Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What round is a meaningful step down in recoil from the 30-06 (and isn't a 22 centerfire).

I've become acclimated to the recoil from my 30-06's, which isn't bad, but I'm thinking about building a rifle that would have near equal effectiveness on lighter game, but would be a meaningful step down in recoil. Any thoughts?

I know rifle design plays a large, if not determinative role, so assume that the rifle will have a wood stock of classic dimensions, with a Pachmayr decelerator pad.

6.5x55 is the first thing that comes to mind.

308. win

257 Bob.

300 Savage

7x57

I was considering this exact point last Summer, & I settled on a 7mm-08. After all was said & done, I found no appreciable difference in recoil between these 2 rifles when shooting 180 grain or smaller bullets in the '06, and 140's in the '08. If I step up to 220's in the '06, then I can notice a difference. Granted, I didn't compare "exact stock to exact stock", but the weight of the 2 rifles is very nearly equal.

I've come to the realization that my '06 fits me like a glove, and will do everything that I need it to do, with complete aplomb. Further, I've found that there's nothing my 7mm-08 rifle will do that my '06 won't. And that's why I now have a 7mm-08 rifle for sale in the Free Classifieds forum!

I do have a .243 that I perceive as a goodly step down in recoil from my '06, but I can't offer any opinions on the others in between: .244, 257 WBY or Rbts, .260, 6.5x_____, .270, 7mm________, etc, since I haven't shot any of those. I guess I've proven to myself that there's some credence in the notion of "cartridge spacing".

FC

.260 Rem.

Ditto on the 6,5x55 Swede or the .300 Savage..No elk is safe when the accomplished hunter zeroes in on them with either cartridge..and proper bullet-placement.Jim

25-284 or 243

Kicks less and shoots flat. Really a different ballgame as compared to a 30-06. Good bullets bring good performance.

For deer only I vote also for the 257bob or 243. Noticeable decrease in recoil.

7mm-08

I'll be shooting a 25-06 after work today. I'd say it has a meaningful step down in recoil. Great fun to shoot. Haven't put one to game yet but I believe what I've read, mostly positive.

My vote goes to the .25-06 Remington.

.243- stellar deer round with good bullets and a fine coyote round with light bullets.

25-06

Lots of good thoughts have been put up here, my choice slam dunk would be the 25/06 in a factory round and or my fav the 6/06 in a "cat".

Dober

For deer on down, 243 Win.

For deer on up, 7mm-08 Rem.

My vote is for 7mm Mauser, or 7mm-08.

If all else is the same, IMO you have to go to a .25-06 / .257 Bob for a meaningful step down in recoil. I just don't see that much of a difference from a .30-06 to a .308 or even a 7mm-08.
Now, you can always add rifle weight, a better pad, and maybe a better stock fit / design.

Gotta agree with that.

7mm-08

I'd say either the 7mm-08, or the 25-06 - two of my absolute favourite rounds!

Noticeably nicer to shoot.

Same effect on game.

Some years ago I wanted to do the same thing. I first used a .308 Win. I did not feel much reduction in the recoil.
So that rifle became a .257 Roberts. It has very little.
I also have a .25-06 and it has very little recoil.
So I would say use either a .257 Roberts or a .25-06.
But there is nothing wrong with a 6.5x55 Swede or a .260 Rem.
There are no bad choses here, pick one.

.25-06. I discovered this fact one year hunting with my son, who had become recoil shy with his .30-06 to the point of missing a half-dozen fairly easy shots on antelope.

After the 'no recoil' talk about the .25-06, he used mine to make a great shot on his antelope buck.

Yup!

It depends on what type of rifle you're looking into. If you have a 9 pound 30-06 and you're looking at getting a 6 pound 7mm-08 you probably won't notice too much difference in recoil. I once owned those two rifles and both were 6.75 pounds. There was a huge difference in recoil between the 7mm-08 and a 30-06.

My advice would be to get a 7mm-08 that weighs 7.5 pounds all ready to go. It's recoil will be very light on the shoulder. I have a similar rifle and it recoils about like my son's 6mm (they're both REM 600s). Recently, I hung an McM EDGE on it and is now 6.75 pounds and it still a pussycat. If you don't want a 7mm-08 then go for a 257Bob, 243WIN, 260REM or similar.

RH

7X57, 6.5X55,.250 Savage and .35 Remington.

.260 rem or 25/06 are my picks.

Respectfully disagree...

