The "small" deer rifle

[ericuda]

Surprised I don't see the 6.5 Swede mentioned. Off the shelf ammo is not the most common but online selection is decent.

[Pathfinder45]

If you do not reload your ammo, probably the best option is to get a 243. If you do reload, you can simply down-load your 270 to 243 equivalence, saving yourself the cost of another rifle. If you want another rifle anyway, and you reload, there are any number of calibers to choose, from something as classic as the 257 Roberts, to the latest 6.5mm Creedmoor; there are options that fit your goals. I do think that the 7mm-08 is just too close to the 270 you already have to be a valid choice within your objectives.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Just saying:
If your into bolt actions. 260 Rem in a Rem model 7. Dandy little rifle for a day long tote. Not a overwhelming challenge (weight-length) for a kid experiencing shooting centerfire. Not as fast as the 243 often used on those small East coast & Dixie deer.
260 cartridge has a more appropriate bullet weight choice for Big Game animals {130-140gr } to drop those heavy weight U.P. Bucks Michigan is noted for. With a hand load tweak I'm pretty sure 31-3200 fps is attainable.
Without-a-doubt you'll never be short on brass as the 308 is the 260s parent brass.

[bamaranger]

Here's another vote for the .243. The .243 has become my "light" deer rifle, though I was not a fan for many years, mostly due to ignorance. After watching bamaboy drop several with the caliber, and dropping a few myself, I have no qualms about the .243 for deer, especially under somewhat controlled conditions like over food plots and from shooting houses, where I can pick my shots and a rest is often available.

We shoot the 100 gr Partition, and I have no doubt it will reach the vitals of a deer from about any reasonable angle ( we have not recovered a single Partition, despite hitting one or both shoulders on some shots). I cannot speak to any other bullet or weight, but the combination has been very positive for us on 150lb +/- whitetails.

I hunt other "light" calibers for deer, (7.62x39, and .44 mag) but the .243 has a decided edge on those two numbers with a flatter trajectory due to its higher velocity. (2800-2900 fps in my rifles) Because of that, it is much more versatile than either, and in my mind up to 3 times the effective range (or more, as other posts have indicated). I did not keep track this year, but suspect I may have hunted my .243 carbine more than any other rifles I own last season. No deer with it though, when deer showed up I wanted to shoot, I had other rifles.

[Doyle]

Just saying:
If your into bolt actions. 260 Rem in a Rem model 7. Dandy little rifle for a day long tote. Not a overwhelming challenge (weight-length) for a kid experiencing shooting centerfire. Not as fast as the 243 often used on those small East coast & Dixie deer.
260 cartridge has a more appropriate bullet weight choice for Big Game animals {130-140gr } to drop those heavy weight U.P. Bucks Michigan is noted for. With a hand load tweak I'm pretty sure 31-3200 fps is attainable.
Without-a-doubt you'll never be short on brass as the 308 is the 260s parent brass.
__________________

McGee, I've got one of those exactly as you described (the original one with the 18.5" bbl"). I love it. However, if you want one you'll need to shell out some bucks. Since I bought mine the price of those things has jumped significantly.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Doyle
Me too. Bought mine back in the late 80s in 223. They've tripled the MSRP since I bought mine.

[zipspyder]

If you do not reload your ammo, probably the best option is to get a 243. If you do reload, you can simply down-load your 270 to 243 equivalence, saving yourself the cost of another rifle. If you want another rifle anyway, and you reload, there are any number of calibers to choose, from something as classic as the 257 Roberts, to the latest 6.5mm Creedmoor; there are options that fit your goals. I do think that the 7mm-08 is just too close to the 270 you already have to be a valid choice within your objectives.

At that point you might as well just get a muzzle brake for the 270 and be done with it going by that line of thinking. No need to compromise anything then. Good thing about it is he has lots of choices!

[Lohman446]

Ok stupid question. I came across a Ruger M77 in .243 for a price that I like. Some minor scratching on the stock which is fine for what it will be used for.

Why the M77? Because my .270 is an M77 and I really like it.

