GrimmReaper
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I went on my first deer hunt last year and "I think I likes it" So now I need to get a rifle. I used a borrowed .243 Win Browning BLR and I think I'm convinced the BLR is my gun. But I am not sure if the .243 is the right caliber.
What are the cons of a lever action rifle/pros? & What are the Pro's & Con's of a bolt action?
Is there a caliber that does both deer & elk well? Or one that works for both but does neither exceptionally?
I figure that there's got to be some good advice on this Board just waiting to spill out into this post! 
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Mojo
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Sit back and watch the replies....
I hunt deer and elk with a .280 Remington. It is perfect for my needs. Bolt action rifles are more accurate than lever actions (in general).
A 30-06 is probably the best "all around" gun out there, and you can buy ammo for it in almost any small town gas station.
Anyone else have an opinion>
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GrimmReaper
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Mojo
What makes the .280 perfect for your needs?
I fired a bolt action 7mm while siting in the .243 @ the range I didn't seem to be as accurate...from what I think was the recoil.
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BobK
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The BLR is generally as accurate as a lot of bolt actions. If you really liked it, it is available in .308 caliber, which gives original .30/06 ballistics in a 1/2" shorter case. I had one, and loved it. It was an accurate rifle, too.
It is also the same case as the .243, simply necked down to produce the smaller caliber.
The .308 an option, too. With a 165 gr. bullet, it is a decent gun, or you could consider 150 gr. for deer, and 180 gr. bullet for elk.
It is also available in .30/06 and .270 calibers if you so desire, and more.
BobK
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Tony1831
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What's wrong with a 30-06 and optics shooting 165 or 180 gr for both targets? It's very lethal and Rem. 700 BDL is perfection and easy to find good ammo.
Of course, nothing wrong with gun # 2 being a 30-30 Winchester with open sights or buckhorns shootin 150 or 165 gr especially if you are in brushy cover. I like to walk a lot of brush patches and shots under 20 yards are tough in a scope, so I carry the 30-30.
I find that I end up keeping both in my rig during season.
Whatever you choose, just spend time at the range with it and get a good feel with it and you can't go wrong.
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Trouthead
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I love my thudy-thudy but I also carry a Savage model 99 in .308 cal. Killed Elk with both. I'm a brush hunter like Tony.
I was always told the advantage of the bolt action was its strength compared to a lever action, not its accuracy. By strength, I mean you can have a bigger caliber or heavier load. Does this mean a single shot is the most accurate? Help. 
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JimW
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270 win will do it all and not waste meet. 30/06 blows BIG HOLES. but hey I just got a 300 rem ulta too so its what you prefer. 243 wont kick the heck out of you can let the wife and kids shoot it as well. remember it is bullet placement that counts. I also love my 6.5 x 55 Swedish mouser. and my 7mm rem mag. I have killed elk with my 6.5 and my 270 no problems and my brother uses his 243 custom for elk.
get in close and shoot good. (I don’t think he should but that’s me) Just remember if you’re killing the animal and doing it with one shot and not 3 or 4 then your doing your job and so is the gun. The deer around here aren’t cape buffalo so any thing from a 22-250 up will do the job. Jim W
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Mojo
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Grimm,
My .280 shooting 160 grain Speer Nitrex Grand Slams shoots just shy of the same FPS as my old 7MM Mag did, with 25% less recoil.
I have killed elk at 375 yards (one shot), which is long for me. I don't think it is responsible to shoot at an animal at 800 yards (not wanting to argue with anyone BTW). I spend a lot of time shooting, and am confident that I will hit where I'm pointing my rifle 100% of the time out to 350 or so. The .280 allows me to shoot a bunch without dis-locating my shoulder.
It has disadvantages, the biggest is availability of ammo. If you reload, there are several good options, but good rounds in the 160-165gr range are difficult to find.
Tony is right about the 30-06.
I have also been told the most accurate action is the single shot, drop-lock action. Just a unproved rumor I heard at the range. 
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Gooose
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Traditional lever actions such as the Win 94 are generally less accurate than bolt actions due to shorter barrel lengths and lighter barrel. Your typical bolt has a 24 inch barrel as opposed to a 20 inch barrel for the 94.
Lever actions such as the 94 are also not designed for the pressures developed by cartridges such as the 243 or 308 or heavier. The original 30-30 was a 30 caliber unjacketed lead bullet propelled by 30 grains of black powder. The Savage and Browning actions are designed for these more modern rounds and can duplicate bolt action accuracy. The Win 64 LA is simply a 94 with a 24 inch barrel. Very accurate for a 30-30 and if you know what you are doing you can handload a jacked up a 150 grain spitzer round for the first round in the pipe for even more accuracy for the first shot.
Personally I grew up with the 243 and it will drop any deer out to 300 yards no problem. I never did try it but you can handload it for 90-100 grain bullets at 3250 fps. With the right optics and a bipod and a good shooter I suppose the effective range would be out to 400 yards.
Cartridges such as the 270, 280, 308, 30-06, 7mm Mag allow to more versatility as to what you hunt and range you shoot at. With each you have to deal with the increasing recoil. Personally I prefer my featherwieght 243....easy to pack around...and its light recoil and it's precision accuracy. I've hunted elk with it with some dread but felt confident in my skills that a shot that unquestionably would go where I desired it would do the job. Shots past 200 yards at up hill or down hill sharp angles plus wind wouldn't have been taken as would shots at moving targets. Note..if you don't have a pair think about a set of rangefinding binocs. 
