glockman55

Sounds like a sweet rifle. glad it worked out for you.. Have a Great Holiday.

srwshooter

a 150lb whitetail is not what i call a 'big bodied deer' . on farms where i hunt thats not even the average.
i have spent many days helping friends track 200-250lb whitetails that were hitgood with a 243 and still didn't go down . i have found them miles away before they went down. i know lots of guys that thought the 243 was enough til they lost that 'once in a lifetime buck' and bought something bigger.

i would buy a caliber that shoots aleast a 125-130 grn bullet. you will get faster kills with more bullet weight. i don't like the big over kill guns either but you need enough to get the job done.

ButchA

A .243 is good, but it's on the "light" end of the deer rifles. Accurate shot placement is a must and you'll have venison steak. [8D]

I am a .30 caliber fan and have a classic older Savage 110 in a .308 that is awesome. It is lethally accurate at 100 yards and/or more. I also have an even older Marlin 30AS .30-30 with open sights that I use for close brush hunting. But given the choice, I grab the .308 and hit the woods/field edges.