The 7x57 is the lightest caliber with the lightest recoil that I would hunt any animal on earth with, and that is one hell of a recommendation....With a 130 gr. Speer at 3000 and a 175 gr. bullet at 2600 or better its damn hard to beat...It's a 270 or a 30-06 with less recoil than either.

I cannot think of a better caliber going...The .308 is in that same catagory, lots to offer without the recoil IMO...

I am looking for a single shot-prefer a Ruger #1, and have found #1's in each of the listed calibers, but I am not familiar with the 7 mauser/7x57 and have never shot a 257 or a 25 06. The gun will have a shorter barrel 22-24 inches and will be used by a smaller framed persons, namely wife and daughter, so recoil is a issue to consider. I am kinda leaning away from the 25 06 only cause I hear they do better with the 26 inch barrel. I am leaning towards the 243 only 'cause that is what I grew up shooting, but I understand the advantages of the 257 and 25 06 over the 243, but if you want to hit those points as well feel free--you can never have "enough" education.

we will be hunting mostly whitetail deer80 to 200 lbs in general, some stand hunting, some stalking...

what do ya think?

257 Roberts sounds like the perfect choice. It can easily handle whitetails out to 200 yds, has very modest recoil, and will have less muzzle blast than the 25-06 out of a shorter barrel.

JMO
9.3

I dont own the 25 caliber ones listed, because I own a 257 Roberts is 6.5 mm instead. The Roberts case will do 90 % plus of what the 25/06 will do with a lot less powder and much longer barrel life.

I own and shoot 243s a lot. I also own the 7 x 57.

If I was limited myself to one rifle, of the ones mentioned, I'd have to go with the 7 x 57. 25 caliber varmint bullets start with the 87 grainers, really. A 7 mm one starts with 100 grainers that can be driven to the same velocity.

The biggest bullet in 25 caliber is 120 grains and 105 grains in a 243. The 7 mm has some very good bullets starting at 120 grains that will easily equal the first calibers' performance.
Yet recoil will be the same!

Then 7mm will offer a lot of bullet weight choices up to 175 grains.

And in one way or another, directly or indirectly, all of those calibers listed are spin offs of the original 7 x 57 Mauser anyway. Although I am a real 6mm and 6.5mm fan, so many rounds produced after the USA copied the 7 x57 Mauser and lengthened it and made it in 30 caliber, to 30/06, have been offshoots of what the 7 x 57 could originally do anyway.

And in a recent test on this forum, listed in Alaska Big Game hunting, a 7 x 57 with a 175 grain bullet actually OUT PENETRATED! a 7 mmRemMag with the same bullet, at a distance of 15 feet POI.

The 7 x 57 is the most versatile of all the ones you have mentioned.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

I agree w/seafire. I own a ruger 1a in 7x57 and love it.
I have taken mule deer and antelope with it and had great success. Mild recoil, short and easy to carry.

The only major problem I have had with the ruger is keeping it away from my oldest son when we go out!

shep

if you don't reload go 25'06, i think 1a's don't balance well.. i have 1 in 7x57 and it is very accurate. i use 154 round noses with rl15 and it will kill any deer that walks.
i have 4 257 roberts but not a 1b simply because they weigh 9+ pounds with a scope.. the good thing about a 243 it forces you it improve your wood craft because you get to spend lots of time tracking wonded deer..i guess that i think a #1 is probably too heavy rifle for a child so i'd probably buy a remington mountain rifle or winchester featherweight..if you really want a #1 i'd go with the 7x57

I have used and hunted deer with all of the rifle cartridge combinations you mentioned. first of all lets eliminate the 26-06; short barrel and to much jet thrust bashing the shoulder,and the bullet performance can be more critical then with the slower moving bullets in the other calibers.\
The .243 and .257 roberts will get the job done on the white tails you intend to hunt and the recoil for a small framed person should be acceptable. Having said that, however, the 7x57 with 139gr. to 154gr. bullets can give you adequte or better killing performance at reduced loadings that will also yield acceptable levels of recoil. Seafire/B17G (who also posted on this thread)is doing some fine reduced load postings(Blue Dot and the Man) that tie in nicely, nicely here.I also would erge you ,when you get that stock cut to fit that smaller framed person, to put a fair sized recoil pad on it. roger

I do not reload--I use factory ammo, so those of you touting the 7x57/Mauser, does this make a difference to your answers?

