1st Deer Calibre Rifle - Advice

[blaserf3]

Hi,

I am totally new to Deer Stalking but have recently joined a shoot where there are opportunities for stalking mostly red deer and a few sika/red hybrids. I understand there are potentially a few muntjac and the odd roe. I understand the process for getting a variation on my FAC for a deer calibre but thinking ahead I've been looking at the options. To be honest, the more I read into it the more confused I'm getting. I know everyone has their favourite calibre but I'm trying to get some sound advice on what I'm looking for in terms of my requirements and ability.

I don't want something that has a lot of recoil and is really heavy but I want to ensure a clean kill. Accuracy is important obviously but I won't be shooting anything other than targets till I'm proficient enough to be able to take a beast safely and humanely. They will be shot out to 200 yards at the absolute max and most of the time around 100 to 150 and possibly less. In terms of my ability I won't be attempting anything where I have any doubt about making the right shot placement. So far I've tried a .270 but found the recoil to be more than I liked. I've also considered .243, 6.5 x 55, .308 and even the 6.5 Creedmoor but ammunition is putting me off.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[hendrix's rifle]

308

 

[stubear]

You are going to get a lot of opinions here and FWIW heres mine.

If you've tried .270 and didnt like the recoil then I would probably pass on the usual .30 calibers (IE; .308 & .30-06) - They're less snappy than .270 in my view but there is still a push there thats roughly equivalent.

Personally if you want the wallop of a .270 with the kick of a .243, the flat trajectory of both and good ammo availability then there is only one caliber which fits the bill in my eyes, and that is .25-06.

Ron Spomer wrote a great article on it here.

Ammo availability is pretty decent from what I've seen, a lot of shops seem to stock it in 100gn and 117gn and its a lovely caliber to shoot. With a moderator on the rifle its like shooting an air gun.

I got one recently and I love it, and with Sako 117gn factory ammo it'll put everything inside an inch at 100y. Zero it an inch high at 100y and you'll be bob on at 200y and its pretty much point and shoot out to 300y.

My one little caveat to the above is that if you are planning to go shoot boar get a .308. The .25-06 maxes out at 120gn and thats just too light for boar, especially driven. You want a good heavy bullet to do the business on them.

 

[Ozalid]

And so it begins...

 

[Flash9919]

Get out and try a 6.5x55. Ammo availability is pretty decent as a general rule, it's very versitile shooting anything from 90-160grns, hits harder and penetrates better than a 243 with no more appreciable recoil....If you're recoil sensitive I'd take it over the 25-06 any day of the week.....i've got both...for vermin and roe the 25 is great, as said previously it's pretty much point and shoot out to around 300yrds but for anything bigger i'd go with the 6.5, not as flat especially with factory offerings but your not needing to think about drop until after 150 yrds or so and your only dealing with a few inches out to 200. 156grn's are also more than capable on boar although many countries (UK included) suggest a minimum of .270 for boar.

 

[VSS]

Find a rifle that you like, that suits you, that you feel comfortable with and which you will enjoy using. This is more important than the finer points of calibre.

 

[Claret_Dabbler]

My general rule of thumb for anyone who needs to ask this question is if you are shooting mostly big deer, get a 308, mostly small deer, get a 243. Either is easily fed from your local dealer and will re-sell when you decide what you really want.

A moderate makes all the rubbish about recoil redundant.

End of lecture.

 

[Border]

Clarets reply is good advice.
As he also states a moderator takes away up to approx one third of the recoil.

 

[FISH BOY]

My general rule of thumb for anyone who needs to ask this question is if you are shooting mostly big deer, get a 308, mostly small deer, get a 243. Either is easily fed from your local dealer and will re-sell when you decide what you really want.

A moderate makes all the rubbish about recoil redundant.

End of lecture.

Agree - or get both....

 

[Chasey]

308 is the most versatile and the best tool for chest shot anamals.

Light weight and low recoil are totally at ods with each other. Sadly the lighter the rifle the more felt recoil in any calibre.

I own a 308 and a 243 and shoot everything with a 243. BUT the blood trail is never as good as with a big old 308.

I have just purchased a 6.5 55 and the recoil is much better than the 308 yet you can still go 140g on the heads so pretty punchy. Not shot in anger yet but I fail to see why it wont be as good as my 125g 308 loads.

Soooooo 6.5 55 is the best compromise between recoil and knock down

BUT nothing in the UK will run away from a well placed 100g 243 round. and they are a lot cheaper to feed.

AND you can slow load a 308 to give reduced recoil, but now your into home loads and weather or not your rifle will like them


SOOOOO light weight and low recoil? 243

6.5 55? best compromise but expensive to feed

308? most versatile but will kick a bit harder and gives some people issues when on their first application

Anything else? Make sure you can feed it first.

 

[Richie092]

My general rule of thumb for anyone who needs to ask this question is if you are shooting mostly big deer, get a 308, mostly small deer, get a 243. Either is easily fed from your local dealer and will re-sell when you decide what you really want.

A moderate makes all the rubbish about recoil redundant.

End of lecture.

Good advice. Exactly what I did.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

Find a rifle that you like, that suits you, that you feel comfortable with and which you will enjoy using. This is more important than the finer points of calibre.

This.

A badly fitting 243 can be uncomfortable to shoot, a 300 WinMag in a rifle properly set up for you can be perfectly useable. Getting bogged down over calibre is a colossal waste of your life (albeit it can lead to some fun discussions on here).

Find the right weapon. If it ends up being a less readily available calibre (say, 7x64 for example) either learn to reaload for it, or stock up and cry once.

But really, so long as it's legal, calibre is one of the last things you need to worry about for < 200yd UK stalking.

 

[A Guy Out West]

7/08, make it your first and last.

 

[mannlicher308]

i have several calibres and like all of them for different reasons but if you want one rifle the 243 will do the job perfectly as long as you put the bullet in the right place.

 

[User00003]

Because you will not be reloading, and from what you have said, as much as it pains me to say, the .308 is probably your best bet with a mod, bipod or quad sticks, and either a 7x50 or 6x42 used Schmidt bender with a7 reticle

should be loads of choice out there, but a used Sako 75 or 85 or tikka t3 will be a very good place to star looking.

dont obsess over the whole stainless/synthetic thing, find a good reliable gun you can test or comes with assurances of bore quality and grouping ability.

make sure the length of pull isn’t below 13 3/4” and not above 14.5” unless your either quite short or above 6’6”!

 

[Scotty99]

If the recoil from a 270 is putting you off go for a 243 or 6.5 x 55. But before you do try a .308. I use it as my main stalking calibre and I too have tried a 270 and didn't appreciate the recoil, but don't have the same view of the 308 which is more manageable.

 

[25 Sharps]

6.5x55 . . . .

 

[PasqualeM]

And so it begins...

 

[Heym SR20]

Don't worry about calibre, but given that you have red I would err towards 7x57, 7-08, 308, but provided its deer legal you won't go far wrong. Key is the rifle and find one that fits you well, and fits you well with a scope on. Length of pull is the key dimension - short stocked rifles and long arms are never good mix. Next importance is good bullet - don't worry about anything to fancy, you want a nice tough soft point that will go straight through both shoulders. Federal Blue Box or Norma Soft Points all seem to work well. Nowt wrong with the 243, but there are lots of fast loads with soft frangible bullets that whilst fine on a fox, won't penetrate shoulder of a red deer.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Doesnt matter

Buy one that:
- Fits you
- Is deer legal
- You can feed locally

ignore everything else
no deer ever ran away and refused to die because the calibre was not what someone else suggested