Help Us select our "deer rifles" for next year.
12-09-2011, 12:50 PM
#12
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 83
First off, Welcome and I am glad to hear of you and your wife's excitement for the sport of hunting and also the excitement of getting your first deer rifles. ALL those rounds that you mentioned in the original post are GREAT choices for deer. For the ranges you mentioned ALL will do the job to about the 300 yd. mark AND "some" of your choices could suit you for 500 yards and beyond. The .243 and 6mm will smoke deer up to 300 yds. Some guys shoot farther with them, some guys like to shoot shorter distance. I would not hesitate squeezing the trigger on a deer 300 yds. away with my .243. As far as recoil is concerned 6mm, .243, and the 7mm-08 are in my opinion mild rounds, but they are great performers and you will not be disappointed with them, so long as the shooter holds up his end of the bargain behind the trigger.
As far as the .270 and 25-06...In my shooting experience with them, I feel that their recoil is very close to the same with maybe slight difference. ( then again, I never thought that the 30-06's I own have that much more recoil than the .270's I own and have shot ) BOTH of these rounds (.270 and 25-06) I consider great performers and I know of guys that will make 500 yd. shots on deer or antelope all day long with these. Great flat shooters.
Considering the cost of ammo these days, I would be more concerned with "availibilty " than cost...as most all ammo is on the high side these days. I feel that if you chose any of the rounds you initially stated....You would be VERY happy with your choice. If the recoil of a 270 doesn't bother you, then none of the others you mentioned will. If you like the idea of mild recoil go with the 7mm-08, .243, or 6mm
As far as the .270 and 25-06...In my shooting experience with them, I feel that their recoil is very close to the same with maybe slight difference. ( then again, I never thought that the 30-06's I own have that much more recoil than the .270's I own and have shot ) BOTH of these rounds (.270 and 25-06) I consider great performers and I know of guys that will make 500 yd. shots on deer or antelope all day long with these. Great flat shooters.
Considering the cost of ammo these days, I would be more concerned with "availibilty " than cost...as most all ammo is on the high side these days. I feel that if you chose any of the rounds you initially stated....You would be VERY happy with your choice. If the recoil of a 270 doesn't bother you, then none of the others you mentioned will. If you like the idea of mild recoil go with the 7mm-08, .243, or 6mm
12-09-2011, 01:59 PM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,143
Being that you emphasized "deer rifles" i'll asume that the rifles would be used for the sole purpose of whitetail deer hunting.All the rifles you've listed will cleanly kill a deer.
If ammo availibility and price isn't an issue then the next question you need to answer is a rifle you like offered in the chambering you chose?
The least amount of recoil will be with the 243/6mm and the most amount of recoil will be with the 270/280.
Shooting the same caliber as one another can have it's advantages.Doubt both of you would forget your bullets on a hunting trip.
I have owned a 30-30,30-06,35,& 243. I'm currently shooting the 243 for my whitetail hunting and really like the caliber.
Rifle choice,i'm currently shooting a Remington 700.It's the second one i've owned,no complaints with either one.You and your wife need to see which rifle in your price range feels the best to you.
The Winchester Model 70 [ msrp $879 ] is a real nice rifle IMO and comes chambered in 243,25-06,7mm08 & 270.
Good Luck with your descission
If ammo availibility and price isn't an issue then the next question you need to answer is a rifle you like offered in the chambering you chose?
The least amount of recoil will be with the 243/6mm and the most amount of recoil will be with the 270/280.
Shooting the same caliber as one another can have it's advantages.Doubt both of you would forget your bullets on a hunting trip.
I have owned a 30-30,30-06,35,& 243. I'm currently shooting the 243 for my whitetail hunting and really like the caliber.
Rifle choice,i'm currently shooting a Remington 700.It's the second one i've owned,no complaints with either one.You and your wife need to see which rifle in your price range feels the best to you.
The Winchester Model 70 [ msrp $879 ] is a real nice rifle IMO and comes chambered in 243,25-06,7mm08 & 270.
Good Luck with your descission
Last edited by jerry d; 12-09-2011 at 02:13 PM.
