Author Topic: wife's rifle? (Read 2205 times)

jrnsuz · « **on:** March 14, 2006, 11:29:21 AM »

got a Q for any interested parties. my wife has decided she needs a .243 for deer hunting based on input from a friend at work. wife is not large (5'2" and 130), and does not have much rifle experience.

the Q is, is a .243 a good choice? i personally think it's to small, prefer at least .26 cal for whitetail.

whadda ya'll think? :?

dukkillr · « **Reply #1 on:** March 14, 2006, 11:40:51 AM »

my fiance shoots my .270. I think it's a better choice for deer and it doesn't kick too much.

flintlock · « **Reply #2 on:** March 14, 2006, 11:44:42 AM »

I bought one in 1980....have killed about 140 deer with....I see no problems with it....I don't shoot past 300 yards, and have never killed one that weighed over 250....Better watch out....she might have you shooting one....I have had 4 buddies convert in the past few years...All were shooting '06s before.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #3 on:** March 14, 2006, 04:10:45 PM »

I too, have had good sucess on deer in the past with the .243. Provided it fits her right, recoil shouldn't be much of a problem.

tbmaker · « **Reply #4 on:** March 14, 2006, 05:34:59 PM »

I've harvested plenty of deer at various times with a 243. My wife liked hers but I did bump her up to a 25-06. We were at Cabelas and I found a left hander in 25-06, she picked it up and liked how well it fit. It came home like a lost puppy. I prefer 25 caliber personally and my boys will start out with 257 Roberts.
I'd get her a 257 or 25-06. But if she is confident with the rifle in 243 and with it in her hands, she'll kill deer all day long.

Don Fischer · « **Reply #5 on:** March 14, 2006, 05:35:48 PM »

I am admittedly not a fan of the 243 for big game hunting. And I do know that ton's on deer have been taken cleanly with them. I think one of the best starter cartridges was the 250 Sav, forget it! The 25-06 would be real nice but my own dearly departed wife hated it, thought it was to loud and kicked to much. She started out with a 6mm Rem and actually killed a few deer with it. Then I suggested having her a rifle of her own made. She was all for it and I had a 6.5x55 built for her, all 5'4" 120#'s of her. Once she shot it, she never went to her 6mm again.

She went from a cartridge that's best kept at deer and antelope level to one that with the heavier bullet's works on elk! That windy crap behind me, I think your right on with the 26 caliber, you might even think of a 28 cal. Let's see, 260 Rem, 6.5x55, 7x57, 7mm-08. I don't think any would be a problem for her and all would let her step up to elk without buying a new rifle. Ah,,,,get her started and she will step up if you hunt elk.

a45gunslinger · « **Reply #6 on:** March 14, 2006, 06:14:01 PM »

7mm-08 would be a good choice it shoots flatter than a .308 and still has more than enough punch for clean kills on deer size game- Kevin

Savage .250 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 15, 2006, 01:39:37 AM »

.243.............great round, IMO. Everybody should have one.
Testimonials from others says it all.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #8 on:** March 15, 2006, 02:36:31 AM »

Does it need to be a bolt action? Mabye a lever or slide action in 30.30, 32 winchester special, or .35 Remington might be the thing. A Marlin or winchester might fit her better and has less recoil IMO than a .243. Countless people of both genders have started with a 30.30 and while it won't reach out and touch one at extended ranges either of the above would be more than enough.

What ever it is, if it doesn't fit her correctly, and if she mounts it wrong, she will feel it.......even with a .243........

A good limbsaver recoil pad will make a huge difference in felt recoil, and good hearing protection will help with the perception of recoil as well......(I heard it, it was loud so it had to hurt)........

PA-Joe · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2006, 03:07:42 AM »

Remington Model 7 Youth 7mm08 that way she can go for black bear and elk.

Mikey · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2006, 03:13:51 AM »

jrnsuz: Sorry, but I'm not a real fan of the 243 for big game. Had one, a beautiful Sako Forester, shot like a dream but wouldn't shoot the heavier bullets as accurately as I wanted.

My preference would be for a 6.5 Swede or the 260. The 243 seemed to have noticeable recoil and it may not find favor with your 5'2" - eyes of blue as a result. The Swede is one of those cartridges you can shoot all day without problems and is big enough for Elk - whitetail are no problem.

