Deer rifle thoughts

Will be making a change next year. Looking for quality, durability, ease of operation and cleaning. Also a good scope pairing.
Currently shoot 30-06 and see no reason to switch . Most shots 100 yards and under.

Mild recoil too. Like to be able to shoot more than few shots at a time at the range

Savage rifle and scope package gun

That’s what I have now. Model 110……
Been shooting it for about 28 years or so……..

What kind of change? Whats wrong with what you got? If you just want to get yourself a present try a 22-250.

Have you looked at the Howa Rifles? I picked one up just over a year ago. Very nice rifles. Nice smooth action, smooth trigger and Easy to clean.
Mine is .308 and I took a moose and a Deer with it last year.

I think I paid $600.00 and it came with a Vortex scope.

Danny , would like to get something a little heavier to limit recoil a bit. Plus won’t lie, just want something new……

Ruger Hawkeye line. When I was looking for high quality and American made, this was the only option that I could find that wasn’t full of plastic. They cost a little more, but I don’t buy new deer rifles very often. My old Marlin 30-30 was my deer rifle for over 30 years. I started hunting in a blind with several 300 yard shot opportunities so I bought a longer range rifle.

https://www.ruger.com/products/Hawkeye/overview.html

I got the predator and it’s a real tack driver.

Appreciate the input…… I’ll do some research on those !!

I have no personal experience with these, but I’m in the market for a new rifle in the next couple years and have been hearing and reading lots of good things on the Howas. I currently have a .308, a .243, and looking to add something “bigger” to set up for more western longer range hunting. What mode is yours Griffin?

To the OP, if I grew up an -06 guy I would probably stick with that as my go to also! They are very versatile. Happy trapping! ScottW

Think you missed the “mild recoil” part, lol. I wouldn’t take one of those guns if it was given to me and I’d feel ashamed of myself if I tried to sell it to someone. We sighted in a 6.5 and it wasn’t that bad, but still worse than anything I have. The .270…that gun kicked like a mule on steroids…I used to shoot 3.5” 12ga turkey loads too. The scopes will not hold a zero after 3-4 shots and even though they say they are boresighted, you better have an 8x8 sheet of plywood and start out at 10yds to hit on the board.
When we were done and carried the rifles back to the owner he’s asked what I thought of them, I told him he definitely got what he paid for…a cheap piece of junk and I’d never sight another one of those guns in again.

Tikka t3x lite .308 with DNZ one piece mount/ring combo with a 3-9 with great glass of your choosing.

30-06 has been around a century now for good reason. It just works. I got an old 243 my grandfather bought in the 60's. Very accurate and kills deer just fine. Almost no recoil.

I got a 270 I really like. My soon to be 11 y/o grandson killed a deer with it the other day in a MO youth season. A little less recoil than an 06 but hits hard enough to kill anything on 4 legs in N. America.

If you want low recoil and still enough zip to kill deer, have a look at some 22- 250's. If you got time to shoot careful 300 yards aint to far for deer. If you can hand load 62 grain nosler partitions are deer medicine.

That’s the problem I am having now….. with the synthetic stock the gun is light and I am getting tired of getting punched with it.

Danny where I hunt in Michigan we just don’t shoot over 100 yards. Just not wide open here

I've killed lots of deer with a .243. As for make and model that is entirely up to you as there is many good rifles out there for reasonable price. Another good but underrated chambering is 25-06

Lots of good info guys— I appreciate it. I’ll check in here off and on today…. Keep it coming

I have a Ruger American in .308 and my son has one in 7mm/08. Both can be repeatedly shot by my 8yr old off sandbags, lol. Just too them with good optics and they are great tack drivers.

Mine is the 1500, with the hogue stock. I'm usually not big on the rubbery stocks but I've covered this thing in mud on the fourwheeler and it cleaned up very easy.
I see Dick's has them on sale for $600 with a scope right now.

EDIT: The hogue stock is heavier than most synthetic stocks but slightly less than a wood one.

I agree with bhugo .I had a Hawkeye in 6.5 Creedmor It was the Predator model A very well made gun It was as solid as you can get .With the laminated stock and stainless action and barrel it was as good to look at as it was to use It was a bit in the heavy side I think they also make a compact /lightweight model You will not wear it out

Kicked this around myself in the past few months, had decided on a 260 Rem, then really got to studying load data, and cooled off on the idea. For now, going to perfect loads for the 6mm Rem. I now remember why I chose that back when I did. It has a lot going for it over all the 6mm choices, except popularity. Getting nearly impossible to find brass or ammo for it.

