new rifle selection choices UPDATE

[Jusme]

Take a look at the Ruger American, in 308. I love mine, I have the all weather version with a stainless barrel. My son has the Savage in 270, while it's a great gun, the recoil is hard on my old shoulder. I can shoot my 308 all day. Plus, ammo for the 25-06, or 6.5CM will not be as readily available as the 308, and the 308 will take anything in North America. JMHO

[Jusme]

the 270 is harsher than the 308? i figured it would be flipped the other way?

im not terribly concerned with availability as i dont get to shoot a whole lot its pretty much a hunting season and sight in rifle, with a few range trips every few months. not a regular shooter

Yeah, the 270, is a necked down 30.06 cartridge. It is a great hunting round, and the rifle my son has is a tack driver, but being lightweight, it does let you know you've shot it.

[WTR]

Friend of mine just went to a 22-250 for the low recoil for his wife and kid. Mounted a 6-24 Nikon and they love it.

[kayt00]

This may just be my sentiment talking but for the money that would go into a new rifle maybe consider having a muzzle brake fitted and one of those recoil tubes added to the stock?

[puma guy]

Have you considered a semi-auto as an alternative to the bolt action. Recoil is less and accuracy is perfectly adequate for big game and you can stay with the 30-06 cartridge which offers more factory loaded ammo choices than any other cartridge I know of. IE Browning BAR or Remington 742 are/were made in 30-06.

[Jago668]

I've enjoyed my TC Compass in 308. It'll do 1 moa all day long.

[jb2012]

I’d stay away from the newer remingtons. Bergara is supposed to guarantee 1moa or better. I was really impressed by Kimber’s line of rifles. Ruger is one of my favorite weapons manufacturers as well. The TC rifles are supposed to be pretty great, but I don’t have any personal experience with them that I can think of. I have a savage 112 in 25-06 that I LOVE. Honestly I will probably never need another bolt gun. With my grandpa’s reloads, as long as I do my part I can stack bullets with it. Plenty of gun for any Texas game. Also as mentioned above you might consider a muzzle break for a low cost option.

[bblhd672]

I recently bought a Savage 110 in .308. The recoil doesn’t bother me at all.

[ghostrider]

depending on budget, you might consider a semi-auto such as an AR-10, or Browning BAR:

https://texasguntrader.com/category/948 ... ag-24.html

[flechero]

For a 100 yd gun and deer/hogs, you have a lot of options. But honestly, the 5.56 AR you mentioned will do all that. However, if you just want to buy a new rifle, I totally get that!! At 100 yds, i doesn't take a big gun at all to kill deer. Hogs can be tough but shot placement takes care of that.

If you are focused on reducing recoil, you might consider sticking with the AR platform. I shot my buddy's 308 the other day.... talk about a soft shooting sweetheart! (and lots of calibers available in that platform) For the ranges you are talking about, I also wouldn't bother with expensive glass or even a bolt gun, unless I happened on a deal in the classifieds for a caliber I wanted anyway. Heck, the AR is a great hog gun since you are often taking a number of shots quickly.

I wouldn't worry about ammo with 6.5CM- even academy stocks about 10 varieties of that... but the caliber does nothing better for you at distances of less than about 300-400yds.

If I were you, I'd define my max hunting range and then decide on a few appropriate calibers. Then work back from there, sorting by recoil and whatever else is important to you.

Wish I had the cash to be doing the same- good luck!

[MaduroBU]

The 6.5 creedmoor is part if the answer. Get a heavy 26" barrel and gave it threaded for a muzzle brake. The recoil becomes minimal, but the effects are devastating even at range.

Newton's third law doesn't guarantee the death of the shooter because you're holding a far heavier, far slower half of the equal momentum. In fact, the shooter comes out worse than his target in terms of momentum because of the rocket like effect of the escaping powder gas (whose weight can be 30-60% of the weight if the projectile and often moving faster). Making the rifle heavier and redirecting that powder gas to your advantage im can make shooting far more pleasurable.

[PriestTheRunner]

ive got a savage 110 in 30.06 , love the gun. however with age my wrist has issues making the 3006 not so fun, i have a prostaff 7 5-20x50 on it... im looking for another rifle that will be easier recoiling, however i still want to be able to take deer and hogs, id love to go elk, bear, or moose hunting we all have dreams i figure i can use my 3006 in that scenario. in all reality its just going to be deer and hogs, and typical 100 yard range. im debating on buying a spare barrel in 25-06 for my current rifle or either getting a new rifle with a short action and then i can just use my good scope on that rifle. i could also throw this scope on my 5.56 ar and call it good for low recoil. but i love my red dot.

im looking at the ruger american and savage models in 6.5CM and 25-06. ballistically i figure they will be fairly close and also as well as recoil, but for a barrel swap cost i could probably almost have a new rifle, just looking to get a discussion going. seeing whats out there as far as calibers/rifles. im looking for a scope ready rifle preferably unless it comes with a decent scope rolled into the price.

What area of Texas are you in? I have a Sig 716 Patrol. May be above your current budget but hands-on might help you see if a AR-10 is the right way for you to go.

Now if that silencer paperwork would clear we could try that too..... Grrrrr
lol