[LabShooter]

Hey all,
First time posting in any forum ever, so hope I'm in the right spot. I'm looking to buy my first centrefire rifle. The only shooting experience I have is with a .22 and a 12 gauge using #7 shot. I'm thinking a Rem 783, in either .243 or .270. Basically I'm looking for a comparison in recoil of the .243 and .270 as compared to a 12 gauge. Also any other insights you have is more than welcome.

Thanks

EDIT:

Okay, Im getting that I need to give more info. We mostly hunt rock ptarmigan with the 12 using #7 or 6. ive been using the 12 for about 12 years or more and have no issues with it. .22 for 17 years, since I was 7. I want to start applying for a big game licence. Id love to go for Caribou but am also applying for moose. very different size animals. Itll be a few years before my name gets drawn and in the mean time id like to get comfortable at the range with a rifle with a bit of recoil. any suggestions are welcome. Im in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Most of my hunting is currently done in the winter. Long story short, im used to 12 gauge recoil, want to get experience with a rifle that has some recoil before i get approved for a licence

 

[tdoyka]

i have a ruger #1 in 270 and i like it alot. 140gr hornady sst with imr4350. its recoil is really manageable. a 12ga has way more recoil.

i used to use 243(rem 700 adl and bdl, rem m7) but it just didn't do it for me. every deer ran after the shot(100gr hornady, 100gr speer, 85gr x-bullet....). they would go 30-125 yards shot thru the lungs/heart. the blood trail wasn't that spectacular either.

https://i.imgur.com/VGeO5ZP.jpg

 

[Don Fischer]

You will only ever have one first rifle, you can always get another. I'd do the 243 first time out for no reason other than low recoil.

 

[onondaga]

it is just math

LabShooter

There are free to use recoil calculators online that will definitively answer your question on recoil. You will have have to enter your variables of projectile weight, velocity and all up weight of your firearm, then click calculate to compare your choices to the 12 ga load and firearm you are familiar with.

What you are hunting and the distance you expect to shoot are much more important to base your selection on. Factory ammo has good selections in both the calibers you mention, but as a reloader, I tailor my loads in every caliber based on humane harvest load level for the maximum range I expect to shoot. It is just math and free online calculators do this well. Deer size animals need 1,000 foot-pounds on impact to the vital zone for humane harvest. Run some of the load levels you are interested in on a calculator like this:

Handloads.Com Ballistic Calculator

A recoil calculator is also linked top left of that page too.
Also, If you hand-load, I'd recommend 30-06 as bullet weights 100 to 230 grains are available in many bullet designs and your range of loads far surpasses either .243 or .270 and you can tailor recoil where you want it, along with impact levels for woodchuck to Grizzly. There are many more bullet selections in 30 caliber than .243 or .270.

As an example, I like big bore results on big game and I tailor reduced cast bullet loads for 200 yard humane harvest for Bear with a 350 gr FNGC at 1700 fps and the load kicks less than a 30-30 lever rifle with 170 gr factory loads compared to my 10 pound all up Colt Sauer Grand African .458 Win Mag with my tailored load. I tailored my Bear load in .458 Win Mag to kick less than my 30-30 Winchester by calculation with online software. I can also painlessly practice all I want with my favorite rifle..

Gary

 

[Dom]

I highly recommend the 260 Rem or a 6.5x55. They will give you the light recoil of the 243 but with appropriate bullets will allow you to take heavy game like elk. Check them out & be informed of their capabilities.

 

[Darkker]

The 783 is what "replaced" the Marlin XL7 after Cerberus got ahold of marlin.
So, that means those rifles take the standard Savage small shank barrels and nuts.

If you started with the standard length action(270), you can always re-barrel for very little money and go either magnum, or small action cartridge with it. My XL-7 originally came in 25-06, but is currently a Creedmoor.

 

[MontyF]

Welcome to the shooters forum.
For recoil comparison what loads are you talking about in the 12 guage? If waterfoul or turkey loads even the .270s recoil will seem light.

 

[Crusty Ol'Coot]

LabShooter,

Hard to answer that question as you don't supply near enough info!

I have owned and loved the .243 for years and found it to be a worthy deer cartridge, but I have also owned 270s.

Still own a .243 this many years later but the .270s were passed on.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS!!!!!!!!!!

If you are looking towards joining the ranks of the handloader's, I'd suggest taking the selection a bit further.

I bought a loner rifle, a RUGER American in 30/06 a few years back and for the young and inexperienced shooter/hunter I was working with, loaded "reduced" loads that allowed the young and inexperienced shooter to gain lots of trigger time and NEVER become recoil sensitive.

Then, before hunting season all that is needed is for an experienced shoot to "sight in" the rifle with hunting loads which the new shooter will never feel in a hunting situation.

Both cartridges you mention are good for applications suitable to that cartridge and the ,243 can also do VERY well in the varmint hunting.