For a while I had two identical-pattern rifles, Remington LSS Mountain Rifles, one in 30-06 and one in 7mm-08. Still have both but the '06 is now a sporter-weight barrel.

Anyway, the 7-08 was most assuredly a meaningful step down in recoil from the 30-06. Rifles were identical except the 30-06 was a little heavier due to the longer action.

-jeff

Hunted a bunch with them and loved both of them.

stumpy

BINGO! one fine caliber for hunting deer if your recoil sensitive

A standard recoil calculator shows the follwing
Cart. bullet wt. velocity powder wt. gun wt. recoil(ft lbs.)
30-06 180 2600 55 8.5 19
270 130 3000 55 8.5 17
7-08 140 2800 48 8.5 14
260 100 3200 48 8.5 12

So there is a steady decline in recoil force. Where any one person would say that there is a noticable decrease is subjective. To me, guns become pleasant to shoot in the 260 Rem./257 Roberts class, in part because of minimal recoil and in in part because the muzzle blast is modest.

But as cartridges drop in intensity, people tend to put them into smaller and lighter guns, which brings the recoil right back up. My NULA 257 Wby gnerates 28 ft-lb of recoil launching a 100 gr bullet at 3500 fps because it weighs less than 7#.

+1

Keep the 30-06, and load up 150 gr Partitions with 46 gr of IMR3031 for a velocity of 2840 fps. My 120 pound daughter shoots it with no problem, and gets complete pass throughs on 200 pound deer at 200 yards. My 130 pound wife says she finds them very comfortable to shoot.

Can't imagine you'd need anything that recoils lighter than my women kinfolk.

My first thought is go to a lighter bullet and make sure it's stocked right, that will make all the difference in the world. You're not kidding anybody, the real issue here is you "need" another rifle. Mine is one more vote for 6.5X55.

I've noticed the 6.5X55 has a strong following here and on other sites.

And was thinking about one... But I don't reload and was concerned about availability and effectiveness of factory ammo.

I checked Midsouth and Natchez.. not many offerings. ???

Rob

For deer an smaller critters I would go for a 243. Seems like a deer drops just as fast with the 243 as they do with an 30-06

I agree with Don..7x57.The 270 does recoil easier, to me; but the 7x57 is a solid step down, without leaving anything in the way of effectiveness, on the table.I wonder,sometimes why I don't have one.......

My choice would be 25/06 all the way! A bunch of reasons come to mind why I'd go with a 25/06 but I've got proof and its in the frezzer! HA HA HA!!!

I wanted to say that but don't wear kevlar anymore (grin).

243 win. great on whitetails and everything else in their weight range. 100gr partitions allow the 243 to "be all it can be". ymmv................

I'd go with a .308 Win based or a Mauser based claiber in a range between 7.62 down to 243 Win. 7mm-08 and 6.5x55 being my picks. 260 Rem in the running as well.

GeoW

7mm-08 Remington

I can only speak of the rifle calibers I've fired over the years.

.270 Winchester: This cartridge is a .30/06 necked down to .277 inches and fires a very effective 130 grain bullet at about 3,000 to 3,150 fps. An effective big game cartridge capable of taking any large, non-dangerous game in the new world. This cartridge's recoil, firing a 130 grain bullet, is noticably lighter than a .30/06 firing a 150 grain bullet.


7x57mm Mauser: This is the round which served as the "model" for the U.S. Army's .30/06 cartridge. The 7mm Mauser, introduced almost 10 years (1893) before the .30/06 was adopted by the U.S. Army (in 1906), is aka "7x57" or ".275 Rigby"... and is simply a smaller version of the .30/06... firing a .284 inch diameter, 140 grain bullet (if loaded to it's true full potential) at about 100 fps slower muzzle velocity than the standard .30/06 fires a 150 grain bullet.

Recoil is also minimized in this "minature-sized .30/06" cartridge. When I fired both cartridges, the 7mm Mauser SEEMED to have about 25% less "kick" than the .30/06... or about the same recoil as the .300 Savage cartridge firing a 150 grain bullet at 2680 fps.

The 115 year old 7mm Mauser (7x57) cartridge, loaded to its full potential (50,000 CUP) has a slightly greater powder capacity than the 7mm-08 and, thus, it duplicates or slightly exceeds the muzzle velocity of the much newer 7mm-08 cartridge. Loads of this greater power should ONLY be fired in MODERN RIFLES, not the older 1893 or 1895 7mm Mauser rifles which are considerably weaker than modern rifles.