Which brings me back to the 308 Win and siblings. 7mm-08, 260 Rem and 243 Win. Bottom line, if you can handle what recoil the 308 generates, it is hard to beat. Abundance of ammo, abundance of reloading components, easy to load for and it is a hammer. Of the siblings, not a fan but 243 has same attributes, at half the recoil of the 308. Third choice.......7mm-08. Less components and ammo choices, but a strong performer. Bringing up the rear........260 Rem. Strong performer, but like 6mm Rem, fading fast. No ammo, gonna be hard to find brass.

I have two howa's. One a weatherby vanguard which is really a howa and one I bought as a barreled action and had a gunsmith put together a stock for my wife. Both are very accurate. Shoot quarters at a 100 yards.

Mine are wood stocked. I think they are all composite stocks now but if anything composites ought to make them shoot even better.

I think you would like a 22-250. Shoot very flat. Very little recoil. As soon as you say you dont need more than a 100 yard gun your going to want to make a 200 yard shot ......

TIKA 25-06 - great rifle. Can usually pick up with a scope for $500-$600.
Will kill anything a 30-06 will and very little recoil.

I, too, am an 06 shooter. But if I were looking for lighter recoil I think a 257 Bob or 250 Savage in either a bolt or 99 would be interesting.
In a self loader the 6.8 SPC has alot going for it in an AR or the rare mini14.

This was my experience with a Savage 110 in 270 as well. I had a recoil pad put on it and it still kicked the crap out of me. I sold that gun to the gunsmith/store who put the recoil pad on it.

30/06 Long Live the King. Winchester model 70, Wood Furniture. I have no regard or interest in synthetic or stainless steel anything. Anywhere hunters gather the used and abused classics are where it’s at. Tell a story

You will always be able to get brass for a 260. It's as simple as running a 243,708 or 308 through a sizing die and trimming them.

I thought their was some differences between the vanguard and the Howa. Particularly in the action and stalks

just get you a 6.5 creedmore. It's what all the cool kids have now. It comes with a mail in ballot and a guide to man bun care !! WIN WIN

Yes sir I dont know about the stocks. Gunsmith made my wifes stock and put a new howa barreled action on it. I bought the Vanguard complete. If there is a difference in the actions I am unaware of it. My wifes rifle and mine both are old enough you can adjust the trigger pull. I don't think you can on the new ones. maybe there are some differences today I am unaware of.

use 30-06 reduced recoil rounds , this is basically a 30-06 loaded to 308 velocity's or with a lighter bullet

or get a muzzle brake

my 30-06 load is for an M1 and a 742 so it is already needing to be 308 velocities for the M1 I just run it that way for both , deer never notice but you will in the recoil.

the bullet being identical a 308 max load is basically identical to a 30-06 starting load in most powders that work for both and also with the velocities

the 308 case is 51mm long and the 30-06 case is 63mm long there is just room for more powder

weight will help but make a beast to carry , if you drive to your stand and climb up in and never move no issue , but it you hike in , or walk a good portion of the day it does make a difference.

and you won't even notice a hardly any trajectory difference in 150-200fp between the typical 308 velocity and the 30-06 velocity with the same bullet

it is a 1.1 inch difference at 300 yards between the same 150gr bullet at 2750 and 2900 and since you never shoot game past 200 yards it is a 0.2 inch difference at 100 yard not enough difference to make a difference

if you want less recoil from a 30-06 and don't want to change cartridge , Muzzle brake can reduce felt recoil by 50%

buy a threaded barrel gun , may not be a lot in 30-06 , lots of 308 are coming this way now

my 308 jumps a bit it is fairly light 8.2 pounds ready to hunt however with the brake t took almost all the jump out I am still looking through the scope to watch bullet impact on steel

you have to get the muzzle out of the blind , or holy pressure wave batman

Thought about a muzzle break— the gunsmith talked me out of it. Likened it to putting a new motor in a Ford Ecsort…. Sure you can but for the money why would you. ….. still on the fence on this one.

Glad I’m not the only one tired of the recoil with 110’s……

The gun I have now has killed a bunch of deer and I’m not mad at it. Just looking at options especially as I’m getting older.

Good info guys— I appreciate the offer input.

Silencer is what you're looking for. Best money I have spent on gun related purchases hands down

I'd buy a 7mm-08 and call it good. Tikka, Browning, etc. Heck brand doesn't matter. Low recoil, kills deer dead in a hurry.

Suppressor, not a silencer. Silencer is what the anti gunners like to call them.

Sako with beautiful walnut.
Blaser with beautiful walnut.
An older Remington 700 with beautiful walnut.
Remington model 7 in .308 may interest you.

Order with high grade black walnut or have a custom stock made.

I have never liked the .30-06 cartridge. Had one rifle in that cartridge and never bonded with it.

