Low recoil rifle for whitetails and coyotes. Opinions?

[Deleted member 48126]

Here is an awesome site I found on the topic...

300BlkTalk • View topic - 300 AAC BLACKOUT FAQ

Should cover any questions you have about it, and yes it is Friday, and I am bored at work.

 

[Trickymissfit]

You can always try a .300 ACC BLKOUT...you can use .223 rem cases, bullets from 115 grains to 220 grains, has low recoil, velocity from a 16 inch barrel around 2300 FPS with 115 grain bullets, and 1350 ft/lbs of kinetic enegery. If you build an accurate rifle you could stretch its range to about 500 yards. Just something to consider.

most folks like to think of 1000 ft. lb. of energy for a quick clean kill on a deer sized animal. The 6x45 would have similar power at 400 yards as the 115 grain 30 cailber bullet would at 250 yards, and both are really not deer sized rounds at anything much past 150 yards. Yet a generic 250 Savage with the 100 grain bullet (not the improved round) would have about 750 ft.lb. of energy at 400 yards and the improved version would be about 950 ft.lb. of energy at the same distance with the same bullet. That's close to a 100% improvment.
gary

 

[Deleted member 48126]

Yes that's correct. I was thinking in terms or recoil, ammo availability, and reloading advantages. At around 500 yards you are looking at roughly 400 ft/lbs of KE. Not enough for deer....

 

[Trickymissfit]

Yes that's correct. I was thinking in terms or recoil, ammo availability, and reloading advantages. At around 500 yards you are looking at roughly 400 ft/lbs of KE. Not enough for deer....

I got just about 550 ft. lb. at 250 yards with the 115 grain bullet and a B/C of .22. A 6x45 will push an 85 grain bullet to an honest 2700 fps, but the 6.8 SPC case necked down to 25 caliber with the 100 grain Nosler BT ought to be close to 2700 fps, but with a smaller case head. Thus less bolt thrust. That's 860 ft. lb. of energy at 300 yards, and about 540 at 500 yards. (.35 BC). I still like the idea of a .250 Savage with a 100 grain bullet better than any round disscussed and also cussed. It'll push a 100 grain bullet to about 2850 fps and have about 42K psi of chamber pressure. That's roughly 600 ft.lb. at 500 yards with a mild load of AA 4064. But 40 grains of H414 will give you about 3100 fps in a 26" barrel ( must be very hot). The Hornaday 100 grain SST looks like it was just made for the 250 Savage! The case is short enough that you won't have problems fitting a long overall length round in the magazine. He could load 100 grain bullets with the AA 4064 load, and then switch to the H414 load for himself. Your looking at an honest 400 yard deer round I think, but wouldn't press it out to 500+ yards on deer.
gary

 

[Timnterra]

I have to place another vote for the 6mm Remington. This is a fantastic cartridge with a disappointing unveiling. It showed up around the time of the .243 win but was only chambered in slow twist barrels that would not stabilize heavy 90 and 100 grain bullets for deer hunting. Now that you can order a barrel in what ever twist you like the 6mm will out shoot a .243 any day. The difference in case design is what makes all the difference. With about 1/8" longer neck the 6mm holds longer high BC bullets well and manages to keep barrels shooting one hole groups long after the .243 has bit the dust. The two cartridges are comparable on velocity, have very light recoil and in a well built custom rifle will both deliver beautiful accuracy. I think because of the neck the 6mm is my choice.

 

[RockZ]

I wanted to get my daughter a rifle and chose a Browning BAR in .243. I was a bit hesitant about shooting big game with a 243...until I gave it a test run on a hog hunt.
I shot three hogs and all DRT. One was about 200lbs with a thick shield. I was shooting 95gr ballistic tips and they performed awesome.none blew up but just mushroomed nicely.. All shots 80-100yds.
The BAR is quite accurate with groups around .5" at 100yds.

 

[RWE]

Hey guys. I'm looking into several different calibers of rifle and am having trouble deciding on which one to go with. My fiancé is getting into hunting and she wants to go deer hunting. I only have a .30-06 and a .300 WM right now for her to use. I'm confident she could shoot the .30-06 fine, but with her being fairly new to shooting I want her to spend a lot of time at the range honing her skills and my 06 kicks pretty good to be putting lots of lead down range. The second part of this is I would really like a higher caliber coyote gun for longer range coyote hunts (500-600 yds). So I figured I could easily kill two birds with one stone here. And this way if she only hunts a year or two and decides she doesn't like it I still have my coyote gun. And by the way we are from eastern WA and will be hunting whitetails in the rolling hills of the Palouse. So after all of that here are some of the calibers I'm choosing between.

