Rammer

Like everyone else is saying, what will this gun be used for?

Varmints you can't go wrong with a 223, 22-250.

Deer sized critters I'd step up to the 243 or 7mm-08.

Only problem with a 7mm-08 is ammo availability, I know I would have to drive at least 60 miles at home to buy ammo for it, where-as I could buy 223, 22-250, 243 ammo 11 miles from home.

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You have to remember that these are two completly different calibers. The 7mm/08 is a very good deer rifle and very popular. But for feeding deer or slow moving deer out to 300 yards I use my 22/250 with a reloaded Speer 70 grain semi spitzer. UsingIMR 4320 the 70 grain can be pushed to around 3500 FPS without pressure problems. Another very good deer round in the 22/250 is the Hornady 60 grain SP. It mushrooms real well. In using the 22/250 with a 70 or 60 grain, head, neck or behind the shoulder will down then and fast. I shot a doe last week at 85 yards through the neck and it was lights out an on the ground. The most important thing about using a smaller caliber is to learn to shoot at a small area. In developing loads for the 22/250, and shooting many a round at a 1" circle at 100 yards, I found myself drawing down on a much smaller area on deer. Also you have to keep in mind that the 22/250 will shoot 6 inches high at 100 yards when zeroed at 25 yards and come back in around 350 yards if you plan on shooting over 100 yards. Many a deer has been taked with the 22/250 with the proper bullet and loading. Most of the new twists above 1-14 will stablelize a bullet above 55 grains easy.Many savages com ewith a 1-9 twist.When shooting the Remington ADL with the 1-14 twist (what I shoot) the heavier bullets need to be shot above 300 fps to start to stablelize. But I can take the running gear out from under a deer at 300 yards with it.
Good shooting.
Hey get into reloading andy ou have all your ammo at home and don't have to drive anywhere!

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I meant to say they start to stablelize at 3000 FPS not 300!

zrexpilot

For long range neither will beat a .243 with federal 85 gr sierras,in trajectory or wind drift. It also does a number on deer.
Was playing around this past weekend with my .243.I tried a shot on a rock we picked out across a canyon, we estimated it to 450-500 yds. first shot hit about 3 inches high, second shot nailed it, was about a 4" size rock. I couldnt believe how little I had to compensate at that distance.

vangunsmith

If you reload,and i don,t think you do,i would pick the 243Cal. It would fulfill your light rounds out at those distances and heavier rounds also for bigger game. Good from yote,dogs, to deer. vangunsmith

blob

yep the .243 is a real good choice. I had one with a 26 inch bull barrel and it shot well. Where I hunt and where I shoot I love to use my 22/250. If I want a 600-700 yard shot likeI used to shoot in Colorado, the old 30/06 is pulled out. Growing up in Western Colorado we killed a multitude of Deer, elk, antilope and even a mountain lion or two with a Model 94 30/30 using a Remington 170 grain cor lok. I have shot Deer at 400 yards with it at times because I knew the rifle well. It is retired and lovenly cleaned every month. But just what ever a person wants to use. I just can't see packing a 300 mag up into a stand to shoot feeding deer at 50 yards when the 22/250 works real well. Good shooting!

Drew Jaeger

7mm-08
Just over amonth ago at the Canberra rifle range, I witnessed a 2.5" group shot at 500m with an "out of the box"Remington 700 SPS in 7mm-08. I'm so impressed, I've ordered a 700 SPS Stainless!!!

PS:in 7mm-08.

Doe Dumper

I sighted and broke in a new sps back in November in 7-08 caliber for a friend. It was pretty much a 1 holer out of the box as well. Best shooter I have seen outta the box yet. Somehow the guy managed to miss several deer with it during the season though Had a vx-iii leupold dot 3x9x40 scope on it as well. This was using plain ol Rem 140 core lokts.

game4lunch

Consider this: Go to WalMart and see how many rounds of 7mm-08 they have. Tough to find. Which means, if you're in rural Anywhere USA and need some ammo, is the local aplliance/sporting goods store gonna have any. I know this cause I got a 7mm-08 for his first big game gun. Great round, but a bit much for plinkin'.
I'm going with the .243. I would say is the perfect "in between" round for you. Check out Federal ammo's web site and go to their balistics page and compare some of the rounds. .243 is very respectable. And is legal caliber for big game here in Wyoming.
Seems like you're comparing apples to bananna's. Those two calivers are too far apart and different to be compared.I'm getting the .243 in the Thompson Center Encore rifle, so I can get other barrels in other calibers including black powder!

rjhans53

heck this wasn't in the question but if you want a gun you can get ammo for "anywhere" then heck get an 06 and be done with it, Now I reload and there is a Wal mart local that carries 7mm08 so to me it's not an issue, also you can go into your "local Walmart" and they will order just about anything you want, or at least the couple around here will (you got to stand around forever for the sporting goods manager) a 270 also is in that "you can get ammo anywhere" deal, but between the 2 choices if it was me I would go with the 7mm08