YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

THIS IS MY FOURTH YEAR DEERHUNTING
AND IM DEBATING ON WHAT KIND OF GUN I WILL BUY
I AM THINKING OF A 243 OR 270 WHAT KIND OF GUN
WOULD U BUY PS. I AM 12 YEARS OLD

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

try a 25-06 rem caliber...you will be very happy

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

My 12 year old son has been using a 270 for 3 years and loves it. I set him up with a Thompson Encore with a T/C custom shop 24" heavy varmint barrel, a 2# Mike Bellm trigger job on the receiver, and a Simms Limbsaver pad on the butt stock. He can shoot 1" groups all day off a bench with Winchester Supreme 140 gr Accubonds at the range and has never missed a deer. Good luck with your choice.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I agree with trying out the 25-06, but the .270 and .243 are also great calibers!

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

.270 HANDS DOWN, by the way drop the caps.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

If you are big enough to handle it, I'd say get a .270.

You won't grow out of it. My daughter has a .243 and has taken about a dozen deer with it. I had a tough time tracking a few of them even with lung shots.

She is recoil sensitive otherwise I'd of got a .270 for her.

The .243 is a good gun but I feel a .270 would be better.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

243 is a good chice and so is a 25-06...how far will you be shooting?
if your shooting at animals under 200 yards go with a marlin 30/30, you will fall in love with it, and the kick is not bad.

but if you can handle the 270 go for it.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

buy a 243 wssm iv shot 3 deer with it 2 of them drooped on the spot one ran about 40 yards or less works great just put the cross hairs on the front shoulder ind squeeez the trigger and it will drop the 1 that ran it was walking and i dinit take time to aim real good and shot a little far back

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

the reason I say the 25-06 is based on federal premium ammo compare of the calibers.

check it out yourself..
http://www.federalpremium.com/ballistics/Ammo_Search.aspx?act=choose&firearm=1&s1=1


.243----100gr Nosler Partition for all 3
25-06---115gr
.270----150gr

.243..........speed in feet per second @ 200yds.....2386
25-06................................................ ............2518
.270.............................................. ................2464

I know you lose some energy with the 25-06 compaired to the .270 but I prefer the extra speed and less bullet drop long range compaired to the .270

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

.270 i shot my first deer when i was 12 with that.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Both are good guns. I've used mya .243 since I was 16 and I've been very pleased with it.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

my wife and I both shoot 243 with Winchester 100 grain PSP ammo and love them.in all my years of deer hunting with a rifle and that has been a loooooong time,I have only had one get away from me(that was my fault; with a bad hit) my wife has only had one also.
within 250 yards you will have no problem taking a deer.we go for the shot just behind the shoulder bottom 1/3 of the chest.with that you will get both lungs(most of the time) and 1/2 the time get the heart.
As I tell my wife,hit him just behind the shoulder , just above the elbow.

good luck with your choise.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I think you'd be happy with either gun. The 270 has a lot more possibilities as for taking bigger game, shot placement isn't as important. On the hand the 243 is a fine shooting caliber. I have a Remmington ADL in 243 and a Browning BBr in 270. I like both guns but the 270 is my favorite. If you know someone who has both guns, ask to shoot them and then decide. Good luck.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

This is my daughters deer that was shot with a 7mm-08 Encore with sims pad. She shoots 140 grain Winchester ballistic silvertips and shot this deer at 140 yards.She is also 12. I even use this gun and think it might be as perfect a deer round as you can get and I use to use a .270.


If you are a big kid then by all means,get a .270 but for most 12 year olds.It is probably more than you want.


I wouldn't even consider a .243.

My 8 year old son shoots a Rossi youth .308. He shoots 150 graincore locks and the gun kicks less than the .243. synthetic Remington youth that is in my safe.;)

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Why not?

I got my 12 year old son a .243 for his 12th birthday, and he's taken 3 deer with 3 shots. I likedshooting his so much that I boughtone for myself, and I'm 4 for4.The two that I shot this year both dropped in their tracks, and the distance any has gone after a shot is no different than when I was using my .30-06. There is NOTHING wrong with the .243 as a deer rifle.

You can't be serious. Unless that Rossi weighs about 12 lbs., I think your statement defies the laws of physics.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Well...This was my 43rd year deer hunting....And my 26th year using a .243.
I've killed about 150 deer with the one I have...Guess I'll keep it...

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I have used Ruger.243 and .270 for many years and have been using Ruger 6.5mmSwede since 1995.

Like nchawkeye, have been in the woods for over 45yrs!:)

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

ipscshooter

Maybe theRossi isn't less on recoil,it definately isn't any more.It FEELS less to me.Maybe it is the size of the gun.I don't know.Maybe it is the but pad .They weigh about the same from what I can tell.We don't shoot 180 grain bullets but rather we shoot the 150's and we can even back it down to the 125 grain bullets in the off season.I know my 8 year old can handle it just fine and the .243 is too big to hold(and it is a youth model).He isn't a big kid either.Pushing 70#'s.

