300 yard rifle that won't kick me to death

[Guest josh123]

if your looking to save money get a savage model 111 in .270... scope rifle and clip for under 400 bucks cant beat it

[cannonball]

Savage Model 10 synthetic stock chambered .243.

Cheap, acurate, & dependable.

And no I am not associated with this company at all.

Just a good choice. IMHO

Great advice, Savage builds a nice rifle for the money.

[SKINDOG]

If you don't want a savage, then you could go with a weatherby vanguard. I think they go for around $400. I've also seen some Remington 700 ADL's recently that are about the same price. I would definitely recommend the vanguard though.

[mcurrier]

Is there such a thing as a 300 yard white-tail rifle that won't kick me black and blue? I can handle 30/30 OK, but not much more. And I'm not sure that a 30/30 is a 300 yard rifle, either. What would you all recommend?

Didn't see anyone else cover this...and not trying to be a smarty...but, how much can a single shot hurt? If you are deer hunting, you're not going to be firing 50 rounds. For a big white-tail, I'd suck up any pain from my .308 and then my mind would be thinking on how to haul that sucker out of the woods.

[Curiousgb]

Didn't see anyone else cover this...and not trying to be a smarty...but, how much can a single shot hurt? If you are deer hunting, you're not going to be firing 50 rounds. For a big white-tail, I'd suck up any pain from my .308 and then my mind would be thinking on how to haul that sucker out of the woods.

True. I can't remember a single shot I have taken at deer. Even when I scoped myself with a 45-70.

[nightrunner]

It hasnt been covered in this thread but a 30/30 is not a 300yd rifle. I suppose it may be possible but it would probably be close to the .45/70 in terms of bullet drop, the bullet trajectory would look like a rainbow.

The Handi-Rifle would be perfect for this purpose, provided you make sure you hit it in the right spot first time.

[Guest iiiuslonal]

.270 or .308 would be the way to go in my opinion, you can get both at your suggested pricing both are great 300yd Rifles and at that price you'll be able to combo both a good rifle and a good scope without having to sacrifice on the "good" scope part. A .243 would work in the scenario to and kick less then a .308 due to it's weight but even though I love all my guns I just hate carrying the .243 all day.

So in short +1 on 308 or 270

[Good_Steward]

.243, 6mm Rem, .257 Roberts, .25/06, .260, 7mm-08, 7x57 almost anything non magnum 7mm or smaller.

Big +1 on all of these (add a .308, as well) but especially the .25/06. I'm right down the road, Mouse. Let me know if you want to put a few rounds downrange with one.

Edited January 30, 2011 by Good_Steward

[~48_South~]

Pretty much any bottle necked centerfire should get you to 300 yards if you are wanting less recoil you are probably wanting something around a 243 winchester round.

[DRM]

Go borrow a shotgun capable of 3.5" shells, half a dozen boxes of said 3.5" heavy load shells, and shoot until boxes are empty.

I'll pretty much guarantee you won't complain about rifle recoil again

[mcurrier]

Go borrow a shotgun capable of 3.5" shells, half a dozen boxes of said 3.5" heavy load shells, and shoot until boxes are empty.

I'll pretty much guarantee you won't complain about rifle recoil again

That's what I'm talkin' about!

[dlm37015]

6.5x55 no recoil great round

[dralarms]

True. I can't remember a single shot I have taken at deer. Even when I scoped myself with a 45-70.

Ouch, you might not have felt that when you did it but shortly after I'llbet you did.

[Alleycat72]

Didn't see anyone else cover this...and not trying to be a smarty...but, how much can a single shot hurt? If you are deer hunting, you're not going to be firing 50 rounds. For a big white-tail, I'd suck up any pain from my .308 and then my mind would be thinking on how to haul that sucker out of the woods.

It's not the single shot that gets you, its the couple of hundred it takes to get familiar with a new gun and caliber.

[323ssplt]

As far as caliber, I HIGHLY recommend the 260 Rem. It is a 308 necked down to 6.5mm. Even my recoil sensitive 5'2" wife likes shooting her Ruger compact in 260. Plus it's a FLAT shooting round making it a very capable 300 yard round for deer. However, rifles are a little hard to find in this caliber.

I did buy a Savage Edge in 243 for my shy (read VERY recoil sensitive) Godson and it puts three rounds well under half an inch and I think I paid $250 new for the rifle and put a $50 scope on it. Hell, now I want it back..........

[Curiousgb]

Ouch, you might not have felt that when you did it but shortly after I'llbet you did.

Actually I someone in camp asked me why I had blood on my face. Then it started to hurt.

[mousegunner]

Thanks for all the great advice. Right now I'm saving up my pennies. I'm leaning toward a .243 Savage w. accutrigger and $100 scope. It will probably shoot better than I can shoot it, but I want to try. When I finally get something and get to shooting it, I'll let you all know how it went.

[I_Like_Pie]

Thanks for all the great advice. Right now I'm saving up my pennies. I'm leaning toward a .243 Savage w. accutrigger and $100 scope. It will probably shoot better than I can shoot it, but I want to try. When I finally get something and get to shooting it, I'll let you all know how it went.

Great choice....for the money there is nothing better. Heck - For twice the money there isn't anything that will outshoot it. If it still kicks you too much you can add weight to the stock....1# of lead and/or a mercury recoil arrester will do wonders if you can take the extra pound.

[enfield]

In my experience, it's more the fit of the rifle than the caliber. The nastiest-kicking rifle I ever shot was a Winchester 30-30. My .308's and .44 Mag Marlin aren't as bad. I shot a .30-06 Remington 700 last fall that was pleasant to shoot.

[Guest Willie]

I shoot a Remington .260, Model 700. Great shooter with little recoil. The drawback is your local Wally-World and places rarely if at all carries shells for them. I would reccomend the Savage..243 also.

[vontar]

My first deer I killed, I was 11 years old 300 yards. I use my Remington .270. I still hunt with the same gun.

True. I can't remember a single shot I have taken at deer. Even when I scoped myself with a 45-70.

Well i have never scoped myself but true I have never felt a shot when firing at a deer.

Edited February 2, 2011 by vontar

[shackelford]

I second the recommendations for the .243 and the 6.5 Swede. Both have only slightly more energy than a 30-30, and will reach out past 300 yards, easily. iirc, that Swede will arrive with more energy than a .308 past 300 yards. Get a rifle that's heavier than your old lever, and you're GTG. It probably breaks your budget, but look for a semi in those calibers. If you keep an eye out you may be able to find a Remington 7400 used for around $600 used. I used to have one that shot fairly well.

Something like this:

Remington 7400, 243 Win, 9X Charles Daly Scope : Pump at GunBroker.com

Also keep an watch out for something like a sporterized Swedish Mauser, which you might find for ~$300, leaving more room for better glass. That $100 scope may break during your second season out with it. If you start with a 7400 or some other rifle that have 'em, shoot your first year with irons. Save up for a quality scope next year. I would also note that rifle fit is important in felt recoil.

A new Savage like you're thinking about will probably print smaller groups, but a 7400 or a BAR will get the job done.