flyinfeathers

You are just going to have to figure out which one feels better to you. Both are very good guns. I have both.

I like the 30-30 because its "old school" and makes me feel like a cowboy. HAHA!!
But it does get heavy when having to walk long distances. I have shot several nice sized deer between 100-130 yards and the accuracy was dead on.

The 243 is a neat little rifle and shoots nice and flat. My daughter killed her first deer with a Rossi 243 and dropped it in its tracks.

Whatever you decide to get, shooting a deer will still depend on shot placement. It isn't the gun that kills the deer but the cowboy behind the gun. Your biggest determination in my opinion is what type of ground will you be hunting and which rifle feels better to you.

Good luck figuring it out and let us know what you decide on.

millerhunter13

X2 if i was to go with the 30-30 i would got with the winchester model 94.

Southern Buck

We jut bought my dad Marlin 30-30 with a Nikon Prostaff scope got it from a pawn shop and not a scratch on it, looks brand new. But back to the topic ive had both the 30-30 and the .243, me personaly ide probably go with the .243 cause you can reach out and touch em with it. Ill tell you another good gun to get is the 25-06, I know a few people that shoot these and they love em. from what they tell me its a pretty flat shooting rifle with plenty of nock down power and doesnt have that bad of a kick. Thatll probably be the next rifle I get myself.

jkm03003

I also own a Remington Model 7 in .243. I hunt primarily out of lock-on stands and dont always have a rest so I wanted a lighter, smaller framed gun. I use Winchester Ballistic Silvertips in 95grain and they have performed well on 8 bucks and 1 doe from ranges of 15yds to just over 140yds. I have not had a deer run over 20yds after being hit. Those bullets are amazing and cheap. I have also killed deer with the 30/30 but the .243 would be my pick. Beside the Savages and Remington 700 youth or model 7 you might try the Tikka T3 lite, it is getting great reviews and is less than $600.

Remember proper bullet placement is the key, not how much lead you throw at it.

ms6852

308

PRB_Hunter

I own a 30-06, 7mm rem mag, 7mm-08, 30-30, 308,and .243. Killed 10X more deer with the .243 than all the others combined! Ruger M77... hard to beat!! Just my 2 cents.

StruttinGobbler3

lots of ppl here say they prefer the 30-30 for its manueverability in thick brush and woods, but a remington model 7 .243 in my opinion is lighter and will do everything a 30-30 can do and so much more. just my opinion lol i have a model 7 i've had since the age of 9 (first deer rifle) and theres no way i could tell you how many deer i have killed with that little rifle. truthfully, after all this time it remains my favorite rifle for deer hunting, and for those who say the .243 doesn't pack enough punch at longer ranges, tell that to the nine point that was killed with it at 360 yards. lol i don't claim to be a perfect marksman there was a lot of luck involved in that shot, my point is it has the power to be lethal at that range.

Vulture6

For years I hunted whitetail with a 30-06. Then I switched to a Model 94 30-30 (the .06 was just too heavy and seemed like a little overkill). About 4 years ago I switched to a Savage 110 in .243 Win and think I've found my long term deer gun. It is much more pleasant to shoot and consistenly gives me fantastic groups at 100 yards (the longest shot I've used to kill a deer in my area was about 80 yards, but most are 30 or less).

If you can, shoot the different guns you are considering - and pick the one that feels right.

For shooting most North American whitetail, where you put the bullet is 10 times more important than how big the bullet is. Therefore, get the rifle that shoots the best for you.

crenshaw

.243 is the best choice. Its flatter shooting and more accurate. Brand type is up to you and how much you want to spend. I read an article that showed accuracy ratings on average per manufacturer. Savage come out on top for being moreaccurate then almost all the competitionand less expensive then the rest.