At 72 going on 73, with a bum shoulder from a rough surgery in '06 that took 18 months of rehab to regain 75/80% mobility I am finally giving up on the idea that I am still 10 feet tall and bulletproof when it comes to rifle recoil.
So...I've been letting my fingers do the hard work on the keyboard shopping possible alternatives. Back after the shoulder surgery and the beginnings of the recovery I bought a T3 Lite SS 270, and proceeded to load up my usual maxmax 270's loads and the lil gun shot 'em all in one hole, but the side of my face, neck and shoulder turned black and blue by the time I got home and freaked the wife, from the plavix I'd forgotten about did that when I was least expecting it. The T3 Lite weighed 6lb's 2 oz's and the all up with a Burris FF II was about 7lbs 4oz's . I know it was the T3 Lite that did the dirty deed 'cause I'd been shooting a 9.3x62 CZ 550 & 300WMg M70 Classic tupperware off the bench and never felt a thing even with the big Winnies loads reduced by 3 grains & the 9.3 & a max load of 270gr'ers had never bruised me even right after the 4 stent's were put in....just pushed me around a little. A PAST pad helps in bench work too.
So for a solution, I went and found one of the last T3 6.5 Swedes left from the 1st shipment in the Gander Mtn system about 150 miles from home and was a happy camper...as the Hunter Grade wood stocked rifles weigh 6 5/8ths lbs bare nekkid and the stock fit me like it was made for me personally. 47+r's of RL19 loads under a 6.5 120gr Sierra PH's & 130gr NAB's roll Texas WTails just like the T3Lite 270 I had done for years in Max'ed 130's did..and never left a mark on me.
Fast forward to today ...I had already bought a T3 Hunter 260 last year realizing that I am winding down in my hunting career and swapped off all of the belted boomers, then just picked up one of the last of Whittakers 6.5 Swede Superlites, and last fall had backed into a XTR M70 7x57 Fwt too, and am just now putting the rigs together to go spend some quality time at the range. I trust one or all 3 of these rigs will get the job done on anything I can get a crosshair on without any issue's.
Hope this'll give you some ideas about how I addressed the same issues you are facing. FWIW I just spent some rainy day time earlier this week in Europtics website looking at their T3 closeouts & specs...all the T3 & T3x wood stocked Forests & Hunters weigh 6lb 13oz's for almost all of the calibers still left. The Swede's in both wood stock styles also weigh the same @ 6lb 5/8's and the T3 7Rmg and 270WSM's weigh 7lbs even as I recall....a downloaded 7Rmg at beginning powder levels in the Nosler online manual, and give about the same MV's as a 6 3/4lb M70 Fwt 280 too...and IMO would make a good choice if you can take the small increase in recoil over the 7-08 & 7x57's.
So, 6.5s & 7-08's (about 50 fps faster than a 7x57 with about the same load) is where I would suggest you concentrate. until you decide what other options you want to follow...however with better bullet choices than any of the smaller diameter shooters. 6.5's & 7mm's are where I am going to go for a "long term" solution...but then I did do a Texas Management Lottery Hunt one time with a 86 year old wearing a pacemaker that filled his tag complete using a 250 Savage so I KNOW that it can be done.
Ron
Last edited by verhoositz; 05/27/17.
