nyhunter22 Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 hey guys, new here but ive been reading and learning alot from posts from all you just had a question on a good rifle for me im currently shooting a little 20 gauge and have dropped 2 deer with it but would like to upgrade to a real rifle im 5'8 at 135lbs if this helps at all, and most shots are within 100 yards...id like something with plenty of power to drop one but id like to keep my shoulder where its at any replies are appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Welcome to the forums. Lot of good choices out there. Think a 20 gauge with turkey loads is probably pretty similar in recoil to a .243. If you are concerned with recoil that may be a good choice for you. All the deer my wife has shot with her .243 have gone 10 yards or less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rinky Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 The .243 was my first thought. Before even reading haha. I used a .243 to take big bodied deer up here in North Dakota for my first 3 deer seasons and it works great. Also to be considered one of THEE best all-around game cartridges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyhunter22 Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 yea, how would a .243 compare to say a .308? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 yea, how would a .243 compare to say a .308? Recoil wise not a great difference in the two. Think however for longer range hunting and for larger game the .308 offers a huge advantage, doing anything the .243 will and much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyhunter22 Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 so you think it should be between the 243 and 308? other suggestions? the recoil of a 20 gauge is nothing so something high than that is fine i was gunna shoot my dads 30-06 but second thoughts kept me from that idea haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 so you think it should be between the 243 and 308? other suggestions? the recoil of a 20 gauge is nothing so something high than that is fine i was gunna shoot my dads 30-06 but second thoughts kept me from that idea haha The .30-06 is not too bad really, and it is a great all around cartridge in my opinion. I deer hunt with a .270, it has less recoil than what my 12 gauge has with turkey loads, but a bit more than either of my wife or daughter's .243's. In my opinion anything from the .243 up will work for deer. Lots of options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyhunter22 Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 alright thanks for the help, greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Actually............the bad news is that a .308 has about half again the recoil (20 lbs @ 14 fps) of a .243 (13 lbs @ 11 fps). The good news is that a 20 ga. turkey load has more recoil (26 lbs @ 16 fps) than a .308. (All figures are for a 7 lb. gun.) IMHO.......get the .308. Much more power and versatility than the .243. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 IMHO.......get the .308. Much more power and versatility than the .243. I agree. but either will work for deer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 I read a recoil comparison earlier this year or maybe last year, pretty sure I read it in a field and stream article. If I remember right without going back and looking the .243 on their table produced 12 or 13 ft lbs of recoil while the .308 produced 18 ft lbs. 5 lbs may or may not be significant, imo it is all a matter of the opinion of the shooter. The .30-06 is up in the mid 20's if I remember right, so it would be about double the recoil of the .243. Having shot both the .308 and .243 plenty of times, there is not a lot of difference in my opinion in felt recoil between the two in rifles I have handled, however the rifle you shoot can make a difference in the recoil you will feel; weight of the rifle, action type, and stock design can all be factors in the actual felt recoil. Youth rifle configurations are still offered in .308 by some manufacturers if I am not mistaken too. My point on the 20 gauge since you mentioned it really was if you can handle slugs or turkey loads from a 20 gauge, a .243 will not bother you at all, according to those numbers above a 20 gauge with turkey loads will recoil as hard as a .30-06. I had not seen a table showing recoil data on a 20 gauge, but have shot the wifes 870 youth gun with turkey loads numerous times and it does not feel like much more to me than what the .243 bolt guns we own do. I agree with Strut though, I would probably opt for the .308 if those were the only choices, but a .243 is still an effective round for deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 There are so many choices...but I'd personally go a little bigger than a .243 for deer. The .308 is a great cal. that I'm sure you could handle. There are alot of other cal. that (IMO) are a better choice than a .243 with little recoil...257 WBY, .25 WSSM, .25-06...heck even a 7mm-08 is a great cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJL Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 308 and call it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rinky Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/model_700_SPS_varmint.asp Great gun... tack driver and really not that expensive. Plus its a 700. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyhunter22 Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 man i didnt think id get this much info about a good deer cal. for me but wow guys thanks youve helped out alot ill most likely look into a .308 and see whats out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowhntr Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 Go with the 308 and be done with it. The 243, and 7mm-08 are 308 cases necked to smaller caliber bullets. The 308 will offer you much more versatility than the 243 plus a good bit more umph when it hits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDeerHunter Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 .308 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 If I remember right without going back and looking the .243 on their table produced 12 or 13 ft lbs of recoil while the .308 produced 18 ft lbs. The numbers I listed above were generated through a recoil program using common deer loads for each caliber (.243 with a 100 gr. and .308 with a 180 gr.) and a Federal turkey load (1 5/8 oz.). They represent raw ft/lbs and fps of physical recoil. Physical recoil levels can be altered most greatly by changing bullet weights. Felt recoil can be altered by stock design and a recoil pad. In this comparison the .308 generates 35% more recoil than the .243. That's a pretty significant increase. I've owned 4 .308's and shot a couple .243's. There's been a pretty noticeable difference between the ones I've shot. That being said......the .308 is still a very pleasant round to shoot in a good fitting rifle with a half decent pad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted September 27, 2008 Report Share Posted September 27, 2008 I've got a 243, and 25-06. If I were to lose them somehow I would probably replace them with a 308. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mailmanmark Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 7mm-08 or .308 in a Tikka T3 you won't be dissapointed and it won't break the bank. Good luck from a fellow upstate ny'er. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyhunter22 Posted September 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 thanks man what zone are you huntin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mailmanmark Posted October 4, 2008 Report Share Posted October 4, 2008 nyhunter22 I hunt mostly 7M, 7J, and 6S......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted October 8, 2008 Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 Welcome to Realtree... Fellow New Yawker The .243 is based on a .308 cartridge. So outside the neck of the case, capacity has to be the same. I would think similar recoil. The .308 also has a tremendous amount of bullet weights you can chose from also. Much more versatile. The Marines shoot 1000yard matches with the .308. Hows that for accuracy of a caliber? Of course the shooter has something to do with it too. let us know what you do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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