Have pretty much set my .243 back for the taking of ground vermin with a 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint bullet. 22/250 velocities and trajectory in a rifle that with something like a 100gr Nosler Partition will quickly cross over for deer hunting.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

[Sus Scrofa]

Yep, ignore them both and buy either a 6.5x55 or recoil wise even better a 257 Roberts both will kill any deer in the US if you do your job.

 

[joe12180]

Of those two the 270 is a much better cartridge for deer hunting. Both recoil much less than a 13 gauge but the 270 does recoil more than the 243. There are a number of cartridges that I consider to be excellent for deer hunting and low recoil. The 243 is not one of them and the 270 is on the high end of the recoil of those I consider excellent. 25-06, 6.5 Creedmoor, 270, 7mm08 and 308 are the cartridges that I would recommend for anyone?s first deer rifle. Of those I have come to think of the 7mm08 as about ideal. Low recoil and plenty powerful to get the job done. You can?t go wrong with any of them though.

 

[Don Fischer]

Something to be aware of on those printed recoil table's, they are only number's. How much recoil you can take will only be found buy shooting a rifle in that cartridge. And then the weight of the rifle is gonna make a difference in the recoil. Heavy rifle equals less recoil. I've shot a 270 some and it didn't seem to bad to me but> I'd been shooting rifle's of much heavier recoil for a lot of year's. I strongly suggest you find someone with one and try it out. Basically, anything on the 308 case deliver's less recoil than cartridge's on the 30-06 case in similar rifles. With heavier recoil, wood stock is your friend, heavier than the plastic and less felt recoil. Also don't get took in on those really light rifle's, again they mean more felt recoil. You might not find it objectionable but you'll never know till you fire the first round! For the first one out get a small bore, 243, 260, may+be 6.5 Creedmoor. I'm not so sure the 6.5x55 would be the way to go for no other reason ammo will be harder to find than the others.

 

[Ruger Rebel]

I love my .243 Hawkeye... just something cool about those little bullets. They are killers by the way!!

 

[Cheezywan]

Already have a 22 and a 12 gauge. You have all that you need.

 

[mullthing]

I have both 243 and 270. Both seem to be lighter recoil than 12 gauge to me. 243 is great for everything up to whitetails. 270 would be good for whitetail and beyond. If you are just starting to shoot, 243 and move up to 270 once you can handle the 243.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Without any info on your intended purpose I voted 270. IMHO the 270 can do just about everything a 243 can with light bullets (except being heavier recoil in a lightweight rifle) and has more ability with heavier bullets for heavier jobs. I think that the 270 is a very versatile cartridge.

I have a 270, it was my first scoped bolt rifle and I still love it.

 

[Redhat]

If at all possible, you should try each before you buy. Got any friends or acquaintances with rifles in these calibers? Maybe they'll let you shoot them.

Personally, I am a fan of the .270 Win and it is my only hunting rifle but for a new shooter, I like to start them out on a caliber with very little recoil so they can better concentrate on establishing good marksmanship fundamentals. This is hard to do if you develop a flinch from the recoil and dread pulling the trigger.

So with what info you've provided, I'd start with the .243 Win. then plan to move up to a larger caliber later. In the mean time you can use it for varmints or deer while becoming a good rifleman.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

One thing to note: How much recoil you feel directly relates to the weight of the rifle, specifically Walnut stocks as opposed to very light synthetic stocks found on many entry level rifles. I have a Rem 700 ADL synthetic with a 22" bbl in 270 Win and a Winchester 70 Super Grade with a 26" bbl and Grade V Walnut in 338 Win Mag. I find the recoil of the 270 when using 150gr bullets sharper and more fatiguing to shoot than the much heavier Winchester pushing 225gr bullets with a stout charge of IMR4350. Since I got into reloading, I found out my 270 favors 130gr bullets and the recoil was tamed down a bit from the factory 150s I used to shoot.

All in, the synthetic stocked Remington is easier to carry when alot of walking is the order of the day, but at the range the Super Grade is the more pleasant shooter even though it's chambered in a much more powerful round that according to recoil calculators has significantly more recoil energy.

Just some food for thought to keep in mind... But I'd still vote for the 270

 

[nachogrande]

Welcome & good luck.

Both calibers mentioned are excellent in their own right, but quite different, 1 being a long action that needs a longer barrel, the other pretty much the opposite. An apples vs oranges comparison with MANY other good choices available as well. NO MENTION of your location, intended uses, expected ranges, or personal preferences if you have any YET. BOTH would recoil less than a 12 ga IMO. I normally recommend a 308/7mm08. The 260, 7x57, 257 ROB have a lot going for them as well. Back in the day when I bought my first centerfire I wanted something nobody else in deer camp would have & got the 7mm08, it has remained my go to for well over 30 years and a bunch of other calibers. A good stock fit and an aftermarket recoil pad "should" make any caliber up to 30-06 less recoiling than a 12 ga with slugs or turkey loads, IMO.

 

[james faber]

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[60DRB]

Like Crusty stated... need more information as to the purpose of your rifle. Both of your choices kick less than a 12 ga.