Thread: Barrel length considerations

Originally Posted by Longrun

Yes, I would say Fosters observations/assertions are fairly conservative. (Which is prolly a good thing)

I've recently been 'shocked' at how well a 223 was smacking deer and pigs @~200m night shooting for instance.

Nathan Foster's opinions are whatever he has read somewhere else on the internet. Ignore that site in its entirety.

The .243 (this is based on actual experience not reading the internet) is an excellent killer on red deer, fallow deer, tahr and chamois. The fastest kills I have ever made have been with the .243 (or the .25/06)

As for this notion that you have "more tolerance for poor shot placement with a larger caliber"- this is also horseshit. You don't. Thats the reality of shooting large animals. A bad shot with a .243 is also a bad shot with a .308 or a .303. Let me put it another way - there is nowhere you can shoot a deer badly with a .308 and still kill it, that a .243 won't have the same result.
In fact, in my experience the .243 for both velocity reasons and bullet construction, will often do more damage to a deer than a .308.

How did they manage to talk you out of a 6.5x55? Great cartridge too. Easy to shoot and will go everything you want. Use Sellier and Bellot factory ammo, or start reloading. (120 grain 6.5 bullet at 2950fps will do everything you need and more.)

Look, nothing wrong with a .308, but a .243 is a vicious killer easily its equal on deer and doesnt kick hardly at all. But you are going to want a full barrel length for that one.

Dont get a .308 with less than 20 inch barrel. And you dont need a supressor to kill deer. You've got enough to carry.

Just get a normal Tikka T3 in .308 or .243, or if you can find one, in 6.5x55. Then you are in business. Then start reloading for whatever you get.