There are some very good rifles that are not bolt action. Take a look around. Consider an older rifle that is worth a makeover.

Well I guess I was short changed on mine I did not get a copy of the Guide to Man Bun Care I reckon they took one look at the top of my head and could plainly see IT WOULD BE OF NO USE TO ME !!

Lol I’m like you West Side …… more hair on my back than on my head.

I’m not opposed to an older gun either. Heck, does anyone still manufacture guns with wood stocks anymore

I am by no means a authority on rifles, just sayin. But why a 06 for a designated deer gun, isn't that a bit much? If your not in brush and have the longer shots, why not a 243? Less recoil and gets it done. Just wondering why an 06 for deer.

Look at a Boyd's stock. They list 5 different options for a Savage 110 footprint... And there are 10 different configurations to choose from. They make a nice laminated wooden stock and it might add a bit of weight to mitigate recoil.

Mike

Under 100 yards with little recoil I'd look at some of the 350 legends. As a bonus that ammo is available almost every where

I’ll look into those stocks Mike— appreciate it

Catch— I like the ‘06 as it is versatile for nearly everything I dream about hunting. Where I hunt now is 100 yards or less. But someday I may go to the big farmland or orchards and shoot longer.

If you go with another 30-06, ammo you buy will work for both, which is a plus. If you want something different, I really like a 308. Ammo is easier to find due to so many rifles around the world chambered for it. 308s tend to be a little more compact than some of the long action calibers, which is nice when handling it and carrying it.


7mm-08 is an extremely popular round with those who shoot it. It’s a flat shooting, great round that’s available in low-recoil loads as well. Ammo availability if you don’t reload would be a serious consideration for any gun purchase I’d ever be thinking of, simply because we’ve all seen what it’s like when the shelves get bare. The farther you get from mainstream rounds, the more difficult the search can be at times. I know someone that couldn’t find ammo for over 2 years for his 17 Mach II as an example.


I’ve always thought 22-250 and 243s were sweet calibers. I’ve shot them, but I haven’t owned one.

There are so many make and model choices for rifles and scopes that it really comes down to you seeing what feels right when shouldered, but, I really like Browning A-Bolts. In 308, they’re very well balanced and the one I have shoots tight groups with pretty much every ammo I’ve tried. I don’t buy the high end scopes, but I do believe getting a quality scope is worth it. I was always partial to Leupold and Nikon scopes, although I think Nikon has stopped making rifle scopes since I’ve bought one. I can’t really say much about other brands. 3x9-40 is my preferred deer rifle scope size, because I don’t need to shoot as far as some people do. For me, 150 yards and closer is normal.



Good luck, getting a new gun that you want is exciting

.270 or 25.06 good luck with your search

Tikka T3X superlite stainless in whatever caliber you like.
It’s the best gun I own

Gotcha, I thought it was a deer designated gun. There are sure a lot of knowledgeable guys here with great advice. I hope you find a good'un.

Browning, Sako, Mossburg and many others offer some in wood stocks but the current trend is plastic plastic plastic in handguns rifles and shotguns to many have bought into plastic is better more stable ect, well I love wood and my gramps old marlin 93 now 117 Yo might be a bit beat up and the wood has more then a few dings in it or the old custom Mauser 3006 I bought from a fellow worker who inherited it from his dad and had it sitting around his house for the last 20 years not being a hunter or shooter might be a bit worn and oil stained but considering it was made sometime in the 20s and had been used to hunt all over Europe, the Middle East and northern African before WW2 by his dad who was stationed there, It’s some were around a hundred years old or so as well, and the stock might not be as nice as it was when new but it’s held up well IMHO

that group was a hundred yards and yes that one was a flyer and was just me

Frankly I have nothing against plastic stocks I even own a few guns with them but I have definitely noticed some things about them such as there is a great difference in weight in different guns often in guns from the same MfG, many of the cheaper models have very light weight plastic stocks many sound hollow when tapped on the butt end and almost feel like you could bend or flex them others are more rigid and also heavier and just feel more solid

IDK how some of these new plastic stocks will hold up over the years if they will have the longevity of many of the old wood stocked one where it’s not unusual to find guns pushing a hundred YO and still getting it done or not, but I know what I prefer

In the bible Matthew 10:30 it says Even the very hairs on your head are numbered .If that is so than someone is standing by a blackboard changing that number on a regular basis for me.On the subject of the gun what you need to be a successful deer hunter is a gun that fits you and allows you to get on the target and shoot quickly while still be accurate .That means getting the safety off, mounting the gun on your shoulder and finding the deer in your sights Open sights or scope does not matter so long as you are able to do it consistently . All the rest is in the end just personal choice I am not a big fan of synthetic stocks either .But as I get older taking a few lbs off of the weight we often carry when hunting save on the back and legs .In the end it is supposed too be fun not a test of endurance ..

