what is the best caliber for a lower recoil, easy to get ammo for,deer rifle.
- Thread starter hardek
- Start date
Yes. My wife is very recoil sensitive, 30-30 is too much for her but she loves the 7,62x39.
This.
x39 has become incredibly widespread, and easy to acquire for ammo. A little bit harder to get a decent bolt action for it, but they're out there, and seem to be more all the time.
More than capable of taking deer out to 150 yards, so a "bush" caliber. If you're taking deer in open spaces, you'll want something that reaches out further. But for under 150 yard shots, it will more than get the job done.
Ammo is common, and available, and cheap. Hornady SST rounds go for $15-$16/box of twenty, and there are lots of other soft point choices around in the $15-$20 price range. You can get commercial (non corrosive) "plinking" ammo for $0.25/round if you buy in bulk right now. Stock up a few thousand rounds, and you've got a lifetime supply of coyote droppers.
Low recoil? Try close to no recoil.
http://http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm
Between your reloading manual and the recoil table link posted above, it won't take you very long to figure out 7mm-08 is the clear winner.
Averages 12ftlbs of recoil and has very respectable ballistics for a 140 grain bullet. A good second would be 7X57.
I find 7mm-08 ammo is reasonably available but not as common as some aforementioned ones.
Between your reloading manual and the recoil table link posted above, it won't take you very long to figure out 7mm-08 is the clear winner.
Averages 12ftlbs of recoil and has very respectable ballistics for a 140 grain bullet. A good second would be 7X57.
I find 7mm-08 ammo is reasonably available but not as common as some aforementioned ones.
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I have 2 243s, both only coyotes. My son shot his 1st deer with a 243, still not my fav deer gun. I hunt game with a 280 so out of your list I would take a 270. As stated the gun fit is more important than the caliber. If you reload then 260 or 7x57 or 7-08 would be it. Again 270 will kill all game in Canada, is everywhere, and can be found with standard or premium ammo. What more does a guy need 
good luck.
good luck.
canadaman30
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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The 243 is for sure the calibre to go for low recoil, ammo availability and the long range capabilities the 243 offers. Even in a light weight hunting rifle recoil is still very low. With around 10ftpds of recoil the only other calibre as others may mention is a 30-30, but it falls short in range and energy.
the only 7.62x39 i have shot is my 2 sks
the one with the stock...stock is horrible to shoot as it has no butt pad and lop is very short for a modern 6 foot male
the one in the archangel stock is much nicer to shoot but i still akin it as close to my swiss 7.5x55 as possible
of course the sks has short sporter barrel and is more of a loudness thing than an actual recoil thing
ive shot .243 and it's quite a bit tamer than my sks in a similarly weighted rifle
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
What can the 270 or 280 do that the 06 cant? The 260 is effectively a modern clone of the 6.5x55. About the only one there that stands out as doing something the three you already own cannot do is the 243.
Nice...
I picked up the M85 full stock in the fall, put a Vortex 3-9x on it. I'm going to replace that scope because, well, just not happy with the Vortex. The rifle deserves better.
Also, below is a pic of some groups I shot a couple weeks ago. The target on the left is the Zastava, the one on the right is my scoped SKS that I've shimmed the action on. The SKS is still within acceptable hunting accuracy. The Zastava is a great shooter. The low flyer was the fifth shot, and I knew I had yanked before I even checked the target.
Both groups at 100 yards.
I bought the Zastava specifically as a bush deer gun. I harvested a deer last fall with my SKS, and was impressed at how cleanly the Hornady ammo dropped the animal. The Zastava comes in a bit shorter overall (shorter barrel), and 3lbs lighter, which makes for a much handier bush gun.
This was some early testing I was doing to make sure the rifles were both reasonably zeroed. I have a number of different brands of x39 commercial hunting ammo, and am going to do a bit of a shoot off comparing the the accuracy of the different ammos, using the SKS and Zastava as base platforms. A fun summer project prepping for hunting this fall.
30-30 if you like iron sights and do all your hunting within 100yards. If not, 7mm-08 is what you want. If you're forgetful and leave for a hunting trip without your ammo then get a 243. Honestly tho, I have seen 7mm-08 in small town stores.
Of the chamberings listed, the only one that really answers the "lower recoil, easy to get ammo for" is the 243. You already have a 30-06, and while a 270 recoils somewhat lighter, it's not all that much lighter. Ammo for the 260, 7x57 and 280 are not exactly what one would call "easy to get/found everywhere". That would leave the 243, which is much lighter recoiling than the 270/280/30-06 class, and VERY readily found, even at Walmart, Canadian Tire, etc.
crazyjackrabbit
CGN Regular
243 gets my vote. Had a savage in 243. Was great for deer, yotes, and groundhogs. Was using 85gr boat tail hollowpoints. Was very accurate.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I've lived in small towns a long time and haven't found anything like 7-08. 7.62x39 no point, it only delivers 20grs more bullet than .243 at lower sectional density, lower velocity, and with a poorer trajectory. A lot more good .243 hunting loads on the shelf as well.
Arden is right if you can always find 243 sum times your bumming ammo at the coffee shop but you find it sum along with 30-06 avery one should have at least one ore both in there gunsafe wen up north you never know
I'd have to agree with Ardent on this one.
My buddy an avid hunter of 30 years who loves his Sako 30-06 for all game from deer to moose... bought his new wife a Tikka T3 (IIRC) chambered in .243 and while she's barely a 120Lbs. and a new shooter she loves her .243 and had no problem dropping a decent sized Okanagan black bear her first time out with one shot stopping it right in it's tracks.
I'm in a small town of just over #30,000 people in BC's southern interior and the local Wal-Mart, Can.-Tire plus the one LGS all carry .243 in stock, probably the only low recoil round available in decent hunting rounds as most others are .308, 30-06 and heavier hitters.
It's tha calibre I'd buy for the reasons you state, although like others have eluded to their is more to a rifles recoil then the calibre alone.
Cheers D