BTW, I have used the 243 and never had to track a wounded deer, matter of fact, the only deer I have ever had to track was a doe shot at 50 yards in the arse with a 410 slug (I was 10 years old and did not know any better) and another doe I shot with a .223 at 75 yards-hit her a little too far back and since I was in the brush with her, she disappeared quickly, but after 2 minutes I heard her last gasp so I waited another 20 minutes to make sure and then found her with in 50 yards. I think with appropriate shot placement, a 243 will do the job well and I plan on teaching shot placement/ethics etc... to anyone I intro into the hunting sports. I think over time hunters have fallen in love with the big bores and the magnums that allow one to fudge on shot placement and ranges. (ie. shots at 350 yards at a deer walking/running away from you)I never even heard of a "TEXAS heart shot" (and I've been a Texan, living and hunting in Texas all my life) until I started visiting these forums and would never stoop to taking a shot like that. Respect the animal you hunt enough to make a good, ethical shot and pass in shots that are not the most advantagous...there will be other opportunities, more deer will come along.

OK, sorry folks---I'll get off my soap box for now.

Dave

If you use store bought ammo, then the cheapest to shoot would be the 243 by far.

Other than the cheaper ammo, then I would still say 7 x 57 .

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Having used all four calibers on game, I've sold off my .243 and .25-06, and seldom use the .257. I guess that means I'd go with the 7x57 too! I don't think you can go wrong with the 7x57; recoil is very tolerable (It always seemed lighter than my .25-06 to me, and you should have no worries about plenty of killing power. I've used mine with both factory loads and handloads on deer, hogs and one moose with no problems. Although ammo selection (factory) may not be as good as some of the others, there are still some good choices. With its moderate velocity, a lot of "standard" bullets work very well on deer, and there is always the Federal Premium with 140 nosler (although I believe the standard bullets in this weight and velocity are quicker killers on deer). Hornady makes (or did) make some very good loads in the caliber too, as does Norma and other European manufacturers. The one advantage of the .25-06 would be a flatter trajectory at long range, but there really isn't much difference in drop between factory 120s in the .25-06 and the Hornady light magnum 139s in the 7x57.

I've got a 25-06 and a 243 (and a 7-08 actually which would be similar to the 7x57) but somehow in my mind the styling and such of the Ruger says "7x57" or maybe 257. They somehow just seem like more "classic" rounds or something suited to the style of the rifle. (though realistically even the "new" boys like the 06 and 243 have been around awhile these days). Thats strictly a perception thing. As far as what's going to work better for deer--it won't make a nickels difference quite honestly. Some may think so, and have their pets, but it won't. So pick what suits your fancy.

I'm sure I can't add anything that has not already been said. However, I am a liflong fan of the little 7x57. I shot my first Elk with one back in 1951, and I haven't changed my mind since.
It is very "user friendly", seems to like about anything you can stuff in it, and you can shoot it all day from the bench to get a "real" zero out to your longest capabilities.
The 7-08 should and will do about everything the older 7mm will do, If I were looking for a rifle, for a smaller person, I would look no farther...big boys can learn a thing or two from the 7x57 also.
Unfortunately, factory loads do not do justice to this old round in a modern rifle, and we all understand the reasons why. Handloads put this round in a little world that is all it's own.
Respectfully, Russ

While I don't have experience with the 7x57 I do with the .257 Roberts, .243, and recently the .25-06.

My wife is now pretty happy with the .257 Roberts, she is about 5'6" 130 lbs. ( don't tell her I told ) and she handles the recoil very easily. I recently started working with a .25-06 and noted an increase in blast and recoil. The .243 is a demure little round and it works but doesn't seem to put them down as easily. Shot placement seems very criticle with this one.
The reason I said my wife is "now" happy with the .257 is that I started her with small caliber rifles and moved her up. On some advice, I picked up a Rem model 600 in .308 and about ruined my chances of ever taking her deer hunting again. She suddenly didn't want to go shooting, and when I asked about it she said she didn't like it. Nothing more. After prying it out of her she said it kind-of hurt. I had been shooting quite a bit with my .338 WM and hadn't noticed the recoil. Well after a while of not shooting anything bigger than the .257 I fired a few with the .308 after changing scopes. Boy what a surprise! I found it unpleasant myself! She has since started using the .257 when we go out and says she "likes" it. This is a womans point of view. My buddies wife has been using a .243 for years and has no interest in changing from what I hear.

