View Full Version : New caliber for Deer/ All purpose rifle
At the risk of sounding like a broken record (I've read though the other threads and they aren't quite what I'm asking) I am looking for a new deer rifle that may also serve as a silhouette/paper puncher without beating me up too bad or being too much for my wife and eventually my daughter to shoot.
I've pretty well settled in on the rifle itself, a Savage model 16 Weather Warrior series, want to add a bolt gun to the stable and like what it has to offer. I currently have rifles in .22, .223, 6.8, and .30-30 and would like to keep recoil in the realm of the .30-30 whether that is with low recoil ammo or not doesn't really matter to me. I reload also so it wouldn't be terrible if factory ammo wasn't too common but I do like to be able to walk into Wal-Mart when I need a box.
Right now I'm looking between .243, 7mm-08, and .308, I'd like to stay with the short action offerings. I like what the 7mm-08 has to offer and it seems a nice middle ground but it isn't well stocked anywhere near me and I don't want to get something dying off like the 6.8 seemed to be for a little while.
ETA: I live in FL and all my hunting is in the South East so it's not like I'm going for a monster deer.
Quick Draw
11-28-14, 22:11
7mm08 or for better Ammo availability .308 will serve you well. Look no further. Neither are heavy on recoil. If you have any doubts install a 1" Pachmyr Decellerator recoil pad and live happily ever after.
SeriousStudent
11-28-14, 22:27
I am real fond of the 7mm-08. A buddy at work has one of the old Remington Model 7 KS rifles with a light 2-7x scope on it. He has very little problem dropping anything smaller than an elk with it.
I have offered to buy it, but he will not sell it.
How about a .25-06? That's a great round IMHO
I know you said short action but I'm a big fan of .270 Win for a hunting cartridge. I find that it does a great job of dropping animals quickly without destroying the meat. It's also widely available in the places I hunt (NC/SC/GA).
The .243 Winchester is a favorite for me and has provided everything I wanted in a short action cartridge. While less popular, I also like the .257 Roberts. The .257 has fallen away to the .243 and other similar rounds but it is a great deer cartridge.
If you will consider a long action, the 7mm Mauser (parent of the .257 Roberts), is a soft recoil round that is still widely available and meets your requirements for east coast hunting.
A light bolt gun in 308 doesn't fit those requirements of wife and daughter shooting IMO,
I have a Rem 700 AAC SD in 308, won't let my kiddos shoot it just yet (12 and 9) too much thump.
They both shoot my SCAR 17s no problem but that's apples to oranges.
Talk is in my state of IN where right now high power rifles are not allowed, but in 2015 supposed to be 243 and up.
I'm looking hard into a 243 for a deer rifle if that comes true.
thebarracuda
11-29-14, 00:11
7mm-08 is great if you handload. Not much on store shelves but rolling your own opens a world of possibilities. Soft shooter too.
Straight Shooter
11-29-14, 11:26
I can promise you from a few decades worth of personal experience, that the .243 cartridge will fulfill every need you've expressed. It is an awesome all around cartridge. It will suffice for any living thing in your neck of the woods. Nothing larger is needed for whitetail deer, period. And it is available, even during last years goatscrew, .243 was on the shelf. I use a 100 gr. bullet for deer, and am always good to go. Oh yes...itll be a GREAT round for wife & daughter too. Try it in a Savage or other good bolt gun.
If Indiana makes this change next year I may reconsider the 300 blackout in sbr format with a can as my new go to deer rifle.
I can promise you from a few decades worth of personal experience, that the .243 cartridge will fulfill every need you've expressed. It is an awesome all around cartridge. It will suffice for any living thing in your neck of the woods. Nothing larger is needed for whitetail deer, period. And it is available, even during last years goatscrew, .243 was on the shelf. I use a 100 gr. bullet for deer, and am always good to go. Oh yes...itll be a GREAT round for wife & daughter too. Try it in a Savage or other good bolt gun.
Couldn't agree more.
Check out some of the rounds used in the help guidance thread on Ruger Hawkeye below. Tack driver as well.
