Looking around for a small/cheap centerfire rifle.I found the the 220 swift or the 22/250 calliber is around the smallest.Gonna be for my daughter who already has a semi 22 rim-fire,moving her up a notch is all.Any good suggestions by anyone that has used small varmint rifles,that have no need for extreme long range capability?Heard Savage is putting out good reasonably priced rifles these days,I usually am a Remington buyer though....Anyone here recommend a good 100 yard shooter that wont break the bank in this category????

22 Hornet. Look for single shot rifles. "Google" knows all, and will connect you to manufacturer websites.

While it's not the smallest the .243 is a great caliber. No recoil, abundant and cheap ammo on the shelf and can be used for larger game when the time comes.

Look for a Remington 700 in .243. Can be found most places and at a pretty good price.

While it's not the smallest the .243 is a great caliber. No recoil, abundant and cheap ammo on the shelf and can be used for larger game when the time comes.

Look for a Remington 700 in .243. Can be found most places and at a pretty good price.


A 243,I might be thinking the same thing.I was checking out Savage bolt actions and the callibers were at same retail price for same model.The lowest legal one to hunt with is a 223 "I think" in PA,got to look that up.Would be a multiple use then,but I still think thats a little light for a mature buck.Was thinking she could work her way up and use my 270,her second time hunting.And this year she is getting a doe tag so definitly will get in shooting,last year I took her was basically for the experience (no doe license).If she gets a bad shot light rounds can be unforgiving...Hmm decisions,heading to local sporting goods store tomorrow.Wish Walmart still sold guns!

By the way Wade,what do you think of the Remington 770 model guns?The price is real low on them.

I would have to agree with the .243. I know lots of guys will tell you that it isn't enough gun for white tail deer but I have to disagree with that. I had one given to me as a gift about 35 years ago and can honestly say I never had a deer run more than 75 yards after being hit. Granted the majority of them were hit in the chest cavity but a couple of them were shot through the guts. I since then have handed it down to my son who has succesfully taken 7 deer since he was 12 years old and he is now 17 years old. One of those was a wall mounter 8 pt. There are alot of different ammo choices out there and you would need to look into one that both performs adequately on deer and gives you the best accuracy possible. In my rifle I ended up using the 100 grain Remington Core Locked. Shot placement is is absolutely paramount as it is with even the larger caliber magnums. Bottom line is a poor placed shot will generally lead to an ugly long blood trail to no ware irregardless of what gun you choose. If you knock out their lungs or heart it will be a short tracking job. As far as using the 243 for a varmint rifle I would have to say it will do everything the .22 cal centerfires will do only better. There is alot of bullet choices available that will give you some pretty darn impressive results. In closing I would say that the .243 is a bit under rated but in reality if the bullet placement is correct your quarry is going down quickly. It is also a comfortable rifle to shoot as far as recoil goes. Ultimately the choice is yours of course but definately consider the .243.

By the way Wade,what do you think of the Remington 770 model guns?The price is real low on them.
I personally haven't shot the Rem 770 yet. However everything I've read says they are a decent choice. I don't think I'd be afraid of it. Remington makes a decent rifle with a decent barrel.

If you are worried about the .243 being to small. The 7MM-08 is one of my favorite calibers that I recommend for kids. Not a terribly common caliber, but it doesn't kick much and has plenty of knock down power for whitetail.

I would have to agree with the .243. I know lots of guys will tell you that it isn't enough gun for white tail deer but I have to disagree with that. I had one given to me as a gift about 35 years ago and can honestly say I never had a deer run more than 75 yards after being hit. Granted the majority of them were hit in the chest cavity but a couple of them were shot through the guts. I since then have handed it down to my son who has succesfully taken 7 deer since he was 12 years old and he is now 17 years old. One of those was a wall mounter 8 pt. There are alot of different ammo choices out there and you would need to look into one that both performs adequately on deer and gives you the best accuracy possible. In my rifle I ended up using the 100 grain Remington Core Locked. Shot placement is is absolutely paramount as it is with even the larger caliber magnums. Bottom line is a poor placed shot will generally lead to an ugly long blood trail to no ware irregardless of what gun you choose. If you knock out their lungs or heart it will be a short tracking job. As far as using the 243 for a varmint rifle I would have to say it will do everything the .22 cal centerfires will do only better. There is alot of bullet choices available that will give you some pretty darn impressive results. In closing I would say that the .243 is a bit under rated but in reality if the bullet placement is correct your quarry is going down quickly. It is also a comfortable rifle to shoot as far as recoil goes. Ultimately the choice is yours of course but definately consider the .243.


I started with the 243 as well in 100 grain weight,and killed deer with it.But I seen another young hunter shoot a medium sized buck directly in the shoulder broad-side and it got away,it kept running for probably miles.My 270 would of taken out both shoulders and drop it in its tracks with the 150 grain I use.

