rifle for a pipsqueak?

Without knowing his physical limitations or disability (his business) makes it difficult to recommend anything. The best I could suggest is just trying different calibers and actions to see what he is most comfortable with before buying anything. By the sounds of it, the fit of the rifle will be more of a determining factor than anything. Good luck with your search.
 
Mr. Friendly said:
he is very recoil sensitive and he will avoid anything like the .308.

he has commented that he's comfortable shooting the 30-30, which I believe he's done in an older bolt action.

.243, even when shooting at the upper end of 120g bullets has very mild recoil when compared to .308 or the .280.

a light weight bullet in the 7mm-08 may be a consideration, since if he does decide to go for moose, can be loaded up accordingly.

he's not a big guy and while not frail, not overly strong, so I want to make his hunting to be as easy and enjoyable as possible.

I told him he should start holding and shouldering different rifles to see what he finds to fit and be comfortables to hold and shoulder.

going to talk more about this with him now that he should be getting his PAL sooner rather than later.
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Why not run lightly loaded .308 for practice and a brisker load for the real deal? That's what I do with my 375 Weatherby Magnum; don't have to get beat up on practice sessions.
 
Mr. Friendly said:
he is very recoil sensitive and he will avoid anything like the .308.

he has commented that he's comfortable shooting the 30-30, which I believe he's done in an older bolt action.

.243, even when shooting at the upper end of 120g bullets has very mild recoil when compared to .308 or the .280.

a light weight bullet in the 7mm-08 may be a consideration, since if he does decide to go for moose, can be loaded up accordingly.

he's not a big guy and while not frail, not overly strong, so I want to make his hunting to be as easy and enjoyable as possible.

I told him he should start holding and shouldering different rifles to see what he finds to fit and be comfortables to hold and shoulder.

going to talk more about this with him now that he should be getting his PAL sooner rather than later.
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7mm-08 is super versatile if he can handle it with his conditions.....
 
If he likes 30-30 why not just go with that? They can be had at a reasonable price, and the levers come with irons so he can save cash by not getting a scope right away while getting some trigger time. Drop a few dollars on some XS sights/rail and you have a deadly 100m bush gun. (I hate "semi buckhorn" sights)
 
Mr. Friendly said:
he is very recoil sensitive and he will avoid anything like the .308.

he has commented that he's comfortable shooting the 30-30, which I believe he's done in an older bolt action.
.
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Why not watch for a bolt action Savage 30-30 then since they do surface on the EE occasionally ?
Usually priced reasonably and if he decides on something different it could be re-sold without a huge financial loss.
A friend uses one and its a good reliable rifle, albeit not the prettiest..
 
I have the answer the problem would be finding the combo available.

He can handle the recoil of a 30-30 but for a more all round hunting rifle he needs a cartridge that performs at greater distances than a 30-30.

How about a 6.8SPC parent case is a 30-30 (in its rimless form it is called a 30 Rem) shortened a bit and necked down to 270 cal shoots 95gr Barnes TTSX @ 2950fps and 110gr Nosler Accubonds @ 2750fps.

These two bullets especially the 95gr TTSX were specifically designed for this cartridge it is a 300 yard deer capable bullet.

I started my venture into the world of the 6.8SPC with a semi-auto Robinson Arms XCR-L but recently sold it.

I now have a T/C Contender carbine and a Rem 700 Light Tactical chambered in this light recoiling gem of a cartridge I've shot three mule deer and one blacktail deer with the 95gr TTSX loads.

Best part is now that deer hunting is over I'm taking these rifles loaded with 110gr V-Max @ 2750fps coyote hunting.
 
hey all, thanks for the thoughts and recommendations. he's got something called Wegner's disease and with all the steroids and chemo he's had combating it growing up has left him a bit low in stature and strength. he's by no means weak, but you need to be considerate of his limitations. like anyone, with the right loadout, he can go all day. :)

I'll talk to him more about the 30-30 and see what his thoughts are. I'm open to whatever he thinks he wants/needs. I just know he's intimidated by the .308 and refuses to shoot it because it hurt when he was shooting our rifles. his OCD doesn't help with that either as it's now a 'rule' in his head that will be hard to combat.
 
