deer rifle for small hunter

[454c]

My wife currently uses a marlin 30-30 and can handle it fine,but we have some stands where shots can be beyond the 30-30's limitations.I'd like to get her a small bolt action with further capabilities.The problem is I haven't shot many calibers under .30.From what I've researched so far,I'm down to a couple choices.Some are so close in comparison I thought I'd ask some people who has shot them for their opinions.The requirements for the caliber are:

1)Be able to take deer with a broadside shot.I'm not a fan of neck shots,even though it works.

2)Be available in a short bolt action.

3)Have as little recoil as possible.

1&3 is what I really need feedback on as I haven't deer hunted with anything smaller than .30 cal.So far the best choices seem to be between the 243/6mm;260;and 7-08.
My kids will also use this as they get older if this helps you see what kinda gun I'm after.Basically a "beginner deer rifle"

 

[Art Eatman]

Seems to me the .243 would meet your needs. They're inherently accurate, seems like, and there are many light rifles which wouldn't have any particular recoil problem.

With a 100-grain bullet, it's 2/3 of a .30-'06 or a .308, for all practical purposes.

Sighting in for 2" high at 100 yards puts you dead-on at 200 and some 6" low at 300.

I've killed some 20 or so bucks with mine...

, Art

 

[WYO]

You might want to check out the Remington Model 7 youth, which is available in .243, .260 and 7mm-08, and can be ordered from Wal Mart. Because the stock is shorter than the regular model 7, you could add a better recoil pad without making the LOP longer than a regular length rifle. On paper, the .243 recoils less than the .30-30, and the .260 a slight bit more, while the 7mm-08 has the most of the three. I've killed a few deer with a .243, and they didn't know the difference between that and a .30-06.

 

[4v50 Gary]

MagnaPort it.

 

[dakotasin]

remington sendero in 338 rum.



ok, seriously... remington model 7 in 7-08.

 

[454c]

Art
If I remember correctly you prefer the neck shots.How did that 243 do on the broadside shots?The folks here where I live seem split on the 243.They either love 'em or hate 'em.

Would the 260 and 7-08 be uncomfortable to shoot for someone of small build?It will probably be a rifle the size of the Rem. model 7.

 

[tasunkawitko]

from the choices you listed, i would be inclined to choose between the .260 or the 7/08, with my preference being the .260.

what kind of ranges are you looking at? with a load similar to the one offered by remington for its 150-grain core-lokt, the .30/30 is a very fine rifle up to and including 175 yards, and can be very serviceable out to 200-230 yards, all within an 8-inch kill zone. this is with a 200-yard zero.

attached below SHOULD be a ballistics table supporting this fact. if it doesn't show up, let me know, and i will email or PM it to you.

