best caliber for me

[jkm97]

Either would be fine...I don't really think recoil with either caliber would be too much to manage. But there are a world of other calibers out there that are quite capable with even less recoil than these two. You might consider some of the short actions other than the .243, especially the wonderful .308 and 7mm-08. Both kick pretty lightly and both are oustanding deer rounds. A .25-06 is another option.

[DVW]

I just stepped up from a .243 to a .270. However, any of the calibers you mentioned would work very well for deer. I bought the .243 for my son who was 9 years old at the time. He has done very well with it. I had always muzzle loaded, so when I wanted to try modern rifle I just used my son's .243. It worked great for me. When I purchased one for myself I was torn between the different calibers as well. In the end I went with the .270 and a Redfield scope. Redfield scopes are made in the USA by Leopold and are priced about the same as a Nikon. I'm also a big fan of H&R Handi rifles and Rossi single shot rifles. They are small, light, good quality and very affordable.

[Karl.Luhr]

I just got a chance recently to compare them on two new rifles. Both new Marlin XL7s in 30-06. The Nikon Prostaff was a 3x9 the Redfield was a 2x7. If both would have been 3x9s it would have been more of an even comparision but I liked the Redfield more. One thing I remember is the adjustment for the scope magnification on the Redfield requires less movement to cover the whole range of magnification. They both seemed equal in optical clarity.

Karl

[Stewart1516]

I am 17 now. I shot my first deer when I was 14 and like 100 lb. I am getting a 30-06 in about a weak and I am only 125 lb now. U could get a Winchester 308 which is a really nice cartridge and also has a really manageable kick. Your alot bigger then me. You can handle it. Also u don't want to get a rifle that u don't want to be using say 4 or 5 years from now because it isn't powerful enough to take down anything bigger then a deer. Also Remington has managed recoil rounds if u end up getting a bigger caliber rifle then a .243. How this helps

McKenzie

[buckhunter5]

if i were in your shoes i would get a .270 it fits ur size. i got a .243 but im 16 yrs old and only 115 lbs so i got a reason to go small but now what brand to get could bring contaversy for months on here. but as long as you like it it doesnt matter what we say

[roperboy]

Originally Posted by jman7843

Hi there, im trying to get into whitetail hunting right now and am choosing what calliber would be best for me. I was hoping that you guys could help me out with this. I am a 14 year old male and about 170-180 pounds. i have shot guns before but only small ones like .22lr and .17hmr (and 9mm glock pistols) i shot all of these without being able to feel any real kick but now that i want to get a deer hunting rifle im going to need somthing alot bigger than those and was wondering if i should play it safe and go with a 243 or if you think i'll be big enough for a 270 or 30-06 this is important because i want to be able to make the shot with out geting injured in some way shape or form by a gun that is to big for me. one uncle says to go with a 243 and the other is confident that ill be just fine with a 270 or 30-06. can you give me your input on the subject?

well im 14 years old to im about ur size i bought me a 243 a few years ago and it has a scope on it its singleshot but i can really trust it i killed a deer with it so thats what i think

[m1g]

im 5ft tall and shoot a savage 110 shooting 150gr hornady bullet loaded down with 54 grain h414 powder .. 2800fps ......remington makes a managed recoil load for the 30-06 125gr bullet

depending on if you want a bolt gun or single shot 30-06 and 270 ammo is the same price or if your reloading price depending on what you are loading.... now to guns all savage rifles are accurate i have heard good about marlins ....those both will run you new around 300$ ..

you can get a handi rifle 270 or 30-06 for 300$ very accurate


its really all about your optics.. the rifle is already very accurate but if you have a bad scope your rifle is going to not be hitting were you want it. tascos are at the lowest in the pyramid. new simmons are ok
now old simmons and bushnells have bausch and lomb glass that is good glass .. you can find those on ebay for real cheap.....

find a good scope and you will be ready to go.... just go to a local gunstore and hold some different rifles... m1g

[Stewart1516]

Ya ultimately it doesn't matter what we think. Try and shoot a few of these calibers if possible so you will know the recoil yourself