For those who always wondered, but were always too shy about asking, the "7x57" is the European designation of the cartridge with the first "7" being the caliber (7mm or .284"), the "x" spoken as the word "by" and the last number ("57") being the length of the cartridge case in millimeters. Thus, the "7x57" is spoken as "seven by fifty-seven".

Using the European designation, then the .30/06 would be called the "7.62x63".


.300 Savage: This cartridge, introduced in 1920 in the Model 99 Savage lever-action rifle, approximated early .30/06 ballistics (150 grain bullet @ 2700 fps) in a shorter cartridge designed for use through a shorter, lever action.

The .300 Savage's recoil is down considerably (again, about 25% less "sensed" recoil than the .30/06 in my estimation), even at standard full loads, from the .30/06 with both cartridges firing a 150 grain bullet. Along with a lower recoil comes lower muzzle velocities, but the .300 Savage's muzzle velocity is more than adequate to handle any non-dangerous new world big game within a reasonable (250 yard) range.

Handloaded, the .300 Savage cartridge, using a 150 grain spitzer bullet at approximately 2650-2680 fps, is ideal for deer sized big game.

With a 165 grain Nosler Partition Bullet @ 2600 fps, this cartridge is quite capable of taking larger, non-dangerous big game like elk or even moose at reasonable ranges (under 200 yards).


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

It's a 270 for me.

I have identical M721's in 06 and 270--each have the origninal aluminum/steel buttplates--between stock design and buttplates they do kick. Even with my sissy bag on my shoulder, the 06 still had the "feel" of something closer to a 300WM. But picking up the 270 after shooting the 06 is a significant difference.

Of course, I've been using a 243 the past 5 years on elk--the recoil--and muzzle blast--makes everything else seem, well, big.......


Casey

I live in Northern Nv, and we have much opportunity for longish shots.
Given that, I have started using a Ruger No 1 chambered in 6mm Rem.(a .243 would be the same) and don't feel like I have given up a thing to my 300 mags on mule deer or antelope.
I might be a little more concerned if I were to use a "mid velocity" round as many have suggested.
My vote goes to the 6mm-243 with 100 gr bullets.

At almost 50 years old,Ive come to the conclusion that hurting myself isnt nearly so important as I once thought it was,I like to shoot rifles that I can enjoy shooting and like to shoot all day if I choose,I bought my first 243 winchester about 5 years back,and lookin back at it today this has probably been the most lethal damn rifle Ive ever owned,its killed everything I have ever pulled down on with it in 5 years,like flippin a light switch,7x57,6.5x55,257 Roberts and the ol faithful 243 winchester,when it comes to these four,shootability,reasonable recoil,good accuracy,ability to cleanly kill game,its all Good........

Just a quick note...

The 6mm Remington (aka ".244 Remington") is a 7x57 cartridge case necked down to .24 caliber or 6mm... and is about 100 fps faster than a .243 Winchester which is a necked down .308 Win. cartridge case. The .257 Roberts is a 7x57 case necked down to .25 caliber.

Download the 30/06.

and use 130gr TTSXs

Practical suggestions...There's no need for that here..........grin

Thank you Ron, I of course was not meaning to imply that a 6mm Rem. and a 243 were the same round, only that they were similar in capability.
After re-reading my original post it is clear that that inference could be made.

Again, thanks for clarifying.

But that means I don't have to buy another rifle...

I would say 260 Remington or 6.5x55. With a quality 130-140 grain bullet @ 2700-2850 fps they will shoot as flat as a 30-06 with 165 grainers, and kick half as much. Deer inside 1/4 mile wont be safe

I'll throw out an idea for you... Start with a Ruger #1, then build a .458 Lott on it. You should have pretty well knocked yourself stupid after 40 rounds or so. Then sell it at a gun show, and buy a Remington Model 7 in .243, then shoot the barrel out of that .243 and screw one on it in .260. At least that was what I did.

Thank god I got older and wiser

7-08

Oregon45 �

Since you already have a .30-06 a very good place to start would be a .25-06 or, if you reload, a .257 Roberts.

The .25-06 is, IMHO, the best dual-purpose cartridge available. There is an excellent variety of factory ammo, it is well suited to low volume varminting and is an excellent choice for deer and antelope. More than a few elk have fallen to it as well and I much prefer a 120g .257� bullet for elk over a anything in a .243. If you handload the .257 Roberts is an excellent choice. (My .257 Roberts +P loads give up very little to the .25-06.)