My concern is accidentally chambering the wrong round in the wrong rifle if they are that close to each other. Am I wrong in assuming it simply can't be done?

[precision_shooter]

.243 could be "chambered" in the .270, but not the other way around. .270 is just too long to ever get the bolt closed. I don't know much about the M77, but if they use different length actions, it shouldn't be hard to tell them apart. Could always change the stock or modify one to distinguish it from the other.

[zipspyder]

It won't be an issue...even the bullet diameter is different, .277 vs .243

[Wyosmith]

If I were to recommend a "light caliber" in a lever action, large auto-loader or bolt action I would say either the 260 Remington, 6.5 CM or the 6.5 Swede would be top of the list.
I have a healthy respect for the 243 as well, but in my years of shooting, hunting and gunsmithing I have come to the conclusion that the small 26 cals will do all the 243 will do and if you want more you can have more. with the 6.5 MMs. Using bonded bullets in the 120 grain range you have all the capabilities of the 243 and no more recoil that I can feel anyway.
Another favorite which I think is a bit better all around than a 243 is the old 257 Roberts, but such a gun has to be "built" today.
Above I said "large auto-loader" because I consider the "small auto-loader" as the AR-15 and Mini-14 size. So the last thing I'd look at is an AR15 in 6.8 SPC or 6.5 Grendal. SUPER light recoil, excellent accuracy and good for deer and Wyoming antelope. I know, I have killed a bunch of the with both calibers over the last 12 years or so. I have several friends and customers I have made 6.8 SPC ARs for and the total for myself and these other men and women for deer and antelope kills so far is now 133 head killed with them. of the groups of 6.5 Grendel shooters I have a count of 29 head of game killed. Both work very well. I have found the 6.8 is my favorite of the two when paired with carbine length barrels. If you use a 20" or longer barrel the 6.5 G. does a bit better. Getting reliable 6.8 mags is easier than getting reliable 6.5 mags, but for a hunting rifle it's not a problem. you only need one for a hunting rifle, and I prefer to get those that are short, 5 round capacity or so.

[Lohman446]

My own experience as a "kid" with a hunting rifle is that I would prefer to stay away from auto-loaders. While I would be fine with a bolt action (such as the M77) I would actually prefer a single shot (either a break barrel or a falling block). I have tried to not get into the "cheapest" of break barrels because I want this to "heirloom" to my kids.

Why no auto loader? Story time. I had hunted for some time with bolt action .270 (see the above reference to the M77). I had received this rifle when I was 13 or 14. Before that I had hunted supervised with an old 30-30. When I was 16 I managed to get my hands on one of my grandfathers semi-auto .270s. Two deer come over the hill on the field. Now I have never hunted for anything but meat but it was like duck hunting. I emptied the magazine and got the expected no deer. So no auto loaders.

The .257 Roberts does intrigue me because it introduces a "pride of ownership" to kids who used to go around school talking about what deer cartridge they preferred (which was, oddly, almost always the one selected for them). Though I expect in today's school such chatter is not acceptable.

[Mobuck]

My "meat gun" (used for filling the freezer) is a 257 Roberts 20" carbine loaded with 100 grain bullets. Equivalent to the 243 but with a shorter barrel and (in my opinion)superior bullet choices this provides adequate on target energy with a minimum of noise and recoil.
Would I recommend it to the guy who's limited to over the counter ammo---probably not. So I guess this means I recommend the 243 Win BUT with the caveat of using upgraded (vs common cup and core) bullets. I've seen far too many failures with some factory ammo.

[ShootistPRS]

I own a couple of 257 Roberts and don't recommend them because ammo (and brass) is hard to find here locally. When I do find it the added expense takes some of the fun out of it. I do reload and it is a great cartridge but the 243 has less recoil and is better suited to a new or young hunter.