Is there any way for you to have her "try out" a gun in something similar to a 7x57 before purchase ? After my happenings I guess I'd be wary of the 7mm until she'd shot something that big.

By the way, the "little" .257 Roberts works very well on deer and antelope. No reason to question its performance untill you're out to 300 yards. Then again, at that range it's all about placement anyway. Nate

The 7x57, while an outstanding round and easily in my top-five favorites of all rounds, still seems a bit excessive for these purposes, especially given the application of small-medium whitetails at modest ranges and given your (commedable) strong feelings about taking only good shots, not to mention the fact that the rifle is to be used by people who are slight-of-frame. In my experience, a 7x57 will kick enough (in a light rifle) to potentially be a problem for young and/or slight-of-frame female deer hunters, even with the tame factory ammo. A good 100 gr bullet at 2900-3000 fps out of Bob or 243 will kick noticeably less and will be up to the tasks you are asking of it. JMO...

9.3

Like you I am planning on a single shot for my daughter. I like how easy it is to unload them moving in and out of vehicles and stands, and I like teaching that the first shot is the one that counts the most. However, I am taking a little different approach and am having an Encore made up for her in .22LR. Hopefully it will be ready for her next birthday. When she has gotten comfortable with the .22 I will order a second barrel in a centerfire cartridge. The gun will be familiar, and I am having a recoil pad installed up front so everything will be ready for the heavier round. I started hunting whitetail with the .243, but I was not hunting feral hogs then and the deer I hunt now are larger than the Texas hill country deer I hunted in the past. My current plan is to move her up to .257 Roberts to give an edge over the .243 but keep recoil to an absolute minimum. I recommended a 7mm-08 for my wife and have found that the cumulative recoil caught up to her a lot faster than I expected. Her limit off the bench is lower than I thought it would be. My daughter is very petite so I want to start her even lower down the recoil line, but with something that will enable her to hunt for hogs and deer.

My thinking may be wrong, but I think the Encore will give her an easy transition to centerfires, it offers great flexibility for changing cartridges, and is relatively easy to restock if need be. We are starting with a short, slimmed down stock.

As long as you start slowly with a light-recoiling round I do not think you will go wrong. All of the rounds you are considering can do the job -- I just made my choice based on my experience and only time will tell if it is right (plus I have a while to change my mind again). I love to see people getting their daughters involved in shooting and the outdoors. My daughters (three in all) may not hunt or shoot when they grow up, but I will do what I can to give them a chance to try it.

Your thinking sounds rational to me. Have you considered after the .22LR to go with a .250-3000 with the 87gr. bullet? One of the .257s I had, a pretty Browning had a good bit of smack to it.Maybe if your daughter is petite you might think to make the deer rifle # 3 and make # 2 a .222.-=-.22LR to .257 is a big jump. Ask my fraile cousin I gave that Browning to.No joke; he is about 40 and smallish built. roger

We have some time to see if the move from .22LR to a .257 Roberts is too much. In the next year or so I will see how she does. My problem with the .22 centerfires is that she wants to move up to something she can hunt with, and while they will definitely do the job when properly used I want more oomph. I will play it by ear, and will consider other options along the way. Thanks for suggesting the .250-3000 -- I'll look at that as well. I have a .243 she can try out in the interim if necessary -- it is too long and heavy for her to use regularly but it might ease the transition. I am by no means a big-bore shooter but I have trouble seeing the recoil at the low end. That is why I was surprised by my wife's reaction to the 7mm-08. My daughter claims to be able to feel her BB gun recoil. I will definitely take it slow.

