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

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.