This week we had a new Weatherby Vanguard .308 Rifle come into the shop, and it reminded me of my first rifle. In 1983, I took my first deer with a Weatherby Vanguard VGL chambered in .243 Winchester. While many may scoff at the .243, it is more than capable for South Texas deer where their Boone and Crockett Score is usually higher than their body weight. About 20 years later, I took my very first Mississippi buck at 250 yards with the very same rifle. It is semi-retired now, but it still holds a prominent place in the safe.

I still hunt with similar short action rifle today. I don’t have anything against the long action cartridge family like the 30-06 or .270 Win, but rifles chambered in .308 Win, 7mm-08 Remington, .243 Win, and the newer 6.5 Creedmoore are usually shorter and lighter. That makes them MUCH EASIER to carry through the woods, to get in and out of a box blind, or haul up a tree stand. The first rifle I purchased to hunt the wood of Mississippi was a Ruger Compact chambered in 7mm-08 and in my opinion it is one of the best deer rifle for hunters of all ages.

If you are On The Hunt for a new deer rifle for a young’un, or for yourself, check out some of the Short Action Superstars. I think you will find them much easier to tote and shoot!