need new gun

[bacardisteve]

i own some great guns in a wide array of calibers 243 204 30-30 30-06 270wsm and two 450s. What i am looking for is an accurate mild mannerd cartridge with more oomph than the 243 that i can use for deer out to 200 yds. i really like the 257 weatherby but ammo is outrageous. i also like the 25-06 the 260 and the 7mm-08. i am leaning twords the 260. anyone here ever tried it on deer at 200yds. please help me out

 

[1KPerDay]

What's wrong with your .30-06?

 

[bacardisteve]

nothing at all but i want something i can also take to the range and shoot 50 times and not have a sore shoulder

 

[mio]

7mm-08 is the only one that i have any experiance with and i can tell you that if youre looking for low recoil flat shooting and accuracy thats your gun it seems to be designed for whitetails

but why not have some fun and buy a 7.62x54 sporterize it and give it a try

 

[Drue]

The .260 would fill the bill nicely. The 120 and 140gr bullets are fine for deer and recoil less than the larger calibers. The ammo is not as plentiful as the others that you mentioned but it is available. If you reload, of course, the ammo is no problem. Cases can be made from .308, 7-08 or .243 brass.

Drue

 

[Limey46]

I was just fondling a 260 at the gun store this afternoon, thinking what a good idea it is. Basically, what you've got in the 260 is a 6.5 x 55 Swede re-packaged for a short action, and that's just a swell concept; those long .264 bullets fly very straight and arrive with a ton of energy. So no, I have no hands-on experience with the 260, but the last deer I killed was a slam-dunk at 325 yards with a 140-grain Hornady Interlock bullet out of a Winchester 70 in 6.5 Swede, and a 260 would have done exactly the same thing. About the only drawback I see is the relative scarcity of factory ammo in 260. A lot of otherwise respectable gun stores just don't have it. Not a problem if you load your own, of course, or buy from catalogs.

 

[Essex County]

.260,6.5X55, 7-08 and 7X57. Guys it doesn't get any better than this..Essex

 

[michael_aos]

260 Remington.

 

[DogBonz]

6.5 Grendel

A great little cartridge that is super soft on the shoulder, very accurate, good for long distance, and has a wide varity of bullet weights and styles. I love mine... Makes me mucho happy

 

[Father Knows Best]

6.5x55

 

[onemsumba]

some lower cost ideas

get a limbsaver slip on recoil pad. for your 30'06.

Filson has started making vests and shirts with limbsaver pads intergrated recoil pads. the are not listed in the online catlog you need to get the hard copy.

Switch your 30'06 to a laminate stock for a bit more weight. (if its not allready) or change to a monte carlo syle stock

 

[El Tejon]

Another vote for the 6.5 Swede. One of my favorites.

 

[runninmike]

The .25-06 is such a wonderful cartridge. It's ammo is reasonable to buy, and is a good handloader round. Recoil is gentle.
I choose the .25-06 for what you've mentioned.
It will do what you want the .257 weatherby to do at much less of a cost.
It is not only an awesome rifle for pole-axing mule deer and lopers, but a deathray to rockchucks and jacks at very far distances.
Enjoy whatever you choose!
Best-MC

 

[MRJ152]

If you load your own shells you can load a reduced recoil. If not you can also buy reduced recoil shells for that purpose. I've loaded rr shells for my 30-06and they shoot just as well. However if your H#!!bent on buying a new gun I have a 7mm08 that is really nice. Shoots real smooth and doesn't hit to hard.

 

[rangerruck]

how about the 6mm remmy? Ruger still makes the rifle new, remmy made the old mohawk, 600, 688, etc. used. Academy still sells the remmy factory load 100 grners for about 12 bucks a box. it is like a 243, but about 200 fps faster, with an extra long neck, for much better an longer bbl wear and life than the 243.

 

[Walkalong]

Ditto on .260 or 7mm Mauser.

 

[Terrierman]

For more punch than a .243 but still shoulder friendly in a nice light easy to carry rifle, it's a toss up between .260 Remington. 6.5 x 55, 7 x 57, 7mm-08, .257 Roberts. .25-06 or .270 are in there too, but are getting into the more felt recoil area with a light rifle. I bought my daughter a 7mm-08. She likes it just fine. I have a Ruger Ultra Light in .270. I like it just fine. I also have a 6.5 x 55 in a Swedish M-38. It will kill deer with the best of them. There is so much overlap in these mid range cartridges, it becomes much more important to have a good rifle that fits you well and you trust than to worry overmuch about the chambering.

 

[GreyMauser]

260 Rem in Remington 700 SA modified to come in at 6.1 pounds with scope- light enough to carry all day, no significant recoil.