.243 or .308

realtree hunter

realtree hunter

New member
ok, i have been wanting a .243 after a friend of mine put my "to little for deer" theory to shame. that thing does some nasty damage and deer just kinda stumble and fall. Now ive come across a 308 in a remington model 7 for 750, about a hundred bucks cheaper than the same rifle in 243, at least the ones ive found. Heres my delima, i have no experiences with a 308, other than the good things i have heard about them. how does recoil compare to the 243? how about range and accuracy? what bullet weight for deer/critters? ive read alot on here about a 243, but never see much on a 308 but maybe i wasnt payin enough attention. i would like to have a low recoil easy to carry deer rifle as the 300 is gettin heavy (yeah i know
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)would like some info/ideas to help make up my mind. Now just to throw a wrench in, i just got my hands on an older rem 700 adl for 300 bucks, so my other dilema is should i get a new rifle or just take the adl to the smith and have some work done to it? say shorter length of pull, rechamber, mercury tubes,...was thinkin 25-06 or maybe 30-06 as i already have a 700 bdl in 270 which i am very happy with, i just couldnt pass up the adl.
 
I'd go with the .308 if you are going to use it on big game (deer). Yes the .243 will kill deer and in fact I dropped a cow elk in its tracks last week with one. I only used it because I haven't finished building my project gun and the .243 was all I had. I think the .308 is better because you can shoot heavier bullets. Both will do the job on deer but the .308 will do it further.
 
Originally Posted By: realtree hunterwhat weight bullets do you use or recommend in the 308?


Anything between 150gr-180gr for the .308 and you got fur on the ground, obviously heavier does it better when talking farther. The 165gr Sierra Game King is scary accurate and has killed a few critters since it's inception.


Chupa
 
You won't be disappointed with the .308. I've owned two Model 7's in .308 and two more in .243. I still have a .308 Model 7, and I also hunt deer with a .243 in a Model 700 ADL. The choice usually depends on the type of terrain I will be hunting. If I will be hunting the thick mountains of western NC, I carry the Model 7 in .308. If the country is more open, I tote the Model 700 in .243. As far as range goes, the .308 has the advantage of heavier bullet selection. I have killed deer with both calibers at about 200 yards, and they both performed well. Recoil is dependent on the shooter. When in the field, I've never noticed the recoil from either caliber. Shooting from a bench is a different story. The .308 will kick quite a bit more in the Model 7, because it is so light, but it's still very tolerable. If you've never owned a .308, give it a try.
 
A 308 with 150 grain bullets kicks with a little less energy than a 270 with 130 grain bullets. A 308 with 180 grain bullets kicks about the same as a 270 with 150 grain bullets. Of course this assumes the rifles are the same design and weight. I read this from a chart and it seems consistent with what I have experienced. The .308 does kick considerably more than a .243.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

I use 150 grain bullets for deer. They shoot a bit faster and have less recoil than the heavier bullets. Unless you are shooting at bigger game the 150s are plenty. If a 243 with 100 grain bullets is sufficient for deer then a 308 with 150s is even more sufficient.
 
The .308 is every bit as good as the previous posters have stated. But, if you already have a 700 in .270, then you have a perfect deer rifle. I don't think many things are deadlier on a deer than a 130 grain .270 in the heart.
 
I would say .308 would be better for deer, and the .243 for critters. So, you might want to ask yourself which are you goin to hunt more with it? But then again, you said you have a .270. Right? I think the .270 is about the best all around deer rifle, so why not use it for deer and get the .243 for critters? And as far as recoil goes my 135 pound little wife loves my .270 with 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.
 
Seems like some are missing the point. He said he wants a lightweight, light recoiling rifle to hunt deer with. He also said he's not buying the ".243 is too small for deer" theory. I'd have to agree with him.

In truth, either cartridge will kill deer just fine. So, with that out of the way...

The .243 won't kick as hard as the .308. Neither are particularly brutal, but the difference in a light rifle will be noticeable when using the heavier bullets in the .308.

With both cartridges chambered to the same lightweight rifle, the wall of the barrel will also be thinnner in a .308, which will generally cause bullets to start "wandering" quicker on reoeat shots.

But those are pretty much the only differences I see bwtween the two. Performance between the two cartridges is a non-issue for deer hunting, so I look for the differences in the performance of the rifles.

