Hi friends.

I'll be picking out a new rifle this spring for my son-in-law, who will be learning-about rifles and deer hunting. (from the ground-up.... 22 first.... lots of range time.... taking hunter education, etc. etc.)

He is a bright and thoughtful young man, and will do well, but I am in a dilemma on what to purchase.
My two "leanings" are a Marlin 30-30 or a bolt-action 243. We will be hunting western Washington, so shots will be 200 yards or less, and most likely between 50 and 150 yards.
What is your advice on this?

If you are leaning towards the bolt-gun, who is making the best entry-level bolt-action nowadays? (decent accuracy/reliability for a fair price)

Your thoughts?

For deer only I'd go .243 but throw Black Bear in the mix and give me the .30-30.

RAR 243, Tikka 243. Just not a fan of levers anymore. Seems we start there, then move on.

I would choose the 243. It's a lot more versatile than a 30/30. I was hunting in Northern California when I saw Buck on the next Canyon. It was getting late and he was about 400 yards away. But all I had with me was a 30/30, so I couldn't take the shot. With a 243 I could have taken the shot.

Much as I love my Marlin .30-30, I have to say a .243 is more versatile.

I've got a bolt action .243 and a Marlin .30-30. If I could only have one for deer under 200 yards I'd take the .30-30. In fact, I have a safe full of scoped bolt action rifles and the Marlin .30-30 is still my favorite and most used deer rifle.

Marlin XS7 in 243 from CDNN, $250 while they last, but if you want one, you'd better hurry.

Plus, I think that exposed hammer firearms are dangerous in the hands of the great majority of novice hunters or at least in the hands of those who I have seen while afield.

It pains me to say but, .243. I love the dirty thirty though and it will do a heckuva lot of hunting.
HD

Realize not the question, but 7-08 or 308 would be better choices..

Tikka or Ruger or Winchester.

A marlin 336 is a better rifle than an XS7 and if anybody is too stupid to use an exposed hammer rifle safely then they're too stupid to be out hunting. For crissakes I've been using one since I was 12 years old and have NEVER had a problem.

I'd get an 30-30 because I like the handling and ambidextrous nature of lever guns. I also love my old 1960's vintage Marlin and how slick it functions. It will do all you need and it's an really nice package with an red dot sight in woods like you have.

For me its handling. I just like the fit and handling of my old Marlin, but if ranges are longer than of course the 243 leaves it in the dust.

During the past ammo shortage I still saw 30-30, 243, 270, and 30-06 widely available. That's the beauty of these common sport calibers.

Sentiment aside, go with the 243.

.30-30 for the easy win here. That's how I started and that's how my kids will start as well. I have actually had young shooters prefer the .30-30 over .243s at the range. The managed recoil load in the .30-30 is a real puppy dog.

Since you are dealing with an adult the lever would be OK but 30-30 limiting. I started all the kids and grandkids on bolt-30-30's. Now we have so many 7-08s in the family I lost count and if needed there are reduced recoil factory loads available. He won't out-grow the 7-08 ever.

Love the 30-30, but the 243 is more versatile. Ruger American.

Definitely this. While he may start hunting with you in western Washington, he could end up anywhere, so he might as well have a rig he can use for elk, bear, hogs, and whatever else strikes his fancy down the road. In nearly 30 years of hunting western Washington, I've taken most of my deer up close, but I've had opportunities to reach out and hammer stuff way across a clear cut. A 30-30 doesn’t have the reach for that and a 243 is starting to get a little light for some of the bigger stuff.

If you’re near Bothell, DJ’s Sport Shop on Beardslee Boulevard is heaven for shooters. They have several hundred solid used rifles in stock, from rimfires to stuff you’d take to Africa. Plus, many of their rifles have 24hourcampfire-approved modifications like good synthetic stocks, glass bedding, Leupold glass, etc. You can easily go nuts in there, but I’d focus on a Remington M-700, Winchester M-70, Ruger 77, etc. They’ll have dozens from which to choose.

Also, sign him up for a Hunter’s Safety course NOW. They book quickly, and if you wait until April there won’t be a free slot anywhere in the state. When I was in the gun business, I saw a lot of kids not get to hunt because their folks waited until June to sign them up. Kenmore Gun Range (http://www.wcwi.org/education-and-training/) and the Renton Fish & Game Club (http://www.rfgc.org/education/) have good programs.

PM me if you have questions.


Okie John

I can respectfully offer a 7mm-08 I have listed in the classifieds. Very nice rifle.

Of the two choices, I vote for the 30-30. It's all one needs to get started and it doesn't really limit his opportunities much since the majority of all shots are made within its useful range, and a lever action is an excellent hunting rifle. As he progresses in hunting he can get a bolt action later chambered for something better than a .243. If a bolt action were the choice, I agree with the idea of a 7mm-08 or a .308 Win. Or for that matter a 7x57, .25-06 or .270 Win.

7-08, find a stainless Tikka T3.

243

Bolt action 6.5x55.

30/30. Learn him to get inside 100 yards.

Thanks to all for all the great comments, advice and suggestions....

I really appreciated all the replies.

:-)

I have both. I carry my Dad's '94 on walk-about (for over 20 years now), killed my first moose with a Marlin 336, back in about '70.

Killed my first Dall ram with the Rem 700 .243, as did my wife on her first (only) moose.