[Don Fischer]

The 243 is adequate but I seldom ever recommend it for big game. I think the 250 Savage and the 257 Robert's are both better for deer if for no other reason, heavier bullet's. better I idea for me would be step up to a 6.5. First thing that come's to mind for me is the 260 Rem which I have never shot of seen! but for me, it's about bullet's. I have two 6.5's right now, a 6.5x06 I shoot for fum but it has blood on it, and a 6.5x55, my third! I think a great deal of the 6.5's. If your a reloader, it would be .w whatever cartridge you choose, on the 308 case. I found loading for a 6mm years ago that the standard action is not quite long enough, the 308 or even 300 Sav case works fine. The 6.5x55 will take you back into the long action and mounting a scope is bothersom. I put a 2-7x on mine and had to use extension ring's as the scope was just to short. On the other hand, I have a 243, standard action, that the 2-7x works fine on.

About the 7mm-08, I've never fired one of them either but have read some about recoil that I don't know if I believe or not. Few different people said it had to much recoil for them.

[FITASC]

The 243 gets my vote. While the 7-08 is a great cartridge ( I own a Model 7) along with all of the others mentioned in 6.5 and .30 calibers, they are also very close to the .270 you already have. If you want smaller, the 243 is popular, always available and does a great job on all small and medium game in NA.

[Henneman]

I've shot dozens of deer in Northern Wisconsin and butchered them too. About one-half dozen were shot with a .243, most of the rest with a 30-06. They both exhibited internal organ shock with an abdomen placement. I never got an exit wound with standard 100 gr. bullets in .243. The 30-06 will produce an exit wound 90% of the time. Most deer will run 50 to 100 yards with a well placed shot. An exit wound is sure useful tracking a deer into a swamp, cutover or spruce stand, especially with late November light conditions. I do not have any experience with 6.5 mm or .243 custom loads.

[Hanshi]

I can't recommend the .250 Sav too highly. I've killed more deer with two rifles in this fine caliber than with all the others combined. It's the equal of the .243 and doesn't seem to kick.

[Scorch]

Yes, any of the cartridges based on the 308 case (243, 260, 7-08) or the X57 case (6mm Rem, 257 Roberts, 7X57, etc) are more than adequate for deer or anything about that size.. Not a lot there, bullets penetrate easily and just knock 'em down. Doesn't take a cannon to kill Bambi, ya know.

[dgludwig]

Another vote for the versatile .257 Roberts. Mine are proven deer killers with 120 grain bullets and are plenty accurate when using lighter bullet weights for groundhogs to coyote at longer ranges. Recoil is moderate-not much perceived difference between the Roberts and the .243, everything else being equal in terms of bullet weight, rifle weight, barrel length, stock dimensions, etc.

True, you probably won't find them parked next to .243 ammunition at Wal Mart but most gun stores that I frequent keep "the Bob" in inventory.

[muzzleblast...]

It is hard to argue against the .243, 25-06, 270. I always wanted one of those Ruger M-77s in .250-3000.

[mikejonestkd]

Scorch said

Yes, any of the cartridges based on the 308 case (243, 260, 7-08) or the X57 case (6mm Rem, 257 Roberts, 7X57, etc) are more than adequate for deer or anything about that size.. Not a lot there, bullets penetrate easily and just knock 'em down. Doesn't take a cannon to kill Bambi, ya know.

I completely agree with Scorch, Its not rocket science, any of the above cartridges are proven deer rounds. Pick whichever one suits your fancy and enjoy.

[Mobuck]

"I do reload and it is a great cartridge but the 243 has less recoil"

Are you sure? Recoil is a physical reaction dependent on bullet weight, velocity, and rifle weight. Similar bullets at similar velocities from similar weight rifles equal same recoil 243 or 257. The 257 will actually send similar weight bullets at equal velocities with slightly lower pressures.

[Pathfinder45]

Someone mentioned putting a muzzle-brake on your 270. Some shooters like their muzzle-brakes, while those folks standing nearby do not. To each their own. I, for one, utterly hate muzzle-brakes. I can't be nearby no matter how much hearing protection I wear.

[Pathfinder45]

On a positive note, having a 270 and a 243 in the same type rifle sounds like a great idea.