6.5x55 Swede (this was the caliber of my first rifle so I have a soft spot for it)

.25-06 (I am a huge .30-06 fan and I believe it to be about the best cartridge ever made, so sticking with the 06 family appeals to me)

.257 Wby
6.5x284
6.5 rem mag

Also, I do all of my own hand loading, but I would like to stick with a cartridge I could easily find brass for.

Anyone have any opinions on these calibers. Pros/Cons.... the good, the bad, the ugly.... any advice helps.

First, I am all for getting a new gun. Especially for a new shooter/hunter so that they can have "their" rifle. Second, you have another option before you get another gun.

You already load for .30-06, why not try this:

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/H4895 Reduced Rifle Loads.pdf

Made my hard shooting .30-06 rifle very enjoyable and my daughter loves to shoot it too. I just started another thread, going in another direction but she got her first deer with one of these loads last season. I am currently looking at the Hodgdon "60% Reduction Rule" for H4895 using 150 grain bullets to increase range... we'll see how that goes!

Good luck and have fun!

 

[prcn]

6.5 Creedmoor

Low Recoil-Check

Accurate-Check

Deer-129 gr SST- Check

Coyote- Check

500-600 yards- Check

Perfect!

 

[Two 10's]

My wife has just got into hunting the last 2 years and at 57 with 3 herniated disk in her neck she has been shooting my 6.5x284 Ruger1 and it is too much recoil for her so we have decided to do an AR build on a 20" .264LBC-AR or 6.5 Grendel. Now with a good muzzle break, a hydraulic buffer, an adjustable gas block adjusted down low and a Simms Limb Saver recoil pad we have a light weight rifle with a 3.5x15x50 Nightforce Velocity reticle it is good out to 800yds and has plenty of kinetic energy to take any American game and no recoil hardly at all. It has worked well for us and she built the rifle herself so she has the satisfaction of it really being her rifle, built by her and can shoot it comfortably with plenty of confidence in what she is trying to shoot and a lot of pride in her weapon. It works for me.

 

[poleok]

I agree with the .257 Roberts. I've killed Every thing I have ever shot at with mine (Ruger M77 old school tang safety) (deer,elk,yotes,hogs,G. hogs) I shoot a 90 gr. Serria gameking hp. at 3220 fps. IT KICKS BUTT and NO RECOIL.. gun)

 

[balw747w]

I have to agree with the .243 Winchester great gun and it will take down White tail deer without a problem and a coyote has no chance at all very little recoil and very flat shooting. I am a big fan of the .243 I have taken White tail and mule deer with mine many coyotes and lots of hogs it's just a great gun for any game deer size and smaller and it does not break your shoulder it you want to shoot a whole box of shells. Anyway that is just me and what I like, good luck to you and be safe out there.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I wanted to get my daughter a rifle and chose a Browning BAR in .243. I was a bit hesitant about shooting big game with a 243...until I gave it a test run on a hog hunt.
I shot three hogs and all DRT. One was about 200lbs with a thick shield. I was shooting 95gr ballistic tips and they performed awesome.none blew up but just mushroomed nicely.. All shots 80-100yds.
The BAR is quite accurate with groups around .5" at 100yds.

You shot a200# lb hog with a thick shield with a 95 gr BY, and it mushroomed and blew through?

 

[MudRunner2005]

You shot a200# lb hog with a thick shield with a 95 gr BY, and it mushroomed and blew through?

I was thinking that.....I've shot many a hog in my life, and never would I attempt to shoot one with a .243. Just simply my opinion. I've seen em get ****ed off...You don't want a hurt and ****ed off Russian Boar running at you.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I was thinking that.....I've shot many a hog in my life, and never would I attempt to shoot one with a .243. Just simply my opinion. I've seen em get ****ed off...You don't want a hurt and ****ed off Russian Boar running at you.

Let alone a 95 gr Ballistic Tip