Reaching the final days of NY state gun season, l decided Its the last year To haul this
Remmington 3006 model 242 auto loader. It weights more than some deer I shot.
My shoulder out, backs out, one hip, and a knee.
I need a lighter rifle that performs, even if it's a single shot. Any suggestions?? Thanks.

What's your style of hunting and average range shot? I'm guessing stand or hunting from a blind and in the woods 100Yards or less?

If You're a die hard naught -6 Man you won't like this

But a .243 Bolt is a good choice .I've killed 50 deer with my 3 different rifles

How about a Marlin 30/30?

Ruger American in 7mm-08

Is 223/5.56 legal for your state? Not a deer thumper by any means but with improvements in the heavy bonded bullets such as the trophy bonded bear claw and others its definitely capable if you can place it precisely. That one in a black rifle AR is about as soft shooting as it gets.
Staying in ARs look to the 6.8 or 6.5 for more capability.

If you want light weight and smaller cartridge. I would go with a Remington model 7 in 243.

I put together AR in 300 blackout for my youngest when he was 7 becuse he was recoil sensitive. 2 out of 2 dropped.

A 357, or 44 mag in a handi rifle worked great on 125 yard deer deer with low recoil in a very light package. I love my daughter in 357mag.

A Browning X-bolt in a short round like .243, .308, 7-08 weighs 6.5 pounds.

A Winchester Model 70 Featherweight weighs about the same.

They're both quality rifles.

Jim

ruger compact 7mm 08 my wife loves hers

Henry Long Ranger Rifle, in the 6.5 Creedmoor

I had a rem 700 BDL 270 that I gave to my son because it was too dang heavy. Look at the savage axis. Light , and one of the most accurate rifles I have ever seen. I have it in a 270 with a vortex crossfire II and it is unreal shooting fed 130 gr powershok bullets.
You can find the combos for around 299-375 depending on sales.

The ruger as mentioned is basically a copy of the savage.

Use a camera, not to heavy, shoots straight, cheap to shoot and a lot less work if you shoot something and you can show your friends what you have shot for a long time. JMO

you want the rifle lighter.

how about recoil does it also need to be less.?

single shot really doesn't mean less weight the Henry Single shot is 6.7 or 7 pounds.

the 742 is really not a hard recoiling rifle it has been a few years since I shot factory 30-06 from mine it is really light recoiling with my loads that bring it down to 308 velocity

Tikka T3x superlite ss in 7mm-08 or 308win 5.9 pounds empty with no optic

the Kimber M84 empty weight 5 pounds 7 ounces

I am running a Mossberg Patriot Predator that is 6.5 pounds but by the time I have it ready to hunt I am 8 pounds 2 ounces

light costs more than heavy
optics can weight you down fast


for reference my 742 with 2-7x32 optic unloaded is 8 pounds 14.2 ounces loaded about 9 pounds even

how much less weight is needed ?

Outside the box...

TC Contender Super 14 or an Encore hand gun.

Mine is a 7-30 Waters, good out to 225 yards or so on deer sized game.

3 under a dime at 100 if you do your part.

The last 12 years I've taken deer with it, this past fall a bear.
It weighs far less than a rifle, the recoil is very manageable, and you could always put a brake on it if you wanted less.

WS

22-250 with some Hornady deer specific loaded ammo deadly combo.

260 Rem
7x57
7mm08
7-30
6.5x55
They burn bout 2/3 the powder of ya 06 to start with yet are VERY lethal and have mild recoil.
Then if that recoil bothers you learn to hand load reduced loads. ....like I did for my daughter to shoot Dads custom 7x57. Easy peezy

Savage axis .243
Lightweight , enough power , very accurate, cheap.

I have an older tang safety ruger m77 ultralight. They are hard to find but sweet little guns. Pretty to look at, light weight, and mine is a tack driver in .270. I believe they were chambered in .243, .30-06, .308, 7mm-08, and .257 roberts as well.

Remington 722 in 257 Roberts or Remington 600 or 660 in 308 or 243