MOWhitail Report post Posted October 19, 2014 I love decisions like this... Went through the same with both my son and my wife. 7-08 is a great all around caliber. .260 rem and 6.5 Creed are great (I'd like a Creedmore myself). Just assuming that your wife may be typically shooting at around 200 yards, then you really can't go wrong with any of them. My son had a Savage youth .243 he shot since he was 10, and killed a bunch of deer with it... He is now 17 and 6'1" and the stock doesn't fit him very well, but I notice when he is getting serious he grabs that gun out of my safe and leaves his .270... I guess he just has enough "history" with it that he feels more comfortable. Anyway, whatever you choose in those calibers will be fine. My wife ended up with a 7x57, but that is basically the same as a 7-08... She just kind of digs historic calibers, and I have a modest Jack O'Conner book collection, so she went that direction... Plus Winchester makes the Model 70 in 7x57 and it is a very good shooting configuration. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoss50 Report post Posted October 20, 2014 I would love a 7x57 for a hunter for myself. My dad has an original Mauser in the caliber and it is great. Someday I will have one hopefully. As long as my kid gets into hunting I have a 6.5x55 or 243 that will be his first rifle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
no worries Report post Posted October 20, 2014 If you are in Tucson area sometime, I have a 7-08 Remington 700 that you could put a few rounds thru. I have the same rifle in 243 as well. You're welcome to shoot either one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tines Report post Posted October 20, 2014 So I'm confused. Do you reload your .257 AI? I'm assuming not since you were looking for "factory" options. My opinion, don't buy a .243. I won't get into specifics or a debate about it. Been there, done that. Just not what I'd recommend for our big game. If you're looking for a round with good ballistics, factory options, and "less" recoil, shoot the 2506. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big or Bust Report post Posted October 21, 2014 Do you really think .01" of bullet diameter with bullets with generally lower BC 's is a step up? A .243 with someone who can hit what they aim at with the proper bullet is a plenty good deer cartridge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big or Bust Report post Posted October 21, 2014 If you do not reload, .243 all the way for your wife. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ctafoya Report post Posted October 21, 2014 Why so small of a caliber? My wife is fairly small framed and she has a 7mm and has killed a deer with my 300wsm. Has she tried to shoot a larger caliber or is she afraid of the recoil? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sonof12 Report post Posted October 21, 2014 This is easy - get all 3 and call it a day Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
creed_az_88 Report post Posted October 21, 2014 She's not afraid of the recoil she just doesn't enjoy it. She loves shooting my .204. She would hunt deer with it if I would let her. My .257 is pretty heavy and really doesn't kick much although it does kick just like most any gun does. But it's obvious that she doesn't enjoy shooting it. She shoots it great but after only a couple shots she kinda of just loses interest. Tines-I do reload. I am looking for a factory made rifle (mass produced). I've pretty much decided that I'm not gonna be getting anything bigger than a .260. I want her to enjoy shooting it and become extremely accurate. Ironically my cousin just got a ruger 77 in .260 for his wife and said it kicks as hard as his .308. It's a light gun so that has a lot to do with it. I'm gonna keep looking but if I have to get her a .243 for her to enjoy shooting and be accurate then I will. I really prefer to not put a brake on her gun if I can help it. Does anybody have any bad experiences with a .243? If so id like to hear about em. Have any Of you guys seen a shot with a .243 where an animal was lost or close to being lost where a larger caliber would have made a difference? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tines Report post Posted October 21, 2014 Do you really think .01" of bullet diameter with bullets with generally lower BC 's is a step up? A .243 with someone who can hit what they aim at with the proper bullet is a plenty good deer cartridge. This horse has been beat, and beat, and beat. I have no interest in doing it again. I've heard it all before, "as long as they can hit what they're aiming at, that's good enough..". Sorry, I don't agree that it's "enough". I like the idea of a heavier bullet, that's all. I've watched a lot of Coues deer get shot and the most common small caliber's used that I've found to be mortally inconsistent is the .243. But that's just me. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tines Report post Posted October 21, 2014 She's not afraid of the recoil she just doesn't enjoy it. She loves shooting my .204. She would hunt deer with it if I would let her. My .257 is pretty heavy and really doesn't kick much although it does kick just like most any gun does. But it's obvious that she doesn't enjoy shooting it. She shoots it great but after only a couple shots she kinda of just loses interest. Tines-I do reload. I am looking for a factory made rifle (mass produced). I've pretty much decided that I'm not gonna be getting anything bigger than a .260. I want her to enjoy shooting it and become extremely accurate. Ironically my cousin just got a ruger 77 in .260 for his wife and said it kicks as hard as his .308. It's a light gun so that has a lot to do with it. I'm gonna keep looking but if I have to get her a .243 for her to enjoy shooting and be accurate then I will. I really prefer to not put a brake on her gun if I can help it. Does anybody have any bad experiences with a .243? If so id like to hear about em. Have any Of you guys seen a shot with a .243 where an animal was lost or close to being lost where a larger caliber would have made a difference? Lots of experience. I'd rather not share those stories. Of course, a Coues deer shot in the heart with a SPOON will kill it. But on marginal hits is where the .243 lacks, IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big or Bust Report post Posted October 21, 2014 No worries. Not trying to debate. A bad shot with anything is a bad shot and you will likely be chasing. Don't blame the headstamp. My wife has been running a .243 for 5 years now. With rl-17 I am pushing the 80 ttsx to nearly 3400 with great accuracy. This load has accounted for lots of deer, javelina, Texas hogs, and other random things with zero issues. Of course we practice though. The stock fits her. The scope fits her. I have set the rifle up for her success. We were shooting gongs yesterday and she made first shot hits from field positions to 500 yards. There are lots of things that can create blame for a cartridge being "underpowered". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big or Bust Report post Posted October 21, 2014 Get a rifle your wife is comfortable shooting and practice. Dont ger her a rifle that recoils to much or make her shoot a mismatched stock with an improperly mounted scope. These things add up to not wanting to practice which adds up to posts like this. Every cartridge has its limitations and application. These things we should all follow. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sherman Report post Posted October 21, 2014 I have seen a few deer get lost after a bad hit from a 7 mm & 300 Wm because the people using them didn't practice with there gun. I would say a 243 is ok out 300 yards. Creed if you would like I have a 243 wssm and a 243 win if you would like to try them out let me know I believe you work with one of my friends. So getting them to you is not a problem Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ctafoya Report post Posted October 21, 2014 I was always a little leery on a .243 for big game until recently. Then I saw the damage from a factory 55gn bullet. I now load hornady sst 95gn and have no doubt they will get the job done. I do prefer a larger caliber/bullet, but its all about where that bullet hits at the end of the day. If she isn't comfortable with the big guns a .243 will work just fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