True words that apply to everyone that hunts. We’ll said

Ruger does and so does mossberg. I heard mossberg had some accuracy issues so I went with Ruger.

I also got my Hawkeye in 6.5 cm. Great deer round with low recoil. Bald as well so no man bun for me….

Ruger is also making Marlin 30-30’s again if you are looking for a light kicking 100 yard gun. I guess they are really nice again but pricey.

Bought a Tikka stainless in 270 a year ago. Eyeing a Weatherby Vanguard in 7mm rem mag now.

Tikka T3

I have a savage axis with very good glass on it. Everything living I have shot at with it is dead. 6.5 Creedmoor.

I have been very happy with 7mm-08 and 243. My boys have been shooting deer with both since they were 7. They are 10 and 12 now and the 10 year old has shot 10 and the 12 year old is at 13.

They shot some of those with 300 black out and 357 mag carbine and x bow but many were with 243 and 7mm-08 . Thay both do a very fine job with low recoil. Most drop or stumble fall within 20 yards have watched most fall. The 7mm-08 has larger wound channels but the results are identical on deer reactions. All deer shot have been 107 yards or less.

Get a .243

The first hunting rifle I bought was a 30-06. Killed a lot of deer and elk with it over three+ decades. Five years ago I bought a 243... wish I'd bought one years ago. It's a killer and very little recoil. I've been using it for everything.

Ruger SFAR
was shooting my sons at 420 yards last Sunday , almost no recoil 308 7.2 pounds with the 20 inch barrel 6.8 with the 16 inch barrel

talk about firepower load a box of 20 308fmj at a buck a round in a 20 round mag and before you even hear the report back you can have sent round 2

it will obviolsy shoot soft points for hunting as well , but gives you a cheaper option for play.

if you choose to suppress it , it has an adjustable gas block to make it easy , comes with a brake , so little recoil watching the plate through the scope

obviosly it shoots well closer also , his has a Vortex strike eagle 1-8 power iluminated optic so you can catch that first and last light shot also. but don't need to turn on the illumination if you don't want

Seeing lots of votes on the .243 and 6.5 Creedmore

Isn’t an 06 and .270 fairly similar…:.. GCPete ??

243 has almost no recoil supergoose unless you buy an ultra light rifle, even then its not much. I have an old Sako with a one inch barrel. About like shooting a 22LR except for the report. They kill deer just fine. Even further than the 100 yards your talking about. I never owned or fired a 6.5.

Appreciate it Danny ….. going to look into a 243 soon

Another vote for. 243
I have a 700 ADL that loves 95 grain Sierras
As far as options for rifles there is. 223, 300 BO, .30/30, .30-06, and 300 WM in the safe.
Last few seasons though it's been the .243 or 20ga with slugs depending on location.

Info at hand-You will be shooting inside of 100 yards and you would like low recoil
Solution-22mag, it is the perfect choice for your parameters
Dang 3 pages and no one has given you this solid information to work with, ain't there any outlaws on this site?
^^^^^all satire^^^^^^a joke^^^^^not legal even if it is true^^^^^^

Danny is giving solid advice with the 22-250 if that small caliber is legal in your state. With your limited range I would even say .223 rem would be a fine choice with the proper bullets and shot placement. Either cartridge has very low recoil and more than capable of taking deer with proper shot placement. Shot placement is the key though.

Grandson was 8 when he killed this deer with an AR. 62 grain nosler ballistic tip on top of 25 grains of H335

He shot this one the other day over in MO. with my old 270. I cant tell any difference in how they taste or in how dead they are

He is ten now a few days away from being 11

It is always great to see a young hunter being successful .Looks like a nice der .And it also looks like he knows what he is doing Thanks for the pic.

you are getting short action caliber recommendations because you said 30-06 was to much recoil.

30-06springfield and 270winchester are the same parent case the 30-06 is a .308" projectile and 270win is .277"

it comes down to simple physics
for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

to get less felt recoil

you want less equal and opposite re-action
so to do that you need less action
meaning a lighter projectile and or don't send it as fast

or make the object at rest have more mass.

carrying around a substantially heavier gun is not much fun
deer are a fairly soft target so you don't need to send the projectile as hard as the 30-06 can especially at the ranges you say you hunt
and the other options given have a lighter projectile or less velocity or both

in guns a few things make less felt recoil
good fit , if you fit the gun or it fits you you are less likely to have it loose in your shoulder and you cheek off the wood if you are connected to the rifle it has no time to generate movement before it starts pushing you.

