What caliber for the old Man ?

[The Badger]

As others have said, 25-06 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, 260 Rem, .257 Roberts are all great rounds on the lighter side of the middle. On deer, my favorite of them is the 25-06. I would think of the four, the 06' would have the most appeal to someone that's had a prior preference for faster magnums.

 

[MNbogboy]

As others have said, 25-06 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, 260 Rem, .257 Roberts are all great rounds on the lighter side of the middle. On deer, my favorite of them is the 25-06. I would think of the
four, the 06' would have the most appeal to someone that's had a prior preference for faster magnums.

As another "old guy", I have all of the above calibers (my 257 Bob's are A.I.).
Bang flop for all but the 25-06 seems the best at it. Out of over 100 whiteys and a few mule deer the with the 25-06 have only had less than 10 actually go more than a few yards. Started out with a 308 over 50 years ago, most of the 75 or so shot with it ran a few yards at least.
Past few years been trying different calibers like the Bob A.I. again DRT because of ballistics like the 25-06. 260 and 6.5 Creed again similar have both downed a few but not the effect that the faster 25s produce. Results most likely would be different if shoulder shots are taken. I avoid shoulder shots to save meat and the ease of butchering.
My Creeds (three of them) however are extremely accurate as well as the 260s (two). I plan on using a Creed on my upcoming lope hunt. Definitely enjoy the recoil more than the 25-06.
All options in all the posts are great recoil improvements over the 7mm mag butt kicker!

 

[J E Custom]

Well We have a older gentleman on our lease who once could stack the whitetail up every year and do some fine shooting at the 4 to 500 yard range . He is now in his late 70's and can't quite shoot the 7mag he packs very well any more. So the guy's and I have decided to purchase him something more recoil friendly and gift it to him just before season opens. We still want a caliber able to make a clean kill at 3 to 400 yards .
The calibers we have come up with is
6mm ,243,25-06 . What is your thoughts gentleman?

I would have to recommend a 7/08 in a 6 to 7 lb rifle it will kill well at 7 to 800 yards and recoil will be 16 to 17 ft/lbs of recoil and with a good brake can be reduced to 6 to 7 pounds.

I use one loaded with a 120 ballistic tip to 3000+ ft/sec. the 7 mm bullet is large enough to transfer the energy and anyone can handle
6 to 7 ft/lbs of recoil that it produces with a good brake (Very little increase over a 223.

This cartridge will take Elk with very little fanfare.

I consider it the perfect round for youths and the elderly because of it's killing power and its manageable recoil.

 

[el matador]

Another vote for 7mm-08 shooting 120s. You can also load 100 grain Sierras for varmints or 150s for larger game. Very versatile round and the 120s are easy on the shoulder.

 

[reloaderlen]

Well the Old Man beat me to the punch and bought his own . He opted for a 280 with a brake . He said he had been saving for a while to purchase it. Kimber Mountain
And he is grinning ear to ear .
Makes me smile to see him that excited to use it this upcoming season
,hope I still have that excitement when I'm his age .

 

[338 dude]

Well We have a older gentleman on our lease who once could stack the whitetail up every year and do some fine shooting at the 4 to 500 yard range . He is now in his late 70's and can't quite shoot the 7mag he packs very well any more. So the guy's and I have decided to purchase him something more recoil friendly and gift it to him just before season opens. We still want a caliber able to make a clean kill at 3 to 400 yards .
The calibers we have come up with is
6mm ,243,25-06 . What is your thoughts gentleman?

The first two calibers that come to mind are a great choice in my opinion 7 mm 08 or 6.5 Creedmore both are accurate and low recoil

 

[Greg Looney]

.257 Roberts

 

[RT2506]

I am now getting to be a older man but I started using the 25-06 when I was middle aged and it still does the job. Light recoil, bench rest like accuracy, flat shooting and kills deer like the ground has been jerked from under them. I like the 115/117 gr bullets. My favorite is 117 Sierra Pro Hunter for deer.

 

[Hatrick]

Well We have a older gentleman on our lease who once could stack the whitetail up every year and do some fine shooting at the 4 to 500 yard range . He is now in his late 70's and can't quite shoot the 7mag he packs very well any more. So the guy's and I have decided to purchase him something more recoil friendly and gift it to him just before season opens. We still want a caliber able to make a clean kill at 3 to 400 yards .
The calibers we have come up with is
6mm ,243,25-06 . What is your thoughts gentleman?

Just download his 7mm and load lighter bullets. He is already familiar with (his) gun so if something happens fast or in the dark he has muscle memory from all those years. He can then hunt with it until he can't hunt anymore. It will still look good in the pictures. Might want a better scope with a large eyebox to help him in that area.

 

[snookntarpon]

280 will not go wrong.
Love mine, love my 25-06 better, love my 7-08s most.
and also love my 7mags, 45-70, 30-06, and 6.5 GAP.
Call me a Polygunist...
SnT

 

[cynicrit]

He's a great candidate for a 7mm-08. Lots of great rifles, you can get whatever you want as far as price, weight, features, cosmetics, or fit. It will kill reliably as far as he wants, generates a truly tolerable level of recoil, and has enough bullet options to make factory OR reloads work perfectly well. You can use 120's if recoil is a primary concern, or go to a 140 to give more terminal energy (and some awesome ammo/bullets that won't break the bank.) As a bonus, for a mature gentleman, this is an established caliber with a long, proven track record (like him).

 

[Brismatic]

7mm-08 is a real light recoil round and will hammer a whitetail. Savage 110 lightweight storm is 5.65 lbs.

 

[walter crouse]

.257 Roberts

270 WIN will do it! For us OLD farts

 

[basinman]

The 6.5 Creedmoor and the Hornady 143 gr. ELD-X.