Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Chambering for low recoil deer round

Seems our options are greater than ever before. What's your preferred low recoil deer cartridge. Options that I am thinking of include the following

.223 with a good bullet for the application at hand.

7.62 x 39 " "

300 blackout " "

6 x 45 " "

6mm ARC " " my personal favorite

6.5Grendel " "

22 - 250 " "

350 legend

250 Savage, yeah I'm that guy.

LOL, yeah me too. Such an nice, mild mannered round.

Having said that, of those listed, 22-250 with a tight twist.

.223 with a good bullet for the application at hand.

g

In a full weight rifle like an M77 Hawkeye, the Hornady Custom Lite 30/06 with those 125gr SST’s has got to be a mild recoiling cartridge.

.243?
250-3000?

Of the above choices. 6ARC and 6.5G seem most appealing.

300 Blackout does the trick with basically zero recoil, and even out of a stubby 16" barrel it isn't particularly loud, either.

Make it three for the 250 Savage!

4, I've taken 3 kids to get their first deer with a Ruger RSI tang safety in 250. Recoil wasn't noticed

Ones that I have personal experience with:

.223 (where legal) using heavy for caliber bullets
6X45 works great with 70-90 grain bullets
7TCU This cartridge with 120 grain NBTs is an absolute killer
6.5TCU My experience here is only with a TC Contender, but it performed really well with a 120 grain BT
6.5 Grendel 4 Axis deer with my TC Encore has made a believer out of the owner of the ranch I hunt on. Not a single one went more than 15 yards.
.243 Win A timeless classic
6mm Rem Almost as good as the .243, just harder to find
6.8 SPC Paired with 110 grain Nosler ABs it is hard to find a better AR-15 based cartridge for whitetails and hogs.

My kids each had Ruger 77 in .257 Roberts once they graduated from the youth handi rifle in .243. Probably not the best choice unless you have a supply of brass/ammo these days. any of the above are solid choices in my opinion. We went with the Roberts because that's what mom had and a local gun store had a pair of them so I bought both. We now have 4 of them.

Shawn

a 6.5 Grendel (123 SST's) in an AR works great for a kid gun. Plenty of punch for Deer and pigs, and next to no recoil in that platform. You can collapse the stock all the way down and it fits the little ones well.








Both the deer and the pig were dropped DRT, never even took a step with the 6.5 Grendel.

Running a 300BLK with 100gr CEB Raptor FB's at a touch over 2300fps for this fall. Suppressed out of a Ruger American there is negligible recoil.

223 for sure.

243: easy choice
257 Roberts: nostalgic choice
25-06: top end
6mm Creed: probably the best of them all

In the days of $60/lb powder, the 6.5 Grendel and 6 ARC become even more appealing as work and play rifles. Haven’t used the 6 ARC for hunting yet, but can report the the Grendel does fine work on whitetails.

The 6.5x55 gets my vote. And it kills deer with aplomb.

.250-3000 Savage & .257 Roberts, two classics that are as effective today as when they were designed. My primary whitetail rifle this fall will be my .35 Whelen and my #2 a .257 Roberts.

Winchester m94 with Wiliams FP aperture sight
35/30-30 with 200gr RCBS FN GC under 2400/tuft of Dacron goes 1726fps

its recoil is nothing or next to nothing. i have killed 3 or 4 deer with it, every shot was behind the shoulder. the most furthest deer i shot was 53 yards, 20-30 yards is average. the deer doesn't run, it jogs about 15 - 20 yards, stands there looking around and then the deer will fall over.

sighting the 35/30-30 in at 100 yards (2 shots/bench)


you don't need speed, just put the bullet accurately and precisely on the deer. i prefer behind the shots, but i will take a shoulder shot if i have to.

the 35/30-30 is downloaded, but it almost goes up to the 35 Remington velocities. what the 35/30-30 can do better than the 35 Remington is the weight of the bullet, 250 up to 280gr bullet. on average the 35 Rem tops out at 250gr, but the 35/30 tops out at 280gr. i was going to get a new mold, 275gr WFN GC, but the 200gr RCBS FN GC is so accurate that is scary.

