Easy shooting rifles, for deer

It was real nice last weekend, seeing my son and our friends take whitetail bucks here in Washington. We were fortunate enough to be able to hunt some private lands where the deer were not terribly disturbed by other hunters, and could be ambushed near their food sources.

Each of the hunters used what I think of as a mild-recoiling rifle, and each of them dropped their bucks with one shot. One buck did require a finishing shot, not unusual after a high-shoulder hit.

My son John used a good old 6mm Rem, 700 BDL with a 3.5-10x scope. Ammo was 95 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip loaded to about 3,000 fps via RL-22. Very mild shooting rifle that he and I have used on rockchucks, coyotes and mule deer for a long time. I was using that same rifle back in 1974, and it's always been an easy shooting rifle that encourages excellent marksmanship. His buck was facing him and took one shot to the chest at about 70 yards and dropped dead instantly. The spine was hit.

Mike used a .257 Weatherby Mark V, with a 3.5-10x scope. Ammo was factory loaded, with the 100 gr Hornady at an advertised 3600 fps. The buck, at 140 yards was hit in the heart & lungs. Those organs were pretty much destroyed by the high velocity soft point bullet. The buck still ran about 50 yards prior to falling. I first used a .257 Weatherby at least 40 years ago. Despite the "Weatherby Magnum" name, it's a mild-kicking rifle.

Dani used a lightweight Sako, with a synthetic stock cut down for her small stature. The barrel is fluted too. I don't know what the .308 weighs, but it's not much. Knowing that the .308 in a light rifle can kick a bit, and that she was new to all this, I handloaded her ammo with the 125 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. Never did bother to run it over a chronograph, but it sure shot well for her, putting three rounds in under an inch at 200 yards just last week in practice. We watched her buck filter through the trees, coming down a large ravine from about a quarter mile out. At 123 yards she shot the buck, high in the shoulder. He went down instantly. That buck did need a follow up shot, which Dani administered from about 15 feet. That finished him.

All three of these mild-shooting rifles were accurate. None kicked worth a hoot, though even with light bullets, Dani's Sako is best described as "lively" when fired, particularly from a bench position. They were all more than enough for whitetail too. Any of those rifles & cartridges could have been interchanged between the hunters and used to good effect.

It's easy to see why I like light-recoiling rifles for deer, and for hunters too. Everyone was able to make good shots, easily.

Food for thought perhaps, if you're contemplating a new deer rifle for yourself or someone else.

Regards, Guy

They work well no doubt, I really do like my 260 Rem in that regard it performs well with mild recoil especially in the new Savage 10 Predator Max 1.

Better to have a rifle that one shoots well (usually a mild-mannered cartridge) than one that kicks said shooter out from under his/her hat. The .280 has harvested more deer than about all my other rifles combined. It shoots 139/140 grain bullets and issues an invitation that is impossible for deer to resist. The 257 Bob and 260 Remington are every bit as effective. I have no doubt that the 7X57 will work equally well.

It's no secret I love magnum rounds, Guy. But somewhat less known is that I love mild rounds, too. As a handloader, I can make almost any round into a fairly mild shooter. To that end, when I was looking for a left-hand rifle for my left-eye-dominant son, and found a southpaw Browning A-Bolt II Micro Hunter with a beautiful stock for a steal, I bought it. It was a brand new (still had the sticker on the barrel) distributor demo rifle, with no box, but had zero marks/scratches/wear, and appears unfired. I'm loading 110gr Hornady BTHPs for practice, and will be loading 110gr Accubonds for white-tails when he's ready. With Hodgdon's reduced H4895 data, I can get roughly 2700fps out of the 110s while maintaining recoil on a par with 100gr 243Win factory ammo, which makes the rifle a dandy shooter for learning. The nice part is, later on, when he's ready, I can work him up to 130, 140, or even 150gr bullets running along at much higher velocities (likely ~3200fps or more for the 130s, and 2900-3000fps for the 150s).

I still like to carry my lighter recoilers afield, and will hopefully get the chance to take my 30-30WCF Win94 and my Browning BAR in 243Win and tag some white-tails once gun season opens here. Certainly magnums are not necessary, but I've always subscribed to the theory one should carry whatever they choose, as long as the cartridge and bullet is suitable for the game hunted, and he or she can achieve precise bullet placement with the rifle from field positions. Recoil is such a subjective thing.

The 257 Roberts is pretty mild but very effective on deer.

JD338

The .240-.280 calibers will fall into that area. "Magnum" cartridges in there may be a little much for some folks, when firing from the bench. As we know, most folks don't notice the recoil/kick of hunting rifles when firing at the intended game animal.

