Unique Calibers of Low Recoil

O

Olympus

New member
I have gotten to where the "norm" doesn't excite me anymore. 308, 270, 7mm08, 30-06 are just plain boring and everyone and their brother has one. Show a buddy your deer rifle and odds are they or someone they know has the exact same gun in the exact same caliber. I own a few "common" calibers and love the 243 in particular, but I'm looking to add to my collection of "unique" rifles and calibers. Right now, I have a Ruger No. 1 RSI in 257 Roberts and that's about as unique as I can think of. I also have a CZ 527 in 22 Hornet.

I'm thinking about carrying the 22 Hornet this year for deer season for doe culling on my property. I'm thinking a head or neck only shot should do the trick on a doe.

But what are some other unique calibers that are low recoiling that I can start looking to add to my collection?
 
I have a Remington Model 25 pump gun in 25-20 that's fun to play with. I only plink or hunt rabbits with it. But we had a neighbor when I was a kid who used one for deer hunting. He was always successful.

And my Underwood USGI 30 Cal Carbine. I shoot it mostly in CMP Carbine Matches.

I too like the 257 Roberts. Mine is a Model 70 Win. Featherweight though I don't think of it as different. Its my primary deer/Antelope rifle. I use it to start my kids and grandkids in deer hunting.
 
Do you reload? If you do then there are tons of cartridge you can choose from. However, rifles in most of these cartridges are few and some will have to be built. For cartridges that you don't have to reload for and rifles can be found for in a couple different platforms are 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, .300 BLK, and 7.62X39.

Then there are a bunch of different pistol caliber carbine in .38/.357 and .44 That offer low recoil compared to more traditional cartridges. There are both bolt and lever actions available that you can find, although I'd really love to find a Ruger Deerfield carbine in .44 mag. Then there are other semi auto carbine that use together pistol cartridges as well.
 
6x45. 6.5 Grendel is interesting to me because they sell cheap steal cased ammo. Both are AR calibers, but could be used in a bolt action also.
 
I also forgot about one of my favorite cartridges to play with the .250 Savage! Ammo is hard to find but you can find rifles online still that fire this cartridge. Low recoil and puts deer down very well, I think Savage model 14 was the last production rifle in this cartridge, but have been discontinued. However Ruger, Remington, and Savage rifles have been chambered off and on in this cartridge since the 1980's.
 
Check you local laws (state game laws in particular), many places .22 centerfires are not legal for deer.

If you want unique, stay away from anything that fits, or is made for an AR platform.

Low recoil? hmm, depends on your idea of what that is. Look into the 6.5x55mm Swede round. Deer capable (and more) and low recoil, I think.

If you handload, you can make low recoil rounds out of any cartridge.

Also, if you handload, you can have a wildcat round, which would be unique, and possibly even one of a kind.
 
Low recoiling cartridges

I guess it depends on your definition of "low recoil" but the .17 Remington is a good one, very effective long range varmint cartridge. The .17 Hornet is good too, just not quite the effective range.

One of my favorites is the .204 Ruger. Very fast, very accurate, very effective on distant prairie dogs.

I wouldn't use any of the above on deer but loaded properly, the .223 and .22-250 will work. Although they might be too ordinary for you.

Harder to find rifles for but;
.25-20 WCF
.32-20 WCF
.222 Remington Magnum

Or step up some in recoil,
225 Winchester
220 Swift
.300 Savage
7-30 Waters

My brother has a model 1895 in .405 Winchester and a model 71 in .50 Alaskan and considers my 444P in .444 Marlin and my 1895G in .45-70 low recoiling...
 
Are you open to reloading your own? If you are that opens up an entire new can of worms.

For low recoil and a wildcat cartridge there is the 6mm lynx, 257 bobcat, 7mm Valkyrie, and a whole slew of others. The 3 I mentioned are designed to fit in the AR-15 platform. I own a 7mm Valkyrie and it is a dream, low recoil, accurate, and plenty for deer out to 300-350 yards or farther.
 
Check you local laws (state game laws in particular), many places .22 centerfires are not legal for deer.
Click to expand...

Good idea, because even if a .22 caliber centerfire is legal the Hornet may not meet the standard. While very few states (seven) have outright prohibitions on .22 caliber center fire cartridges. Two other states it wouldn't be legal in are at WY (2" OAL cartridge and 60 grain bullet requirement) and ME (requires 900 ft-lbs of energy @ 100 yds). Then you have OK that has a 55 grain or heavier requirement, I doubt you'll find many 55 grain bullets that will work in a Hornet. Then you have shotgun only states like NJ, or other states like IN that just have weird cartridge requirements that differ between public and private property.
 
I do reload, but I don't have a ton of time to devote to wildcat rounds that need a lot of prep work for making brass.

Always wanted a 250 Savage, just never seen a rifle in that caliber in person.
 
I think any of the 6.5's offer the most performance for the recoil. Any of them are elk or moose medicine with recoil only slightly more than 243. The 6.5X55 is as old and traditional as it gets or you can go modern with 260 or 6.5 Creedmoor.
 
.35 Rem.

I like the off the beaten path calibers as well. I love my old marlin .35 Rem. light recoil, about like a 20ga. shotgun but hits hard with full power deer loads. You can find some unique loads in the Speer #13 manual for the .357 pistol bullets for other applications. Tim.
 
"...22 Hornet this year for deer season..." Check the local legalities first. Knew a guy who used a Hornet for deer up here though. Use the right bullet or you'll be tracking.
"...a rifle in that caliber..." Lotta 250-3000 Savage 99's currently on Gun Broker. Cheap they ain't, but not really stupid expensive. Around $700 and up.
Commercial hunting rifles are just plain boring. All of 'em are virtually the same thing. Plan 'A' would be a milsurp or muzzle loader. Plan 'B' would be a single shot. All with iron sights.
 
moderate cartridges

If you like the Hornet, than the .218 Bee was it's competitor and is in the same league. Other old time cartridges in the same ilk would be the .256 Win Mag (a .357 case necked down to .25), and the .25-20 Win. I really don't see any of these as a deer cartridge BTW, and am not a fan of head shots on deer either, but many do not hold that same view. Two other old rounds that might qualify as a deer cartridge were the .219 Zipper, and the .25-35 Win. All of these are termed as obsolete and rifles for them are no longer manufactured. I saw a Win model43 chambered for .218 Bee in a shop in PA while on vacation last week, with a $1200 price tag......wow!

Cartridges with more punch, but still very moderate, would be .38-40, and .44-40, both pistol rounds that have a current following but are not the norm. Two other old timers, obsolete, but proven in their day, would be the .25 Remington and the .30 Remington.

Another one, a rimfire cartridge that never got a fair shake, but some lots of ammo have been released in the last decade or so, is the 5mm Rimfire Magnum. I would expect you could not legally hunt deer with a rimfire, but it is a unique cartridge way ahead of its time.
 
Yes, my state only requires that the firearm be centerfire to use for deer hunting.

The Hornet with a good soft point should be just fine for a head or neck shot on a doe this fall. Here is what my little Hornet can do with the Hornady 45gr SP Match ammo:
30540449e36cd6ddde783dc912945e35.jpg
 
.221 Fireball
.219 Zipper
.25-20
.25-35
6x45mm (run .223 cases through the sizing die, and forming is done)
.25-45 Sharps (same forming operation as 6x45mm)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top