Author Topic: Which "light" caliber deer cartridge??? (Read 1415 times)

atmag95 · « **on:** December 30, 2003, 04:10:26 AM »

Howdy folks,

I am in the market for a "light" caliber deer cartridge for my hunting here in Texas. I have checked out Chuck Hawk's excellent website and read his articles on the different rifle calibers out there.

I am looking for a mild recoil deer rifle that shoots flat. I have primarily looked at the .243, 6mm, 6.5x66SE. I am not sure if the .25-06 or 7mm-08 are considered "mild" recoil cartridges. I know what I've read on Chuch Hawks' recoil chart regarding the different recoild poundages of each caliber. I would just like a little real-world feedback.

I am interested in this cartridge for myself, but primarily I would like to hand this rifle down to my son that my wife and I are expecting this March. I know he won't hunt with it til he's 6-7yrs old at the earliest but I figured I could use it up until then myself.

OH, I have a Remington 700 ADL in .270 caliber at the moment.

Much obliged for any responses.

Zachary · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2003, 04:18:31 AM »

A .243 will certainly work for deer. However, a more practical "light" cartridge would be, say, a .260 Remington. I don't know how "flat" you want a cartridge to be, but with 120 to 125 grain bullets, the .260 is great. In fact, you can use those long 140 grain bullets, especially in premium construction, for animals either a bit bigger, or just for added assurance for deer.

The .260 with 140 grain bullets kicks about the same as a 7mm-08, maybe a bit less. However, with 125 grain bullets, the .260 kicks that much less than the 7mm-08 with 140 grain bullets.

As for real world experience, I own both cartridges, so I'm talking from personal experience. :wink:

Zachary

Mikey · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2003, 04:42:03 AM »

atmag: you have named a whole bunch of great cartridges but you named my favorite, the 6.5 Swede. I would go find myself a good looking Swedish Mauser, Model 38, with a good bore and a #1 on the stock disc, cut and weld the bolt for a scope, install a Bold or Timney Trigger and a bolt block, scope that baby, maybe bed the action if it needs it, and shoot the snot outta it. It will outlast you and junior and your son will hand that rifle off to his children.

Now, this is a military surplus type rifle. The neat thing is that although you have purdy ADL, your son just might drool over the mil-surp look. Of course, as he gets older and has more of his paw prints on that one than you do, you can set to sporterizing it and making it look like a brand new Mauser sporter, just for him. BTW, shooting the 6.5 Swede in the Model 38 is about as painless as can be. Might be just the ticket. And also BTW, although the Swedes are in 6.5 mm caliber they are not 'light', per se. The 6.5 Swede is good for just about anything except large dangerous bear. Lots of guys use it for medium size bear, hog, moose and elk, but it's an easy one to shoot and the Swedes put great quality into their rifles. Ask anyone on the mil-supr forum. HTH. (OK, now all you other caliber guys can take potshots at me ifin ya'll wants to but, I've said my stuff and he did mention the 6.5 ya know.........) Mikey.

PA-Joe · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2003, 05:24:36 AM »

7mm08 can be light or heavy 110 - 175 grains

longwinters · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2003, 05:33:22 AM »

I went thru the same thing with both my sons. The 1st got a Tikka in .243 (which I now have as he moved on to a 30-06 as he got older). The 2nd son got a Rem 700LSS in 7m-08. This son is quite recoil conscious and so I load it with 120 gn. Nosler Ballistic Tips with a light powder load. Worked well on an 8pt (eastern count) and an antelope this year. Neither went more than 60 yds. He can shoot heavier bullets as he gets older, but he has a rifle for life if he wants it, one that has great versitility.

long

Eagle Eye · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2003, 06:26:49 AM »

Either a 260 or 7mm-08 would fit the bill nicely. Both are mild shooting and don't have an ear shattering blast either. I would lean toward the 260.....all the benefits of a short action with the superb ballistics possible with those long 264 bullets. The 25-06 is also an excellent cartridge but it is louder and should be used in rifles with a 24" barrel to take full advantage of the slow burning powder.

helobill · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2003, 08:22:32 AM »

My vote goes to the 6mm Remington...'cause that's what I started with and still have the gun (it's 33 years young now). Got it when I was 13 for my first trip to the Maine woods. Don't think I'll ever trade it or sell it. My son uses it now. If I had to choose only one gun to take for a trip with shots out to 250 yards on deer, the 6mm with Hornady light magnums is in the truck. Wouldn't use it on elk, but it's my favorite on coyotes with light bullets and deer (when I'm not hunting Illinois) with 95-105gr bullets. Winchester's new 243 WSSM reproduces the ballistics of the 6mm Rem in a really short fat case if you want to go with something new. You can use heavier bullets in the swede or the 260 if you don't think 100gr is enough (which it is, but some folks are convinced a deer will laugh when hit with 100 grains. I've never seen any of them laugh when they got hit, they always seem to drop to their knees and bow.) Plus if you reload you can make it a 100 yard gun by using reduced loads with the 100gr bullets and still have a viable deer round. It's VERY mild in the recoil department.
Bill

eroyd · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2003, 08:53:32 AM »

I personally hunt with a 257 roberts imp. Performance wise its right on the heals of the 25-06. It is very pleasant to shoot and has no problems knocking large deer over at 300 yards +.
Having stated that, if I was to sellect a factory round I to would go for one of the 6.5's, either the x55 swede or the modern 260 rem. The 260 rem has become VERY popular in the silhouette game because of the mild recoil and the ability of those long 6.5 bullets to retain energy at longer distances. The 260 also fits in a short action.[/b]

atmag95 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 30, 2003, 08:53:54 AM »

Thanks for the response fellas. I went out on my lunch break looking at different places for a 6mm or .25-06 caliber and none are to be found. I'll keep looking and see what comes available. I did find some .243's (in standard and WSSM models) though.