I’ve killed boxcars full of stuff with the 223. With proper bullets it’s a giant killer. Brass is cheap or free and 25gr of powder at a time is economical as it gets.

The 7TCU I built a long time ago is a cool one too. Negligible recoil and quiet for a centerfire even without a can. 120s at 2600 work great for deer and pigs. But it’s a bit more work and doesn’t seem to offer any advantage over the 223 and gives up trajectory for longer shots. I still use it because it’s a fun rifle but that’s the only reason.

I have a Rock River AR in 6.8spc that my buddy's 12 yr old daughter uses during the youth season.

Factory Hornady 120gr sst. Deer don't go far.

From your list the 6.5G gets the nod.
6 Rem and 257 Roberts kill stuff with little recoil and room to grow.

No need to limit to my list This was meant more like, what is working for you all.

The .30-30 has killed a few over the years.

Add a 243 to that and I'm in. 6mm Rem is a slightly better round but ammo is hard to find and rifles ever harder.

That's another good choice.

Absolute powderpuff on the shoulder if you bump down to 125/130gr bullets, and they still kill the [bleep] out of stuff.

I think of the 6.5 Creedmoor as a low recoil deer round, although I realize it will work for bigger critters too. I usually use 127-130 grain bullets for medium game, and with them 6.5 CM recoil is quite low, or so it seems to me.

Anything you list will work just fine. Any superiority will be determined by the specific set of circumstances you're operating under.

If the purpose of asking is to help you select a caliber for a new rifle buy, it should be dictated as much by what else you're going to do with the rifle as anything.

7mm/08

243 win. 40 grains of 4831 and a 100 interlock. Great load and will shoot an inch in anything. 6 br is cool too, but with the availability of 6 creedmore, it'd be hard to beat

300 Hammer in an AR or a bolt gun.

When they were younger, my boys used the 243 Win Hornady Lite 87gr SST loads to good effect. All one-shot kills. Muzzle velocity was 2,577 fps out of the Wby Youth rifle's 20" barrel. It was a very mild-recoiling load.

The 6.5 Grendel is very good low recoil round and performs way better than you might think with a good hunting bullet in the 120 gr. range. I am able to speak from experience as my neighbor friend and I ride and look for hogs several evenings and nights a week. He has an AR that we load with NBT and I swear I can't see a lot of difference between the Grendel and a .308W with a 150 bullet. Trajectory is about the same and the hog goes down. I have used the rifle for DRT shots at 300 yards.

I have done well with a 6.5 Grendel as well. 100 grain all copper was a preferred load with even less recoil.

Still I am liking 90 grain CX even more from the 6mm ARC.

We used one of these last year and it worked very well.

Bb

.223 Rem gets my vote.

I used it last season to fill my tag. 75 grain ELDM.




P

Handloaders can get it done with almost anything. In factory I like the Grendel. My sons and grandson live in VA, where the minimum caliber is .23, effectively .24 since there are no .23s out that AFIK. When I was looking for a rifle for my then 9 year-old grandson, I couldn’t find a 6.5 G youth rifle, so he got a 7.62x39 and has killed 3 with it with no issues. However the good ammo for it has gotten difficult to find. They did find one box of the SSTs today, the first in a long time.

Handloading turns a multitude of cartridges into the right cartridge. A 6mm 80gr, 6.5 100gr, a 7mm 120gr, .308 130ish gr, pick your headstamp for 2500 or so fps. Haven’t done a .224 on deer yet but hear they work.

If the option is available to you, a suppressor makes a big difference in recoil. I was amazed when I first tried one.

Lots of good answers so far.

For me a lot depends on circumstances. A trim bolt gun in .223 or .22-250 with an 1:8 twist would be my first inclination these days. Don't overlook the 6mm Max.

The modern bullets perform so well there really isn't a lot more needed. Lately I've been using a .223 with 77gr TMKs for deer.

I can tell you that the 55gr Hornady sp has worked very well out of a .22-250 and my sons first deer were taken with 243s and 85gr tsx with no drama.

Much depends on the person doing the shooting. Their stature, experience, familiarity with the gun and how it fits all play into perceived recoil.

