Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Wanted: Flat shooter, light weight

I'm looking at re-vamping my rifles - moving more towards portability and less recoil. I'm chewing on ideas for a portable flat shooting rifle. Recoil figures into the equation – I’m looking for reduced recoil. I must be getting old. The older I get the more I gravitate to lighter rifles that recoil less.

If someone was to pick from the Kimber Montana line-up and was looking for a flat shooter for mule deer and antelope, what would your pick be and why. I’d also like to know bullet choice.

Currently I’m leaning 270 or 25-06 shooting 130PT/140AB in the 270 or 110 AB/115 PT in the 25-06. I think the 280 AI is more recoil than I want in a 7lb rifle but I’m open to all suggestions.

I shot my first mule deer and antelope in WY in 1982 with a 270 and 130 Hornady. It worked as expected. I’ve shot several deer with a 25-06 and first gen TSX’s – and wasn’t impressed with the TSX on deer. I switched to Partitions in the rifle and it was a killer but the PT didn’t group near as well as the TSX’s. I have zero experience with the 25-06 out west and would like to hear comments by those that have. My concern with 25 cal bullets is that they aren't all that slippery plus at 25-06 vels bullet integrity needs to be there when they are fairly close.