Go with the .243.

Shot placement is almost everything - caliber and bullet weight matters, but recoil is less than the .30-30, promoting better placement. The 100 gr. .243 will do fine on most NA game with good placement. The .243 has less recoil, so will promote better placement. Louder, so use ear protection when practicing. In fact, double it up, plugs and muffs.

Bolt rifles tend to be more accurate than levers, tho my '94 is near as accurate (or better) as the 700 at 100 yards. Aperature sights vs scope, at that. MY eyes ain't that good anymore, and the 700 ain't that accurate, but there you go...

How about a .243 lever action like the Henry Long Ranger?

With exceptions, bolt action rifles tend to be more accurate than levers, or so they tell me.... .

I suspect the physical action of working a bolt also tends to "settle" a shooter more than working a lever. Again, exceptions.

Hammer block safeties solved that problem 30 years ago.

Let him hang out with all the cool kids--- 6.5 Creedmoor!

Ruger American Predator, just about perfect for starting out, plus has room to grow into and personalize. If the hearing protection act passes - just put a suppressor on it. No need to buy a new gun. Affordable, accurate... uber cool.

Not being a wisenheimer, just saying that there are several great things going for the 6.5--- one of them being affordable match grade ammo that is very accurate and builds confidence in shot placement. Plus its a sheer joy to shoot. Versatility , as others have mentioned 6.5 creedmoor can be used for a lot of different hunts. And final point, while nothing is wrong with either a 243 or 30-30, a love affair with a 6.5 creedmoor could turn him into a rifle looney like the rest of us nutcases on the fire.



I still have a 30-30, and several 243's. I can't tell you how many years it has been since either of them have been on a hunt. 6.5 creedmoor however, gets used all the time. Coyotes, deer, antelope, even took an elk with it.

I bought a RAR in 243 Win last year for my wife. Although the finish is a bit rough, the price was very reasonable and it is a very good shooter. It's plenty accurate.

Let him handle examples of both rifles and make the decision on which fits him the best. The cartridge difference will be negligible for a novice shooter as he will have no business shooting at game past about 150 yds for a long while anyway. Get him a good fixed 4X scope with a simple duplex reticle. Keep the whole rig as simple as you can. If he graduates to being a rifle loony, he will want other rifles in the future anyway. Fit to shooter is the most important factor.

I'm really confused on your 2 choices. Kind of like asking if you should buy a jeep or a Prius and not considering anything else. My answer on your 2 choices would be neither. While either will work and I have used rifles similar to both on deer, my inclination would be a bolt action in a caliber anywhere from 257 to 308 starting with mild reloads or reduced factory fodder.
That would give the young man a rifle he can use for the rest of his hunting lifetime and be adequate for almost anything in most of NA.

Probably the best advice yet.

That's a great price on rifles that, if not prom queens, have a reputation for shooting well.

Not so sure about the exposed hammer thing. First, others can easily see if the rifle is fully cocked or not, something that can be more difficult wit bolt guns. Second, many such rifles not have hammer-block safeties, making them little different than bolt guns. Third, novices can easily fail to use the safety on a bolt gun, or improperly cycle cartridges to unload the magazine.

The big difference I see is when lowering the hammer on a loaded chamber. The opportunity for an AD due to a thumb slip certainly exists. I know that for a fact...

That's what the crossbolt safety is for.

Yep, have always been partial to the presafety Marlins, but 11 year old daughter showed me that the safety has it place. Kids especially can let that hammer slip when lowering. Luckily were practicing an unloaded rifle.

Lever action 30-30s are fun and quite capable but I would pick a bolt action 243 10 times out of 10 for this purpose. Pick the right scope and they will work close to far. A fixed 4, fixed 6 or 2-7/2.5-8 would be just about right.
Ruger American, Marlin X7, Remington 700, etc.

A bolt gun in 243 is near perfect for deer and borderline acceptable for game up to elk with less recoil than a lever action 30-30. If game larger than deer were in the discussion I'd probably opt for one of the 6.5's, 7-08 or 308, but between the 2 I'd go 243 hands down.

Levers are just more complex than they need to be for inexperienced shooters. The ones with crossbolt safeties are safer to unload, but it is still another step. I consider 30-30 to be quite over rated. Sure it kills stuff, but so does every other smokeless powder round invented since 1890. It offers no advantage over any of them, even some that predate the 30-30.

I'd bet I've killed more deer with a .30-30 and .243 than anybody else on this thread. Killed my 80th this past season with the .30-30 and 30ish {lost count} with the .243. Both kill deer but the .30-30 is the better deer cartridge at the 50-150 yard ranges quoted by the OP. It's better because it's 170 grain .30 caliber bullets almost always exit on anything but a lenghthwise shot, even through both shoulders or with quartering shots and consistently puts more blood on the ground. It may not be a spectacular killer or a long range flat shooter but it's a damned awful dependable killer inside 200 yards. The hogwash that the .30-30 kicks more than the .243 is just that. In fact, in equal weight rifles, recoil energy is so close between the two with common deer weight bullets as to hardly be worth mentioning. The thing being, most of the cheap, lightweight, bolt guns recommended so far are substantially lighter than a 336 and consequently would actually recoil more.

A lot of the people who talk about how unimpressed they are with the .30-30 have never shot anything with one. Or so I've noticed.