Looking at a lighter Caliber Hunting rifle for my son

7x57 is an awesome cartridge, but if you don’t reload it is hard to find good ammo in Canada! There is lots of great factory ammo by Norma, and others but just hard to find locally!
 
My son is now 27 but started going to the range with me at 2 years old. Over the years he's shot just about everything in handgun, shotgun and rifle. I took serious how he held the firearm to minimize recoil and loaded some lighter loads to begin with. By the time he was old enough to obtain his hunting licence he was shooting full loads of 308 and never complained on recoil. He began hunting at the very minimum age and used and still uses a 1950's Savage M99 F/W in 308. He shoots my M70's but loves that old M99.

Forgot to add, for the first number of years I installed a forgiving recoil pad on the Savage M99. Combined with the light handloads it helped him to get his footing. By the time he was old enough obtain his licence he was good with original stock and steel buttplate and full loads.
 
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reomack said:
Why do so many people say caliber when what they are talking about is cartridge? A 30.06 and a 3030 are the same caliber (bullet size) but are very different cartridges. I don't know why I let this bother me but it does. I suppose that at the age of 82 I have finally become an old curmudgeon.
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Least it took you that long!

It doesn't help when that's actually stamped on gun barrels either.
 
reomack said:
Why do so many people say caliber when what they are talking about is cartridge? A 30.06 and a 3030 are the same caliber (bullet size) but are very different cartridges. I don't know why I let this bother me but it does. I suppose that at the age of 82 I have finally become an old curmudgeon.
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While technically not correct, it is part of the vernacular.
 
reomack said:
Why do so many people say caliber when what they are talking about is cartridge? A 30.06 and a 3030 are the same caliber (bullet size) but are very different cartridges. I don't know why I let this bother me but it does. I suppose that at the age of 82 I have finally become an old curmudgeon.
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I think "caliber" actually refers to the diameter of the hole that is (or used to be) bored or reamed up the barrel - then rifling grooves were cut. Most of the time, a "bullet" is larger diameter than a "bore" or "caliber" diameter - bullets are typically "groove diameter", but not always. But you are correct - both 30-06 and 30-30 use .308" diameter bullets, usually, and they are both referred to as "30 caliber" rounds, although you will find some people loading bullets, especially lead cast, that are sized 0.309", 0.310" or 0.311" - maybe even bigger?

I got particularly spun around with 6.5x55 cartridges - Norma 130 grain "Golden Target" bullets appear to have diameter about 0.265", whereas "6.5 mm" apparently translates to 0.2559". Perhaps a bit like choosing bullets to reload a .270 Win - you use 0.277" diameter jacketed bullets, typically - the barrel's "groove" size, not the "bore" size.
 
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Have you thought about replacing the rear stock on the .303 with a monte carlo style piece with a limbsaver recoil pad?
I love the .303 brit for closer range deer hunting. With a 180gr quality bullet they usually drop within feet of the hit.
The enfield rifles in the stock military wood are not really much fun to shoot after a few rounds. It does have somewhat of a sharper recoil.
The limbsaver pad though.... what a difference. Makes the .303brit a pleasure to shoot.
I started out with my dad's old no1 shtle 3* .303 sporter over 25 years ago and have killed more animals with the .303 brit than any other caliber.

All that said , if the .303 was off the table and I was in the OP's shoes I would look for a 7mm-08 and call it a day.
 
.243 as it’ll do the same thing as the .303 if shot in the vitals
And if not, it’s gonna suck either way.
 
Howa in 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39

Or

Husqvarna in 8x57, American factory loads are 30-30 level and gentle, European are 30-06ish.
 
reomack said:
Why do so many people say caliber when what they are talking about is cartridge? A 30.06 and a 3030 are the same caliber (bullet size) but are very different cartridges. I don't know why I let this bother me but it does. I suppose that at the age of 82 I have finally become an old curmudgeon.
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Yea Fir Sure ! Me too but even the factories call them CALIBERS instead of CARTRIDGES . WTH Eh . RJ
 
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