|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,849 Likes: 3
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,849 Likes: 3 |
250 Savage, yeah I'm that guy. I have a Remington 700 Classic so chambered. Even with full power loads recoil is quite mild. It's a favorite of mine.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,327
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,327 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,511 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,511 Likes: 2 |
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
-S. M. Stirling
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 8,226 Likes: 1
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 8,226 Likes: 1 |
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 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'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.
Last edited by Teeder; 04/01/24.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 12,137
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 12,137 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,458
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,458 |
Any of the rounds listed should work well. 350 Legend has very little recoil and will kill any deer out 150 yards.
Ron I agree. Have been impressed with the effectiveness of this round for such low recoil
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,140 Likes: 4
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 17,140 Likes: 4 |
250-3000
257 Robert’s
25-06
243
22-250
6.5x55
6.5 Grendel
223🌈🤣
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,389
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,389 |
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. Make it three for the 250 Savage! Count me in.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,479
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,479 |
.257 Roberts for me.
Though my biggest buck was taken with a 6.5x47.
Last edited by Elvis; 04/06/24.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,801 Likes: 1
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,801 Likes: 1 |
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. 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.
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,080
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,080 |
A 243 or 30-30. The 243 for just enough and the 30-30 just because of its history.
2 b 1 ask 1 !
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 18,926 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 18,926 Likes: 1 |
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.
The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,840
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,840 |
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8,898
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 8,898 |
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. 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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,840
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,840 |
"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!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 4,373
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 4,373 |
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."
My other auto is a .45
The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 18,926 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 18,926 Likes: 1 |
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. 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. 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
The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,849 Likes: 3
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,849 Likes: 3 |
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." 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.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 12,132
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 12,132 |
250 Savage, yeah I'm that guy. I have a Remington 700 Classic so chambered. Even with full power loads recoil is quite mild. It's a favorite of mine. mathman; Top of the morning to you sir, I hope your part of the world is getting tolerable weather and you're well. As with many of us I'm sure, there is a list of "my goodness why didn't I buy that one" regarding firearms or rifles in particular. A now long passed on shooting and handloading mentor and friend did a bit of rifle trading and in so doing he had a few of the Remington Classic 700s come and go. My late father had a Savage 99 in .250 for a few years which he used on a couple local Saskatchewan whitetail, but mostly as a moose rifle, so the chambering held some nostalgia for me and thus it piqued my interest when buddy came home from somewhere with a 700 Classic in that chambering. He was not a young man anymore and had some health issues so I'd meet him at the local range and would shoot some of his rifles on days when he felt his abilities were in question and so it was that I got to shoot that gem a couple times. One memorable occasion mathman, shooting at 100yds, I'd put the first 4 shots into a single ragged .257" hole...  Of course my buddy Willy, who was a colorful sort to say the least and is looking through the spotter beside me said something like, "Holy S...t Dwayne, lookit that group. Don't choke on the 5th shot!"....  Well of course I did mathman, and to my eternal chagrin I didn't take the target because it was the very best group I've ever shot with a sporter weight rifle at 100yds, but #5 did enlarge the group to about 7/16" so still pretty decent but not the Holy Grail "One Holer" that we'd been hoping for. When Willy decided to sell it, he did give me first option, but something in the house or within our young family required the money spent there and that as they say was that. As a bit of a post script however, when our youngest daughter was getting into hunting, Willy sold us a 722 action with a .250AI 40° chambering - Canadian made gain twist SS barrel - that was another wonderfully accurate and very nice to shoot rifle. Somehow it seemed to me it was a bit milder than a .243 Win with a similar barrel length, but as I never took a sound meter out and checked side by side with the .250AI, that's only subjective guessing on my part. Thanks for the memories you twigged this morning sir, I'd not have had that otherwise. All the best. Dwayne
Last edited by BC30cal; 04/12/24. Reason: better wording?
The most important stuff in life isn't "stuff"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,849 Likes: 3
Campfire 'Bwana
|
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,849 Likes: 3 |
Dwayne,
The regular 250, even loaded to nearly 3000 fps with 100 grain bullets, does seem to have a milder report than similarly loaded 243s I've been around. I suppose the combustion products of 35 grains of H4895 coming out of a 25 cal hole make a smaller ruckus than those from 41 grains of 4350 out of a 24 cal hole.
My best to you and yours,
m
|
|
|
|
|
588 members (007FJ, 21, 2500HD, 160user, 1234, 1beaver_shooter, 70 invisible),
2,582
guests, and
1,322
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,088
Posts18,482,916
Members73,959
| |
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|