It may not be the caliber that is the problem with the 7-08 but the style of the stock. I have two 7-08's and felt recoil is noticable between them. Not so much with just a couple rounds but after 20 or more rounds there is a difference. One is a Weatherby and the other is a customized Mauser 98. Naturally the Weatherby rifle has the exagerated monte-carlo comb and it also has a 1" soft rubber recoil pad. The mauser is straight stocked with a checkered metal but pad and is about 1/2 pound heavier. The mauser is much more comfortable to shoot with less felt recoil.

As far as moving up from .22LR to .257 Roberts or 250 Savage you can always transition to 30 carbine or .223 as an interim step. Still not deer calibers but they are both fun, bulk ammo is cheap, and they work well on varmints although the 30 carbine is a short range rig.

I will be making this same decision for my oldest boy in a couple years and keep flip flopping between 6.5X55 and the Roberts.

I own or have owned both the 7x57 and .257 in a #1, my only comment being I don't care for the way Ruger cuts their chambers. Leade too short in the .257, too long in the 7x57. Both cartridges are fine, so too is the -06. I don't care much for the .243 myself but killed my first deer with one so what the hey! I suppose one additional comment may be in order regarding weight. The #1's are heavy for smaller folk, you might consider a lighter bolt gun(Rem Mod 7, available in a Youth Model, with shorter LOP) or an NEF single shot. The Rem. is available in 7-08 or .260 Remington, the .260 being my suggestion for the Mod 7. The T/C Encore would work as well and they are available in nearly any chambering under the sun. Good luck.

Most of the deer that I killed up until I was almost 30 were with a 6mm Remington, which is the ballistic equivalent of the .243, and remember only missing one deer out of about 18. I have since purchased a .308 (which my wife loves but she is not small framed), a .300 Win Mag, and a .375 H&H - notice the direction. Also, I've recently purchased a barrel in .260 Rem to replace the 6mm, this since my wife has taken almost complete control of the .308 . I have just gotten a lot more comfortable with a slightly larger caliber and heavier bullets. I know you are just interested in deer, but the time may come when you want to take the wife/daughter on a hog/elk/mule deer/kudu hunt/safari and that is when you will be caught in the .243 trap - and in many western states .25 caliber is the legal minimum. My ultimate suggestion would be the .260 Rem, but that is not in the choices, so I would stick to either the .257 Roberts or the 7x57. The .257 giving the least recoil and the 7x57 the most flexibility. Many 7mm-08 are chambered in light-weight firearms and may kick a little more than you would like, but the No. 1 should be at or heavier than 7 lbs. dry weight. With sling, cartridge carrier and scope you will be at 8 lbs or more and given a good recoil pad (unanimous suggestion) and the rather tame factory loads for the 7x57 (vs 7mm-08) it really shouldn't kick that much. When that elk hunt or safari comes along, step up to some stouter loads (you do all the sighting in) and away you go. Just remember, this is not your rifle - because I guarantee you will want to pick it up and take it "just this one time dear" . Most of the people that I've talked to that had a 7x57 would not take love nor money for them.

I think the issues with the 7mm-08 for my wife can be cured by replacing the factory pad on the Remington Model 7 with a Pachmayr Decelerator and changing to a lighter load. The rifle did not like the Remington factory ammo and the only other thing readily available was the Hornady Light Magnum. A better recoil pad and lighter/slower load should fix the problem. She picked out the rifle and scope for herself. She listened to my advice then bought what she wanted. However, after spending the money she did not want to turn around and spend a bit more on the recoil pad. I should be able to get that done by next fall.

I have considered the 7mm-08, 260 and others for my daughter. The .257 Roberts looks like a good alternative for now. The good news is on an Encore I can substitute something in between the rimfires and the Roberts without too much expense if necessary. The rifle has been ordered with a Decelerator pad, so nothing there will change when stepping up in power.

Heavier guns will fix the recoil problems but they are less comfortable to shoulder and shoot for my wife and daughter. I want to strike a balance and find something handy for them to carry and use in a capable chambering with acceptable recoil. Given the competing interests there are lots of different choices, and that is part of the fun.

I don't recommend a 7mm-08 for a recoil shy person, they seem to kick just as bad as a .308. The .257 Roberts is nice, and the 7x57 with US loaded 140's like Federal is mild also.

