RE: best deer gun ?
 

id never trade my .308 browning blr for any other rife to mee this is the perfect rifle

RE: best deer gun ?
 

heres the ballistics of a 30-06 CORE-LOKT ur 243 federal dont compare

Premier Core-Lokt Ultra 150 PSP CLU 2820 2305 1868 1498 1188 933

RE: best deer gun ?
 

Glad to at least hear you say that it can hold it's own. Kind surprising aint it. Most people dissmiss the .243 as a small gun, it is and it isnt.
Theres good and bad loads in every gun. I was using Federals Premium bullets which have some of the best ballistics. When comparing, use the 85 gr. siera gameking HP and the 100 gr. sierra game king. These have some awsome ballistics in the .243. the federal web site lists all ballistics in every caliber and even wind drift.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

ITS A PEA SHOOTER

RE: best deer gun ?
 

Let me throw in my .02.

Been almost 30 yrs but used a borrowed 264 Win Mag to take 2 deer a few yotes and Jack Rabbits(ugly mess). Kick like a mule but - fast, flat round and devastated anything it hit!

I always wanted one until I heard the 264 ate up barrels somewhere around 500-1000 rounds if I remember correctly.

My 2nd rifle was a used 30-06. Took alot of deer,and yotes with that gun. Great all around caliber.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

he he ! heres how your .308 stacks up, not good ,even worse. Now these are using premium bullets in both guns.


-----------------@500yds-----velocity-----energy---drop zeroed@200yds
.243 85gr SierraGameking------2180--------890----------32.8"
.308 165gr sierra gameking----1830---------1230--------49"
wind drift @500yds
.243 85 gr----18.8"
.308 165 gr.--21.1 "
Now the .308 does win on the eneregy department , if you believe in that.
again the .243 is faster , flatter, and less wind drift.
With enough energy by your standards. Now which one would you pick for making a 500 yd shot on a deer. I'm sure your gonna say the .308 cause of energy but i will take the accuracy and speed over it.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

I'm curious about something. Everyone answer this honestly, why did you choose the caliber you use. Field testing, book numbers, your friend uses it or is it just what you father used?

I am new to hunting and my father and mother don't like guns or hunting. I'm new and had no clue about ballistic coefficient, feet per second or drop at 500 yards. I've learned allot reading this thread(MODS-don't lock it). I know enough not to take bulletin board BS as the truth no mater how many post someone has. But I've truly enjoyed all the links to external sites and bullet manufactures. This thread also got me doing some research on my rifles caliber. I learned that our armed forces, law enforcement and NATO all use the .308 for sniping out to 800 yards.

Now I'm being honest when I tell you I knew very little when buying my gun. A month ago very large gun dealer had a mini gun show with manufactures on site. I went up to the Remington, Savage, Marlin and Ruger manufactures reps. I flat out told them I don't know a damn thing about hunting rifles but I want to start hunting. One told me to get a 30-06 two told me to get a .308 and one told me to get a .270. Since my pockets are not that deep I started looking at .308's that I could get the cheapest. I ended up getting a Savage .308 combo, it has a wood stock and the "Accu-Trigger". It was $400 for the gun and scope. I figured if I don't have it in me to pull the trigger I'm not out that much money. I took it to a 300 yard range but sighted it in at 100 yards since I'm hunting in a swamp and a 50 yard shot would be a long shot.

On opening day I saw a deer 5 minutes after the season opened and I shot it about 45 feet from my tree stand. It dropped motionless about 25' and 5 second later. So for the past month my savage .308 has been the best damn deer gun world. Is it really the best gun? I don't care, it's my gun and I enjoy stroking it and whispering sweet nothings into the breach at 5am in the morning while sitting in my tree stand.

As far as I care any gun that can kill a deer quickly and humanly on a repeatable basis is "The best deer gun".

RE: best deer gun ?
 

To be honest seahunter all high powered rifles will kill deer cleanly with a well placed bullet. From a .222 to the largest magnums. Its all a matter of preference and all these numbers mean nothing if you keep your shots at a 100 yds. I shoot out to 300 yds proficiently.
i have used several calibers, my dad was a .308 man untill the .243 came out, which in case you dont know is a .24 caliber bullet on a .308 case. It was wild cat long ago. A wild cat round is where gun builders would install smaller bullets on some other larger case. Manufactures seen these guys build these guns that would have awsome ballistics and they would start to manufacture them and put them in production. Anyway for me I used several calibers and always loved the .243 out of all of them. no-recoil, extremely fast and flat, and devestating on tissue. It always passes through. My dad introduced it to me, but like others I beleived that bigger was better, but sooned learned otherwise. Many people believe that velocity is what kills clean and fast, I believe this too. It's called hydro-static shock.(look it up) Others believe that energy is what kills. I for one do not. But there is a point that somewhere in bettween would be best of both worlds. I do aggree on that. Anyway expierence has kept me shooting the .243
And a lot of my friends have converted from the norm to shooting them too.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

im only shooting at the maximum of 150yds... and id pick my 308 over the 243 and day for that distance... ive killed deer with a 22 at 50yds and the 243 would do the same at 150 but i wouldnt recommend shooting a deer at 500 yds with any caliber rifle....

RE: best deer gun ?
 

My Remington model 700 7MM STW did a fine job at 500 yards. :) Dropped a 7 point 2 years ago right in its tracks. Range finded him at 520. After shooting over his back the first shot, he had no clue what just happened so I aimed a little lower for the second shot.

My dad's buddy just puchased a .50 caliber rifle. [8D] Sighted it in for him at 200 and wow what a gun. The force coming out of the muzzle break is unbelievable. The gun must weigh 50 pounds. I'm gonna try some 1000+ yard shots with it next year. Not saying im gonna hit anything but if I do I'll have plenty of knockdown power.