What caliber to complement a 30.06 ??

[mac]

I am looking for a rifle caliber to complement my 30.06 on the smaller end. I want something for range shooting 100 & 200yrds but also for hunting nothing larger than a deer and that has has lower recoil and easy to find affordable ammo, so I am leaning towards a .243 ..thoughts?

[phade]

I'm a fan of the .243. everything up to a deer is fair game and can be a deer killer with a solid shooter.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I'm a fan of the .243. everything up to a deer is fair game and can be a deer killer with a solid shooter.

WIth a great selection of factory and reloading components.

Another you may consider is .223 since you would have 2 calibers with military history and surplus ammo available for plinking

Edited September 28, 2012 by Culvercreek hunt club

[NYbuck50]

.243 is a nice light gun, but from what ive seen, they dont always drop deer quick.. Maybe a 308?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

.243 is a nice light gun, but from what ive seen, they dont always drop deer quick.. Maybe a 308?

That is almost identicle ballistics to the -06 in teh distance he mentioned. doesn't make sense to add that on.

[d-bone20917]

270 WSM

[RickF]

270 is a good choice and so is a 7mm-08 which has very, very light recoil and can reach out to 300+ yards. It is my "go to" Wyoming rifle for antelope and mule deer.

Rick

[Elmo]

I agree with Culvercreek with the .223. If you feel the .223 is too light for deer then maybe a 30-30?

[ants]

I hunt deer with a 30-06 and a 7mm-08. Both drop deer in their tracks but the 7-08 has a much lighter recoil. I have taken deer with a 243 and IMHO the 7-08 blows it away. Harder hitting with about the same recoil.

[mac]

it wont be strictly for deer, Kind of a lower all around caliber easy to target shoot and game hunting anything on the small -mid size animal. so 243 or 7-08 seem to be in the ballpark

[phade]

I still think the .243 is more versatile given his situation.

Load up some predator rounds and have at it...or take down the deer. I think people are placing too much thought into it being only a deer gun. It's not like he is choosing this as his ONLY rifle.

And, usually, .243 ammo is pretty cheap for the non-military classes...only thing cheaper is the 30-30.

Edited September 28, 2012 by phade

[ants]

I just think that the 708 would do a better job on both coyotes and deer. You can get 120grn bullets that would do great on both. But you're right on the price thing. 243 ammo is way cheaper than 708, in fact sometimes you cant even find 708.

[Pygmy]

For varmints and maybe occasional use on deer, I'd go with the .223... Light recoil, effective, and lots of cheap ammo available.

No problem with the .243, but ammo is more expensive...Anything bigger, 7MM08, .308, .270 etc . is REDUNDANT with your 30-06...

[Single_shot]

I vote for the 6mm and 7mm08.I have both and love them equally.

[Reelhooked]

I was in a similar perdicament a few years ago when I wanted to compliment my .308 I ended up going with the .223 for all the reasons previously mentioned. In addition it's a tackdriver. My personal favorite for Coyotes.

[GreeneHunter]

I'd go with the ole reliable 30-30 !

[Gthphtm]

Ok here is an old one 6.5x55 140 grain,my back up rifle.

[ny hunter]

I was in the same boat years ago,wanted something other then a 30-06.Started with the 270 then 243 then 223 then 308 then 30-30 then started with hand guns.It still has'nt stopped.

[nybuckboy]

I want something for range shooting 100 & 200yrds but also for hunting nothing larger than a deer and that has has lower recoil

Did some of you miss this part of the question? A .243 is an excellent choice. A.223 IMO,is just a little light for deer.

[Setters4life]

Another plug for the .243 (or its bastard cousin the 6mm Rem.) Bullet weights from lightweight 55 gr. can break the 4.000 fps barrier and you can go up to 115 gr. VLD types for long-range shooting. This covers anything from target to varmint to medium-sized game. Recoil is mild, and the cartridge has a good reputation for being accurate and easy to reload for. Whether the twist in your barrel can handle all those weights accurately can only be determined through trial and error. (I've had good luck with 65 grs. through 105 grs. in a 1x9 twist in my 6mm Rem.)

[jr.deerslayer]

I would also go with the 223, deadly on varmints and won't break the bank. Purchase some quality ammo and kill deer with it. I have seen the effects of the little 55 grain bullets on deer, many times and have never felt they were not up to the job. I would rather see 100 guys packing the 223 then 10 guys who close there eyes and flinch from the recoil of a larger caliber.

[eagle rider]

25-06 bro and don't look back.

[bubba]

nah dont listen to them. Stay with the 06. The 25-06 that is. Light recoil great bullet selection for anything from varmints to deer

[fernnj]

I just bought a new Remington 700 CDL DM for the wife. After sighting it in, I think she may be using something else this year cause I absolutely love it!. Took three rounds to sight it in and I was driving tacks after that with the Hornady superformance. My 270 and 308 don't compare under 200 yds. However, it sounds like you are also a target shooter and the 243 rounds are much cheaper as others have said. On the flip side, I have seen deer run pretty far after an accurate hit with a 243 on more than one occassion. You're gonna have to compromise on one end or the other.

[Lawdwaz]

As a couple VERY knowledgeable people have said, 223 ROCKS!

Soooo many reasons to choose it. It'll kill deer all day long and is a blast to shoot. I built a 223 Improved a few years ago and can't put it down.