Best cartridge/rifle

[lfootmatt]

Personally,

 

I view felt recoil as one of those martial arts/fraternity things. Thank you sir, may I have another? Just relax and let it kick you, the harder the better. Then repeat the phrase as you pull the bolt "Thank you sir, may I have another?", repeat until you run out of ammo or the range closes.

 

Of course I'm shooting a really light Remington 700 (see the Alaska Wilderness Rifle on the custom shop page) at may be 7 & 1/2 pounds in .300 SAUM. Not only is it nearing wildcat status, it kicks like an angry mule. There are some reduced recoil loads out there, but where is the self punishment in that? I like to go out Coues hunting with a 180 grain bullet sitting on a compressed load going almost 3000 FPS.

 

Light weight I've got down, low recoil I don't! Although I believe I could run a 110 or 140 grain bullet to some nice speeds w/ great accuracy for Coues that would have reasonably light recoil. Or out to insanely fast speeds with shoulder numbing recoil. After the first few you won't feel a thing. Of course your arm will be useless for a week.

 

Think of it this way, the more it hurts you, the more it hurts what it hits. I can almost feel that zen thing now just thinking about it!

 

Later, I'm going to go hit my toe with a hammer now "Thank you sir, may I have another?",

 

Matt

[bchoitz]

My son weighs 70lbs now and I probably won't get him the rifle till next Christmas. What do you think?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Deerslam,

 

I'm kinda in the same boat, except my younger son is 12 and about 100 puonds.

Still, the biggest problem seems to be his ability to hold the rifle..

 

I am leaning toward a .243 as a rifle that he can use for deer. Another possibility for the younger one is a .22-250. Not what I would recommend, but it can be shot alot, and is good to practice with. It has the ability to take deer sized game, although some states require a centerfire rifle greater than 22 caliber for deer.

 

The attached picture is from a friend of mine in New Mexico...

 

"This is Nick's first deer. Broke his back with one shot at about 200 yard with his 22-250."

 

Bret

[creed_az_88]

are you sure that deer isn't part bear. that's one dark deer.

 

 

creed

[billrquimby]

Perhaps this will help. If you don't like recoil avoid lightweight rifles and the short magnums, and choose medium velocity loads with the lightest bullets avilable for your caliber. Coues deer are small and aren't particularly tough animals. If I had a child looking for a deer gun I'd keep the recoil in the .243 class and under. It won't be the kid's only gun.

 

Bill Q

 

 

Cartridge (Wb@MV) Rifle Weight Recoil ft lbs.

 

.204 Ruger (33 at 4225)..........................8.5..........................2.6

.22 LR (40 at 1165).................................4.0..........................0.2

.22 WMR (40 at 1910)............................6.75..........................0.4

.22 Hornet (45 at 2800)...........................7.5..........................1.3

.222 Rem. (50 at 3200)...........................7.5..........................3.0

.223 Rem. (45 at 3500)............................8.5..........................2.6

.223 Rem. (55 at 3200)............................8.0..........................3.2

.22-250 Rem. (55 at 3600).......................8.5..........................4.7

.220 Swift (55 at 3800)............................8.5..........................5.3

.223 WSSM (55 at 3850)..........................7.5..........................6.4

.243 Win. (75 at 3400).............................8.5..........................7.2

.243 Win. (100 at 2960)...........................7.5..........................8.8

6mm Rem. (100 at 3100)........................8.0..........................10.0

.243 WSSM (100 at 3100)........................7.5..........................10.1

.240 Wby. Mag. (100 at 3406)..................8.0..........................17.9

.257 Roberts (117 at 2650).......................8.0..........................9.0

.25 WSSM (120 at 2990).........................7.25..........................13.8

.25-06 Rem. (120 at 3000).......................8.0..........................12.5

.257 Wby. Mag. (120 at 3300)..................9.25..........................15.1

6.5x55 Swede (140 at 2650).....................9.0..........................10.6

.260 Rem. (140 at 2750)...........................7.5..........................13.6

6.5mm Rem. Mag. (120 at ........................8.0..........................13.1

6.5x68 S (140 at 2990)..............................8.5..........................16.8

.264 Win. Mag. (140 at 3200)...................8.5..........................19.2

.270 Win. (130 at 3140)............................8.0..........................16.5

.270 Win. (150 at 2900).............................8.0..........................17.0

.270 WSM (150 at 3000)..........................8.0..........................18.9