Victorcharlie had a good question - does it have to be a bolt rifle? Could it be an autoloader. A Rem 7400 in either 6.5 or 260 would be a real sweetheart and lower on the recoil end. HTH. Mikey.

jro45 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 15, 2006, 03:18:56 AM »

Theres nothing wrong with the 243 shooting 100 gr bullets.

james · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2006, 03:38:56 AM »

My 12 yr old daughter (5'4" & 105 lb.) has taken over my Encore in 6.5 x 55. She started out hunting with a .223 but she will use the 6.5 on antelope this fall. I load 95 gr ballistic tips for her to practice and plink with but we'll graduate to 120 gr. for the antelope. She complains about the recoil of her 20 ga. w/ turkey loads but says the 6.5 doesn't kick and enjoys shooting it. The small groups she shoots indicates she is not flinching.
james

killdeer · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2006, 05:44:49 PM »

jrnsuz,
your feelings on the .243 are shared by many.
You can garner the same benefits from any of the .308 based cartridges.
.243, .260, 7mm08, and .308. My choice would be the .260, 7-08, or 6.5x55. A 22"or longer barell will aid greatly in reducing noise level and recoil. It can be difficult to find a .260 with the longer barell but Ruger makes a couple, they are the MK2 Standard walnut blue and the MK2 All Weather synthetic stainless, both 22" barells.
Equipping her with good ear protection at least when practicing will help alot with recoil perception. Wood stocked rifles usually feel better to me in the recoil dept. Would enjoy you sharing your choice with us and hearing the results.

KD

jrnsuz · « **Reply #14 on:** March 16, 2006, 04:08:07 AM »

thanks for all the input. a little more background; she hunted with a marlin 336 in 30-30 last year, but she's buying into the bolt-action hype now. i don't mind 'cuz it's another excuse to buy a new gun :grin: . she's looking at a Mossberg ATR 100 because she wants new but also wants to spend all her cash on restoring her cadillac :roll: (priorities are a little off imho)

anyway, anybody know anything about these Mossbergs? JR

nomosendero · « **Reply #15 on:** March 16, 2006, 05:07:13 AM »

I bought my Wife a 6.5X55, had a Pac. Decelater installed & that was
about 17 years ago. She will not think about another round or gun. The
recoil is mild, it is very accurate & very deadly, I can't think of any way
that it has come up short.

dharvey · « **Reply #16 on:** March 16, 2006, 01:16:12 PM »

I bought my 11 year old son a .260, my brother bought his 9 year old a 7mm-08. Neither of the boys are bothered by the recoil and either of these calibers are more versatile than the .243 when it comes to bigger game. That being said, I personally love the .243 for deer-size and smaller game.

killdeer · « **Reply #17 on:** March 16, 2006, 02:16:03 PM »

jrnsuz,
I think the Mossberg would serve her well. Many others have purchased them for the same reasons and been perfectly satisfied.

KD

Idaho Elk Hunter · « **Reply #18 on:** March 17, 2006, 02:08:37 AM »

Im with the 7mm-08 crowd. I purchased 2 for my wife and daughter and both love them.

tbmaker · « **Reply #19 on:** March 17, 2006, 10:17:34 AM »

Mossberg would be a good rifle but doesn't come in any calibers mentioned here.
I've considered rebarreling the wife's Savage to a 6.5x55 for the same reasons mentioned as well as I have 2 myself.

brasskeeper · « **Reply #20 on:** March 17, 2006, 01:25:07 PM »

7mm-08 from my expeirence. Good luck

Slamfire · « **Reply #21 on:** March 17, 2006, 04:27:40 PM »

The .243's effectivness depends on the personality of the shooter. Calm, deliberate shooters do well with it, and tout it's effectiveness. Excitable types who shoot on sight complain about lack of penetration. The latter are better served with a 6.5mm, but it's hard to find anything but a Swede in a new rifle. 7mm-08 are obtainable, but are on the edge of what recoil some folks can handle, it is really a tough problem. I wish the .260s had caught on better and were still available from any maker. :roll:

blittle2003 · « **Reply #22 on:** March 18, 2006, 04:47:25 AM »

Get your wife the mossberg in .270 and let her shoot the recoil management ammunition from Remington. This way she will have a little better performance than the .243 with a little less recoil and still have the possibility to jump up to full loads if she wants to hunt elk.

Brandon

jim21 · « **Reply #23 on:** May 02, 2006, 04:50:43 PM »

I've read somewhere that the .243caliber wounds more deer then any
other caliber.I say let her try out a 6.5x55,thats a light enough round.

Huntyeraws · « **Reply #24 on:** May 05, 2006, 10:59:20 PM »

Yeah,a .243 wounded this one all right....with one shot at 110 yds - dressed out it weighed 225lbs.

You put the reasonable bullet where it should go and it will get the job done on deer. They are not elk or moose.

