Hey everyone. I'm looking at getting a new hunting rifle for deer. I have narrowed my list down to three rifles but I can't decide what caliber I want to go with. The rifle I will choose will have a 22" barrel or shorter. I live in upstate NY near the Canadian border and hunt deer.
The three rifles I am looking at are:
- Howa 1500
- Ruger American
- Savage 11 Trophy Hunter
The calibers I have considered are; 6.5 creedmore, 7mm-08, 308, 270 and 243.
I am looking for something with light recoil but has enough power to knock down a deer. I have a rifle in 270 already. From what research I've done the 7mm-08 has less recoil compared to the 270 and 308. The 243 has the least recoil but can lack the power to take down a deer. From my reading it seemed that the 6.5 is the best choice packing a punch and light recoil compared to the 270,7mm-08, and 308. The only issue with the 6.5 is ammo availability. I would like a caliber that I can pick up anywhere and not have issues finding it. If I want to run some rounds down range during the off season I want to be able to buy ammo without having to buy some off brand because it's the only box left on the shelf.