BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[newbie]

I am hunting big game for the first time and would like recommendations on rifle. I have a .243 & a 7mm rem. mag. Can shoot both well. Shots will be within 300 yards. Also which grain shell (140)? Thanks in advance.

[ontarget]

The 243 would be an excellent choice for ladies, youngsters and even grown men for deer or antelope. But you should pick the the one your the most comfortable with. If you have a rifle that feels like an extension of yourself go with that one. I have many rifles and even though the ballistics on my 7mm mag blow away my 3006, I always hunt with the 3006. It just feels better. Dont let your hunting partners talk you into a rifle that your not comfortable with even if they say it's a girls gun!

[ This Message was edited by: ontarget on 2002-06-06 01:57 ]

[coonelkhunter]

The first year that I ever hunted in colorado, I was packing a trusty .243 or so I thought. Wish that I would have been packing my .270 for that hunt. You will find the 7mm to be a better caliber for mule deer. You can load a 120 grain nosler bullet with 4831 and she will reach out there.

[Jack O'Conner]

.243 bullets have improved since this cartridge was first introduced 50 years ago. We use a Remington pump action in .243 for mulies and the current FEDERAL 80 gr. ammo is deadly. We have also used 95 gr. Trophy Bonded, and 100 gr. Nolser Partition.

For long shots across windy prairies the .243 Nosler 100 gr. is TOPS. It shoots as flat as a .270 but almost no recoil. Penetration is always 100%. We've never recovered a Nosler Partition bullet.

The 80 gr. bullet is super accurate and very deadly too.

I prefer 30-30 with 170 gr. ammo for hunting the forests and foothills where my shots will be LESS than 200 yards. The deadly knockdown power of this old cartridge is legendary.

But if I were buying a new rifle for mulies AND elk, I'd look hard at .308, 7mm-08, and 6.5mm X 55. Their heavier bullet weights are critical for big game like elk.
Jack

[eddiehsf]

I would take the 7mm loaded with either
140 or 160 grain bullets. I shoot a .243 and love it, but if the yardage is beyond 200
I move up to my .300 wby loaded with 165 grain Nosler.

That my .02
Ed
http://www.highsierrafirearms.com

[2506deerslayer]

I have used the 7mm rem. mag on 1 antelope and 2 deer and have had really good luck, using 150 grain bullets

but now all I hunt with is my rem.700 bdl 2506 with 115 grain nosler silver ballistic tips loaded around 3200fps. with IMR 4831, I can hold dead on out to 300 yds. and not have to worry and hold at the top of the back at 400 to kill dead, never had to shoot a deer more than once cause the bullet always finds it's mark, right behind the shoulder

[jsalas68]

The 264wm is an excellent choice for mule deer. The only problem is that i feel you need to reload to get the full potential of this caliber, but loaded with 65 grains of H-4831sc behind 129gr sst it will cancel Christmas for deer also not bad on Elk.

[rather_be_huntin]

My muley medicine is a 7mm mag with 150gr partitions. If you got that in your arsenal and you're comfortable with it then thats the best choice.

[ This Message was edited by: rather_be_huntin on 2003-04-15 16:39 ]

[harv3589]

I use a 7 mm mag w/150 Swift Sirroccos and they performed really good this past fall on a good mulie and two whitetails. Also shot an this last fall with 7 mm mag usign 150 Ballistic tips and it dumped him no problems, but the shot was only about 50 yds.

As far as the .243 and 30-06, they are great guns, I just sold mine to buy my new 7mm mag. I have shot a number of deer with the .243 and it is an excellent choice as well as the 30-06.

[dino]

Both guns have been prove very affective on deer size game and smaller, however I would leave the smaller behind for elk (I do have a few freinds who hunt elk with them but dont recommend it) I have found that if your shooting 300 yards of less that you dont need the speed that everyone seems to brag about, shooting a good reliable controlled expasion bullet and placement on the animal is much more important, I shot a 7mm for a while till I bought my ultra mag and I loved shooting a 165 gr. nosler partition, It nocked down alot of elk,deer, and several caribou, from 50 to almost 500 yards away with no problems

[Guest]

I use a 7mm mag on Mulies with a 160 grain Nosler bullet. The 140 work too, but my rifle shoots 160's into a tighter group.

[shieldingarrow]

I have hunted Mule Deer in several states and use a Rem 700 bdl in 7 mag with 160 gr bullet.

[2506deerslayer]

a 139 gr. bullet works well in a 7 mag also.

[saskie]

Since you shoot both well I'd say use the 7mm. Why take the chance with the smaller round.

I don't think bullet size will make or break your hunt with the 7mm (as long as we're talking "regular" weight rounds - not target ammo or something. So pick the one you're used to using.

If you choose the .243 I'd get the best premium, controlled expansion/partition 100gr I can find

[ This Message was edited by: saskie on 2003-10-05 14:57 ]

[Sniperwolf.270#]

a .243 is great for mule deer out to three hundred yards. but the bullets have to be light and have good penetration and seldom do you find this combination. I would most definatly hunt with the 7mm. If you hand load try a light charge and persay a 139 sst from hornaday. now a gun is a gun and they only do there job when used properly. the reason the sst are good is because you can make a shoulder shot and still get good penetration so at ranges like that your not really gonna wanna track a deer even farther so a shoulder shot should be a consideration.