Best All Around Beginner Rifle

the 243 is wonderful for what you are talking about, if you edit your location more helpful answers could be made based on the deer size your area is known for.

Also start practicing with the 22 more, it will help you so much when it comes time to hunt

I have found my 7-08 to be more pleasant to shoot than my 30-30 and the cartridge can be wonderfully accurate. With a 140 gr bullet, in rifles of the same weight a 7-08 will kick less than a 308 with a 165 gr bullet with about the same effectiveness on game. The 7-08 will recoil more than a 243, but you can use the 7-08 on game up to the size of elk at reasonable ranges with proper shot placement. There are lighter 7mm bullets for use on varmints.

I wish that I had one over 40 years ago when I was a teenager.

The 30-30 would be cheap, but not to accurate on varmint hunting.

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I do not agree. If you can get close, like under 200 yards, the 30-30 will kill deer & varmints alike with great accuracy. My experience has been that most Marlin 336 model lever actions are as accurate as most wooden-stocked non-free floated barreled bolt guns...1.5" groups at 100 yards.

I don't know if I would put a scope on a 30-30 or not.

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I would never hesitate to put a scope on a Marlin 336. They are drilled and tapped for scopes, and the bullet case ejects out of the side. A good 2-7x32mm scope is perfect for a Marlin. I wouldn't mount a scope on my Winchester Model 94 though.

Well, two separate questions, rifle and caliber, of course. What you're really asking is "Best All-Around *Centerfire* Chambering".

Hard to go wrong with any you have chosen, and your choices are all among the top ones, but I'd put them in this order for what you describe: .243 Win, 7mm-08, .260 Rem, .25-'06 Rem, .270 Win, 6.5x55, others.

As for rifle, depends heavily on budget, budget, budget (and chambering choice). I'd say choose the chambering you want first (ideally, in a vacuum), then tell us the realistic budget for rifle, sling, mounts, and scope, including tax, and whether you're willing to buy used, or new only, and then we can focus on rifle, and potentially make a chambering change at that point if the one you want is not available in the rifle that suits you best. The best style will most likely end up being a turnbolt, but not necessarily if you're partial to pumps or levers (or even semis). There are several very very good reasons why turnbolts are the most popular choice, by far, eclipsing all other action types.

...but last year a big 10 pointer it took 3 shots he said. He is the one who told me to get something bigger.

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Nonsense. If we went by who all had to put more than one round into an animal after a marginal or bad first shot, we'd ALL be telling you "Whatever you do, get something bigger than a .30-06 or .50 Cal ML". .243 is plenty o' nuff gun. That can happen with ANY chambering. Shot placement and bullet selection: 99.99%. Chambering: 00.01%.

If your looking for cheap and somewhere to start, look at surplus rifles! I'll present two for you that are very affordable and fit your criteria.

Mausers
$200 and up
8mm
potent enough for dear
very cheap (surplus)
decently accurate (keep it within 300 yards open sights and you'll be fine)
historic value

Mosin
$99 and up
7.62x54r
same as 8mm but even cheaper
but recoils pretty hard

Both rifles will serve you well and are very durable. They have decent stock iron sights, but can be scoped (if that is your thing).

These would be overkill for varmints, but for small ones you can use the .22.

Best Regards.

Savage Stevens 200 or Marlin XL7 in .270.

Fast;
I commend you on your excellent selection and exploration.
Al

I like the .243 Win. for that application. Or.....

.30-06. One Rifle to rule them all.......

How big a'old boy are ya? 16, soon you will want something with a little more...kick, punch, whatever. .30-06 is pretty versatile, all around North American game round. Now this doesnt meet your varmint rifle specs so, get an Encore or Handi Rifle with a spare barrel. Or better, two rifles.

Faster, get a Savage with the Accu-trigger and the scope package. You will want to up-grade the scope later, but you should be able to get into a .243 or .270 for about 400 bucks. FWIW, I'm not a .243 fan, think it's very dependent on the right bullets. For deer, get the 100 grain bullets. The .270 would be the better choice, especially if you get a chance to hunt some hogs.

For the Savage package deals, the big box stores will have the best prices - try Dicks, Bass Pro, even Wal-Mart.

