Hunting rifle question.

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yakideath12

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Hi fellas

I need some helps to choose my first hunting rifle for deer and black bear.

Im going to hunt mostly for blackbear.

All my friends say that I need to get 30-06 or 300 for future hunting for moose etc....But I am not really got into hunting yet and I dont think im not going to hunt bigger than black bear so...

Problem is I cant take high power rifle cuz of my bad shoulder injury.

I am 71 inch tall and 150lb.

So I am considering to get 243 ,270(wsm) or 30-06( Final choice)

Please let me know what do you think.

Thank you.
 
.260 Remington, 7mm-08 Remington, .284 Winchester. These are all very capable ,easy shooting, and deadly accurate in skilled hands.There are others, these are just a couple.

It is more about bullet choice than it is chambering.Quality bullet at moderate velocities will trump poor bullets at light speed every time. Use the bullet within it's design parameters and you will have no issues.

There is no need for beating the heck out of your body to harvest any of the game you mentioned.

Myself, I would go with 7mm-08 loaded with a 150 gr Swift Scirocco II. ;)
 
243 has almost no kick at all and works just fine for deer from my experience. You'll get real confident with it if recoil bothers you and you should be able to take black bear too because of your ability to place shots without flinching. You may also look at a 270 win or 270 wsm, both are very good too in that way.
No real need to go for the 30 cals if you don't want to, but a 308 with a limbsaver recoil pad on it is a pretty good choice too.
 
If you have touchy shoulders such as I, the 30-06 may be a tad big on recoil.
I would opt for a 308 win over the 7mm-08. A bit bigger bullet for a bear doesn't
hurt in the long run. Toss a quality bullet in 150 grain or slightly larger and you're
good to go. Will work on moose if you decide to go that route as well.
If you have the opportunity to shoot a 308 win, I would suggest doing this before
opting on this size cartridge. It has a bit of a bite to it but not overwhelming.
A good recoil pad will help this along as well.
Glad you've come along for the ride.
Good luck to you on your hunt.
Looky.
 
You don't want to further annoy your shoulder, so go with the light kickers. I agree with the 243, my other choice would be a 30-30. Even with these light kickers I would put a good frecoil absorbing rubber butt pad on it.
If you do later extend your hunting to moose, a 30-30 will get you by just fine, a little better than would a 243.
 
OP, due to an existing previous shoulder injury, I would suggest (heaven forbid, I can't believe that I am suggesting this) a muzzle brake. If it were me, I would be looking at a .308 if I were only going for black bear, but it would allow you to hunt nearly anything on the continent. Recoil pad in addition such as a kick-eez or a LimbSaver and you would never feel the recoil.
 
Go with 30.06. Light, medium, or heavy, this rifle has it all, and the most available commercial rounds on the market.
 
It's not just the calibre. Get out to the gunshops if you can and handle as many different rifles as you can. If a stock fits you poorly, it will make the recoil feel worse for any given calibre. A good fit will also contribute to your accuracy.

Also consider a semi-auto. The mechanism uses some of the energy to cycle the action, so you'll feel a bit less recoil.
 
Here are the rounds I would recommend and why:

30/30 - heavier, slower rd. Low recoil, moderate range (200 yards) and commonly available.

7mm/08 - Light round, faster flatter shooting rd, low recoil. Medium ranges - 400+? I haven't shot them much at longer ranges

6.5x55 - exactly the same as the 7mm/08 but lowest recoil of them all and flatter shooting due to better ballistic coefficient than 7mm-08 on similar bullets, but has been around since 1890s, is commonly available, and LOTS of very accurate and cheap swedish mausers out there. Basically the older, more experienced higher quality 7mm/08.

308 - Moderate recoil, moderate range, moderate weight, common.
 
Some good advice above.

What counts more than anything is your ability to put a bullet into Bambi's lethal zone at reasonable ranges. To do that, you need practice and you need to be comfortable with the weapon. You have wisely shown concern over recoil and, as noted, that leaves lots of possibilities. Pay attention to the fit of your rifle, install a good recoil pad and go with a moderate cartridge (almost any one will do, really).

If I had to suggest rounds for you, for deer and black bear, any of these have the capability:

  • .30-30 (probably taken more deer than all the rest combined, but range potential is limited)
  • .243 Win
  • .270 Win (but probably not the WSM as it's a bit more 'energetic' on the firing line)
  • 6.5 Swede - which has taken a lot of moose in Sweden
  • 7mm Mauser (sadly harder to find these days)
  • .257 Roberts (ditto)
  • 7mm/08 - never tried it, but it has a good rep

There are lots of others. Practice will make you more comfortable with recoil, given time, but those above are light-recoil ones.
 
If black bear is your first interest consider a ruger 44 mag rifle. Light rifle, big dia bullet, very little kick(I have one shot deer and blackies).Most blackies are shot under 40 yards and this round is very capable of 75 yards.
 
Whom ever told you a 270 WSM has light recoil is either stupid, lieing, or has never fired one. Mine had more recoil then equivalent size and weight 3006.

I'd go either 6.5x55 or 7-08 if recoil really is a major concern. If its kind of a concern, then 308. All recoil less then a 3006 or 270 WSM and will do the job just as effectively.
 
I have nerve and tendon damage in my shoulder and am continually fighting it.
The best cartridges i have shot recoil wise are the small cased, small calibre jobs like the 6MMBR, .243, etc, in 6mm, and the in 25, the 250 Savage.
As soon as you get into the '06 sized cases - 25, 6.5, 270, 29=80, etc, there is a tendency to go into the higher weight bullets, which is no good.
Stick with the lighter bullets in a smaller case and you will do fine.

That being said, the 243 will likely be the easiest to get ammo for if you do no hand load.
The 708 is a mild recoiling affair, as is the 6.5X55, but both have more recoil that the 243 with its 100 grain bullet , which is readily available.
I hate the cartridge myself, but the fact remains for recoil it is one of the best out there for a deer/ bear rifle.
Cat
 
yakideath12 said:
Hi fellas

I need some helps to choose my first hunting rifle for deer and black bear.

Im going to hunt mostly for blackbear.

All my friends say that I need to get 30-06 or 300 for future hunting for moose etc....But I am not really got into hunting yet and I dont think im not going to hunt bigger than black bear so...

Problem is I cant take high power rifle cuz of my bad shoulder injury.

I am 71 inch tall and 150lb.

So I am considering to get 243 ,270(wsm) or 30-06( Final choice)

Please let me know what do you think.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

My first choice would be a 308. Even with a shoulder problem you wouldn't nbeed a big heavy rifle. Any of 308 family from the 260 or the older mauser equilavent, 6.5x55, 7x57 would work great. If you are a handloader load light bullets for deer and heavier or more substantial ones for black bear.
 
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