I have two kids that want to go deer hunting. I do too, but I haven't shot a 30-06 since I was a kid and that was not a good experince (recoil was bad.) I had a 20 guage that I shot a few times. I have shot a lot of handgun, just not rifles.

Anyway, I read and I think the two to considerare the 30/30 or the .243. I know a lot of folks that have a 30/30, but the .243 seems like it would be a really good choice. It also is bolt action, I believe, which everyone tells me is inherently more accurate (though I have no idea why.) I'm not sure I really like the lever action myself, looks like the old west or something. I know that sounds silly. I have no real experience with either.

Other than I need some training myself. Which weapon would you recommend? Thank you. Maybe both?

How old are your kids?

Personally, I would go with the .243. It has lighter recoil, and you can put a nice scope on that set up. If you're only wanting to shoot 100 yards or under you can go with a 30-30. I hunt with a 30-30 from time to time when I hunt in the thick timber. Either gun can get the job done. However, you do have kids and the recoil is really nothing on the .243. Just my .02 cents.

One is just 12 and the other will be 15. The 12 year old is smaller and the 15 is huge. Right now I am getting everyone used to a pellet gun for basic safety. Thanks.

.243, recoil is light and have a much wider choice of ammo. I too, love the lever action, so you may consider a Browning BLR in .243, but it will be a little pricey, close to $800 unless you can find a used one. Good luck.

The .243 will give you many more applications, and will better for long range. About the only place the 30/30 has an advantage is, it is a better brush gun. Hang around here and these guys will teach you a ton! Good luck with your boys!

Yep I would say .243 more versital then the 30/30 .

What do you mean by versatile? What else can you do with it that you could not with a 30/30? Also, why do all the 30/30 have the lever action, but most .243 have a bolt?

By versatile they mean that the .243has greater range (distance)than the 30-30 does and makes a great dual purpose varmint, coyote, deer cartridgeand there is a much wider selection of available ammunition. The 30-30 is essentially a 150 - 200 yard deer rifle and that's it.


Lever vs. bolt rifle............

The 30-30 is a rimmed cartridge that was invented in 1895. Rimmedmeaning that the bottom (rim)of the cartridge is wider than the body of the cartridge thus it does not feed or stack on top of each other verywell in a stacked magazine so it is relegated to tubular magazines and single shots which also limits it to round nosed or flat nosed bullets so you don't set off the primers of the cartridges in the magazine tube when the rifle recoils. These tubular rifles are also of a weaker design than a bolt action rifle so the chamber pressures in side of the barrel generated from the firing of the cartridge must be kept low enough to keep the firearm from breaking.

The .243 is a non rimmed bottle neck cartridge which means that the base of the cartridge is the same diameter as the cartridge body so it will feed properly over one another in a stacked magazine which is what bolt action rifles use. This also allows the use of pointed, stream lined bullets which retain velocity and energy over a longer distance which gives it a greater effective lethal range. And, unlike the lever action rifle the bolt action can safely handle chamber pressures that greatly exceed the what the lever action rifles can handle so the bullets are able to be driven to much higher initial velocities.


A cartridge that you might alsowant to consider is the 7mm-08. It utilizes the same casing as the .243 but is necked up to accept the larger diameter and heavier bullets of the 7mm (.284"). This is a wonderful and light recoiling cartridge that is perfect for deer sized animals. I think that most 12 year old boys could easily handle this cartridge with no problems.

Does that mean the 7mm-08 cartridge can fit inside a .243 rifle?

No, the 7mm (.284)bullet is a full millimeter larger in diameter than the .243 (which is 6mm diameter, just to keep the comparison simple). While based on the same case, it's won't chamber in a .243 rifle- would be like trying to push a 7mm diameter rod into a 6mm diameter hole. There are a comple of others with similar cases that likewise won't fit - the .308 Win, and the .260 Rem.

Most, save some foreign and military rifles, are stamped somewhere on the barrel with that specific rifle's chambering (i.e. ".243 Win", ".30-30 Win"). The basic rule is - "Never use anything BUTthat ammunitionin that particular firearm".