I was hoping I could find one for my upcoming hunt trip this weekend. If I don't find one, oh well. I'll keep checking around town. I really like the Winchester model 70 Classic featherweight but I don't like the price tag on it ($569 I think).

OH well.....

Thanks again for the input!

huntsman · « **Reply #9 on:** December 30, 2003, 09:01:24 AM »

I would vote for the 6.5x55 followed closely by the 7-08. Both offer flat shooting and mild recoil with the right loads. Both are more than enough gun for medium game (and I am a fan of more than enough gun). Both can be loaded up or down to get the right recoil/energy combination to suit a young hunter as well as an old pro. Your son will never outgrow a good gun in either caliber.

The .243, 6mm, and 25-06, while very capable on light game, do not offer the heavier bullets your son will probably prefer as he gets older. Just MHO, of course, but I don't see them being nearly as versatile as the aforementioned two calibers.

Good luck with your selection process. Be careful shooting that gun before your son gets ahold of it; you may not want to part with it! I bought my daughters two 6.5x55 Swedes and I love shooting them even more than my trusty old 270. My daughter was jealous when I used her gun to kill a 250-lb. boar at 80 yards with her Swede (on a hunt she didn't go on). By the way, the boar dropped and flopped around for about 30 seconds after being hit behind the shoulder, but never took another step. The other Swede dropped a 200-lb. sow in her tracks last year through the nose/throat at 20 yards. The 6.5x55 is a dynamite caliber!

woodseye · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2003, 10:21:18 AM »

The 7mm-08 is what I started my son with and he loves it three deer later. You can load it up or down and it can even handle the 150-175 bullets for heavier game if needed in the future. Low recoil and superb accuracy and from the looks of it, they will be around for a long time to come. Available in a wide assort. of guns and weights also.

woods

atmag95 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 30, 2003, 11:35:51 AM »

Well, after doing some research and such, I think i'm down to the .25-06 or the 7mm-08. I think both of those will have less recoil than my .270 and they both can deliver a knockout punch out to 300yds w/ the right load.

I am not a reloader so i'll have to find out which factory load shoots best w/ the rifle I choose.

Hope I can find one of these bad boys in stock somewhere!!!

Lawdog · « **Reply #12 on:** December 30, 2003, 12:37:33 PM »

atmag95,

Seeing that you have decided on either the .25-06 or the 7mm-08 then let me say if you are ever going to use this rifle for varmints of any kind then I would go with the .25-06. I have not been able to find factory varmint loads for the 7mm-08 and their are factory varmint loads available for the .25-06. If you are going to hunt deer only then the 7mm-08 is a good choice but if you want to bust varmints too then the .25-06 is the way to go. Lawdog

86er · « **Reply #13 on:** December 30, 2003, 02:41:30 PM »

Whazzamatter?! Has everybody forgotten the tried and true 7X57 Mauser? It too can be loaded up or down depending on the intended target.

Eagle Eye · « **Reply #14 on:** December 30, 2003, 02:57:12 PM »

Why? :lol: :roll:

Well, there is no doubt the old 7x57 is or at least was a great cartridge. However, I for one would not recommend anyone buy a new rifle in 7x57 Mauser when the cartridge does not fit a short action and the factory ammo tends to be loaded "light" for older actions. Put simply, there are better choices out there for a new rifle in the 7mm size.

If someone had to have a 7mm bore size for deer hunting (and 7mm is an excellent pick for a number of reasons), then I would suggest a 7mm-08 REM. It is a true short action cartridge (like the 260 REM) that basically duplicates 7x57 ballistics and it produces less recoil than its' parent cartridge, the 308 WIN. :wink:

old06 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 30, 2003, 03:40:49 PM »

I have had the 243, and still have a 2506 and 708 if it came down to a pick one the 243 is out first just not enough of either side of the fence then comes then would be the 2506 to close to the 270 the last to go is the 708 I think it would fit in nice.

atmag95 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 31, 2003, 03:00:15 PM »

Well fellas, I finally picked one out. I went with a Winchester Model 70 7mm-08. I topped it w/ a Zeiss Conquest 3x9x40

I took it to the range and it was shooting high w/ the first set of rounds I shot (Remington 140gr). After shooting about a dozen and working the scope, I got it down and centered. I went through almost that whole box of 20 and then I started using my Hornady (139gr) bullets since that is what i'll use when I hunt.

I put a group of 4 w/in an inch of another.

I can't wait to hunt w/ this rifle. I"ll keep y'all updated how it does this weekend!!!

Eagle Eye · « **Reply #17 on:** December 31, 2003, 03:37:38 PM »

Nice rig...which version of the Model 70 did you get?

woodseye · « **Reply #18 on:** January 01, 2004, 03:57:09 AM »

Nice gun - optics - and caliber choice. Sounds like you are homing in fast on a good hunting load. Good Shooting!

woods

jim21 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 21, 2006, 11:29:08 AM »

You can't go wrong with a .243.Its a nice mellow rifle,light recoil.