My daughter has shot the .243 and she just told me it kicks worse than her 7mm-08.:eek:It definately might be the pad because her 7m has a sims pad.[8D]




For a marksmen,the .243 is a great rifle,for a youngster that gets the shakes.I don't like them at all.Most of the deer my daughter shoots,she drills them in the center.She got shook on her first buck last year and couldn't find it in the scope.When she finally found it she was shaking real bad and gut shot the deer.The 7 mm-08 left a better blood trail than I have seen from a .243 on a perfect shot.THIS IS WHY.

I have several nephews that all have gone through the .243 and I have had to track too many.It is MY EXPERIENCE that has formed my opinion.


Nothing against the .243 and if you like them,great!I just think they belong in the hands of experienced shooters.

Opinion are like butholes,we all have one and most of them stink.:D

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Both are great calibers and i think you would be happy with either one of these, but dont forget to look at the 7mm08 its a geat one also.. Walt

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

If its mainly whitetail (being the largest 95% of the time) I would seriously consider a 7mm08. Very good round with less recoil. Many consider it the best whitetail caliber. Cost of ammo may be slightly more depending on where you are located in conjunction to sporting goods shops.

Never can go wrong with 270 just more recoil. Also remember with recoil there are ways to tame it. For instace the load you are using, weight of gun you purchase, simms limbsaver recoil pad, etc.

I also have a .243 and use it regularly for deer. No felt (to me at least) recoil at all. And you can use for varmit etc just not ideal for anything larger than whitetail.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Most deer run a ways no matter what caliber you use, unless its a neck or head shot. In my experience they ususally run about 40 yds. Dosnt matter if its a 300 mag they still run 40 yds. same with the .243 about 40 yds.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I shot 7 deer with my .270 and only 1 went more than a couple steps.It had to get up to do that.Maybe I found a sweet load.130 gr ppsp winchesters.It was hard on meat though.

The 7mm-08 will not put them down that quick but the easiest blood trails I have ever seen,of course you can usually see them fall.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

whats the 243 wssm

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

where did u get ur sons tc encore 270 and about how much
did it cost

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I am assuming that this question is aimed at me. I put the gun together myself. As far as price, I don't have a calculator handy, but here are the parts costs:
Encore frame with camo furniture $350
Mike Bellm trigger job $80
Mike Bellm oversize hinge pin $10
T/C Custom Shop barrel $300
Limbsaver pad $25
Leupold mounts and rings $50
Zeiss Conquest 4-14x44 scope $650
I have shot this gun alot myself and would not change a thing about it. It is a tack driver with Winchester Supreme 140 gr Accubonds. The cost of the gun is pretty considerable, but I look at it as a lifetime purchase for my son.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

You didn't mention it, but you should consider a 7mm-08. Nice caliber for deer and it can stretch up to elk.

I bought a Ruger Mark II compact 7mm-08 for my son when he started hunting at 12 and he really liked it.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Must be nice to have that kind of money to spend on a gun . I can't even afford to buy the barrel. I've always wanted to hunt and i'm saving up to get a shotgun but right now i can't even afford the $259 for the Mossberg 12 gauge combo lol.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

well it depends, if u are recoil sensitive then i recomend the 243. but im 13 and im not recoil sensitive and for my b-day i got a 30-06 and i love it and it will rest me the rest of my life (hopefully)

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I bought my wife a Remington 7400 in .270 as her wedding present. Yeah, quite the romantic, ain't I?;)I figured the autoloader ought to take a little of the recoiledge off and felt the 270 should handle about anythingWE would go after on the NA continent.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I'm 33 and I use my 243 almost exclusively. I think you hunt with what you are comfortable with. I don't like heavy recoil. I am very susceptible to flinching and I have killed nearly all my rifle deer with my 243. The gun is (a model 70 btw) unbelievably accurate too. I shot a doe at 260 yds, and honestly, I didn't hold high whatsoever and she went down where she stood. 100 gr federal round. A lot of folks are realizing that they don't need the power of the heavier hitters, altho I do hunt with them from time to time. They are both good calibers.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I am 40 and have at least a 100 med. game kills using the .243. heres a 200lb porker I took at 225-240 yds. Right at the base of the head and neck, complete pass through and I actually heard the pigs head hit the ground. I have many stories and pics of what a .243 can and does do. It gets my respect.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I use a .308, not a .243.

The .308 is a great round, I think you'll like it.

Or, you could go with a 7mm-08.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I bet hunter xpy won't bust his eyebrow with a 243 like someone else who shall remain nameless.LOL!

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

he he he

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Let me manipulate that a bit. Look at my comparo, you'll see the .270 is a tad better, even the .243 stays a bit on path better than th .25.
Truth is all 3 are pretty darn good calibers and you couldnt go wrong with either.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

I have shot a .270 since I was 18. I am 52 now. The .270 is a fine caliber, but I think if I had it to do over again, I would go with the .243 for strictly deer hunting. I don't notice the recoil at all on the .270 when hunting, but I just hate target shooting and sighting in. I think I'm gonna get a recoil pad before next year. I guess I'm getting soft in my old age.

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Yeah, but he had the scope mounted too far back, but he didn't know it, so he fired 40 rounds through that thing, trying to hang onto the fore-arm.;)

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

270 - you can grow into it

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

Now throw in the Fed.140gr 6.5mmSwede in the chart for comparison?:)

RE: YOUNG HUNTERS USING 243 OR 270
 

OK
They only list a soft point, had this been a boatail it would be even better.