Caliber Question
 

I' ve been lurking here for a few weeks now. lots of good info. I' ve recently got bit by the hunting bug. I' ve only hunted rabbit and that was thirty years ago. This board has been one of my best resouces in my research stage. There' s a lot of debate on equipement here. But everyone, with only a couple of exceptions say to stay away from the rem 710. I narrowed it down to a 243 or 257 roberts depending on availability when i save the cash. My wife would also like to go with me. The main reason for my caliber choice as she is very recoil sensitve due to a bad back.

So that said, here' s the question. .40sw carbine. is it good for the small deer and hogs we have in florida? is the felt recoil more or less than my original caliber choice? The woods here tend to be fairly thick with underbrush and i dont think long range shots are going to be possible.

RE: Caliber Question
 

No would be my opinion of the 40 S&W for a deer, hog round . It was never intended for a game round . Stick with your original choice and you should be fine .

RE: Caliber Question
 

I have seen the .40 S&W used on hogs in Florida and it was MISERABLE! One of the hunters that was with me on a hunt in Salem, Fl earlier this year shot a hog 8 times and didn' t even slow it down. Only 2 bullets ever reached the organs and the damage was virtually ZERO! I finally had to push him out of the way and kill it with a rifle.

With that said, out of the 2 calibers you mentioned, I would recommend the .257 Roberts and use the heaviest bullets that shoot accurately in your gun. Yes the .243 will work, it' s just that the .257 will work just a little better due to the availability of heavier bullets. For hogs I would also recommend a premium bullet like the Nosler Partition, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw or something similar. Hope this helps.

RE: Caliber Question
 

I also would recomend the .257 Roberts. But if you like the idea of a short handy semi-auto carbine, in a close range deer/hog cartridge, look at the Ruger .44 Rem. Mag. (what do they call the new model they recently brought out, " Deerfield" ?)

Robin

RE: Caliber Question
 

I would recommed a Marlin lever action 336 in 35 rem caliber. Since you asked for an opinion.

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The .243 is a good choice for little recoil. If you have the cash you should look into a browning with BOSS. My .270 with BOSS kicks about the same as a .243 without.

RE: Caliber Question
 

just to add one to the mix ....7mm-08

RE: Caliber Question
 

40 Smith and Wesson would not be legal where I hunt but maybe it is there. I would not consider it for any hunting other that small game. I have a 257 Roberts. That would be a good choice.

RE: Caliber Question
 

I would go with a 7mm-08 also...;)

RE: Caliber Question
 

Stick with your original choices. The .243 with good 100 gr. bullets or the .257 Roberts make excellent deer rounds!

RE: Caliber Question
 

30-06 180 grain, best a man can get

RE: Caliber Question
 

Both my father and I have used the 7mm-08 for a while now. It packs a bit of a whallup. In fact, we usually will put on a life jacket (we tell each other it is to simulate a heavy coat, but we both know it' s cause we don' t like pain! ;)) Plus bullets are a bit hard to find around here and are usaully $20/box.

This year he traded his in for a 25-06 (sorry I don' t know who makes it). He zeroed his in without the use of a life jacket (although the heavy coat may throw him off :D). Shot 1" groups at 100 yards and for him is pretty amazing!! He said the recoil is nearly non-existant. He also put a nice doe down...double lung hit....ran 30 yards. Also a box only costs less than $15 (25% less than the hard to find 7mm-08)

I have yet to shoot it but it sounds very interesting.

RE: Caliber Question
 

The 257 doesnt have near the velocity nore the energy the .243 does. Everyone has their favorite calibers and mine is the .243, with the right shells and velocity' s over 3000 fps and the tendancy to drive tacks its a hard gun to beat. At 300 yds its still carying a velocity of around 2400fps. Even claimed by some to be one of the best drop' em in there tracks calibers. I have taken lots of deer and hogs with this caliber. Shock value is what drops deer and this gun has it.
You should see the devastion inside the cavity of a deer that has been shot there, it actually liqufies the lungs. I shoot the Hornady' s in 100 gr and is sighted in at 200 yds with about 1 inch groups at that distance. I have had complete pass throughs on big hogs at over 200 yds away with this bullet. Nothing has gotten away from my .243 , nothing has gone past 50yds if they didnt drop right there. The available ammo for this gun is extensive, you can choose from 55 gr for varmints that shoot over 4000 fps or you can go with 85 gr hollow points from federal that blow huge holes in deer or go with Hornady' s that have controlled expansion for large game. Remington has a new cartridge for it, a 90 gr scirroco bonded that suppose to be awsome for big game. I will be trying them soon. This gun shoots as flat or flatter than even the 25-06 . Its an awsome caliber go with the .243.

