driftrider

Recoil isn't really about how big you are, but rather about how you perceive recoil. My wife is not, um, petite, in fact she's a little on the anti-petite side, but she is extremely recoil sensitive. She'll shoot a .22-250 varmint rifle (that weighs 11-12 pounds) all day long (usually I load 50 shots/range trip, but she's shot as many as 100 in a row), but with her even a .243 would be too much in a sporter-weight rifle for more than a 10 shots in a sitting. Heck, I'll admit that I'm recoil sensitive, too. It's not that I can't shoot a hard kicking rifle well, I just hate to do it and it requires much more focus to control the natural tendency to flinch. I'm 6'4" and weigh between 280 and 290lbs, so I'm anything but a small guy. My .257 Wby Mag kicks right on the level that I can shoot a couple boxes of ammo in a session with only minor discomfort toward the end (it kicks about like a .270 Win). If I get all the way through a box of ammo through my .30-06 before being too uncomfortable to shoot well, it's a rare case, even with 150 grain bullets. I used to have a Tikka T3 Lite in 300 WSM that I loved for everything but the kick. Sold it because I just didn't like the pain of shooting it. That's why I recommended the .243 Win. The .260 Rem and 7mm-08 are great deer rounds, but they do kick 50-60% harder than a .243 in the same weight rifle. Some guys might not really perceive the difference, but your wife might. Mine can tell the difference between a .22-250 and a .243, with the 243 bothering her a little bit after a few rounds.

Mike

sauer06

I would get a 243, they are accurate. they have many different bullets in factory-reloading. I have hunted all my life with various 30 cals and I tell you what, they are to much gun for deer in the 100-200 lb range. and the best thing about the 243 is the recoil is very mild compared to every other 30 cal. And they are fun to shoot!!
That being said the 243 is not the best choise for the larger deer species like elk or brown bear, but for every thing else this is the perfect gun.

vabyrd

Every guy in the world would buy a 243 for his wife or kid to hunt with, but insists on a 300 Win mag for himself. WTH?

zrexpilot

aint that the truth.
I dont fall into that category though.

nchawkeye

Me either, been using a .243 since 1980...

None of my close hunting partners question the effectiveness...

Come to think of it, most of them have changed to a .243 the past few years...

Teach Deer

I took my 8 year old son to the range today...started him easy, with a .22 LR at balloons...when we got back to 50 yards, I switch the rifle to my .270 and put in a Managed Recoil round...

Dead balloon...

The recoil surprised him a bit, but did not hurt him...of course he did not shoot very many his first time...

We will go back next weekend, and shoot a bit more...

The Managed Recoil rounds are overlooked IMO...of course here in KY we can hunt deer, elk (if lucky enough to draw a tag), and bear...with everything but deer having a .270 minimum caliber requirement...

I am planning on getting him a Ruger M77II compact in .308 next year and starting him out with more of the MR loads...as he gets larger and can handle more, then full power 150 grain loads, eventually stepping up to the Hornady Light Magnum loads for elk, bear or moose...

TNGal

You may want to look at a 25-06

Centaur 1

A lever action 30-30 is what I would suggest, I like the Marlin 336. It kicks about the same as a .243 and either one is a good choice. I've heard a couple of guys say that the .243 is louder due to the higher speed of the bullet and that their wives perceived this cartridge as being worse than it really is. The 30-30 makes a softer sound that's not as scary to someone who might be gun shy.

skeeter 7MM

My wife is small framed while she doesn't hunt she does shoot and she's damn good with a 7mm 08 Browning Micro. It's the best fitting/shooting rifle she's tried to date. I will say off the bench she is getting better with the 2506 Rem 700 SPS but the fit isn't quite right. A youth model might be an option as well. For her recoil isn't really a problem(with in reason) but I can say my 11 daughter is getting fine with both...she also is small framed!