Buying my first deer rifle tomorrow

[ronny]

Opinion is the operative word here. On the other hand, if you read on the subject, the comparison of cartridges in this category is routinely made to the 30-06. That's what I mean when I say it is the round to which all others are measured.

I don't presume to know which is best. The variables are far to many for my feeble mind. I do know when a round has proven itself in every field.

 

[been]

With all respect to your opinion, the round against which all others should be measured - 7x57 circa 1893.

From modern perspective 30-06 was not step in the right direction (neither was 270) - 20% increase in case capacity, 20% increase in recoil - all for questionable performance gain (and no ballistic edge).

I completely agree!

 

[AKguy1985]

I'd go with .308. My first true deer rifle was.

 

[ripnbst]

How does .308 recoil compare to .270 WIN? I am guessing less, but how much less? I had a .270 WIN that beat the hell out of my shoulder like it was it's job.

 

[NikatKimber]

Look at a .243 Win. If you don't want to reload, you could get the .308 if you want to shoot paper too. .243 has pretty near as much selection when it comes to hunting bullets; other than super heavy stuff for larger game.

I've got a .243, and with a good stock and pad, it's easy to shoot. But I suppose that's the case for any caliber pretty much. I'll put it this way: after the new stock, the first round downrange I thought was a misfire, to the point I checked the bore.

Next time we're at the match at the same time, I'll bring mine and we'll see if we can put a couple rounds down range.

 

[ez bake]

How does .308 recoil compare to .270 WIN? I am guessing less, but how much less? I had a .270 WIN that beat the hell out of my shoulder like it was it's job.

All things equal, in my opinion, its almost the difference between a 12ga and a 20ga.

 

[criticalbass]

The .270 kicks more than it should, especially with light rifles. I would probably go with the .308, and would get something a little heavier than average. Good exercise carrying 7 or so pounds of rifle, and excellent all around performance with a large variety of ammo.

Red White and Blue or not, the 30-06 was too much for its intended role in the military. The 7x57 kicked our butts in the Spanish American war, and we should have copied it. Another caliber to consider is the 7mm-08. These are becoming popular and ammo is pretty widely available. They'll outshoot the .308, and recoil is very friendly. I built one on a Remington 700 action, and it's a nice little rifle.