IM A GROWN MAN AND I WOULD GO WITH A 243 FOR A FIRST TIME GUN.... CANT GO WRONG THERE AND MY BUDDY JUST BOUGHT THE RUGER AMERICAN VARMIT MODEL... 450$ FOR A AWESOME RIFLE WITH FREE FLOATED BARREL AND ADJUSTABLE TRIGGER... SHOOT YOU CANT BEAT THAT, HECK I SPENT 150 ON MY TIMNEY TRIGGER FOR ANOTHER GUN...

I guess a 243 isn't a manly caliber

What about an AR-15? Maybe get several rounds off? All I can find is a .308 or 5.56 something though.
Wow, Beautiful gun udamdan!!

1. There should be nothing stopping you from bow hunting in winter. Unless you just want to rifle hunt.
2. You already shot a 30-30. Did you like it? Nothing wrong with a 30-30 for deer.

Also, what is your budget ? That will be a factor in what rifle to get.

700 or so. Just want a good solid rifle. I do plan to bow hunt but in bad or very cold weather I'm not so sure.

30-30(thuty -thuty) and 30-06 and .243 were the most popular when I was a growing up in East Texas some 35 years back....add the miscellaneous shotguns of various gauges and slug and buck shot as well! I use a 30-06 or a 6.5x55 Swede in CZ-USA rifles 550American and FS. Great Rifles! not budget really but not the most expense either.Very accurate rifles actually!

I didn't read all the post...anyone mention or suggest a nice inline Muzzle loader? They have come areal long way in last 10 years. Quite therapeutic as well!

An AR15 nor AR10 is a good idea for your first hunting gun IMO. You shot a bush and then a "hog or coon" which you weren't sure which it was when you let the arrow sling. I think a bow would be best until you get more experience underneath your belt. No offense but your to trigger happy at the moment for a long range rifle. Stick with the bow until you can sit and watch without drawing back on something.

243 is a terrible gun compared to a 270 or308

I just got a mossberg ATR 100 .270 great gun for a great price. Also came with a scope $300

So if I told you I've killed more deer than I care to count and more than most would believe with a .223 what would you say?

Deer hunting, you should NEVER even be thinking about "getting several rounds off". One shot, one kill. I would first suggest getting over the trigger happiness with any weapon on any animal. You will be more efficient and ethical weather shooting ducks, deer, hogs etc.

Now on the rifle, I believe you said for "deer and hogs" I would have to say 25-06, from a reputable manufacturer. Any 115-120 grain ammo will do the trick, preferably a Nosler Partition, and recoil is minimal (I first started shooting 25-06 at the age of 4..) and if you get into varmint hunting there are loads geared towards that for the caliber as well.

Also, with the quality of bullets now days, there are plenty 100-110 grain options as well. I just prefer the larger size for performance on pigs.

I Got made fun of for deer hunting with .243, the guy helping me hunt shoots a .223 Browning A Bolt and has killed more deer than I can count with it. I was with him when he shot a prong horn and dropped that sucker at 250 yards.

Another guy I know who is a professional hunter and owns a game ranch culls deer with .17 HMR suppressed, he says it keeps the animals from stirring up.

Shot placement is the most important, shoot what is comfortable!

I have bow hunted in 13 degrees, and I am sure there are others who have bow hunted in colder. The cold will not matter.
As for rifle on a $700 budget, the AR would be a bad choice IMO. First of all, you should be concentrating on making one well placed shot rather than slinging a bunch of lead downrange. Second, on a $700 budget you will not be able to get an AR AND a good scope.Just about any of the budget(rem 700, savage, ruger american, etc)bolt actions will fill the bill and will allow enough $ to get a good scope. Depending on where you hunt(125 yard shots or shorter), a used 30-30 will fill the bill and give you change. As for caliber choice, keep it simple and go with one of the major calibers where you will be able to find a good selection of ammo (.308, .270, 30-06, 30-30, even the much argued .243)
Good Luck and good hunting!

No, I have a 243 myself, but why not get something with a little more punch? I know it's all about shot placement, but being a new hunter I'd rather something that would give him a little more room for error. The last deer I shot with a 243 100 grain ammo, I shot him quartered slightly and put it RIGHT behind the shoulder and it hit the opposite shoulder with no exit. The deer didn't go very far maybe 50 yards in a thicket, but there was NO blood.