Another thought I'd like to bring up is muzzle blast. Many of the arms developed for smaller people are not only light but short barreled. IMO this causes a perception of recoil that is actually muzzle blast. If you get a rifle in a smaller cal and a 22" or 24" barrel the weight may be more but the perception of recoil will be less.

The suggestions are good ranging up from the .260 and if you handload then lighter bullets will also help. In the .257 you could go as light as 60 gr but the 75's will probably shoot better.

If you only shoot factory ammo, then the .25-06 is going to give you the most flexability. Recoil is still mild, especially in the heavier #1, although dropping to a 22" bbl. is going to raise muzzle blast. I like the 7x57 better, but factory ammo is limited. The .243 makes a great varmint round (JMO), for deer I want 120gr/.25 & up.

I must agree with seafire on this one, the 7X57mm is the MOST VERSATILE of the choices you mention! And just because a person has a small frame/light weight, don't think that means they can't handle recoil! Just look at Elmer Keith. It's us dudes with a lot of inertia that get crunched by the big guns. The lightweights just ride 'em out.



You asked about factory ammo. IMO, the U.S. factories' loads are a lot under what can be achieved with a 140-grain bullet at 2660 FPS, but that is plenty for ANY deer around. I think Hornady also has a "light magnum" 7X57 with 139-grain bullet at around 2800, which is a little flatter shooting. Some European 7X57mm ammo is quite hot, but I have no experience with it. Some of this ammo would do for any game except the African Big Five and Kodial bears!

Get a 260 and you will have the best of all your listed cartridges!

Kind of had the same problem with my wife years ago. Her first rifle was a browning (sako action)243 that we got new in 1965. As time when on she for some reason she wanted something alittle easier to load and unload. After trying different rifles etc she finally got a browning bar when they first came out in a 270 and thats been her rifle ever since (I still have the 243 Browning). All I've ever done is had the pad changed got and extra magazine. Recoil is light for her and she really likes the thing about not working the bolt. My sister-in-law uses a Rem auto. Now as to caliber I think a 243 would be fine as you move up the ladder in calibers so does the recoil now as to a small frame person I'd look at the youth model 7 from Rem stock is already short as with the barrel. If your wife is handy maybe a #1 would work but it wouldn't be my first choice. I've got four #1 and I could just see my wife trying to get off the second shot never happen! I picked the first rifle for her she picked the next one. Well good luck

Of the three cartridges that you have asked for I would go with the .243 and would stay away from the .25-06. I have a .243 at the moment and have had a 25-06. Both are excellent cartridges.

To me recoil is divided into two categories, one scientific and one truly subjective.

First, there is a formula that will give the recoil momentum of any bullet diameter/bullet weight/propellant charge/bullet velocity. IE, how many Joulles of energy come from pulling the trigger on a particular rifle with particular load.

Then there is the very subjective "felt recoil" One of the most pleasant rifles to shoot that I have ever owned was a Ruger #1 tropical in .375 H&H, the worst that I have ever owned was a Remington BDL in 8mm Rem Mag. That 8MM used to just beat the dog snot out of me. I sold it rather quickly and have not bought a Remington rifle since.

The point of the story is that there is a lot more to being comfortable with the recoil than just the scientific assesment of the amount of energy developed during recoil.

I would say that finding the right rifle is much more important than finding a particular caliber.

Jim B.

A lot depends on weather or not you reload. I have a .257 Roberts that would Be Ideal for your pupose. mine is a Rugger 77MK2 its a 20 inch barrel and it would be great for a lady ! If have squirted a 100 gain barnes tsx out of her into a .50 inch group at a 100 yards, athough an inch is more the avarage and the load H-414 is moving at 3140 fps. So who ever says the roberts is geat at 200 yards is selling her about 150 short in my opinion. The 25,06 I have one of those too ! Is a bit more intimidating a lot of muzzle blast. The 7mmMauser would be a good choicem but factory loads are a littl er whimpy for both the Roberts and the Mauser. Just bought a 7X57 have not shot it yet ! I think a #1 international in 7X57 would be simply put a very classy rifle ! .243 is not for me...tj3006