jason miller

Lots of good advice here, but plenty of bad too. As mentioned by several members, the .243 will kill anything you want with an appropriate bullet and good shot placement. For large hogs, someone already mentioned sticking with a premium bullet such as a Partition or TSX. That's what I would shoot through a .243 for hogs. Getting a rifle in 6.5x55 would be another great option for the original question here. Factory ammo is pretty tame so recoil isn't bad at all, and those 140 grain bullets will kill hogs like lightning. Also, the 6.5'sshould recoil slower. Recoil velocity is often perceived as much as or more than recoil energy.

Someone else mentioned muzzle blast/noise. That's a very important thing to consider. A longer barrel will decrease muzzle blast/noise a little bit, and also provide better ballistics. Some other things to consider with making a rifle more pleasant to shoot would include having a slightly heavier rifle, a better recoil pad, and a proper fitting stock.

My first hand experience to support my recommendations would include my Stevens 200 in .243, my Savage 110 in .338 mag, and my old Swedish 1896 in 6.5x55. The order I just listed them is also the order I percieve them in unpleasantness to shoot. The Mauser isthe mostpleasant gun to shoot because of its long barrel, decent weight, and mild ammunition. And the .338 honestly just feels like a big thump compared to the .243's abrupt crack. That's because it has a longer barrel than the .243, it's longer laminated stock fits me better, it weighs about a pound more, it shoots a slower bullet, and I put a Limbsaver recoil pad on it.

Teach Deer

Before ditching the .30-06 or the .270 try some of the managed recoil loads from either Remington or Federal. In my Savage 116 in .270 the difference between the 115 grain Managed Recoil load and the 130 grain full power load is very noticeable.

These loads claim to produce recoil equal to a .243 or .30-30, but with a larger and/or more efficient bullet.

Of course, this also has the added advantage of being able to step up to full power loads as you become more comfortable with the rifle.

semi

i have to agree retrieverman. I like the 30-30. And with todays bullets like the hornady's it becomes a 200 yard shooter. It's light, its handy and the kick from a 30-30 is half of a 30.06 i would guess. the

JagMagMan

I started with a 6 MM Rem. (Sure wish I had that one back!) moved up a couple of times, ended up with magnumitis, got cured and I'm back to the .243 Winchester! With the right ammo, and good shooting (easy with a flat shooting mild recoiler like the .243!) The .243 is death to ANY Whitetail on Earth!

driftrider

At least you're honest enough to admit that you can't tolerate the recoil of the larger cartridge. There are literally millions of shooters that are overgunned for their recoil tolerance and shoot badly because of it. Of those choices, I'd pick the .243 without hesitation and not look back. The .243 is a great little round. The recoil is very light, the trajectory is very flat, it's not too grossly overkill for varmints and predators, but will kill any deer alive without just as well as a cartridge that kicks twice as much. The ammo is also readily available and relatively inexpensive. The recoil is very mild and the report is not terribly load, making it pleasant to shoot. If you're interested in hunting deer, you could do far worse than the .243 Win. The most important thing is to learn basic marksmanship skills so that you can reliably hit what you're aiming at. If you can do your part, the .243 won't let you down.

Mike

jerry d

Dean , after many years of owning a '06 I sold it leaving me with my trusty Marlin 336 .35 rem. While the Marlin has killed it's share of deer I wanted to get a rifle that I could reach out & touch something with.This winter I bought a Rem. 700 in .243. I haven't hunted with it yet but I have shot it & it's a pleasure to shoot.
If you want to compare ballistics & recoilgoogle Chuck Hawk, you'll find some info on his website.

sjsfire

If Illinois was centerfire legal for deer I'd own a 243 over a 30-30 anyday.

Colorado Luckydog

Put a muzzle brake on a 30.06 and you will have the most adaptable hunting rifle that there is with very little recoil.

rafsob

Both are good choices. But remember fellas that the .30-30 cartridge has taken more deer in north america, then any other cartridge made!

That said, I would go with a Remington Model Seven in .243. Not too keen on the Tikka since the company was sold. The Model Seven is light and the caliber likewise. This combination is perfect for humping in the woods!

Happy hunting my friend

Centaur 1

You don't really give us much info on where you are and what you'll be hunting other than hog. It would be helpful if we knew more about your situation in order to give you a better recomendation. If it were me, giving what you told us, I would recomend the 30-30. No it's not a long range caliber but with the Hornady Leverevolution ammo it is good enough to reach out to 250 yards. I have learned over the years that I shouldn't take a shot any farther than that anyway. Too many people worry about shooting at long ranges, but if you don't practice and learn how to shoot long shots your probably going to miss anyway. I myself put away my 30-06 in favor of my new Marlin 336SS 30-30.
Give us a little more info on what and where you're going to hunt and we can help you a little better. In the mean time take a look at this article on recoil, it has a chart so that you can see how much each caliber kicks.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm