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7mm-08 or 6.5
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<blockquote data-quote="Susquatch" data-source="post: 1487057" data-attributes="member: 31264"><p>This thread seems to be well attended with lots of opinions floating around. One opinion has been expressed several times that I simply don't agree with - that being that a 243 in novice hands is more likely to wound or cripple a deer than the 6.5 or the 7mm. I emphatically disagree.</p><p></p><p>My deer gang keeps stats on our deer hunting. I have personally shot 43 deer in the course of my life (most with a 308 and lately with a 6.5), and my deer gang (averaging 5 hunters) has shot 214! Of those, 35 were killed with a 243 by a mix of both novice and experienced hunters. Not one crippled deer. I wish the same could be said for the 308 and 7mm. That is not because they are a poorer choice of caliber, it's simply because the higher rate of usage, increases the odds of a rare poor shot. As far as I am concerned, there is zero wrong with all three. A poor shot - is a poor shot - is a poor shot.</p><p></p><p>The very best way to avoid poor shots is to practice practice practice. The less a rifle kicks, the more likely the hunter will want to practice.</p><p></p><p>I'd also be willing to bet that the majority of losses described here by others using a 243 were by novice hunter or hunters taking chances. I would also expect that a fullsome statistical analysis would show that novice hunters are more likely to use smaller calibers and more likely to take chances, and this has led to the incorrect conclusion that the 243 is a poorer choice of caliber. In reality, I think it's much more likely to be because of the higher probability of smaller calibers being used by novice hunters, and not because of the caliber itself.</p><p></p><p>In my experience, I would also add that the two most common problems that novice hunters have are FLINCHING, and DEER FEVER. A rifle going off does not equal a dead deer. A dead deer requires a good shot. Novice hunters are much less likely to develop flinching with a 243 than with a 6.5 or 7mm or 308. Only experience and practice can fix deer fever.</p><p></p><p>Summing up my little rant, I believe that the skill of the shooter is the weakest link in most deer hunting situations - not the choice of caliber. IMHO, (within the scope of this discussion of 243 vs 6.5 vs 7mm for deer) bigger does NOT compensate for a poor shooter or a poor shot. However, smaller does contribute to improved shooting skills through lower recoil which promotes more practice and less flinching. For experienced hunters, all the choices discussed are equally excellent.</p><p></p><p>I see the OP's Bride has gone back to the 243. Good for her! Get her a really nice one!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Susquatch, post: 1487057, member: 31264"] This thread seems to be well attended with lots of opinions floating around. One opinion has been expressed several times that I simply don't agree with - that being that a 243 in novice hands is more likely to wound or cripple a deer than the 6.5 or the 7mm. I emphatically disagree. My deer gang keeps stats on our deer hunting. I have personally shot 43 deer in the course of my life (most with a 308 and lately with a 6.5), and my deer gang (averaging 5 hunters) has shot 214! Of those, 35 were killed with a 243 by a mix of both novice and experienced hunters. Not one crippled deer. I wish the same could be said for the 308 and 7mm. That is not because they are a poorer choice of caliber, it's simply because the higher rate of usage, increases the odds of a rare poor shot. As far as I am concerned, there is zero wrong with all three. A poor shot - is a poor shot - is a poor shot. The very best way to avoid poor shots is to practice practice practice. The less a rifle kicks, the more likely the hunter will want to practice. I'd also be willing to bet that the majority of losses described here by others using a 243 were by novice hunter or hunters taking chances. I would also expect that a fullsome statistical analysis would show that novice hunters are more likely to use smaller calibers and more likely to take chances, and this has led to the incorrect conclusion that the 243 is a poorer choice of caliber. In reality, I think it's much more likely to be because of the higher probability of smaller calibers being used by novice hunters, and not because of the caliber itself. In my experience, I would also add that the two most common problems that novice hunters have are FLINCHING, and DEER FEVER. A rifle going off does not equal a dead deer. A dead deer requires a good shot. Novice hunters are much less likely to develop flinching with a 243 than with a 6.5 or 7mm or 308. Only experience and practice can fix deer fever. Summing up my little rant, I believe that the skill of the shooter is the weakest link in most deer hunting situations - not the choice of caliber. IMHO, (within the scope of this discussion of 243 vs 6.5 vs 7mm for deer) bigger does NOT compensate for a poor shooter or a poor shot. However, smaller does contribute to improved shooting skills through lower recoil which promotes more practice and less flinching. For experienced hunters, all the choices discussed are equally excellent. I see the OP's Bride has gone back to the 243. Good for her! Get her a really nice one! [/QUOTE]
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