Deer Rifle With Least "Kick"

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.260 and 7mm-08 are fantastic deer calibers with low recoil, that have appreciably more punch than a .243.

Your problem is rifle selection. I am sure he would appreciate a lightweight rifle, but they recoil more for any given cartridge. Still, a Remington Mountain Rifle in 7mm-08 would be hard to beat. For a bit lighter, try a Kimber 84 in .260.

Both excellent combinations.

Good luck with your choice.
 
The .243 is still a very adequate deer round. It's easy to get ammo for and easy to get rifles for. It makes an excellent first deer gun and makes an excellent low-recoil rifle. You can get a nice .243 by any of the major brands in a short action for not so much money and then spend more money getting a really good scope. You will certainly find rifles with more punch with somewhat more recoil, but that assumes the .243 cannot do the job. It can do the job and even though it is modest and unassuming without any bragging ability built in, it is so very popular because it works. Just my opinion, of course.


Ash
 
If you're shooting at fairly short ranges (under 100 yards), a Marlin 1894C in .357 magnum is reported to be a very effective deer rifle, and has virtually no recoil.

For that matter, a .30-30 doesn't recoil all that much, either.
 
Another vote for .243. It ruined this guys day...

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What kind of range are we talking about?
If it's a short range brush rifle you need, I'd look at a Ruger Mini-30 or Winchester 94 in .30-30.

An SKS would be a cheap and reliable alternative to the Ruger, but a bit heavier.
 
If you want a "nice" rifle with low recoil, I'd go for a Browning autoloader in .243. In my experience, the gas action of a Browning tends to "mush out" the recoil noticeably, compared to a bolt action. Put on a thick, soft recoil pad, and add a muzzle brake, and your dad will only get a light tap on his shoulder. (The muzzle brake will make it "bark" a bit more, though.)

An SKS/AK/Mini-30 in 7.62x39 will do the trick, too. There's not much kick to begin with, and if you add a recoil pad or something, it's going to be pretty mild.

A lever action in a magnum handgun caliber should't be ruled out - if you use discretion, a .357 Mag handgun is OK for deer, so out of a rifle - where it should pick up a couple of hundred feet per second - it ought to work well, too. Use a 158 grain or heavier bullet.

If your dad can stand a little bit more recoil, the old 7x57mm Mauser had a reputation for being easy on the shoulder. Use "original" type loads - don't try to hotrod it - and it will do fine.
 
Used to work with a couple who both hunted. They both used .243 rifles and both always got their deer.
 
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