RaySendero · « **Reply #25 on:** May 07, 2006, 06:52:05 AM »

My recomendation is:
1) 260 Rem. if you reload
2) 7-08 if you don't

sniperVLS · « **Reply #26 on:** May 07, 2006, 07:55:29 AM »

Quote from: jim21

I've read somewhere that the .243caliber wounds more deer then any
other caliber.I say let her try out a 6.5x55,thats a light enough round.

going by that statement, I'd venture to say that owners of the .243 are more incompetent compared to owners/shooters of other calibers.

put a .243 bullet where it needs to go and it'll get the job done.

flintlock · « **Reply #27 on:** July 13, 2006, 06:19:07 AM »

Well jim21...Now you have read somewhere that a guy has killed about 140 deer with a .243 and never lost a one...

Most of the gun writers today are just selling stories...and many don't have any 1st hand experience.....My cousin wounded and lost a couple of deer last year with his .270 WSM....
He has a problem flinching and a problem tracking....I lost a deer back in the '70s with a Bear Whitetail bow...but I didn't blame the bow, broadhead or arrows...I looked in the mirrow and saw who was to blame...We are fortunate to have so many calibers and such a wide variety of bullets and scopes to choose from...I guess it can be complicated for new hunters but it keeps Greybeard interesting...I would bet that there are more deer lost each year due to hunters flinching, from using too large a caliber and making a bad hit than to hunters using a .243/.250/.257/25-06 class rifle and making a good hit....I would also bet that most gut shot deer are lost due to poor tracking skills and the hunters not having the patience to wait several hours before they track that deer, in other words hunter inexperience...But, like the claim that the .243 wounds more than any other caliber this is hard to prove....

In fact, thinking back about last season...None of us using .243s lost a deer...2 of us could be classified as "experienced" but...one was a 14yr old boy that killed his 4th and 5th deer with his .243 and one was a 13 year old girl who killed her 1st...In fact my 14 yr old niece killed 2 does one afternoon with a 22-250 loaded with Nosler Partitions...both shoulder shots and had full penetration...both dropped at the shot...I have never claimed the .243 is the "best" deer rifle...I don't think it exists...I know hunters that have gone from a '06 to a .243 and they are happy...I have no problems with the recoil of a .270....but I know some hunters that do...What is most important is to buy a gun for a beginner that they are not afraid of and have them practice and learn to enjoy shooting..I happen to have a hunting buddy that started with a '06, then went to a .270 and then a .260...He had devoped a flinch...Since he was a Navy Seal and considers himself "macho" it was a hard problem to detect...I could shoot his rifles better than he could...I finally took him to the range and loaded the gun for him...after a couple of shots I handed him the gun, unloaded...he jumped when he pulled the trigger...Then started laughing at himself...He is still fighting this problem....It would actually be best if his wife could shoot several calibers and let her determine which one she could handle the best...Then he has a basis to start from..

There is nothing wrong with the likes of 7mm-08s and .270...One of my brothers owns 2-270s and I have shot deer with them and also check the sight-in for him each year...My other brother has used a 7mm-08 and .280 for years...But if a hunter uses the correct bullets and keeps them in the shoulder/lung area a .243 will drop them just as fast as any of the above...I have seen it too many times...btw...A direct hit with a .243 on the shoulder blade will flip a whitetail...I have never had a bullet "blow up" like I have read hear so many times...

A few things that I do like about a .243...I can shoot it left handed or right handed, due to its light recoil...This comes in handy when a deer comes in on the "wrong" side...I also like the fact that I never lose sight of the deer in the scope, even after the shot...So I can see the reaction to the shot...There is a vast array of factory ammo avaliable...I have used most of them on deer and can advise a hunter what each loading will do...In fact I see more difference on how far lung shot deer run based on bullet used than caliber...In addition, I use it year round from crows, groundhogs, coyotes etc...Shooting 20-30 rounds in a afternoon is fun...And thats how it should be...For whitetails I have just never seen the need for more.

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 13, 2006, 06:52:17 AM »

I have used a browning 243 with 100gr sierra Gameking bullets to take 17 straight michigan whitetails. Several thru both shoulders and all visible from where they were shot. I only had to shoot one twice and it was a poor first shot, high on the back glancing shot, that would be been the same no matter what caliber. 100gr bullet out of the 243 kills just as well as the 150gr bullets out of my 7mm mag used to, thats why I starting using the 243 exclusively for deer, lighter, less recoil and in this case more accurate. It also makes a dandy long range coyote rifle.

Slamfire · « **Reply #29 on:** July 14, 2006, 03:50:38 PM »

I wore out a .243 barrel shootin' deer. Now its a .260, and eligible for anything.