lighter bullets sent the same speed

the same bullet sent with less speed

some of both

and guns that use the energy of the round to eject the case I won't say semi auto but that is the most common , Browning had a trap gun that was like a single shot semi auto it ejected the hull but just stayed open and it reduced recoil
because it can push on the mass of the bolt , timed to happen as the bullet has exited the muzzle and the chamber pressures are falling in a locked breach semi auto.

and one more thing since a lot of the recoil of the gun is the gasses after the projectile pushing a pressure wave out in front of you muzzle brakes divert that extra gas to reduce the recoil , but then it sends that pressure wave of gas to the sides and back

if you watch someone laying prone shooting you see the grass lay down when they shoot but it is in a cone shape in front of them so if shooting at 12 oclock from about 10-2 you have a cone of gas coming out of the muzzle

if they are using a muzzle brake you have gasses from about 4:30 to 7:30 so the shooter isn't much effected but the guy at the bench next to you at the range sure does.

suppressors are just muffler with a hole through them so how do they reduce felt recoil , in 2 ways first it is a chamber for the gasses to expand thing of a 2 stroke motorcycle it is vey loud and poppy and you can feel the exhaust jetting out but if you put a muffler on that diverts the gasses more it it looses much of that sharp pop and you get a more steady flow of exhaust

the silencer gives the gasses a place to expand that isn't pushing on the air in front of you directing all that energy back into your shoulder

the other way it works to reduce felt recoil is that it is a weight at the very end of your gun so it limits muzzle rise and that face smacking rise is much of what we dislike as recoil

some guns reduce felt recoil by lowering the bore axis and placing it more in line with your shoulder the AR platform does this from the muzzle thru the stock it is a single line the scope is mounted higher because stock has no drop in the comb the distance from the top of the barrel to the top of the stock where your cheek rests
even some bolt action rifles are lowering the bore axis like the Sig Cross https://www.sigsauer.com/firearms/rifles-pistols/cross.html

350 legend in an AR plays on a few of these principals which is why people say it has so little felt recoil
slower bullet even with the weight of 170 and 180 gr they are only moving about 2200fps
in an AR the bolt moving takes up some of the recoil
and the final thing is they use a fast burning powder it is intended to burn up in a 16 inch barrel so there is less excess gas pushing back when the projectile leaves the muzzle

all the shorter cartridges do this to some extent with less capacity they burn more efficiently and have have less after push. but it comes at the price of some velocity also.

30-06 is almost a standard pressure magnum it was intentionally designed to get the longest MO maximum ordinate possible in 1906 in the Spanish American war the 7x57 Mauser with it's spitzer bullet was out ranging our 30-40.
the army said make me a cartridge that is 30 caliber that will go farther than the 7x57
and the 30-06 was born 1903 rifles could be rechambered in it and new rifles could be made in it from the get go

did we need a 30-06 shoulder fired rifle , not exactly but wars being often won on supply line we had a rifle that used a machine gun cartridge one ammo to feed them all
the answer to the question of is this enough power , make more power than may be needed.
more power comes as more recoil

in 1936 the M1 Garand came along and we found 2 things we needed to drop the gas port pressure a little and our 178gr bullet was too efficient it could travel farther than the length of the ranges we had on many army bases so a change to M2 ball ammo was made with a reduced velocity down to 2750fps and a flat base 150gr bullet now it had a max range that fell within the length of an army range , didn't beat up the guns as bad , or the guys , and the flat based bullet was easy to manufacture and was less efficient reducing the MO to the length of the army's rifle ranges .

why is it an issue that ranges on army bases were not long enough , because to save space they made many of the ranges face each other a big circle sort of , that is how Ft MCcoy is

after WWII the US-DOD decided that 2750fps had worked well , but soldiers needed more rounds and the powder technology was getting better so they didn't need the 63mm long case any more , the 308 Winchester was born and it sent a 150gr bullet at about the same speed and did it with a 51mm long case that was a touch less tapered because being shorter it didn't need to be as tapered to feed. the 308 is .472" shorter in the case with the same bullet the neck is also shorter to maximize powder capacity.
the bullet stayed the same the powder and case got about 15% lighter and you could carry about 10% more rounds for the same weight.


if you really wanted to just have less recoil in a 30-06 the Hornady custom Lite ammo a 125gr bullet traveling 2700 fps uses less speed and less projectile mass and a faster burning powder to give less felt recoil , it does make ammo harder to find now you have only about 2 reduced recoil loads for 30-06 onthe market

if you want to buy another rifle any way thing about the features you want it to have and you will probably want to change calibers because much of the recoil is that manufactures push 30-06 to nearly it's full potential while keeping pressures within a safe margine typically sending a 150gr bullet at 2950 fps it is 200fps more than what easily kills a deer from a 308win and in almost everything there are diminishing returns as you get to the top of any performance.