250-3000

Here in VA we can’t use 223’s so I wanted to build a 6x45 until the 300 blackout showed up in a Ruger American. My nephew and I have killed several with the 110 gr Barnes at 2400fps, from 75 to 163 yards. The closest one went 25 yards, the one at 163 was drt with a mid shoulder shot, all passed through. I have been impressed with the load on 100lb deer, but will keep youth hunters to under 100yrds to make sure shot placement is good.

Same bullet I am loading in mine, 110 TAC-TX. My Scout likes them milder though; load is about 1980fps over the chrono.

I'm loading them at 2415fps for a friend's RAR that his kid uses. No drts for either of us, but nothing has gone very far, either.

6.8 SPC

Thankfully my RAR likes them with a max load of h110. It likes them a lot, like .5-.75 MOA. It has become my favorite woods cartridge.

Moderate load of CFE BLK in mine. I'm using a near max load of A#11FS in my friend's RAR

I wouldn't mind a bit more speed, but the results are good enough for me. 100yds with a 4x32 scope, and the exit holes are decent.

Of these, the .223 and the 7.62x39. Of the ones you didn't list, the 308 with reduced loads using H4895.


Okie John

How much have you backed off on the 308 loads w 4895 & what bullet have you favored?

Loading seems to matter more than cartridge.

I'm loading down 223, 22-250, 6mmBR, 243, 6Creedmoor, 6.5x284 7x57, and most recently 7.62x39. I haven't gotten to the 308s and above yet.

The local whitetail don't know the difference.

Post your question in the reloading forum below for some specifics!

6.5 CM or 260, probably can include 6.5X55 as well, gives the most performance for the least recoil. Nobody will ever notice the difference in recoil between the Creedmoor, 260 or 243. But the 6.5's will kill anything 270 will kill.

The centerfire 22's have even less recoil, but I have a hard time thinking anyone one couldn't handle 243 or 6.5 recoil.

My boy shot his first deer with a 223. It was a skipper. He aimed a little high and spined it but it dropped and never went another step. It's not ideal for deer but we had practiced a lot and had good deer rated ammo. I have some family member that also used the 223 for there young ones with excellent success. I am currently considering a Howa mini action in 6.5 Grendel. I just ordered a box of the 6.5mm 85gr Hammer bullets. I can use them in my .260 I don't buy a Grendel. What is holding me back is lack of spare mags for the Howa Mini in that cartridge.

Good call gents

Me too

Around here, its a 22 Creed
then a 243,
and a 6 mm
and a 6-284
and a 257 R for light recoil

Moderate recoil starts with the 260 Rem
and 6.5x55
and 6.5-284
and 264 Win mag
and 7-08

Recoil adjusted by nature of handloads.

Howa mini in 6 ARC or 6.5 Grendel is the easy button…I bought one of each to be safe! Haha

.357 magnum in a lever or single shot has been preferred in straight wall states though the legend is also a real soft shooter.

Lots of modern calibers here but a not so new fangled caliber that works is the 250 Savage. Number six here? It works and is so sweet to shoot. RZ.

We put Ruger ranch 6.5 Grendel in mdt lss-xl gen2 chassis, strike industries buffer tube, Magpul ctr butt stock, magpul moe-k grip, removed rail for Talley 1” low lightweight rings, trijicon accupoint 3-9x40 green dot. About 8 1/4 lbs, launches black 123 eldm at 2386 fps, 6.5 ft/lbs recoil energy and watch everything in scope. Kids started off awesome with this set up. Black bears and deer 10-355 yards. I’ve used it for more than that and up to 420 yards. Adjustable lop. Great set up. Weight is a good thing.

6.5 Creedmoor
Funny enough, though it's a lighter recoiling round itself, it does have more recoil than just about anything else listed here. Put a suppressor on the rifle and it turns that light recoiling cartridge into something even more sweet shooting.
By the same token, the 308 can be a darn light recoiling round when using something like a custom handload (I shot my first deer with a 130gr bullet going ~2,500fps with a handload my dad made for me) or something like Hornady's Custom Lite ammo (125gr SST at 2,675fps).
https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/65-creedmoor-vs-308-winchester/

250 Savage for a light recoiling cartridge ! I assume that you’re talking whitetail in North-East South Dakota and the range will not be long.

