 154 gr bullet. I won't knock the .243, it is a great little cartridge - but the 7-08 will give you a few more options.