243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

Greetings

I've got a fishing buddy who is about 55 years old living here in WV. Really nice guy but has about as much "outdoor savy" as Jessica Simpson:D. He's got a small collection of firearms that he never shoots (mostly pistols, historical type MLs, and nice shotguns).

Anyway he wants to buy a decent deer rifle.

I am trying to steer him towards a tikka t3 in .243. In the best case scenario I expect he may wonder around a little property he has and shoot a doe or small buck. He's definately not "hard core" in the least, and should never take a shot more than 200 yds (more likely < 100)in any case, imo. The Cabelas salesman (on the phone) is trying to talk him into a .30-06 because it's more versatile. He doesn't know my buddy that well:D.

I myself have shot dozens and dozens of deer with my 6mm and know it's a killer. I've shot a couple with a .243 as well and have had friendswho use themfor years.I know this guy will never "graduate" to bigger game than whitetails. He occasionally has problems with his shoulder and I figure he will not have near the fun with that '06 as he will the.243.

My question is (after all that:D): Can anyone see an advantage for the '06 in this case???

RE: 243 for deer???
 

.243 is a good option, I'm picking one up for antelope and maybe deer.

For what you described one of the .308 versions is certainly the way to go I think. Though I think the 7mm-08 might be a better choice, more versatile than the .243 just in case, also under 200yds, youc ould shoot a heavier bullet, and while the .243 could do the job, on deer.....under 200 yds, I think the 7mm-08 would be better. and loading up to 160grs or so in the future say on a bear hunt or somethin gif that were to come would certrainly be better than a 100gr bullet, or on hogs perhaps?

RE: 243 for deer???
 

I dont think he can go wrong with either one for deer. Ive never hunted with a 243 . I have one but have only shot paper with it.

RE: 243 for deer???
 

The 7mm-08 is a good option the salukipiv, that I had not considered before, although I did also consider the .308.

Believe me, this guy will never shoot anything bigger or tougher than deer. I love him to death but would be REAL reluctant to even take him on any kind of serious hunt--even for deer.

I figured .243 would also be about the most economical as far as ammo. .308 is right there too but for some reason I like the .24 caliber in this situation.

Thanks guys

RE: 243 for deer???
 

What if he gets the "fever" and really gets hooked though? I have seen this happen before to people who were not big hunters until they started killing a few deer. I think a .30-06 or a .270 would be a better choice in the T-3 since all T-3's are long actions. My concern would be his shoulder problems with the 30-06 or .270, especially if he buys the T-3 Lite.

RE: 243 for deer???
 

7-08 is a nice compromise, reasonable recoil & good killing power. If he is not much of a hunter then he probably wont be much of a tracker - the 7-08 will penetrate & leave a blood trail, the .243 dosent always penetrate so no trail.

.270 or 30-06 for a guy with shoulder problems??? Enjoyable to shoot either calibre??? Give me a break!

RE: 243 for deer???
 

If he get's the "fever", he'll gladly pay the extra dough for the 30.06 or 300RUM at a later date.:D It seems you know this old boy pretty good. I would do your best in leading him towards the .243. The .243 is a great whitetail round. Good luck! It's a good thing you're doing for your fishing buddy!!!

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

No. The .30/'06 is way morerifle than most deer hunters will ever need. The .243 would be a better choice. The only time I would recommend the '06 is if the guy can afford only one rifle, and he will use it west of the Mississippi River for elk, moose, and bear as well as deer..... In addition, he can use it for varmint shooting, for which the '06 is a bit much. The .308 is alot closer to being an '06 than anything else. The .260 Remington or 7-'08 would also be good choices.

My dautghter-in-law kille her bull elk every year with her .243!

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

Most of the guys that I knew that shot a 30-06 flinched...Also, most of them have now moved to a .243...Deer hit in the lungs with a .243 drop just as fast as those hit with an '06...

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

".243 won't penetrate"? :eek:

.243 is fine for deer, especially if you're concerned about recoil. The .260, 7mm-08, and .308 might be worth considering too. I've used a .243 for years on whitetails, mule deer, and antelope. It's every bit as effective (sometimes I beleive MORE effective) than the .30-06s and .270s we also carry to the woods.

And yes, the .243 will produce a blood trail just like the other cartridges, I've never had to trail a deer hit with it veryfar, but yes, it DID penetrate.

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

Thanks fpr the replies so far fellas...kinda confirms what I was thinkin...still given some weight to the 7mm-08 too:)

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

If you think the guy is going to be sensitive to recoil, then keep in mind that the 7mm-08 will have almost as much recoil as the .270 and the .308 will have almost as much recoil as the .30-06.

The .243 works quite well on whitetails. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, because, if they do, they don't know what they're talking about. I switched from .30-06 to .243, and I've found that the deer don't go a step further after being hit with the .243 than they did after being hit by the .30-06. Here's proof that the .243 works.....

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

When I was a weee lil lad, I "needed" a macho 30-06 to kill deer with. Now I've been shooting one of my 243 for years, I've only had maybe a handful of deer even take a step after the shot. I'm shooting does that push 200lbs, and bucks in the 280lb range just to give you an idea of the size of deer.

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

how can a .308 have the same recoil as a .30-06?

I really can't see a .243, 7mm-08 having much recoil at all. Course my .270 feels like a .22

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

Years ago I started out with a pair of matching 700 BDL's one in 22-250 and the other in .270 win.

Have had lots of different stuff in between, as well as larger and smaller.

Those two chamberings though were relied upon for a very long timeand served their functions well.

Now, I've settled on two different chamberings for the same purposes, but can get more versatiliy out of each one.

One is a .243 and the other is a 30-06.

Loaded as I load nowadays, the .243 is what I consider the ultimate whitetail caliber for most ofmy needs, and the '06 is my "big gun".

Loaded right and shot well, the .243 will doa lot.

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

They shoot the same bullet at within about 100 feet per second of each other. How would the recoil not be about the same?

I checked the stats, and I was actually surprised at the relatively light recoil for the 7mm-08. From Chuck Hawks Recoil Table

Cartridge, Bullet, Recoil Energy
.243, 100 gr. 8.8

.270, 130 gr. 16.5

7mm-08, 140 gr. 12.6

.308, 150 gr. 15.8

.30-06, 150 gr. 17.6


By the way... the recoil energy for a .22 LR is 0.2. I seriously doubt that any .270 feels like a .22 unless it weighs about 50 lbs and has a stock made out of nerf...;)

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

I have the 243,7mm-08 and the 308 and there is a noticable step up in recoil for each one.. But the 7mm08 is sweet compromise. I start to notice the kick on the 308.:D

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

Just bought a .243 Ruger M77 in SS and composite stock. Looks a lot better than the Tikka without the plastic. I paid $559.00 + tax. Shoots great.

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

".243 won't penetrate"?
I used a 6MM Rem. for years, wish I had it back!
I've recovered more .308 caliber bullets than I did .243/6MM, and I had plenty good blood trails too!
And as far as recoil goes, with the same type and weight of rifle theres not much difference in the recoil of the .308 and the '06! Different, but almost equal.
If a person is not going to huntanything bigger than deer a .243/6MM is plenty!

RE: 243 vs 30-06 (case scenario)
 

.......Thanks for the data.....Kinda stops some of the goofy BS........