Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Need Rifle Buying Ideas Low recoil...Flat shooting

So my father in law stumbled across a golden ticket on a bucket list trophy elk tag and he wants to buy a rifle specific for the hunt. He does not like recoil so no big kicking magnums but he wants to shoot out to 400 yards with no turrets or reticle use, just aim and shoot. The 257 weatherby is the only caliber that comes to mind that doesn’t kick hard but shoots flat out to 400. Are any of the new 6 or 6.5 mm in the same trajectory league as the 257 Wby. Just looking for ideas to suggest to him.

7-08 zeroed at 200 yards for those requirements....

7-08 is almost 2 ft low at 400 with a 200 yard zero unless I’m seeing bad data.

.270 Winchester

So you want to aim 6" below the spine or on the spine at 400...what's the difference if it's a point and shoot on an elk?

I sure would give the 6.5 creed consideration. Personally I like the 6.5 Grendel and would not hesitate to take an elk with this caliber. The Grendel will be considered to be too light by most Elk hunters IMHO. Would be curious to see what he settels on.

For a trophy bull hunt, I am bringing a lot more than a 257 cal.

26 nosler will get you there; could put a brake on if you had to (I detest them.)

6.5x284
6.5 Creedmoor
.260 Rem
.264 Win Mag
6.5 Wby RPM
6.5 PRC
.270 Win
.270 Roy
.280 AI
.257 Roy
.25-‘06

All can be made to work.

I was going to say 270. Also, the 280 AI seems to be gaining some momentum. If it were me, I’d get a 308 but it’s not what I’d call flat shooting. I bought a 308 BAR specifically as a light kicking option for my wife and kids.

Another vote for he 7mm-08....

Mild recoil, reasonably flat shooting, inexpensive to shoot = a firearm that he’ll practice with and be comfortable and confident to hunt with.

7-08 or 270 + practice = dead elk.

Agree ^^^^

kwg

It isn’t possible. A 6.5 bullet .623 bc at 3000fps sighted in 3” high is still not flat enough for shooting at 400 yds w/o holdover or reticle.

Sure it is. Set your zero at 300 and you are down 9.5” at 400.

AC,
So what is the FIL familiar with? Does he approve of the .270 Win. recoil? If he can accept that, I'd use 130gr. Accubonds and zero it at 250. Confirm the POI at 400 using any good chart.
Record the data on masking tape on put it on the scope tube body. No need for turrets, just a "cheat sheet". The word "flat" covers a lot of ground and limits him due to the recoil issue. A trophy bull tag is a great opportunity and the .270 is certainly up to the job. If he can't handle that, then get him and 6.5CM and do the same thing. I killed my caribou last year at 375 with the 6.5 (143 ELD-X). Some will say the caribou isn't a bull elk and I agree. But you know as well as many here the drill is to put a well-constructed bullet in the heart/lung area.

.270 or 6.5x55 SE, which has a bit less recoil.

So you’re saying you want a low-recoiling rifle that shoots point blank to 400, (assumption on my part here) with a bullet path not 5 inches high at 150-175 yards, that is a decisive round at 400 for elk.

Hmmm. Not many choices.

A 26 Nosler sighted in at 300 is 3.5 inches high at 150 and 8 inches low at 400. So maybe something similar that pushes a high BC bullet at 3200-3400 fps. But there’s a recoil price to be paid there.

Or as others have suggested you could practice out to 400 and even a 308 or 30-06 would be fine with less than 2 MILs or 5 MOA.

6.5 X 55 Swede

30-06, 155 scenar, 2900 fps, 9000 feet elevation, 40 degrees. Sighted in for 250. 2.9" high at 150, 14.5" low at 400. Light recoil, good bullet. Pretty easy. H4350 and load er up. I went 6.5 and 140 vld but we all have our quirks.