Medium bore white tail caliber

[dchamp]

My question to you, are you a hand loader or are you going to use only factory ammunition. That may limit your choices. Of the calibers you listed and with the limiting factor of recoil desired, I don't think you can go wrong with a .243win. It should have a large variety of both factory ammo and components.

 

[Goose Cracker]

My question to you, are you a hand loader or are you going to use only factory ammunition. That may limit your choices.

I was going to ask the same question.

I love my 6.5x55s but you really need to reload to get the most out of them. For factory only, I'd join the many voices for a 7mm-08 with 140 grain pills.

 

[IvW]

Medium bore probably starts at .33 to below .4 over kill for deer if you ask me.....

Perfect caliber for deer sized antelope would be a mild velocity 7mm....I cannot imagine anything beating a 7x57mm for the aplication....

 

[IvW]

Open plains springbuck and blesbuck 140gr anything else 170gr Rhino bullets....they just eat dust and you can eat everything from whatever you shot....this caliber just works and everybody can manage the recoil very pleasant to shoot

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Even though you don't want to hear about them the 6.5CM will do the job well, very light recoil and capable to the ranges you are talking about.

I look at the 6.5 Creedmoor as a 6.5X55 in a readily available package!

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Also the 7X57 would be a great choice!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

A 300 blackout would be a good option for under 150 yards in my opinion. You can get almost 30-30 ballistics with 150s and 165s.
A lot of people like the 100-110 grain monolithic bullets.

@Wyatt Smith
A rock out of a good sling shot would be as good as the 300blk but I wouldn't use that either. That's why @Forrest Halley side stepped the 300blk and the useless little 243 and went for the just adequate 458 Lott.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My question to you, are you a hand loader or are you going to use only factory ammunition. That may limit your choices. Of the calibers you listed and with the limiting factor of recoil desired, I don't think you can go wrong with a .243win. It should have a large variety of both factory ammo and components.

@dchamp
I have to disagree with you.
You can go horribly wrong with the 243. In my opinion 99% of people choose the wrong projectiles for the game hunted with the 243s and end up wounding it. The only bullet I would trust under 90grains is the 80 grain ttsx. A mate uses tat successfully on fallow deer. The 95gn SST and a good 100gn round nose would work OK.
When I hear the words 243 I shake my head and ask why when there's better out there. Even dare I say it the 6.5 man bun with a 120gn ttsx would be better.
Give me a mild 25 tho, better all round.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Open plains springbuck and blesbuck 140gr anything else 170gr Rhino bullets....they just eat dust and you can eat everything from whatever you shot....this caliber just works and everybody can manage the recoil very pleasant to shoot

@IvW
Not everyone can handle the recoil even tho it is relatively mild to most of us.
One of my mates is a fit fairly solid carpenter and he finds my 25 to much. The 223 is his upper limit.
Recoil affects every one differently.
Bob.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

@dchamp
I have to disagree with you.
You can go horribly wrong with the 243. In my opinion 99% of people choose the wrong projectiles for the game hunted with the 243s and end up wounding it. The only bullet I would trust under 90grains is the 80 grain ttsx. A mate uses tat successfully on fallow deer. The 95gn SST and a good 100gn round nose would work OK.
When I hear the words 243 I shake my head and ask why when there's better out there. Even dare I say it the 6.5 man bun with a 120gn ttsx would be better.
Give me a mild 25 tho, better all round.

I'd argue you can go horribly wrong with many calibers if you choose the wrong bullet for the task at hand. The bullet does all of the heavy lifting, the rifle just sends it to do the job. I think you're saying the same, so why keep blaming the 243?

 

[Ragman]

My vote would be for the 7mm-08. I have no personal experience with one, but my love for the .308 Win and 7mm RM dictates that a 7mm-08 would be the best of both worlds and will soon join my family! Also, despite @Bob Nelson 35Whelen ministrations, the .243 with 100 grainers is a deer killer within reasonable ranges. Finally the 6.5 CM. I am as redneck as they come and have never touched one of these rifles. But you have to be intentionally close-minded to not see that they are a highly effective deer hunting round. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to use one and I'd shave my head before you'd ever see me with a man-bun. The 6.5 CM would be my second choice.

