Looking for a longer range rifle for deer

smokey30725

Senior Member
I currently hunt with an older 94 Winchester in 30/30 and a Nikon Buckmaster 3x9x40 scope. It's a great 100 yard and less gun and I am looking to add another rifle to my working guns that can reach out to several hundred more yards and still harvest game quickly and ethically. What would you recommend? I want something that I can practice with a lot throughout the year and prefer something that doesn't beat my shoulder to death. I had a nice Remington 700 in 7 Mag a few years back that I wish I hadn't traded off. It wasn't too bad on recoil, but after a box and a half or so at the range, it started to hurt a bit.
 

Stroker

Senior Member
6.5 CR, 25-06, 280 to name a few.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Hard to beat a .308 or .30-06 for an all-around deer rifle. Both will shoot accurately out a lot farther than I want to shoot.
 

transfixer

Senior Member
I agree with both posts above, especially about a .308, a wide variety of ammo available, even wider choice if you handload, and a very efficient cartridge, even in shorter barreled rifles, and will shoot accurately to 1000yds with a good rifle and person behind it, which is over twice as far as one would normally shoot game, if I were ever to have to trim my collection down to just one rifle, it would be my 90's model 700 in .308

The newer 6.5creedmor is a great cartride, but you're somewhat limited on ammo choices,, don't have the variety of bullet weights you do with a .308
 
If you look at the ballistics and trajectory tables for cartridges fully capable for deer sized game at long range, it's tough to beat the .270WSM as a round that's not too hard to find ammo for and one that will not beat you to death.

While the 6.5s are the new "sexy" rounds, I don't see any upside from them over the .270WSM for hunting. And this from a guy who has owned a 6.5RM from back before the 6.5 became the "darling". I've also owned at least two 6.5x55s as well, so I'm fairly well versed in their capabilities.

The two rifles I like for long range hunting myself are a Model Seven Whitetail with laminated stock and fluted barrel with a 3-12x42 scope and a SS Laminate Model Seven in .300SAUM with a Leupold VX-R 3-9x40

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nmurph

Senior Member
I currently hunt with an older 94 Winchester in 30/30 and a Nikon Buckmaster 3x9x40 scope. It's a great 100 yard and less gun and I am looking to add another rifle to my working guns that can reach out to several hundred more yards and still harvest game quickly and ethically. What would you recommend? I want something that I can practice with a lot throughout the year and prefer something that doesn't beat my shoulder to death. I had a nice Remington 700 in 7 Mag a few years back that I wish I hadn't traded off. It wasn't too bad on recoil, but after a box and a half or so at the range, it started to hurt a bit.


So, are you saying a 7 mm Remington Magnum I has too much recoil?
 

smokey30725

Senior Member
So, are you saying a 7 mm Remington Magnum I has too much recoil?
I like to put about 2 boxes through my hunting rifles on each range trip and a box and a half of 7 mag starts pushing it. I've developed a flinch before due to magnum rounds and they take a while to get rid of. I put a Limbsaver pad on my old 30/30 because it has a steel buttplate and it made all the difference in the world.
 

Robert28

Senior Member
Don’t overlook the good old 270. It’s still one of the flattest shooting rounds out there and you’re plenty good out to 400 yards. My old blind as a bat self can’t see past 350 well enough to shoot so I don’t need the magnum calibers.
 

nmurph

Senior Member
Most anything bw a .243 and a 7/08 will do the job without jarring your teeth.

I'm not recoil averse, but I'm moving to the lighter recoiling calibers bc of three shoulder surgeries, and the fact that the larger the recoil, the more likely you are to flinch. The 6.5/.264 is really a sweet spot for recoil and effectiveness for whitetail.
 

bullgator

Senior Member
If you don’t handload, go with almost any popular round in a quality rifle. The 30-06, 270, 308, etc. will all work out to as far as your likely to take a poke. Again, good gun (doesn’t have to be big bucks), good glass, and time on the trigger will let you know what YOUR ethical distance is.
 

Rabun

Senior Member
As mentioned, .308 and .30-06 are tough to beat...especially given the ammo choices. Although the 06 does tend to jar you after a few rounds. I do like my model seven in .260..lightweight gun and manageable recoil. Ammo on the shelf is the only draw back. You mentioned "several hundred more yards" of range...several in my mind is at least 3...so if you put 300 hundred more yards on top of your 80-100 for the 30-30 you're talking 300-400 yards. I would probably stick with a long action caliber at those ranges....back to the 30-06....topped with some decent glass. These are just the center fire calibers I hunt with, but I've never shot a deer over 80 yards with anything.

Let us know what you decide on.
 

Buckstop

Senior Member
I have a few that fit that bill as longish range hunters (out to 400 yrds for me) and are easy on the shoulder, all day range shooters. 25-06 rem, 243 win and a cpl 6.5 creeds. All have sendero/varmint weight barrels and have very low recoil. The creeds would be effective much further out than that with heavier bullets, but I already have a 7 rem mag for that. I agree about the 7 mag too. Love it to hunt, but about a dozen rounds with it and I'm near saturation point. A 6.5 x 284 will likely be the next addition to the herd.

One thing, if your considering doing much range shooting, you probably want to go with a heavier barrel rig. The weight helps considerably with recoil and they heat up a lot slower after repeated shots. If you go with a mountain or sporter weight barreled rifle, you'll be sitting at the range a lot just waiting for your barrel to cool, otherwise your just slinging rounds all over chasing the ghost from barrel heat.
 

smokey30725

Senior Member
You'd shoot 30 rounds during a range session? Probably took all day between barrel coolings. If you can handle that many, you are good with about anything mentioned in this thread. I'm a fan of the 270.
I usually shoot a magazine load at a time (6 for my 30/30 and let cool)
 

krizia829

Senior Member
Bergara B-14 in .308 would be sweet! Throw a nice Leupold on there and you got yourself a simple, yet bad*** set up! (y)
 

Dub

Senior Member
All I can say is 400 yards is a long, long, long, long way to shoot a deer.....for me at least.

It’s not the cartridge that limits the shot for me......it’s having a stready enough rest and the ability to see clearly that far.......and the practice at such ranges.
 

Ocmulgee44

Senior Member
Can't argue with any of the answers above. All good options. Here is a recoil chart if it helps. Sort of comparing apples and oranges with the different gun weights but gives a general idea. https://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

I got my wife a BAR in 270 and fitted it with a Bell & Carlson stock and good recoil pad. It is Saweeet! Not the gun you want to drag around the woods all day but she loves it hunting from a stand. The girl can dot their eyes with it and will.

I have heard our military is thinking of adopting the 6.5 Creedmore. I know it fits the AR-10 platform. Don't know if they will but that would probably make it golden for a while if they do.

I have always thought one of the most underappreciated cartridges is the old 6,5x55 Swede. Model88_308, I am curious to know about your thoughts om it but I'll start another thread on that.
 
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