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Gooose
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I should add that the traditional LA also has a looser chambering than bolts or single shots. I forgot that one Mojo. I've always wanted a classic single shot for hunting...one of these days.
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gemstatejake
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if your going to own one rifle. the old '06 is the one you want. outside of the largest game, your covered. having said that, if you like the lever .243 and shoot it well you've prolly already found your deer rifle. i personally would not even point a .243 in the general direction of an elk, but thats just me.
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Tony1831
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you would if you were hungry
a well placed round would do it, very easily
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Gooose
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Gem when I did hunt elk one season with my 243 it was with all due caution. Target had to be an easy non moving flat shot out to 200 yards max... in around 100 yards a slow moving elk would have been fine. Standing elk out to 200 yards with a rest with a 243 is dinner. But I am not gonna favor anyone choosing to use that round if they have other choices...I didn't when I drew my tag.
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skyriver
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The problem I have seen with the smaller Caliber rifles is that there is alot less room for error and there knock down power drops off alot faster at longer distances. By less room for error I mean that if you happen to miss your intended spot on your target (shoulder) instead of heart or lungs the smaller calibers will have more trouble with the heavy bone than the bigger 30's. Also a .243 or .257 or the smaller calibers will lose their kinetic energy at longer distances due to their light weight. If you are after a deer rifle the 30.06 or .270 and the .280 are Ideal with less recoil. If you want to hunt bigger boned game the 30.06, 300's and 7mags are a better choice but also have more recoil. JMO good luck on your season
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Musicman
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Gimme a call Nathan, i've got an 30.06 i'll let you try out, if you like it i'll give it too you cheap...lemme know.
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gemstatejake
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tony, a well placed round will do it, no doubt. a slightly less than well placed one will result in a bad situation. dont ask how i know this.... the rifle debate rages on into eternity, funny thing is it's probably not even close to the most important aspect of being a good hunter. shoot what you want and what your confident with. being confident in your gear IS an important part of chasing big game and really any reasonably powerful rifle will get the job done.
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Trouthead
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One other thing to consider is where are you hunting? I want something that shoots approx. 160 gr. for deer and 180 gr. for Elk. I hunt thick stuff and short range (100 - 150 yd) so I need a slower, heavier load then someone who hunts open areas. A fast, lighter load is what you would want in those areas. I don't care for light loads on big game such as Elk. It can be done, just not for me.
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Tony1831
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I agree with the above comments re: using the right weapon for the job of humanely taking an animal.
The point is Grimm, your .243 will kill big game in only one shot, if you do your part and make a well aimed shot most of the time. For example, a 200 yard shot on an animal standing still with the crosshairs between his eyes will most likely result in a large thud, dropping right in its' tracks.
The one time you hit an animal and it doesn't drop or bleed externally though, you will wish you had a used bigger round to find some blood with.
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Gooose
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243 will do just fine on any deer out to 300 yards even if the round hits the heavier bones in the shoulder. A 100 grain bullet packs plenty of foot pounds at that range to do more than enough needed damage. Any hit that a deer can walk/run away from a 243 at that range or less they would just as easily walk away from all of the previously given cartridges. The differences just are not that great. It's only when you get in to the big mags that there would be enough damage from a marginal hit to the kill zone that you'll find a difference. Then you get to make extra hamburger out of prime eats.
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skyriver
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Goose, I agree the 243 has taken alot of deer and will stack up well with the 270's and other similar calibers but past 300 yds drops off quite a bit. As you have seen the 100 gr. bullets perform well I have personally seen them perform poorly when hitting large bone on a couple different ocassions. I Personally Like the bigger Magnums but hey, that's what I am comfortable and confident with. Oh yea I am also not afraid of the recoil.
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Gooose
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Sky agreed on the rapid dropoff past 300. I've also personally observed a 30-30 deflected off a deers shoulder blade at about 20 yards. Not afraid of recoil...I just like being able to shoot a couple boxes of ammo without getting beat up by it.
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Osprey
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I'll chime in here.
The 243 in acurate hands(very) will work for elk,it's a great deer gun(with limitations) 300 yards being max for these blackies on this side of the big hill.For the larger Mulie bucks I might keep that range a little shorter.
I also shoot a 280 in a 700#- mountain rifle...love it. 
Although I have a few others this is my choice. weight accuracy,recoil.
For years a packed a 760# Rem.pump carbine in a 30-06
In the dark woods I prefered the 200 grn round nose.
...talk about a brush gun...holy dead elk batman.
I also have been known to carry a 338 win mag in Rem 700 also when I want to get seriuos about long range Bulls!!
I looked ata lot of the new WSSM"s and the ultra mags the new 325 win....$$$$$$ what ever!!!
I think this classic round stands up real well to the new ones,for a BIG bullet it's pretty flat.
Some times there is no replacement for displacement i.e.
a big bullet for a big animal  .......just my.02....Os
Back to the topic .
If you wanted one gun in the BLR , shoot the 308.
Goose if I was as old and fragile as you I carry a 243 too....(jk)
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JimW
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Quote:
Osprey said:
Goose if I was as old and fragile as you I carry a 243 too....(jk)
 
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Gooose
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Actually my favorite deer round was one most here probably never heard of... 7.65mm Argentine Mauser.
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Osprey
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Goose my first rifle was 7x57 mauser,
I killed a few deer with it in my youth.......Os
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