 

[Rick HOlbert]

So 1 day before the end of rifle season up here in Virginia and the wife says I'd like to go deer hunting ..what???. She likes to shoot and is a good shot but has a bad shoulder and back so she has limited herself to (her)m1 carbine and various pistols. So the question is what is a light kicking light carrying bolt gun good for around 150 yards .was thinking the bottom a 243 top out 7x57 or maybe a 308.she can't take a 3006 and thats the smallest I have short of a 556 AR. So.243, 6mm rem.257,6.55x55,7x57.no damn creedmoor I'm sick of hearing about them. Have another model 70 I could rebarrel into a feather weight contour. Thanks

Good day sir, I have to go along with Redleg. a .243 is a great choice in a low recoil rifle. Lots of folks overlook it but with a good bullet it will reliably take deer no problem. Only thing that comes close recoil wise is the .350 Legend but that would require buying another rifle. Go with the .243.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

My son has killed animals as big as zebra with a 243. Cleanly. 85g TSX. Don’t let anyone tell you more is needed for a whitetail.
An expanding mono metal bullet changes the equation when it comes to adequate. It isn’t 1950 or even 1980 any more. If a 223 is legal in Virginia, I’d put a TSX of some variety in it and enjoy the venison.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Another thought is that it’s hard to think of something much handier or easy-shooting than an M1 carbine. If the iron sights don’t limit her and it meets your state’s requirements, problem solved. If you handload, you can make the ballistic equivalent of 30 carbine for your ‘06. I loaded some 30-30 equivalents for my wife’s ‘06 and she was pleased with those.

 

[ducmarc]

All kinds of great answers it's a kinda take ur pick I'm sure there can be found fault in any caliber .I do hand load but can be lazy and buy off the shelf if it's cheap. I do have a 350 legend in an are AR pistol and thought of that caliber.over the years I've turned her into a bit of a romantic.so a black rifle would be out since it would be a gift.she likes dark walnut with good figure.dark bluing also.i have a nice mannlicher in 270 but she knows it's mine. A nice Mauser platform,Springfield or another m70 .I'm sure a no.1 Ruger would work too.figure jewel the bolt and the bolt rails maybe nickel the flooplate add a trigger drop on some good optics and a quality sling done

 

[9412765]

Maybe it's been said, but 223 fusion has done me 3 for 3 on whitetails out of an AR. None running more than about 50 yards. Its not my preference, but it'll def get the job done for someone who is recoil averse.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I'd argue you can go horribly wrong with many calibers if you choose the wrong bullet for the task at hand. The bullet does all of the heavy lifting, the rifle just sends it to do the job. I think you're saying the same, so why keep blaming the 243?

@PHOENIX PHIL
I keep blaming the 243 because it s to big for small game and to small for bigger game. Yes te projectile affects the performance in any caliber but I have seen to much failure in a lot of different weights in the 243. Even with premium projectiles and good shot placement I have seen it not work properly on game.
When you hit a fallow buck in the chest with a 100grain 243 soft point round nose you expect it to fall with in 10 to 50 yards not run for a few hundred yards and still need a second shot. Both entry and exit ones the same size and minimal internal damage. So yes I don't like the cartridge.
Bob

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

@PHOENIX PHIL
I keep blaming the 243 because it s to big for small game and to small for bigger game. Yes te projectile affects the performance in any caliber but I have seen to much failure in a lot of different weights in the 243. Even with premium projectiles and good shot placement I have seen it not work properly on game.
When you hit a fallow buck in the chest with a 100grain 243 soft point round nose you expect it to fall with in 10 to 50 yards not run for a few hundred yards and still need a second shot. Both entry and exit ones the same size and minimal internal damage. So yes I don't like the cartridge.
Bob

Still makes me wonder if it wasn't bullet performance, but you're experience is yours and I wasn't there. I know a little lady (about 5 foot 2 and 90 lbs carrying groceries) in Idaho that has killed more elk than most here will dream of, not to mention mule deer and a Shiras moose, using a 243. She finally lost and elk and moved all the way up to a 270.

I would never recommend a 243 for elk or moose, but damn if I was going to win that argument with her.

 

[Buffalo1]

7.08 ! Low recoil, accurate, good distance and good choice of ammo and bullet weights. Find the ammo your gun likes to "eat !"

 

[Bert the Turtle]

@PHOENIX PHIL
I keep blaming the 243 because it s to big for small game and to small for bigger game. Yes te projectile affects the performance in any caliber but I have seen to much failure in a lot of different weights in the 243. Even with premium projectiles and good shot placement I have seen it not work properly on game.
When you hit a fallow buck in the chest with a 100grain 243 soft point round nose you expect it to fall with in 10 to 50 yards not run for a few hundred yards and still need a second shot. Both entry and exit ones the same size and minimal internal damage. So yes I don't like the cartridge.
Bob

The only things I've seen that drop an animal that size reliably within 10-50 yards with a chest shot are 375 and up. A whitetail doe will often go 50 yards with a perfect chest shot from a 30-06 in my experience. Maybe a 35 will do it