if you said I need a car that will turn out 7 second 1/4 miles you need a Lot more car and a lot more HP than if you settled for 14 second 1/4 miles you feel that HP as felt recoil.

in WI now everything that works is Legal 17hmr , 204 ruger , as long as you can make it work no ticket can be issued.

if you fail to make the 22-mag work then it could be considered unreasonable equipment and a citation issued. of course people fail to make 30-06 work all the time but that is poor shooting and not questionable power

Look into Thompson Center Compass. Yes it's synthetic stock but very little recoil. I have one in 270. I don't remember if mine came with a vortex scope or I bought it. I'm on very little sleep.
Weight and recoil are factors for me because of my fibromyalgia. I like it so much I want a couple more in different calibers.
If you can afford it look into Benelli rifles. I have a Nova 12 ga. Shooting 3" shells is a breeze.

You can also build or buy plenty of hunting rifles on the AR platform.

That would be great!!!
I can see it now. I come dragging a doe out the woods while packing my 22lr to see the warden writing a ticket to some slob that just shot the leg off of a deer with his new top shelf 338 lapua.

I have killed enough hogs and beef with a 22lr to be more than sure it would take deer consistently at limited range, but also have helped try to recover and heard of many more deer that survived the high-powers from a questionable shot. Good marksmanship goes a long way, spray and pray should not be a consideration. Glad I was raised by a master instructor in the day and age he could pound into my head marksmanship. To dang many folks never learn discipline in marksmanship or discipline in general for that matter.
Sorry for getting off topic to the OP, I will shut up now.

If you are shooting at around 100 yards, the good old Mod 94 Winchester or the Marlin in 30-30 ... Slap a peep sight on either one and have at it. They are light to carry, easy on the shoulder and quick handling little rifles.

So many great calibers between .243 and .280 that will more than meet your requirements. Modern machining has seemed to narrow the gap in accuracy between entry level models and much more spendy weapons. Having said that you owe it to yourself at least in my mind, to check out christenson arms, a little bit more pricey but very sweet piece.

there are lots of good answers
for me the answer with my budget at the time was

a Mossberg Patriot predator 308win
it has a picatinny rail so the scope can go out were I need it , I like them forward a ways
a Hornady cheek riser bag that stores spare ammo
GI web sling
and a AR-stoner muzzle brake

features I was looking for sub 8 pounds ready to hunt
threaded muzzle for a brake
detachable magazine I like that it holds 5 rounds in the mag
and it had to fit me and the bolt cycle well , nice big bolt handle helps with that

for a budget gun it is hard to get all those features

it came in at 8 pounds 2 ounces when done but I can live with that.
the brake and the good fit give it very mild recoil

I shoot hand loaded 180gr Speer BTSP bullets very near max load

I am still thinking about that Ruger-SFAR which is about twice the cost of the Mossberg and was not available till September of this 2022. I am saving for it but the Mossberg is my ready to go head out the door any time rifle.

your also unlikely to get a ticket if it is at or exceeds the old rules 22 cal center fire

Seen 2 deer shot with 22 cal bullets. Both lethal shots. One went 10 yds and recovered. One about 100 yds, recovered by coyotes. Neither had exit wounds and not a drop of blood to be found. My opinion 22 caliber should be limited to bang flop shots like head or neck but not heavy enough for the high shoulder shot. Here if there isn't blood they can be very hard to find if they go any distance. If u want to limit ur shots to those shots maybe 22 calipers could work. But I don't see any advantage they have over a 243 which is very adequate for any shot on deer out to 200 yds

I was looking for this one before I posted. Also, if rifle hunting ever becomes meh, if you can regularly get within 100 yds, try handgun, crossbow or black powder.

Get a Browning A- bolt Stainless Stalker off of Gun broker or Guns of America

They are an older model but built all Metal ...even the magazine and drop down Floorplate



If you're Sticking with the ole'- aught 6 get one with a Boss on the barrel...louder but Much recoil reduction. Or find and shoot lighter grain bullets which reduces recoil some- also They float flatter...

If you want a change... many good caliber choices mentioned above

I love my .243s 25-06 and my 7mm.Rem mag. 1oogr. Bullets out of the first two. 139 gr from my 7

I'll drop my 2 cents in here,

I'd look at the .308, ammo is readily available in a wide range of designs and weights, lots of short action calibers developed from this case. .243, .260, 6.5 and others may be hard to find ammo at times or in certain locations.

I like wood stocked rifles and would look for an older one in good shape at a pawn shop or armslist.

As for a scope a vortex diamond back would be a good starting spot, in the $200 price range.