Savage model 10 package series. A darn fine little rifle the comes with a low end scope that you can always upgrade later. Price is around $525 and plenty of gun for any deer that walks in NC.

IMHO, the .243, like the .357 sixgun, should be relegated to the expert. I know lots of folks use both but they are really marginal for big game. There is little margin for error and shot placement should be perfect and only broadside shots should be taken. I'd recommend a little more beef in the form of a .260Remington or 7mm-08. They're a little more forgiving and with proper bullet selection should yield enough penetration for quartering shots and full pass throughs. Two holes are better than one. If you can handle the .243, you can handle either of those.

This pict is from a outfitter in NC who is probably showing off a pretty good buck.

My boys buck taken on our farm in Kansas. IMHO if a well placed shot from a .243 can take a large buck it will certainly take a smaller deer with a well placed shot. No I am not dogging on NC but the deer back east ain't the deer in the midwest. Does not matter if they are the same species or not. Midwest deer are corn fed bubba's.

As much as I love the 243, the best in the list of all arounders, including long distance varmints, is the 25.06. Very versatile.

Fast, I wouldnt worry about recoil of any of the rounds listed if you are shooting a 12 gauge regularly.

I went through the same thing when i was your age. I got a remington 700 in 30-06 first. Then saved up saved up and bought a remington 700 in 22-250(a year or two later). I think the 243 while a jack of all trades is a master of none. Save up and get both you won't regret it.

While I prefer a little larger caliber for deer myself (.25 to .28cal being the sweet spot, IMO), I'd say that factoring in cost of ammo, light recoil and the desire for deer/varmint capability in one rifle, .243 is probably your best bet. Just make sure to use good bullets for deer, 95 or 100gr, and pick your shots wisely. The 55gr through 85gr loads in .243 are generally for varmints/predators only! I personally would not shoot over 200 yards or so at deer with a .243. Later, when you have grown more comfortable and skilled with a centerfire rifle, you can buy yourself a nice 30-06/308 or maybe a .270.

I was 16; 5-11" and 125 pounds when I got my first '06. The steel buttplate on that old Enfield danged near beat me to death. That didn't stop me from burning up several hundred rounds of GI Ball ammo, that summer...

But of the cartridges talked about, either the .243 or the 7mm08 oughta serve quite well.

With the .243, the 100-grain bullets will work just fine on Bambi. I have found that the Federal loads with the Sierra 85-grain HPBT are as accurate as my handloads with that bullet--and that's the load I've used on some 20+ bucks. That little bullet does horrible things to coyotes and feral cats.

Even my arthritic shoulder doesn't complain at the recoil of my 7mm08, and it's a 6.5 pound rig. (700Ti; outside the price range for this thread.) Just offhand, I'd figure the recoil of a 7mm08 to be no worse than any 20-gauge.

you can go even lower then 243, people been shooting deer with 22-250 and .223 the only thing you might want to consider is faster twist for heavier bullets, 1:8 is just perfect, 80 grain VLD's in 224 caliber never failed... (that's Berger bullets)
so go with Tikka T3

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...en/common/search/search-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=17

how bout a NEF or H&R with 2 bbls one in .30-06 and the other in .223

Plain and simple, get a 243 win., and shoot 100gr or 95gr bullets. I am now 22 and can remember not so long ago my first rifle was a 243, it was (and is) a winchester featherweight. I love this caliber, I now have two, the second is a stainless classic with a burris 3-9x40 scope, I found at a pawn shop.
Trust me, a 243 is just about perfect for deer and varmints. It has very low recoil, ammo is easy to find and cheap. I have only shot three deer with it, but several hogs, some going 200lbs. I mostly use it for predators and varmints. (coyotes, Bobcats, coons, opossum, skunk, and stray dogs and cats.

I would look for a good used rifle first. But you can get a very good rifle for about $400, check academy. But, speaking from experience, do not buy a cheep rifle scope. You can buy a good nikon or burris for right around $200.

Buy QUALITY first, you save money in the long run.

How much do you want to shoot and how much can you afford to spend on ammo?
Also what kind of varmint ranges are you working with?

If I were going to have to be begging my parents for ammo I'd be leaning towards the 30-30 and maybe a leeloader classic reloading kit (~$20). My parents would have told me "no you'll blow yourself up!" but I still would have been asking lol.