When talking a deer rifle or cartridge, there’s a big difference with the size and distance for ‘deer’ hunting. Mule Deer in the mountains vs Black tail, Coues, southern Whitetail, eastern Whitetail and so forth. A deer cartridge that’s good for one deer/area might not be a good choice in another deer/area. A 357 lever gun might be great one instance and the next instance might call for at least a 270.

A young hunter was at my range just before deer season. He had a tag for Grant county. He was shooting a 243. I think he had mentor tag. The 243 or 6mm would be another low recoil cartridge, though I’d prefer the Savage. He was shooting dime size groups at 50 yards.

My two choices at this point in life, are :

The 6.5 Grendal Predator I have, with aftermarket polymer mags

The second would be the 6 x 45 with a one in 7 twist, with a 20 inch Predator sized barrel, on a Savage Axxis 2 action.

I used both the last couple of seasons.. They don't use a lot of powder, yet are definitely capable at 250 yds and under, as well as any other rifles I own, in any other caliber I have used also.

But 30 grains of 4198, will make about any cartridge capable for low recoil and deer medicine to 300 yrds.

You can cut charges to 60% of max. More information at https://hodgdonpowderco.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/h4895-reduced-rifle-loads-2.pdf

Getting 30-30 speeds with 165-grain Remington CoreLokts and 170-grain Speer flat points is pretty easy. I've tested 36.5 grains in four rifles with 22" barrels and two rifles with 20" barrels. 2,200-2,250 is common about right for the 22" barrels and about 2,150 for the shorter barrels. I don't think that the CoreLokt would expand at speeds much slower than that, so I only use it for practice. I don't think that the Speer will hold together at speeds much faster than that, so that's as hard as I push it.

Accuracy is usually 1-1.5 MOA, but was much better in a couple of rifles.

All of the rifles that I tried were set up for use full-power loads, so they have modern stocks with good recoil pads. The lightest of them weighs about 7.5 pounds, so recoil was pretty mild with these loads.


Okie John

Any of the rounds listed should work well. 350 Legend has very little recoil and will kill any deer out 150 yards.

Ron

there are many great cartridges with lighter recoil but my 2 favorites are 220 Swift and 257 Roberts. Pete53

also, factory ammo considerations, future proofing, not everyone reloads

6mm ARC " "

6.5Grendel " "

I've though about it several time's and my 30-06 with a 180gr cast bullet recoils about line a 22 RF and properly placed
at closer range will drop a deer or even an elk right now. Just haven't wanted to give up my hunting bullet's to try it! My bullet's I hunt with are much more accurate than cast bullet's and will allow a longer shot if I wanted to take it. They give more velocity and make the bullet work better. But if all I had was that 30-06 and my cast bullet's and needed the food, I would not hesitate to use it! But I would be mindful of the shots I was willing to take! There is no big secrete to killing an animal. properly place a bullet on the animal to account for the bullet and the animal will die quickly. Miss place the shot and it won't! A MOA rifle at 100yds shoot's one inch groups. MOA at 500 yds is a 5" group. I don't know any reloader that would consider 5" at 100 yds acceptable yet know a number that would accept it at 500 yds!

I have a 6.5 grendel... very accurate and almost no recoil... and proven very deadly on whitetail

My boy prefers the 223 over 76239 for deer. Keep it on closer than further. Proper bullet and shot placement is the key.
But for Elk, he's got 6.5 CM

My wife uses a.243. She had never shot a gun before!

Recoil on the .243 she didn’t notice it at all .

I have thought about a 300 Savage on a Model 7 a few times.

A 20" barrel of light to sporter weight would be handy in the woods/treestand.

For what I am using now it's 223, 6mm Remington or 7-08.

I do have a 6.8 SPC upper that I need to shoot some once the new house is built.

Hard to beat the 6.8 for punch vs recoil vs size and normal hunting ranges. I’ve had 8yr olds killing stuff with them. I’ve used many of them…223, 6.5G, 300AAC, 357 Max is always the Legend’s daddy;), 7.62x39. I still have/use the 6.8 the most in small case hunting rigs. The Grendel is probably easier now, due to offerings and ammo availability, but I’d have kept one if it was in any way better or even as good….in my experience.