Even for western game the .308 is all you would need except for maybe moose or big bears out to 300 yards or so.

When I was a kid me and my cousins would light kitchen matches with our 22's. Not from very far and not every shot but stuff like that is how you learn to shoot. bb gun or 375 r.u.m. its still shooting. Had town dumps back then too. Could ambush and shoot rats. If you dont think a kid learns a lot about hunting and shooting by killing rats in a dump you would be wrong. Murphy is to young to hunt with another kid but he will soon be old enough to get his hunter safety. When he does I will let him hunt by his self.

Andrew Eastwood said everything needs said about firearms for deer killing

With loaded Ammo getting more expensive or hard to find I would buy a 223 and as much loaded ammo as you can.

Look at CZ527 with the heavy barrel. 55gr bullet at 3,200 fps.


https://www.sportsmans.com/recoil-table

I have a Howa 1500 in 243 with a Hogue overmolded stock. Absolute tack driver an no real recoil AT all ..

Winchester Model 70 Featherweight or Supergrade. 243 Win. Walnut stocks, blued steel. 6 lbs 12 ounces or 7 pounds 12 ounces.
New or used. Can all get the Model 70 in stainless and synthetic as well.

I won a 243 Savage in a raffle. I didn't need it so I gave it to my, at the time, 12 year old granddaughter who had just completed firearms training. She has since shot 6 deer with it. One was an 11 pointer that she has hanging on her wall. None of the deer she has shot went more than 40 yards after they were hit. She's 18 this year and loves deer hunting.

I like the Tikka T3 in .22-250. I use it for coyotes, but if it were legal I'd use it for deer too.

My thought is any center fire rifle will kill a deer if you hit him within reason.

Wow !!! Lots of good information here …… I appreciate everyone’s reply. Lots to read over again and take it all in.
Like I said too late in the year to make a change….. but never too early to look towards next year !!

Thanks again all.

I used to use a 30-06 and it did fine, but it punches a hole straight through. It kills but often a trailing job.
I switched to a .223 with hollow points. It will often drop the deer right there. Picture those ballistic gell videos and how they react. That's totally what happens inside the deer when bullets DONT EXIT. Awesome shock & knock down power

Maybe go radically different to make a big change.

I absolutely love my old Marlin 1895 .45-70. It is a 200 yard gun with ease and can be stretched to a 300 yard gun if zeroed at a longer distance. For performance, it is amazing. Deer drop straight down if walking. If moving faster, they give a half jump. Tracking is not needed. That is if hit properly. I use the Hornady Leverevolution. Great stuff.

The older Marlins with the JM proof mark have gotten very expensive. Look around and you may find a nice one!

that is a great choice for woods hunting deer , I have never shot one with a 45-70 I have shot a few with a muzzle loader putting out very similar energy and projectile and their was no tracking, if 30-06 recoil is the issue that got this discussion started is the 45-70 a good recoil reduction over 30-06?

Pete, it’s not the caliber that is the problem…. I like the ‘06…… it’s the gun itself I want to change. The model 110 punches pretty hard and as I am getting older… I’m just tired of it. I believe this is mostly due to the lightness of the gun.

https://www.gunbroker.com/Bolt-Action-Rifles/search?Keywords=zytel%20stock&Sort=13

I got one of these in a 300 win mag. Recoil is not tame but not heavy either. The rifle is. Heavy that is. VERY accurate. Stock ruger trigger was awful. I put a timney in mine. When I ordered it I ordered it with open sights. (installed by ruger) the rear sight folds down and it wears a scope. i ordered the iron sights in case I ever broke the scope. Could just take it off. The iron sight needed no adjustment. Was dead on when i got the rifle

Getting a heavier gun in the same caliber may be trading one problem for another.

Your Getting older so packing a heavier gun bay become a nuisance for you in years to come also depending on how you hunt. I'dfnits fron 4 wheeler to box blind maybe not but if your walking probably so.

So a Change to lighter recoiling caliber in a light gun seemed like a smart move. Especially for deer at around 100 yards. My young boys have been piling them up with a 243 and 7mm08 since they were 7 with them.

243 with sp ammo puts quarter size holes through them and the 7mm08 half dollar generally. Bot are great for deer many times past what you are shooting. I'm sitting with the 243 now because my 10 year old is home with a 102 fever.
Ammo seems more available for 308 but I don't hav one of those so can't speak to its recoil but my cousin loved his with 150gr ammo for deer.

Edit to add all our rifles wear a suppressor, or can wear one so are equipped with a thread over muzzle break. So they have even less recoil from allready low recoiling calibers. With the suppressor they are a dream . Without and just the break well they are very loud. You don't want to be standing to the side of them or in a stand on the other side of the tree with a deer in front if you so you are directly beside the ports when your son shoot a deer.