tash


Load Data
~~~~~~~~~

Name: .308 Cal, remington spcl, 150 grn
Ballistic Coeff: 0.180
Bullet Weight: 150
Velocity: 2390
Target Distance: 200
Scope Height: 1.500


Ballistic Data
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Range Elevation Velocity Energy
0 yds -1.50 in 2390 fps 1902 fpe
25 yds 0.51 in 2278 fps 1729 fpe
50 yds 2.11 in 2170 fps 1568 fpe
75 yds 3.24 in 2064 fps 1419 fpe
100 yds 3.87 in 1961 fps 1281 fpe
125 yds 3.95 in 1861 fps 1154 fpe
150 yds 3.36 in 1766 fps 1038 fpe
175 yds 2.06 in 1674 fps 933 fpe
200 yds 0.00 in 1586 fps 838 fpe
225 yds -2.84 in 1501 fps 750 fpe

 

[Art Eatman]

I've taken a few boiler-room shots, but the deer field-dressed in the ninety-ish pound range, maybe 100. The 85-grain Sierra HPBT pretty much destroyed the heart and adjacent lungs.

I imagine some bullet like a 100-grain Nosler would go on through, leaving a good blood trail. Most .243 users go with a 100-grain bullet, anyway.

My 7mm08 is the 700Ti, and weighs in at 6-1/4 pounds, ready to hunt. The recoil is noticeable, but I wouldn't call it harsh. Still, it's a 140-grain bullet at around 2,800 or so, and is pretty close to .308 or '06 energy. The fit of the rifle makes a lot of difference. Offhand shots, I haven't noticed the recoil at all.

A lightweight person, particularly a novice, would probably be better off with something weighing around seven to eight pounds. I'd probably go ahead and replace the existing recoil pad with a Kick Eez. Avoiding recoil problems oughta be worth the money...

Art

 

[saddlebum]

my wife is 5' tall 98lbs and shoots a stainless rem. model 7 in 260. with no problem . she has taken 2 bucks and 4 does in the last five years with it from 80 yards to around 250 yards all one shot drt. saddlebum

 

[Vic303]

I'd suggest any of the following 3 calibers: .243, .257 Roberts, or my pet favorite, 6.5x55 swede. All are mild recoiling, and the Swede can handle the heaviest bullets, up to 160gr RN's, but it recoils like a .243.

Kimber made a bunch of M96 rifles once upon a time, and many were left in the original caliber of 6.5x55 (they converted old swedish mausers). I WISH I could find one for sale & I would buy it! I also have a .243 M70 heavy barrel that will shoot the eyes off of flies if I do my part! I've taken KS whitetails with it using 100gr Hornady SP's in a handload over 4064. I've also got a beautiful .257Rob in a Ruger #1 that currently won't hit the broad side of a barn, but that's another story...

--Vicky

 

[JOE MACK]

I've got one sister that shoots the .250Savage and the other is deadly with a .257Roberts. You might also look at the 7x57mauser, 6mm Remington, or 7BR. There are an enormous number of wildcats that fit the bill, too. RKBA!

 

[Gordon]

Everybody just about covered it: New out of box .260 Rem in Model 7 , used a 6.5X55 or a 7mm mauser(or 7o8 ) . May I add my wife has a 6.5 Ugalde (6.5X.223 Improved) with it's 22inch 1-8" Shilen #1 contour barrel on a Sako Vixen action(of course) stocked in XXX Claro for her by a local 'smith. The 2-7 Burris mini scope is good for 300 yards but her farthest Black tail was 225 yards! It weighs 6 3/4pounds and has recoil like a .243 100grain load, but shoots a 129grain spitzer at 2700fps. This info for reference only! So you can justify spending HUGE sums on your guns!

 

[454c]

It sounds like the 260 is the happy medium between power and recoil.If it ends up being to much for her I could always use it and get her a 243.

tash

the 30-30 is a great round and for a stand with short range shots it's the gun me or her take with us,but I'll give you one guess who she will gripe at if the buck of a lifetime steps out at 300 yards.

Do those Kick Eez pads REALLY work?How hard is it to install and are there better ones?

Thanks for your help

 

[HankB]

The .243 is probably the lightest-recoiling caliber of those discussed. The 7mm-08 is very similar to the 7x57 in performance, and the latter has a reputation for having mild recoil. I'd think either of these would suit a recoil-sensitive woman, especially if you shorten the stock and put on something like a thick Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad and have the rifle Mag-Na-Ported. (The 7mm-08 is a tad more versatile for big game.) I doubt that a Mag-Na-Ported 7mm-08 with a recoil pad would feel much different in recoil than your wife's .30/30 Marlin . . .

Look into ammo availability, too. .243 and 7mm-08 are probably going to be more universally available than 6.5x55 or .260.

Hmmm . . . if you're willing to consider an autoloader, Browning's BAR might be a possibility. The semi-auto mechanism tends to "mush out" the recoil impulse; this makes the recoil feel milder, because it's spread out over a longer duration.

 

[dakotasin]

for recoil pads you can't go wrong w/ either a sims or decelerator.

i think the sims pads are better w/ the smaller cartridges (7-08, 243, etc)... haven't had enough opportunity to test them w/ the larger ones. decelerators work well on everything.

 

[labgrade]

.243 is an excellent cartridge (every deer I've shot were broadsides & in excess of 300 yds + DRT). So are many others in that range.

We settled on a Rem 7 in 7-08 for The Wife (100 lbs at 5' even) which she shoots very well & actually could use the .308 in the same platform. & especially if you handload & can download some till more familiar, it would be a great choice. & it all depends on how one is recoil sensitive - must be able to accurately place a bullet (much more important than cartridge IMHO).

BTW, reason for 7-08 was to allow a more reasonable recoil (less than .308 & not needed & we really did lose some "umph capacity" there on the hindsight), but the capability for more than the .243 - we also hunt elk & don't believe the .243 can really be loaded up there enough re bullet weight.

But for "just deer," I wouldn't hesitate to go anywhere from .243 up - especially if you handload. If not, same answer, just fewer options to make the load especial a la senora.

 

[Slingster]

I'll add another vote for the .260 Rem as a versatile, readily-available, and reliable minimum for deer that can be used at almost any target angle. I load my Model Seven with 160-grain Hornady RNSPs at 2350 fps, duplicating the classic 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer, which as we all know has a long history of performing well on large (and huge!) game, but good quality 120s and 140s will work fine as well.

For a light-recoiling load with reach out to 300 yards and reliable penetration and terminal performance, the 125-grain Nosler Partition at a muzzle velocity of around 2700 fps might be just the thing. If bigger game comes on the menu, then step up to 140s or 160s, something that's not possible with smaller calibers.

 

[Brian Williams]

I really like my Win 70 Compact classic in 7mm-08 it is small and fairly lightweight with a leupold 3x9 compact scope, here is a comparison with my 1894c in 357 with a 18.5 barrel

 

[243_shooter]

I've always used a .243, as has my father, and his father... I'd recomend it, under certain circumstances...

It's major benifit (IMHO) is that a younger / smaller person who may be recoil sensitve won't be bothered by it, and can shoot it enough to get comfortable with it. This can make all the difference in the world when the chips are down. There is to much other stuff going on, no need to further complicate things with a fear of the rifle, or worse yet a flinch.

It's major disadvantage is you should really be able to shoot well with it, as I don't think it's as tolerant of poor shot placement as other larger calibers. I've never had a problem, use 100gr Rem. Core-Loc's mostly. I pass on any "questionable" shots though (no rump shots / quartering away / etc..) Basically if I don't have a clean shot at the vitals or neck, I pass.

Sounds to me like she is competent with a rifle, and a .243 would be an great match. My mother is just a hair over 5 feet, and I've lost track to the number of deer that have fallen to her mod 70 featherweight.

I am, of course a bit biased, darn family traditions

Leo

 

[C.R.Sam]

The fit of the rifle makes a lot of difference. ...Art

Major biggie.

Sam