I have experience with the .223, 7.62x39, 300 blackout, 6.5 Grendel, .357 mag, and 350 Legend. No issues with any of them for a low recoil deer rifle. But I think you've got to decide a few things first. Avg shot distance comes to mind first. The 350 Legend will kill any deer but not a 300 yard rifle. Neither is the 300 BO or .223. Who is it for? I started my son with a Ruger 77/357 and liked it so much, I bought one for me. It is my go to when something needs shot. Everything I've shot at with it has died. .357 rifle can be had in bolt action, lever action, or single shot. Great way to start a kid. Right there with it is 350 Legend. No recoil at all. I have it in a CVA Scout and its a tack driver. If I was starting my son today, it would be with this exact rifle. Although I was more impressed with what a 125 gr JSP in .357 did to a deer at 70 yards than what the .350 Legend did at about 80. Both dead, but that .357 really surprised me. I will never be without a .357 rifle.

.223 is great and you can use multiple bullet weights to do about anything. My nephew has a Ruger American Ranch in .223 with the rotary mag that shoots everything we've fed it 1" or less at 100 yards. Amazing little rifle. Lots of ammo choices. minimal recoil.

7.62x39 is a great round that I'm very fond of for deer. Even the cheap comm block stuff shoots great out of my Zastava, Ruger, and CZ. Just hard to beat as an all around rifle. Like that my Ruger uses the same mags as my Mini 30. I will never be without a 7.62x39.

6.5 Grendel. I have 2. Howa and CZ. It is hands down my favorite. Minimal recoil and good factory options for ammo. Great deer round. I will never be without a 6.5 Grendel.

300 BO, for me, is the only disappointment in the group and that's only because I had a Ruger American that wouldn't shoot most ammo. It would dent the primer, but wouldn't go bang. 2 trips to Ruger couldn't fix it. Just not worth staying with that caliber with all the others available. But, it will get it done with little to no recoil.

6mm ARC has lots of followers these days, but not on my list. Not seeing much ammo on the shelves around here yet, but I'm sure its coming.

Simply put, you can't go wrong with any caliber you listed. Just need to consider what you want. Buy 2 or 3 platforms in different calibers and keep the one you like best. or keep all 3. I like variety.

Obi Wan, Brian Pearce did a great article in Handloader magazine about the .357 rifle. He said it kills deer way above it’s ballistics. I wanted a Marlin 1894C in stainless steel but they quit making them. Also kicked around the idea of a Ruger 77/357. Never got around to that one. Wish I would have bought one.

Ron

I first started looking for one when my brother-in-law started his 2 boys with a Marlin .357. They killed a truckload of deer and some big ones and some at long distance for that round. All with 125 grain Remington hollowpoints. They never got a pass through. I couldn't find a lever action for a reasonable price, but found the 77/357 and picked it up. My son's first deer was. spike buck at 70 yards. We used 125 grain JSP. 35 caliber hole going in, hole the size of a quarter coming out. I was impressed and liked it so much I bought me one. Took it hunting with my brother-in-law and he was so impressed he bought one. Out of the 5 of us, not one would part with their .357 rifle. I shot two coyotes at 70-80 yards and dropped them both where they stood. Find a used one and go for it.

I can't argue much with this but there are much better powders than 4895 for downloading 308 and others. 4895 just happens to be the one they have tested. 3031 and 4227 as well as 4198 work very nicely in the 308 and others and don't leave as much or any unburned powder like 4895 does.
Take care,
Rick

“300 BO, for me, is the only disappointment in the group and that's only because I had a Ruger American that wouldn't shoot most ammo. It would dent the primer, but wouldn't go bang. 2 trips to Ruger couldn't fix it. Just not worth staying with that caliber with all the others available. But, it will get it done with little to no recoil.”

I had the same issue, which was a headspace problem. Loosened up the nut and gave the barrel a slight turn in to tighten the headspace and problem went away. It was a problem with some of the early ones, from what I read on the net.