.270 Wby. Mag. (150 at 3000)..................9.25..........................17.8

7x57 Mauser (139 at 2800)....................8.0..........................14.0

7mm-08 Rem. (140 at 2860)....................8.0..........................12.6

.280 Rem. (140 at 3000).........................8.0..........................17.2

7mm Rem. SAUM (160 at 2931...........8.0..........................21.5

7mm WSM (160 at 3000).....................8.0..........................21.9

7mm Rem. Mag. (140 at 3150)............8.0..........................19.1

7mm Rem. Mag. (150 at 3100).............8.5..........................19.2

7mm Wby. Mag. (140 at 3300).............9.25..........................19.5

7mm Ultra Mag. (160 at 3200)................8.5..........................29.4

.30 Carbine (110 at 1990)......................7.0..........................3.5

.30-30 Win. (150 at 2400)......................7.5..........................10.6

.30-30 Win. (170 at 2200).......................7.5..........................11.0

.300 Sav. (150 at 2630)..........................7.5..........................14.8

.308 Win. (150 at 2800)..........................7.5..........................15.8

.308 Win. (180 at 2610)..........................8.0..........................17.5

.30-06 Spfd. (150 at 2910)......................8.0..........................17.6

.30-06 Spfd. (180 at 2700).....................8.0..........................20.3

.300 Rem. SAUM (180 at 2960)............8.25..........................23.5

.300 WSM (180 at 2970).....................8.25..........................23.8

.300 Win. Mag. (180 at 2960)................8.5..........................25.9

.300 Wby. Mag. (150 at 3400)...............9.25..........................24.6

.300 Ultra Mag. (180 at 3230)................8.5..........................32.8

[Arizona Griz]

Good information Bill. Thanks for posting it.

[DEERSLAM]

Thanks Bill Q. that chart helps.

 

Bret I agree with you, my son needs to be able to hold the rifle so it needs to be fairly light and that means more recoil. Maybe I'll get him a varmit rifle and wait a couple years to get him a deer rifle.

[SunDevil]

from the above info, I would say 243 with a 75 grain bullet for now and then move up to 100 grain bullet later on.

[.270]

what's all this stuff about reduced recoil? if ya can't take a little kick go bowhuntin'. and, i'm the smartest guy there is and i say the .270 is best. so does my ol' man, so that settles it. if you want to get a kid a good deer gun that won't kick much, get a .243. great cartridge too. 30/'06, now that's funny, i don't care who ya are........Lark.

[singleshot]

Something to think about is the NEF handy rifle. They build a real nice single shot rifle that can be purchased in a youth model with a shorter length of pull. They come drilled and tapped in a wide variety of calibers. An added bonus is that you could purchase two of them for the price of a good bolt action. A single shot hammer rifle is also very safe for youth to handle.

I grew up shooting a 6.5x55 swedish mauser and it did everything I ever asked of it. Great caliber for the handloader, but factory rounds start at 140 grains. My son has taken elk with the 140's but we load 100's and 120's for whitetails.

I agree with .270 though, buy him a 30-06 or a .270 and get him used too shooting that one rifle for everything he could ever want to harvest.

[firstcoueswas80]

i dont agree on getting him one rifle that he can shoot everything with. the LAST thing you want to do is get him a rifle that kicks him too much for him to be afrad to shoot it or develop a flinch. trust me on this one! get him a rifle that fits him and then if he grows out of it or wantsa bigger caliber, do i like my dad and i did, he bought me my first gun and we split ( like 90% me and 10% him) my second rifle.

[.270]

that'd be takin' alla the fun outta everthing. i bet you started out on a full sized banjo dincha? get him a .458 with a 25" heavy barrel. after he gets used to that he can work his way down. Lark.

[firstcoueswas80]

.458 and work down? lark we all know i am the biggest, baddest MOFO here and i couldnt even handle that with out a flinch!

 

 

and no.. i started on a smaller size banjo... butt!!!

[firstcoueswas80]

forgot to add LOL in that last post, sorry lol

[Dodger2]

DEERSLAM,

 

I would also have to agree with the .243, but I may be biased since that is what I started with. I can remember my dad taking me out when I was about 10 and having me shoot his .30-40 Krag, since that was the gun he started with. I shot it twice and HATED it. When I was 12 I got a .243 for Christmas. It is a Remington model 700, I think its an ADL, the gun is light I was able to shoot it comfortablely and didn't flinch. I took my first 2 coues and an antelope with that gun.

 

Just my $0.02.

[ultramag]

i would think about a .270 and the managed recoil loads my son is 11 and thats what he shoots he only weighs about 90 pounds with $30.00 of nickels in his pockets its a very mild recoil i would recommend it.