12-09-2011, 03:51 PM
#16
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Beaverton, Oregon
Posts: 11
Hands down Id get a .270 (they'll all kill deer) but the .270 is erasily the sexiest - flatest shooting - kill anything in the lower 48 - and relatively cheap to shoot. Now Rugar and Remington make GOOD guns in your price range AND they both make "youth models" that usually fit women better. By getting the SAME caliber you make it easier to stock up on ammo and maybe start reloading.. Final point.. Remingtom makes a "50% recoil" bullet for the .270 that makes its recoil feel most tame and yet it is still quit lethal.
I have 10 and 12 year old boys that both took elk this year.. had them shooting those 50% recoil shells at the range and then sliped in the real deals in the field.. they Never felt the recoil but the elk sure did!
I have 10 and 12 year old boys that both took elk this year.. had them shooting those 50% recoil shells at the range and then sliped in the real deals in the field.. they Never felt the recoil but the elk sure did!
12-09-2011, 07:54 PM
#18
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 14
Hands down Id get a .270 (they'll all kill deer) but the .270 is erasily the sexiest - flatest shooting - kill anything in the lower 48 - and relatively cheap to shoot. Now Rugar and Remington make GOOD guns in your price range AND they both make "youth models" that usually fit women better. By getting the SAME caliber you make it easier to stock up on ammo and maybe start reloading.. Final point.. Remingtom makes a "50% recoil" bullet for the .270 that makes its recoil feel most tame and yet it is still quit lethal.
I have 10 and 12 year old boys that both took elk this year.. had them shooting those 50% recoil shells at the range and then sliped in the real deals in the field.. they Never felt the recoil but the elk sure did!
I have 10 and 12 year old boys that both took elk this year.. had them shooting those 50% recoil shells at the range and then sliped in the real deals in the field.. they Never felt the recoil but the elk sure did!
12-10-2011, 03:12 AM
#19
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: michigan
Posts: 107
get the wife a 243 and yer best bet for u is a 270 it will do most big game critters ,she will need the confidence to shoot ,and not be afraid of the recoil the 243 will fit the ticket just fine.as for the 270 hands down best all a round caliber ,both have no problem taking deer, and ammo is available every where,good luc personally i like the ruger m77 and the tc venture
12-10-2011, 03:24 AM
#20
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 970
For little deer, I'd go with a pair of 25-06s or 243s. Plenty of killing power in both of the calibers.
I suggest going with the same caliber so you can share ammo in case one or the other forgets/loses theirs.
I've fired both the 243 and 7mm08 calibers. I don't feel much of a difference at all, and nor did my father. They both kill deer with the same ease. Go with a non-partitioned round if you choose the 7mm08. The partitioned rounds I use can do some impressive damage to the bigger deer in Wisconsin. I can only imagine how much worse it would be on the smaller southern deer.
I've also fired a 270, although many years ago now, and it has more kick than a lot of the suggested rounds. It's manageable enough for me, but it was not the round I wanted when I was choosing which rifle to buy. The 7mm08 has similar ballistic characteristics (as do several similar rounds) to the 270 for the shorter range shooting where I hunt in Wisconsin, but with less recoil.
I hunt the hardwoods where the typical shooting distance is between 50- 120 yards. Sometimes you can get longer shots, but not often. You're more likely to make a shorter shot than a longer one if you can be smarter than your foe.
I suggest going with the same caliber so you can share ammo in case one or the other forgets/loses theirs.
I've fired both the 243 and 7mm08 calibers. I don't feel much of a difference at all, and nor did my father. They both kill deer with the same ease. Go with a non-partitioned round if you choose the 7mm08. The partitioned rounds I use can do some impressive damage to the bigger deer in Wisconsin. I can only imagine how much worse it would be on the smaller southern deer.
I've also fired a 270, although many years ago now, and it has more kick than a lot of the suggested rounds. It's manageable enough for me, but it was not the round I wanted when I was choosing which rifle to buy. The 7mm08 has similar ballistic characteristics (as do several similar rounds) to the 270 for the shorter range shooting where I hunt in Wisconsin, but with less recoil.
I hunt the hardwoods where the typical shooting distance is between 50- 120 yards. Sometimes you can get longer shots, but not often. You're more likely to make a shorter shot than a longer one if you can be smarter than your foe.