For the guy shooting factory ammo and only wanting a big game rifle there are several other good choices including the .260 Rem, 7mm-08 and 7x57.

For sheer fun it is very hard (impossible?) in a big game cartridge to beat the .30-30. Significantly less recoil than a .30-06 yet a 170g bullet will still carry 1000fpe at 200 yards � more than enough range and power for most needs. Furthermore, no battery is complete without one.

.270, then 6.5x55.

I think I'm seeing a pattern here.

That's cool. It just goes to show you people have different ideas of what "meaningful" means.

Added the .25/06 for comparism.
25-06 Rem. (120 at 3000) 8.0 12.5
Fast and flat. My wife's new gun will be a .25-06.

stumpy

Even though the OP didn't mention this, implied in my choice of 7mm-08 was that if I want to step down in recoil from say a 30-06, I personally figure the rifle itself might as well step down too- to a short action.

I know some folks don't like short actions or don't care either way, but I do... so stepping down in recoil might was well give me a lighter, handier rifle as an added bonus.

My 12-year-old daughter was shooting my 7-08 Mountain Rifle the other day with no problems BTW... hard rubber pad and all... it really is a moderate-recoiling round, even in a light rifle.

-jeff

For deer & smaller: 6mm Rem, 243 Win, 223 Rem With the right bullets

For deer & larger: 25-o6, 260 Rem, 7-08 Rem; 270 & 280 are getting back too close to 'o6 recoil, but with light bullets are still noticeably less

MM

...Add the 7.62X39 as a limited range caliber for whitetails of any size, and the 7X57 Mauser or 6.5X55 Swedish for most any medium game up to 400-600 lbs. These produce noticeably reduced recoil when compared to the 30/06 Springfield. Another option that's easy as pie is to purchase Remington's "reduced Recoil" ammo in 30/06. With a 125 grain bullet at less than a 'full house' push this load is still plenty lethal on deer and without the recoil associated with standard 30/06 loadings, more akin to a mild 30/30 load's recoil!

I don't see 250 Savage (.250/3000) or 7/30 Waters listed.

I went .308 and plan to load 130gr TTSXs. That should be nice and mild and do just what I need it to do on deer. I can load other bullets to handle most anything else. Reloading components and ammo are as plentiful as the 30'06.

.25-06, 6.5X55, or 7mm-08.

For me, a .270 WCF. After I got it my two .30/06's stayed in the safe, especially for volume shooting at ground squirrels.

I also think that my .25/06 would fill the role that you describe.

Steelhead suggested smaller bullets, and I'll just echo that thought. Whatever cartridge you choose, you will save even more recoil if you load lighter bullets. If you get a 25-06, don't shoot 120gr bullets, use 100gr. Go against the heavy-for-caliber school of thought.

POWDER CHARGE HAS THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON RECOIL ACCORDING TO THE FORMULA, BULLET WEIGHT SECOND.

My vote would be for a 6.5X55 in a CZ, Sako, or Ruger. It doesn't recoil any more than a 30/30 and is very "flat shooting" caliber with a tremendous array of bullets available from 85 to 160gr.

Some have suggested 308 and 270. Not mine! My 270 Savage 110 and 308 Savage 99 both hurt me more than my 1903 Springfield with steel butt plate. Yes, weight and shape are why they hurt. I don't like to shoot either.

I suggest 30-30, you need a lever gun anyway. In bolt actions, I have 25-06, 6.5x55, and 243 that fit the OP's parameters.

7x57
_________________________

I would recommend the 260 Remington without hesitation.

Good point, Prostrate8... !

I, too, thought of the .250 Savage... an excellent deer cartridge with VERY LITTLE recoil in a rifle of "average" weight which literally duplicates any load one can get with the .257 Roberts... but finally decided it was more of a handloader's cartridge since it would be very difficult to find on many store's ammo shelves which is why I eventually decided NOT to mention the great little .250 Savage (aka ".250-3000") cartridge.