All that said, pick your own poison accordingly. Choosing a rifle and/or cartridge isn't a popularity contest; you should pick what best fits your preferences and needs.

And I don't think either is really a bad choice.

Daryl
 
Originally Posted By: Matt N.I would say .308 would be better for deer, and the .243 for critters.

My buddy shot shot his doe 2 days ago with a .308, just over 200yds. Grapefruit size hole. 168gr.

I shot a coyote with a .243 at 120yds and I put her guts in a Joshua tree 5 yards away using a 70gr.

Never can tell. Just my unsolicited 2 cents.

Safe hunting all!
 
I shoot a .308 for deer using 165gr bullets. It's a lever gun so it's not built for range but It's dead on at 100 yards and dead on at 200 as well. I hit a doe last year with a standing rest at 215 yards no problem. Being the "lightning" model it's pretty lightweight too.
 
Shooters and hunters put far too much emphasis on recoil as a function of cartridge or caliber. Yes the cartridge is one of the variables when considering recoil. However it is only one-there are many other factors when "felt recoil" is the issue.

The Model 7 is a LW rifle and not the greatest design when it comes to controlling recoil. The short light weight barrel has substantial barrel flip. Both the 243 and the 308 are going to have some "felt recoil" in that rifle, and muzzle flip.

As far as the two cartridges are concerned, there is little doubt that the 308 is the better choice for a deer cartridge. I am not sure how someone could argue with that.

So if recoil is the issue then purchase a rifle that will have less "felt recoil" and customize that rifle to even lower the "felt recoil" to a lower level. Then you will have the best of both worlds.

I am amazed sometimes how people think the 270 or the 308 recoils less than a 30-06?? All 3 cartridges are about the same. Any real noticable recoil will be due more to rifle design instead of cartridge choice. Yes the 243 has less "felt recoil" than those 3 cartridges. But I have seen properly prepared rifles in those 3 cartridges that had less "felt recoil" than some choices of the 243 configuration.

In the exact same rifle the 243 will recoil less, no doubt. But why not take your time and purchase the right rifle for you to lower the "felt recoil" from a vastly superior 308 cartridge?? Why not??

I added a thumbhole stock to several of my rifles, and that has really tamed the recoil of these rifles.

Take your time and find a good rifle that fits you just right, and spend a little money in recoil reducing features, and you willl have a rifle that will always be your "go to" rifle. Tom.
 
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I am not a fan of the .243, never have been. The model 7 in .308 is a VG rifle, .308 is a VG round. Recoil can always be dealt with, loss of energy can't. Now the issue of the barrel contour,, I am curious how both rifles weigh the same w/ one having thinner barrel walls? That is a myth! The barrel has a different contour. See, up here in the North there is a huge differance in a .243 and .308 on Whitetail. I have tracked more lost deer for folks hit w/ a .243 than any other cartridge. I use a BLR in .308 for 200 yard areas and a HB Howa for further. The 150gr is great on deer and the recoil is mild w/ a light rifle. If you buy the .308, I would try both the 150 and 165 varieties. 180's are not needed on white tail.
 
Quote:But, if you already have a 700 in .270, then you have a perfect deer rifle.

Yeah, I have to agree. I think you would have better options owning a .243 and a .270 than if you went with a .308 and a .270.
Then trick the .243 out for varmint/predator hunting and use the .270 on deer.

A .243 is a nice rifle to own, but it's also real easy to get your .243 and .308 ammo mixed up. That's why I avoid owning both of them at the same time.
 
for whitetail and smaller a .243 would work good, if your thinking really long shots or elk someday, go with the 308. as you have seen a 243 will kill a deer,a .223 will too, bullet placement, bullet placement,there is not a whole lot of recoil difference between them(in the same configuration)and in a lite hunting rifle, you aint going to be shooting enough rounds to matter anyway, and both can be very accurate,jmo
 
I personally like the 308 over the 243 for deer, but I wouldn't hesitate one bit to use a 243. In the 308, I have had great results with Hornady's 165 gr. SST and their 165 gr. BTSP. Never really was a 243 fan (for deer) until last year. On the recommendation of someone on here, we started working up loads based on Hornady's 100 gr. BTSP and the results were outstanding! I also like the 95 gr. SST and the 95 gr. Nosler Partition. Good luck!
 
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