I personally haven't shot the Rem 770 yet. However everything I've read says they are a decent choice. I don't think I'd be afraid of it. Remington makes a decent rifle with a decent barrel.

If you are worried about the .243 being to small. The 7MM-08 is one of my favorite calibers that I recommend for kids. Not a terribly common caliber, but it doesn't kick much and has plenty of knock down power for whitetail.


Seen some bad reviews for the 766 as being cheap made.But they do have a youth model in that caliber/make.And for $300 ya cant lose much as a throw back gun in a couple years.I am worried about her being able to hold up a full size gun and getting steady aim on a deer.Just reviewd the 7mm-08 and looks like a winner as well.Heading to store soon,will get some guns in her hand and check out ammo sizes...Thanks for the help guys,hopefully will let ya know the decision later!

They didnt have much in stock today but had the 243 and 25-06 in this savage model.She had her choice between the 2 and wanted the 25-06 after the guy said the kick is not bad at all in this caliber...Thanks again everyone!!!!

They didnt have much in stock today but had the 243 and 25-06 in this savage model.She had her choice between the 2 and wanted the 25-06 after the guy said the kick is not bad at all in this caliber...Thanks again everyone!!!!
The 25-06 is a great caliber. That's what I started on. They are right, not a lot of kick. Pick up a bullet in the 110-117 grain range. She'll have deer on the ground easily with that rifle. Good luck this fall.

Shoot 110 gr Accubonds out of that .25-06. Great bullet. The 100 gr Barnes TSX is another great choice. Either of these will perform excellently for whitetails.

By the way Wade,what do you think of the Remington 770 model guns?The price is real low on them.


I've dealt in firearms for a long time, i'd buy a savage or a marlin xl7 long before id buy a rem 770 or 710...... You'll never go wrong with a 700 though.

Shoot 110 gr Accubonds out of that .25-06. Great bullet. The 100 gr Barnes TSX is another great choice. Either of these will perform excellently for whitetails.
Brotsky, what are you seeing as far as damage with the Accubonds? I know they've reworked the recipe cause the first years production wasn't right. We shot a young doe doing some testing and it left a football sized hole in her. It was pretty nasty.

Brotsky, what are you seeing as far as damage with the Accubonds? I know they've reworked the recipe cause the first years production wasn't right. We shot a young doe doing some testing and it left a football sized hole in her. It was pretty nasty.

They are holding together very, very well. Over the past year I killed a 200+lb pig, complete pass through with maybe a golf ball sized hole out the far side, a nice antelope buck again complete pass through at 497 yards with only a 1" exit hole (expected at that range), and a nice mule deer buck shot at about 300 yards complete pass through again with about a ping pong ball sized hole out the far side. All 3 died in their shadow. The accuracy has been very, very good. I'm running mine over 54 gr of H4831SC. I did have some older bullets and saw the same thing you mentioned. The little lady shot a doe with one awhile back and hit her a little far back. The deer was recovered with no problem but it was a mess.

.223 Rem or a .22-250 would probably work great on game up to a bear. .223 being the easiest to get ammo for and you can use surplus ammo for practice, which she should do a lot of. :)

Savage makes a decent gun for around $300.

Never mind...I saw your post on the rifle you bought. Nice gun, great caliber.

Pawn shops have good gun deals. This isn't the best time to be looking though.

I find some pretty good deals on the used gun rack near Christmas time.

I've dealt in firearms for a long time, i'd buy a savage or a marlin xl7 long before id buy a rem 770 or 710...... You'll never go wrong with a 700 though.

I agree, bought a Marlin XS7 in 243 last year for my son and we topped it with a Leupold 3-9x40 and that rifle is a tack driver. My son dropped a nice buck with it last year. Great gun at a great price

I have heard a lot of good things about the 25-06. I would like to mention that if you or your daughter are worried about recoil just go find yourself a slip on recoil pad. They are pretty inexpensive and do a good job of absorbing the shock. I bought one along with my .30-06 when I was a 150lb sophomore in HS. Worked just fine for me and now that I am older I just took it off.

what about a savage 22 hi power. no kick and a good deer gun. i have one and don,t use anything else for deer.

The .257 Roberts is a caliber to meet your needs. Bad on the critter end but gentle on the shooter. Ruger and Kimber offer the caliber and lots of ammo including +P which amps it up a bit. Great round for a kid or even an adult.

You should definitely look at the Savage. They are well built and very affordable. I researched Savage for the past year and all the reviews were all positive and all agreed they are the most accurate out of the box. Which means their quality control is top notch. I chose the Savage, the synthetic hunter, with AccuTrigger and the AccuStock, and I could have gone with a Ruger but I believe I have just a good a gun, and was able to put the price savings toward optics.

Savage has introduced a new price point model this year called the Axis. I compared it to the Remington 770 which is the direct competition, and IMHO the Axis is the better choice. The bolt on the 770 is loose and sloppy.