My young fellas are on the Hunter Ed / CFC (Canadian Firearms Course) course and I'm thinking of a nice little congrats gift. Of course they are twins but one shoots left the other right so I'm looking at the Savage 16FLHSS and the 16FHSS in either .243 or 7mm-08. Don't want one to get jealous or anything.


I haven't fired either caliber so I have no experience with them. Any one have any hands on with these calibers and the Savage rifles?

You can't go wrong with either of the calibers or the savage rifle.

i agree.

Since you're in Canada, I would go with the 7/08. It would be more versatile in your land I should think.

The savage will be a great rifle for them. On the caliber I would go for the 7mm-08 it has a little more bullet diameter thent he 243, but either would be fine and will kill deer as good as the other.

Thanks for the replies guy's. It would be striclty a deer and chuck rifle for them. I have a couple of 06's for moose when they're a bit older.

Are the two of them light on the shoulder? This is my main concern as I don't want them getting bad flinching habits.

i only have experience with the .243 but it is the ideal starter rifle. I took my first couple deer with one. 7mm-08 is also known as being easy on the shoulder, i have shot .308, which the 7mm-08 is based on, and don't find the recoil to be problematic at all. Either one is a fine choice

The 243 and the 7mm-08 are both easy on the recoil. They are both based off the the .308 just necked down to their given size. Neither should cause you boys to develope any type of flinching habit.

I'm a bit recoil sensitive, and switched a few years back from a .30-06 to .243 for deer hunting in Texas. The .243 is nice and light on the shoulder. I would expect the 7-08 to kick just a little harder. You can't really go wrong either way. I believe Remington has "managed recoil" ammo available for the 7-08, so that might be an option to consider, and, as they grow older, they can switch to the full loads and won't be underpowered for Caribou or Moose.

Haha silly me i forgot the .243 is based on the .308 case as well.