243win in gun of your flavor is what you're looking for as far as a Deer caliber with little recoil.

It's a TWO ...Three part issue

1.Gun/Rifle Weight up^^^ might or might not help you reduce recoil
I wouldn't buy a different 06' unless you shot it to see.

2.You Say " it's Not the caliber " that's the problem or possible fix. You might be right BUT: Rifles Are Individuals.
Shoot an 06' in Bolt, Pump, and Semi Auto. You'll feel different recoil
But Rifle build and configuration Along with / lower bullet grain/powder load etc can change that some too.
.....continuing on still wanting your 30'06 cal. Front porting of the barrel WIll reduce recoil but make your Rifle louder. Butt pad choice matters too.

3. You are absolutely wrong if you keep saying the Caliber isn't the issue. Because it IS THE BIGGEST factor in recoil if you don't add a Boss/ porting type modification.

Changing away from the .30 class of calibers matters

Shoot a

.243 100gr bullet
.6mm 100gr.
.270 130gr.

Then Any 30'06 and you will notice and most likely appreciate much lower recoil.

So unless you read #2 above and do something different than you're doing now besides just believing the overall weight is the fix. You will get the same KICK

what does your current rifle weigh?

recoil is that function of equal and opposite reaction

felt recoil is a combination of fit and equal and opposite reaction.

if your current rifle is 8.2 pounds I use this because it is what my rifle weights and I know all the other numbers
here is a calculator https://shooterscalculator.com/recoil-calculator.php
there are components to go into each side of the recoil equation

weight of bullet , velocity of bullet and this calculator attempts burn rate based on grains of powder
the other side of the equation is
weight of the gun
the answer comes in recoil energy , duration and recoil velocity some powders are more of a push and others more of a hit.

8.2 pound rifle
180gr bullet
2600fps
42.5 gr powder

impulse 3.2 pounds/second
velocity 11.86 fps
energy 17.91 fpe

if I increase the weight of the rifle to 10.2 pounds
velocity changes to 9.53fps
energy changes to 14.4fpe

adding 2 pounds reduces recoil 20% makes sense you increased the weight by 20%

those are using a 308 load

if we bump up to a 30-06 load
8.2 pound rifle
180gr bullet
2800fps
55gr

impulse 3.46 pounds/second
Velocity 13.57fps
energy 23.47fpe

a 12.7% increase in rifle velocity
23.7% increase in recoil energy
to get a bullet going 200fps faster just 7.2% faster in bullet velocity.
this is that diminishing returns I talked about in a previous post

this is why if your going to get a new rifle a new caliber also makes sense and why your getting so many recommendations for short action calibers.
unless maybe you have a lifetime supply of 30-06 stocked up.

reloading could change this also but it didn't sound like you reloaded

a reduced recoil load in 30-06
125gr
2700fps

2.43 pounds/seconds
9.54fps
11.59fpe
that is a 50.7% reduction in recoil energy


so while adding weight would make a difference changing the load can make a bigger difference and keep it easy to carry.

the reason so many have said 243

is right here
8.2 pound rifle easy enough to carry all day
100gr bullet
2900fps

2.13 pounds/seconds
8.36 fps
8.91 fpe

243 100gr @ 2900 vs 180gr 30-06 at 2800fps

62% reduction in recoil energy and 39% decrease in recoil velocity

this is why they have their grandkids shooting deer with a 243 at age 10

This

Accuracy is what is needed. Only use a gun you can shoot accurately

I have a mid 80s era model 700 with wood stock in 30.06 that has always been a really trueshooter. Ten years ago or so I had a contour matching slimline muzzle break added blued to match. The rifle is now an absolute joy to shoot and if it’s possible even more accurate. I believe the recoil is noticeably softer than any of my .243s.
Food for thought maybe ?

Osky

muzzle brakes have been recommended , he checked with his gun smith who said the 30-06 rifle savage was not worth adding a brake, probably meaning never get your money out of it

very few new 30-06 rifles come with threaded barrels so it is an after work thing and it costs as much as having his current rifle done to do it to a new rifle

If he has a significant stash of 30-06 that would be exactly the thing to do , a break makes it soo pleasant to shoot around 50% recoil reduction if you have the extra gas to power it which a 30-06 definitely does

if he still buys ammo from the shelf and not a large stock of 06 at home then any of the short action rifles offered with a threaded muzzle that fit him would serve him well. take the recoil reduction and double up with a break.

Osky are you still looking at the target through the scope when the round impacts. I don't have a brake on a 30-06 but I have a couple 308 with them and it is nice to see the deer drop in the scope rather than try and find it post recoil