As old hunting friend once took a 7x6 bull elk with my .340 Wby., saying later he had to have one, as "they don't kick at all" :grin: !

JD338":3iib6zq6 said:

The 257 Roberts is pretty mild but very effective on deer.

JD338

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I love my Bob with it's Douglas XX air gauge barrel it's the most accurate rifle I own. Once shot a White tail Buck that was hiding from me behind a tree. the only shot I had was when he stuck his head out and looked at me at around 150yds. The only clear shot I had was a spine shot at the hind quarters or a brain shot threw the nose. The 115gr Hornaday hit dead center of the nose and he dropped right there.
This is my brush gun because I know if a get a shot in heavy brush and have a small hole to place the bullet threw the Bob will do it. :wink:

I really like your (well, I suppose it's your son's now) 6mm... My first hunting rifle was a 6mm in a 788.

I have a few mild recoilers... .243, 6mm, 6.5 Creedmoor, .25-06, .257 Weatherby, 7-08 (though truthfully, the 7-08 is light enough that it can be a little chippy, but if Nolan takes a liking to it, I can load light bullets and powder charges). I'd like to pick up a small cased .25, Bob or Savage would be fine. I'd also like to get a .240 Weatherby in a Vanguard. And a .260 or 6.5x47 Lapua.

Did you ever get your dad's .257 Weatherby straightened out, Guy?

I'm afraid our old .257 Wby needs another infusion of cash before it's going to shoot real well... Sigh...

It goes bang every time. Just kind of a question about where on the target the bullet is going to strike...

Guy

Congrats on the bucks!

I like the 25-06

Guy Miner":21wmuj1o said:

I'm afraid our old .257 Wby needs another infusion of cash before it's going to shoot real well... Sigh...

It goes bang every time. Just kind of a question about where on the target the bullet is going to strike...

Guy

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Wood stock? How many rounds through it?

If it's under 500 I'd at least consider swapping to a B&C stock, bedding it and floating it, and trying again.

Ah, found your other post. Sounds like it's just worn out.
Maybe time to make it a "Harvey Wallhanger" as my shooting partner says.
You could pick up a nice Vanguard in 257 and have a lot less $ invested.

It's in the wood stock my grandfather made for it back in the late 1940's. Likely needs to be bedded.

The barrel has had a lot of ammo run through it... Hard to say how many rounds... I mentioned to "Truck Driver" in another post that it's been a bit of a frustrating project for me and my youngest son, attempting to bring the old rifle back to life. We get one problem solved, like the safety not working, or the firing pin not striking hard enough to set off a primer, and then something else comes up. Lately it's been impossible to zero. One thing after another. I get tired of fussing with it and put it away.







Perhaps this winter will be a good time to haul it out again and give it one more try before having it re-barreled.

Regards, Guy

If it's just now getting tough to zero, Guy, maybe it's time for a scope swap? Or check the ring/mount screws as well as the action screws? If it zeroed before, it's either something loose, or bedding, or the crown. In my experience barrels don't go away suddenly like that (from shooting "okay" to impossible to zero).

That 257 is very nice Guy. Hope you get it a new barrel. That could be one awesome mulie rifle. The 257 Wby is a sweetheart.

The 25-06 and my 270WSM are probably my two favorites for light recoil and plenty for any deer.

My 280 AI is a dream to shoot. But it I had to pick a light easy handling non-magnum I would think long and hard about a 7-08. Just kind of have a thing for them.

Guy,

Pillar bed it and she how she shoots.

JD338

I've never felt the need for magnum cartridges of any kind. I've never hunted deer with any kind of magnum, I don't intend to start now.

I call my beloved 250 savage "aggie" (short for aggrivation) cant get it to do anything consistiently. I suspect in my case there is a problem with the "nut behind the trigger" but there is too much sentimental value to let it go. Keep tinkering with the 'ole 257. Beautiful Stock. CL

I have a refurbished .257 Roberts. It is a sweetheart to shoot and shoots three bullet weights really well (85 gr Ballistic Tip, 100 gr Partition and 110 gr AccuBond. The worst groups that it gets after being rebedded, is about 3/4 of an inch 3-shot groups at 100 yards. This is the third .257 Roberts that I have owed and makes me wonder why I sold the other two? They shot accurately as well, plus they were Pre 64 Win Model 70's. This one is a Browning High Power from the 1950's with a Douglas barrel and a custom stock. I hope that I am never crazy enough to sell this one. There is a lot to be said for light kicking classics that work every time you pull the trigger on deer.

It sounds like you had better keep that one Charlie it's definitely a keeper. Hard to imagine a better round for deer than a 257 Roberts, others are as good but not any better. A Browning High Power with a Douglas barrel is a classy set up.