Hunting Kuk...You sound like a couple of buddies of mine...We would get ready to sight in their 30-06s, I could tell they were flinching so I acted like I added one more shell, handed them back their gun and they flinched without the gun going off...Franky, one got pretty ticked...I told him that I loved him like a brother and just did him a favor...I then sat down and shot an inch and a quarter group with his own gun...

He now shoots a .243...I see guys post all the time about a .243 being marginal and how you must hit them just right...Guess what, if you are not flinching, it's no problem to hit them were they need to be hit...Heck, the vitals of a deer are at least the size of a volley ball and if you can't hit that every then you are flinching, maybe a .243 will be just what the doctor ordered...

As far as a .243 being lethal, I've killed at least 200 deer and 5 bears with mine, along with countless crows, coyotes, foxes, groundhogs, one feral hog and other critters...

When you can bust a crow at 300 yards, a deer is a cake walk...

You've heard the saying about a fellow with one rifle??? Since 1980 I've shot the same .243 for everything...Buy one, use it and your flinching will cease...

I'm around 5' 10" 200lbs give or take a few off if I eat desert ;) and I went with a .243 Browning A-bolt Hunter Rifle and simply love it since it has light recoil and I have taken several nice Bucks and several Doe's with it the past 4 years.I use a Caldwell Leadsled for initialy sighting it in and my Rilfe is dead-on and very accurate,then I check it every year before Deer Season.I have used a Remington 30-06 for many years and it got to where I was flinching when I shot it even when anticipating the shot so I went with a Rifle that has the lesser recoil and it has worked for me...like someone else mentioned You may want to check into the Remington's "Managed Recoil" Shells if Your going to keep shooting the 7mm Magnum?

I am just curious, what sort of hearing protection do you all recommend in the field? I find I need my hearing to hear incoming deer so I never considered protection for my ears from my 30-30. But I guess since I'm turning into an older cuss, I should consider it, preserve what I have left.

Practice, practice, practice. And all of the above; ear muffs, dry firing, etc.

WOW 5 bears with a .243. When you shoot them do you take headshots or shoot them through the vitals.

I would recommend sighting in with a buddy. Have your buddy load you weapon one shot at a time. Have him leave the gun empty at different times so you never know if the rifle will fire or not. Have him watch and ctitique your style. He should be able to see if/when you flinch. You should always take a short breath and hold it just before pulling the trigger. Also, when your sights are on target, you should gently pull that trigger in such a way that you are not sure exactly when it will fire.

Good Luck!

Beware, he knows how to use it.:s4:

Yeah, that's about right. I keep having to remind myself that not all hunters are avid shooters.

Buck Holliday...I recomend using the small foam rubber inserts for your hearing protection,they are easy to use and don't cost very much at all.If your wanting hearing protection while out during Hunting Season and You want to improve your hearing capabilities I recommend something like a Walkers Game Ear,it amplifys the sound yet cuts off when You shoot.


I have a question about having someone Dry-fire a Rifle....isn't that bad or hard on a Rifle when You Dry-fire it?

Ive dry fired my remington 700 and my stoeger 2000, hundreds, maybe thousands of Xs. I clean and inspect my firing pin and spring regularly and never noticed any damage.