Mr. Friendly said:
hey all, thanks for the thoughts and recommendations. he's got something called Wegner's disease and with all the steroids and chemo he's had combating it growing up has left him a bit low in stature and strength. he's by no means weak, but you need to be considerate of his limitations. like anyone, with the right loadout, he can go all day. :)

I'll talk to him more about the 30-30 and see what his thoughts are. I'm open to whatever he thinks he wants/needs. I just know he's intimidated by the .308 and refuses to shoot it because it hurt when he was shooting our rifles. his OCD doesn't help with that either as it's now a 'rule' in his head that will be hard to combat.
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look at a semi auto 308 to lessen the recoil or put a linear brake on a bolt action like Dlask makes (all the blast goes forward still so it does not effect other shooters or your own ears out hunting)

http://dlaskarms.com/collections/muzzle-brakes/products/dlask-arms-xb-5-linear-compensator-muzzle-brake
 
A ruger ultra light in 243 would be a great rig.and a good 243 bullet in the ribs of even the largest bull moose would kill just as well as any other call. Dutch
 
I was going to say a Husqvarna 1600 from Trad ex in 6.5x55 would do him well, but they're over your $500 cap.

I like mine and at 5' 6" and 160 lb I could be considered slight.
 
Mr. Friendly said:
hey all, thanks for the thoughts and recommendations. he's got something called Wegner's disease and with all the steroids and chemo he's had combating it growing up has left him a bit low in stature and strength. he's by no means weak, but you need to be considerate of his limitations. like anyone, with the right loadout, he can go all day. :)

I'll talk to him more about the 30-30 and see what his thoughts are. I'm open to whatever he thinks he wants/needs. I just know he's intimidated by the .308 and refuses to shoot it because it hurt when he was shooting our rifles. his OCD doesn't help with that either as it's now a 'rule' in his head that will be hard to combat.
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I would tend to agree with what some others have said about the 30-30 and 243. Sure, they'll kill a moose, but at what range and how reliably? When I shoot an animal, I want it to die as quickly as possible, and a faster (than 3030) or bigger (than 243) caliber would inspire more confidence in me.

260 Remington might be a good idea to look into. I've been thinking about getting a light-weight deer rifle to compliment the not-so-light 270 I already have, and 260rem is one of the calibers thats at the top of my short list. Bullet selection is amazing if you reload, Factory ammo is available if you dont, and its better suited for larger game than a 243 IMO.

Another thing to consider is rifle weight has an inverse effect on recoil. More weight = less recoil, so your kinda-heavy Mauser might be just the right ticket for him. Also, you can buy reduced recoil loads for the 308, which might be more to his liking.
 
I was a skinny kid at 5'0" and 100 pounds and I shot a 30.06. I'm not saying this to be smarter or more manly, but recoil is a learned thing, and if it doesn't learn then shooting might not be ones sport.
 
for cartridge, I settled on the 7mm08 for my sons when they were young, small and learning. They have never expressed a desire for something bigger and both have successfully hunted elk as well as deer. It does kick a little less than the 308, especially with 120 grain bullets compared to 150's. The 7x57 is a good mild cartridge that punches above its weight too. Others worth considering are the .257 Roberts and 25-06. With strong 120 grain bullets both are ( just barely) moose adequate cartridges and recoil is mild. The 6.5 swede and 260 Rem were already mentioned, and that pretty much rounds out the commonly available light recoil deer-moose killers with versatile trajectories.

With your friends' left arm strength issues, you would want to choose a light rifle and fairly short barrel. There are quite a few like that out in the used market, Rem M7, Ruger compact, etc. Don't be too scared of the used market, i have seldom been disappointed if i've done my homework and asked the seller questions.
 
buy him a 300 Savage, cheap, available, very shootable, been around forever, has filled many a freezer for decades, quite capable of food producing in this country, PM me, got one for sale! Your worries are over:)
 
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