If Indiana makes this change next year I may reconsider the 300 blackout in sbr format with a can as my new go to deer rifle.
That would be a killer set up.
titsonritz
11-29-14, 12:59
http://sed88.tripod.com/rem7/
http://www.eurooptic.com/tikka-t3-lite-compact-7mm-08-jrte352c-with-rings.aspx
http://www.eurooptic.com/talley-scope-rings-740714.aspx
http://www.eurooptic.com/leupold-vx-6-2-12x42mm-30mm-cds-matte-firedot-4-mpn-115199.aspx
http://www.wayofthegun.us/proctor-rifle-sling/
1inch
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=51968/pid=26817/Product/SLING-SWIVEL-SETS
http://www.eurooptic.com/tikka-t3-lite-compact-7mm-08-jrte352c-with-rings.aspx
http://www.eurooptic.com/talley-scope-rings-740714.aspx
http://www.eurooptic.com/leupold-vx-6-2-12x42mm-30mm-cds-matte-firedot-4-mpn-115199.aspx
http://www.wayofthegun.us/proctor-rifle-sling/
1inch
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=51968/pid=26817/Product/SLING-SWIVEL-SETS
That would make a damn fine rig.
A light bolt gun in 308 doesn't fit those requirements of wife and daughter shooting IMO,
I have a Rem 700 AAC SD in 308, won't let my kiddos shoot it just yet (12 and 9) too much thump.
They both shoot my SCAR 17s no problem but that's apples to oranges.
Talk is in my state of IN where right now high power rifles are not allowed, but in 2015 supposed to be 243 and up.
I'm looking hard into a 243 for a deer rifle if that comes true.
I built a 6.8 SPC 11.3in AR Pistol with Sig Brace for deer season this year to use with my AAC Cyclone 762 suppressor...... The 6.8 SPC at 140 from the 11.3in barrel with 110gr VMax dropped the fairly large Doe I shot 3 days ago with the first shot. If the regs get changed for next year, I'll just put a 16in Wilson Combat 6.8 SPC barrel on it and throw the upper on one of my BCM lowers with SSA...... Or I'll just say the hell with it, keep it as is and throw it on my SBR lower.
I built a 6.8 SPC 11.3in AR Pistol with Sig Brace for deer season this year to use with my AAC Cyclone 762 suppressor...... The 6.8 SPC at 140 from the 11.3in barrel with 110gr VMax dropped the fairly large Doe I shot 3 days ago with the first shot. If the regs get changed for next year, I'll just put a 16in Wilson Combat 6.8 SPC barrel on it and throw the upper on one of my BCM lowers with SSA...... Or I'll just say the hell with it, keep it as is and throw it on my SBR lower.
Nice... that should be an awesome set up. I'm pondering getting some 5 round mags for SCAR 17 and using it too.
With the over abundance of 308 based AR's I had considered a "Heavy" AR in 260 Remington as my Precision Rifle Series bolt gun is a 700 in 260 Rem. But up here around Fort Wayne, its wide freaking open and relatively flat (rolling hills on my farm) and honestly, there is no reason to take a shot past 200, even in this wide open country where I can shoot out to 1200 on my own private range, so I will probably just stick with 6.8 SPC, it did the job fantastically from a short gun so "rifle" should do the job even better.
A light bolt gun in 308 doesn't fit those requirements of wife and daughter shooting IMO,
I have a Rem 700 AAC SD in 308, won't let my kiddos shoot it just yet (12 and 9) too much thump.
They both shoot my SCAR 17s no problem but that's apples to oranges.
Talk is in my state of IN where right now high power rifles are not allowed, but in 2015 supposed to be 243 and up.
I'm looking hard into a 243 for a deer rifle if that comes true.
After really thinking about it more I'm just going to remove .308 from the running, you're right it's not going to fit the niche I'm looking for.
I'm really leaning towards .243 again, had been looking hard at the 7mm-08 as I could get a 7mm Mag if I ever wanted to get something bigger and cut down on the components I needed to stock but now I may just not worry about that as it's not likely anyway.