The .250-3000 has been taking deer and similar-sized big game since 1914 when it was introduced in the Savage Model 99. This cartridge was developed by the ballistician Charles Newton for Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle and was the first commercial, factory-standard cartridge to exceed 3,000 fps. It is noted for its light recoil, but is a very effective cartridge on deer-sized game.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

The 257 Roberts and the 260 Remington, both with good 120 grain bullets, work well on deer-size game and smaller with noticeably less recoil than the 30-06 in rifles of similar weight. But there is no free lunch. Smaller cartridges do less damage to game animals. I am fond of the addage that larger cartridges make them "sicker quicker." However, with specific bullet placement, even small cartridges can plant them DRT as long as there is sufficient penetration. Almost invariably the animal will run a ways after the "classic" behind-the-shoulder shot, regardless of caliber used.

-

308 or 7X57.

My first experience with a high powered rifle was a .30-06. At that time, early '60's it was by far the most common, non-.30-30 around. I owned and used various .30-06's for years to shoot deer/bear/antelope sized game.

When the Remington M7 was introduced, I ran out and bought one in 7-08. In the M7, recoil was less than a full size '06, but by much. Effectiveness on deer/antelope size game is about zero difference as near as I can tell, to the point where I no longer have a .30-06 at all. I have a 7RM for longer shots, and .35 Whelen's for larger game.

My new Mtn Rifle in 7-08 is a bit less than 8lbs loaded with sling and scope, and it kicks less than the M7. Having shot a pretty fair pile of deer and antelope with a .243, I feel that the 7-08 is far more effective than the smaller hole, and weighs less in a given rifle design.

Several years ago I had a custom built in 7x57 and it has for all practical purposes replaced my 06 as my all purpose gun.

I think I would go with a .260

6.5x55 or 7x57

A 25-06 has a noticeable reduction of recoil and is very effective on deer.

I'm getting in pretty late with this one, but I second the 6.5x55. It really is very good for most of the stuff most of us really hunt.

'Nother vote for the 250-3000 Savage.
Or the wildcat 25-223. 'Bout the same speed. Just depends on wheather or not you want a wildcat to mess with. I for one, would welcome the 25-223! Shot one several years back, that my cousin owned. Great rifle!
Virgil B.

My 257 Roberts Ackley Improved with solid square butt and 117 gr bullets makes recoil pain 100 times worse than my 338WinMag with 250 gr bullets and the largest and unground Limbsaver recoil pad.

25-06. Effective and noticeably less recoil.

The .243AI will do a LOT of killin'.........

257 WSM

And there you have it.

Dude, I cant wait to find out.

.25-06, 6.5x55/.260.

7mm-08 is both a step down and quite effective. And not the dreaded .22 CF <grin>...

Haven't read through all the responses, but obviously see a lot of repetition in the responses given. Something I haven't scene mentioned is you have to compare the cartridges mentioned in a similar platform as the orginal 30-06 mentioned.

I've got 2 very light 7mm-08's that I really don't find any different to shoot than my 1 1/2-2 lbs heavier 30-06.

I've also got a Winchester 670 .243, that really doesn't fit me well and while I certainly don't mind shooting it, I find my 30-06 and such more pleasant to shoot.

7-08

.260 Remington with 120 gr TSX

25-06 if you want to stay in a similar LA rifle, and a 7-08 or 243 if you want to go SA.

I've got Kimber Montanas in 300 WSM and 7-08 (and the Wizzum) is a fair bit heavier, but the 7-08 recoils noticeably less. I run 180's in the 300 and 140's in the 7-08, FWIW.

Not exactly a 30-06 to 7-08 comparison, but not far off.

If you want to stay 30 cal, 308 or 300 Savage would sure make good sense and provide less recoil.

I know some have suggested you stick with your '06 and load her down, but they have overlooked a huge problem with that advice...It means you don't get a new rifle...grin.

DJ

I'd follow the 250Sav-257 Roberts-260 Rem- 6.5 x 55- 7/08-7x57 crowd....

at the same time... an 06 loaded to say 300 Savage Standards...
is a noticeable reduction in recoil....

150s... 165s.. 180s at 2400 fps are still a very effective load at 250 yds and under... with noticeable reduction in kick to the shooter..

260 Rem
"Remington standardized the 260 as a factory round in 1997. While basically similar to the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser cartridge, the 260 enjoys enjoys the advantage of being loaded to higher pressures due to the absence of older, weaker actions in this chambering."

Factory loads of 120 or 140gr Remington psp are available.

Or handload to lower weight for even less recoil.

Stocks can have recoil reducers added such as a tube of buckshot or a mercury cylinder to absorb recoil. Also there are Limbsaver pads for most rifles available.