I would say good job I'm glad you like hunting with a little girls gun

Okay RUM man lets keep this civilized!
I appreciate every ones opinion. I do plan to bow hunt the entire season but maybe pick up a rifle in the next week or so for hogs that I can use after I have gained much needed experience.
Can't wait to get back out in the woods! Good luck everyone

If your a 12 year old girl get the 243 if your a 37 year old man get a real gun

Well depends on where you hunt... The 243 with 90-100 grain Barnes,cutting edge, or Berger bullets is a whitetail killing machine in the south, my go to whitetail gun is a Blaser R-8 6BR Norma. We use it to shoot off varmints, does, and the occasional buck. It is great! My brother ( which as shot way more texas whitetail than I will ever see uses a 25-06, and nephews use a 260 and 308.. With the occasional deer shot with a 300 blackout or 223 from an AR) I have had the option to hunt in Nebraska and Alberta for whitetail...these deer are quite a bit larger than the ones I snipe in between Winters and Bronte, and I would not think of hunting in Alberta with my 6BR. I have used a 270 WBY (just about right), 7mm rem mag, 325 WSM, and a 340 WBY mag (overkill but got it done), to hunt these out of state brutes. I will take the stand, if you are hunting learn to shoot a little more gun and you will be happy. Hunts cost money...sometimes a lot of money, I would rather have a dead deer on the other end than spend my valuable time looking for a wounded one, just because I wanted to use "just enough" gun...

Ed

I would go with either a 270/30-06 type caliber over the smaller calibers or the 308 for several reasons:

1. Both are easy to find ammo for, and have lots of variety. Options are your friend.
2. Neither is overkill for whitetail, but has enough power to put a large hog down with a sub-optimal shot. Yes, you can kill plenty of deer/hogs down to 223/22-250 size rounds (and I have done so), but I'll take the comfort knowing that if I make a shoulder shot on a hog with my 270 he is gonna be down in 50 yards.
3. Price point - you can find a good rifle in either caliber within your budget, that can shoot MOA groups out to several hundred yards.
4. Versatility - if you end up getting lucky enough to go on an elk/larger game hunt, you don't have to buy a new rifle.

I know my 270 (Weatherby Vanguard) is more accurate than the shooter, and total package with good Leupold scope was ~$750.

Just remember - spend more on your scope than your rifle!

I don't have to hunt with the biggest cannon I can find to prove that my nuts hang to the floor. Ill take my .243 or .223 and set a empty can of snuff at 300yards and put 100$ bill on that shot and you can do the same with your mega big boy cannon if you like...

I' ll do it out at 800 meters with ya.

All joking aside, the 243 with the right bullets will get it done, but hunting in varied conditions, a heavier bullet takes a little guess work out of it.

haha now that's more like it... I just love the versatility of the 243

I LOVE the 243 win. In 35 plus years of hunting I have killed more deer under 200 yards with 22-250, 243 or 6mm rem than any rifle I own however I don't think they belong in a one gun debate like this has become. There are better options i.e. 270 or 30-06 and others. From a ballistics stand point there is not really an arguable difference between a 270 hurling 130 gr and a 30-06 hurling 150 gr other than the size of the hole in the paper. I took a 300 yard shot at a big mature doe a couple of years ago with a 243. Made a good behind the shoulder shot. She hit the ground got up and ran off. Went to the spot and there was minimal blood loss. Specks and petered out out at ten yards. Searched for hours and never recovered her. The following year I am presented the exact same shot with a 30-06. Doe was literally standing within feet of the same tree. Made the same shot with the 30-06 and rolled her up. Really no debate. Keep in mind our dads and grandads who told us there is no better gun than a 30-30 or 243 were shooting at smaller deer. Don't get me wrong I never leave home without the 22-250 or 243 but for one gun I'll take the 30-06 every time no doubt.

Well if it is deer only....probably a .270 is hard to beat. A 25-06 deer and pronghorn. The .308 is supposed to have fine accuracy. I have a 30-06 myself cause I might want to go after elk some day.

I have not said a thing about my mega big boy cannon or how we'll I can shoot it I did recommend a 270 to txs because a 243 is simply lacking to other calibers. Why limit him when he could get any gun he wants