Anybody use .260 for hunting? How's it stack up to .243 or 7mm-08? I know it's not common and there's rumors of it dying off but it seems a capable cartridge and components will be around for a while. Just trying to find that sweet spot where I'm comfortable using it on the game I'm going after and not wishing I'd gone a different route.
Anybody use .260 for hunting? How's it stack up to .243 or 7mm-08? I know it's not common and there's rumors of it dying off but it seems a capable cartridge and components will be around for a while. Just trying to find that sweet spot where I'm comfortable using it on the game I'm going after and not wishing I'd gone a different route.
260 Rem started to die off for a while but has a seen a recent resurgence in popularity in the long range shooting community. There are 3 or 4 different factory ammo options out there for hunting use. A 260 Rem would be an excellent option for a hunting round and IMO outshines anything in 308. Recoil is also very low, especially when a muzzle brake or suppressor are added.
http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/243win/
You might find this interesting and since you said you do reload also
brickboy240
12-02-14, 14:24
Don't know about the 260 but I have hunted whitetails and pigs with the 6.5x55 Swede for years. That caliber cleanly drops the average whitetail deer or pig.
You can load it light with Hornady 77gr soft points or heavy with a 156gr round nosed soft point. For my hunting needs...I usually use a 140gr soft point.
The 6.5x55 is light recoiling and hyper accurate. I think it often gets overlooked but it is a great round. The US big 3 makers have at least one factory load and Norma, RWS and Hornady also make 6.5x55 ammo. Lapua, S&B and Privi Partisan also make factory loads in 6.5x55mm.
Rifles? CZ offers several 6.5x55mm rifles as does Tikka and Sako. My uncle has a Sako 75 in 6.5x55 and it is one very sweet shooting rifle. My 3 Swedes are military configuration 96 Mausers - very accurate.
I'd give the 6.5x55 a look if you want a bolt action in a medium caliber that is accurate, easy on the shoulder and versatile for varmints to deer.
-brickboy240
http://www.eurooptic.com/tikka-t3-lite-compact-7mm-08-jrte352c-with-rings.aspx
http://www.eurooptic.com/talley-scope-rings-740714.aspx
http://www.eurooptic.com/leupold-vx-6-2-12x42mm-30mm-cds-matte-firedot-4-mpn-115199.aspx
http://www.wayofthegun.us/proctor-rifle-sling/
1inch
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=51968/pid=26817/Product/SLING-SWIVEL-SETS
Great setup!!
I've been hunting with a 7mm08 since 1990 and its my favorite deer cartridge hands down. My first rifle was a Rem Mountain rifle and now I'm shooting a Win Mod 70 Extreme Weather rifle. They have always been topped with a Leupold VX3 3.5x10x50 and the combination works great for me. I mostly shoot Federal ammo and lately the Fed 140gr Trophy Copper is my load of choice. In 7mm08 recoil is relatively mild and the caliber will handle everything from small deer to even Elk when the hunter does his part. This is my setup now
30338
Great setup!!
I've been hunting with a 7mm08 since 1990 and its my favorite deer cartridge hands down. My first rifle was a Rem Mountain rifle and now I'm shooting a Win Mod 70 Extreme Weather rifle. They have always been topped with a Leupold VX3 3.5x10x50 and the combination works great for me. I mostly shoot Federal ammo and lately the Fed 140gr Trophy Copper is my load of choice. In 7mm08 recoil is relatively mild and the caliber will handle everything from small deer to even Elk when the hunter does his part. This is my setup now
30338
I love the look of the synthetic stock and stainless barrels on rifles.
After a ton more reading I am pretty sure a 7mm-08 is in my future. The cost for factory ammo is close or the same as .308 and half of what the .260 costs, it's not always at Wal-Mart but I'd have to order online for anything other than PowerPoint anyway no matter the caliber. I like the range of game that it can handle and it is more likely I'd be hunting deer than varmints or anything smaller.
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