Thread: 243 vs .308

This is my personal take on a somewhat contentious subject.
I think its a red herring to ask for advice for which caliber to buy for a first rifle, with the intent of picking a rifle of that specific calibre. Advice on specifically which calibre a new shooter shoot own is often erroneous, stemming from personal preferences or opinions that are often more limiting than useful.

My advice is to create a 'shortlist' of calibres that meet your basic criteria. i.e. What animals are you hunting or what range are your targets? Do you want a readily available and wide selection of brands of ammunition to buy at any gun store you walk into? Or, are you happy to hunt around for a box or two of your calibre when you can find it? Do you have a friend or family member able to reload for you? Does the choice of rifle matter?

Once you've had a think about this, you should be able to find 2, 3 or more calibre choices that fit your list. And if you don't have a criteria, then the world is your oyster in terms of choice. About the only caveat is to avoid heavy recoiling beasts too soon before you've built some shooting experience.

If you have a shortlist of options, the choice of what rifles you can buy readily opens up, and you're not as limited. This is especially important if budget is a concern and you're shopping on the second hand market. Which I also recommend to a new shooter.

Most of us on here have all been down the path of owning multiple rifles over the years, and chances are, for many of us, that first rifle and calibre choice didn't matter at all. You will eventually own more that one gun, some will go and others will stay, and you will build experience with a variety of calibres over your shooting journey.

Calibres are like chicks, if you wanna claim redheads are hotter than brunettes or blonds, go right ahead, but personally I would try them all before you marry one.