RE: Caliber Question
 

In the first post it says to stay away from the remington 710. What is the reason for this? I haven' t looked at one very close but thought it looked like a good quality inexpensive gun

RE: Caliber Question
 

thanks for all the input. zrexpilot makes a some good points for the 243. for those not familar with florida deer. they tend to be on the small side. right now that is what im tending towards.

Winchester 308, there has been a lot of discussion on the 710. its about the only thing the folks here will agree on. from what they say, it has a horrible trigger, poor action, and some plastic parts. most will suggest a savage or rem 700 for an inexpensive rifle.

RE: Caliber Question
 

Well as for the Rem 710. I' ve been using one for about 3 years now and have killed everything that I have shot at with it. Now it' s pattern isn' t as tight as others particularly with Core Lockt Express rounds but I ' m within 3" at 100 yds and that suits me just fine. But you do need a quality scope (I switched the Bushnell for a Leupold VX-I) and some practice. In my experince the equipment is only as good as the operator. The 710 is an extremely inexpensive rifle that in the right hands can put em down! Gary

RE: Caliber Question
 

.243 bullets are easier to find than .257 if you dont handload.

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your choices are minimal, consider a 7mm-08, 270win, or 30-06. i recommend the 30-06 because it is versatile enough that if you want to hunt any other north american game (exept birds:D) I live and hunt in Fla and it is a beautiful round for deer and hogs (and antelope,moose,elk,coyotes,mountain goats,bears...)
please give the 30-06some serious consideration and talk to others with it, trust me, you wont be angry with your decision.

hope I helped

-hotgunner

RE: Caliber Question
 

As one might well imagine, I' m a huge fan of the .30-06, so don' t get me wrong. But if Dogpack' s wife has back problems, it could be a bit much for her. I have a Rem 700 synthetic, and all I feel is a mild push. On the other hand, my wife is rather uncomfortable with it, and prefers the smaller calibers.

The .30-06 can do just about everything I want it to do, with realistic expectations. But if they just want to hunt Florida deer and hogs, I say go with the .243, .257, .25-06, or possibly the 7mm-08 at the largest.

They all get the job done with proper shot placement.

RE: Caliber Question
 

The .243 is a great rifle for you and your wife. I hunt whitetail in VA and when I was younger (in my teens) I used a .243 rifle. My wife also uses a .243 to this day and stands by its performance. The .243 is a great shooting, low recoil, very accurate and affordable rifle. Use a 100 grain bullet and you will be very pleased with its performance.

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Just to add my 2 cents worth I have several guns my biggest a 30 06 in a Browning A bolt but one of favorite guns and also my 12 years old granddaughter' s is the 25 06 all in all it is a great rifle caaan buy right off the shelf for small game or large up to 120 gr I shoot 117 gr Federal Preminum' s and have taken everything from Turkeys to deer with it. Before you buy give this great firearm a try.

RE: Caliber Question
 

I don' t believe a .223 is legal in Fla. Having hunted in Florida for several years as I remember any 22caliber bullet is illegal. Anything from .243 up to 7-08 or .270 should be soft enough for your wife with the .243, 25-06, and .257 Roberts being the softest. Stick with one of those and get her some good instruction (from another woman!!) and she' ll be fine. Florida deer are not big and are not difficult to knock down. The hogs can be a little tough sometimes. Use a premium bullet and put it in the vitals or even better just behind the ear and even the biggest Florida hog will hit the dirt.

RE: Caliber Question
 

I also recommend the .243 for both you and your wife. It has a minimal kick, will take any game that Florida has to offer, and when you feel that you' ve outgrown it you can give it to your wife and pick up a 30.06 or a larger caliber if needed.

Good luck!
Matt

RE: Caliber Question
 

While I' ve never used a .40S&W carbine for hogs or deer, I' ve used a 9mm carbine on deer (not hogs) and a .45acp pistol as well, the 9mm carbine of course would be much weaker than the .40, and the .45acp pistol' s power would be about on par with it. At short ranges (mid-range archery shots), they performed better than I assumed initially they would (I had planned on necessary follow ups) on hogs, I' ve seen PH' s use .45acp' s to great success as their last resort weapon on smaller hogs they almost always empty them, while they stopped gaining after a shot or two.

Check your state laws, then try out your accuracy (if you' ve already got the .40S&W) and get some good bullets. If you don' t have the .40S&W, don' t get it as your primary, because a primary it is not, it would just make for a good fun secondary gun.