Same here, and the Howa mini with the barrel bobbed and the youth stock is a very handy package:

Not on your list, but, I think .243 is the best combination of low recoil, good range and cheap components.

260 Rem
7-08

I’ve used the 250, 243, 22-250 and 223 a lot for deer sized game. The .223 is just as effective as the others and has several advantages of its own. Brass is everywhere, 25 grs of powder per shot, small rifle primers abound, quietest of the rounds you suggested, lightest recoil of all, and super easy to work up accurate loads for. It’s easily my favorite cartridge and simply a classic little cartridge.

I have a Remington 700 Classic so chambered. Even with full power loads recoil is quite mild. It's a favorite of mine.

My go-to for the KY Rifle Opener is a Savage 99 in 308 Winchester. I download it to 300 Savage levels with H4895, and it is a sweetheart on recoil.

44 Magnum

I'm another fan of the .357 mag in a carbine. I have both the Marlin 1894 and Ruger 77, using 158 XTP's with 17.5 grn of LilGun.

Our "go to" for new hunters for Kentucky White Tails is .243. 95gr Nosler Partition over a middle of the road charge of Varget. Never caught a bullet. Deer are +90% DRT.

I agree. Have been impressed with the effectiveness of this round for such low recoil

250-3000
257 Robert’s
25-06
243
22-250
6.5x55
6.5 Grendel

223🌈🤣

Count me in.

.257 Roberts for me.

Though my biggest buck was taken with a 6.5x47.

Try a Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Grendel instead. I have the Howa Mini in 223, but I don't care for the mag. I also didn't care for the mag that the Ruger Came with, but its an AR mag, unlike the Howa. Tried looking for a Mag for the Ruger, that was polymer, but the factory told me they didn't make any. No one seemed to carry a Polymer mag listed for the 6.5 Grendal chambering.

A Marine vet friend at the range tossed me one of his polymer mags and told me to see if that worked. It worked perfectly right off the bat. I left and went over to Sportsman's Warehouse and bought 5 polymer mags for an AR for $10 each on sale. Ruger's metal mag sucks. An aftermarket polymer mag that will fit an AR works just fine with the 6.5 Grendal rounds.
The two deer I have taken ( we're only allowed ONE a season in Oregon ) were with a 129 SP Hornady and the other with a 140 grain Speer SP. One at a little over 100yds and the other right about 200 yds.

A 243 or 30-30. The 243 for just enough and the 30-30 just because of its history.

Not saying the 30-30 is a hard kicker but I never thought of it as low recoil myself.

I'd look at ammo availability, the 300 Blackout and 6.5 Grendel look very solid in that regard with the 300 leaning more favorably. My boys used the 250 Savage with good results but ammo is becoming harder to find.

Fully agreed.

Part of that stems from the rifles the 30-30 is generally chambered in.

A lot of them were chambered in light lever guns with combs that may result in cheek slap, combined with narrow butts that concentrate recoil, plus many had hard butt plates or the dreaded steel butt plate.

All of those factors combined to generate a flinch in many a young shooter.

"Not saying the 30-30 is a hard kicker but I never thought of it as low recoil myself"

Agreed, perceived recoil has lots to do with stock style and fit. Sadly, many new/young hunters are given rifles that don't fit at all and beat the hell out of them. A good friend started his son with an HR single shot in 243, light weight, HEAVY trigger and kicked like hell! My first gun was a Win 370 youth 20 ga when I was 8, beat the sh**t out of me!

Very true about recoil with a light weight rifle especially off the bench. I was helping a young fellow sight in a scope mounted on an H&R .45-70 (!) single shot. He looked over at me and said, "It's real hard to see the target through all these tears."

It would be nice if there were 336 and Model 94s that had an offering for a higher comb stock for those wishing to use scopes.

Yeah, I know you can use lows and get a scope down pretty low but it's still designed where open sight align more naturally

I mounted a scope on an H&R for the brother of a friend of mine. My friend and I wound up doing the initial sighting in with ammunition his brother supplied. The cartridge was 35 Whelen, and the supplied ammo was heavy duty stuff from Buffalo Bore. Tears were not shed, but it wasn't a lot of fun either.