[Jimmy]

Hi Fellas,

Hope y'all had a great Christmas, I know I did!  Cutting right to the chase... I have an intravenous line planted in my chest for a year and a half now, and it does not look like it is going away anytime soon...darn it!

Anyway, I shot a nice deer this year with my 280 Remington, but the recoil is a bit stout for my condition right now... so I need to power down, and find something milder that will still make meat when it speaks.   I have run the recoil calculator, and a 30-30, 357 mag rifle, as well as 243's, 250's, etc, all get me into safer territory.  But I really have a taste for a 357 mag (or even a 30-30 cowboy).

What I need are your proven, but mild, deer killing loads... cool shots out to 110 yds will be the max.

Sure appreciate it, and hope you all have fresh elk or venison this winter!

Blessings to you, Jimmy

 

[Stranger]

I know that this doesn't answer your question but have you considered the 6.5 X 55 Swedish Mauser? Recoil is VERY mild and it is regularly used to take game up to and including moose.

 

[Charlie Lima]

Ditto on the 6.5x55. probably one of the most under rated hunting & target cartridges around. It has been said by some far more "famous" than I will ever be that if you have a 6.5 Swede you have no need for a .243, a 25-06, or a 270 Win.
Along those lines, the .243 or the 6mm Rem. will kill deer as far as most people need to be shooting & recoil is neglible. Another vastly under rated cartridge for deer & varmint hunting is the venerable .257 Roberts. Factory loads are at a level that cause people to run out & by the latest sooper boomer. In fact loaded to a realistic level it gives up little to the 25\06.
Another "oldie" that works very well with little recoil is the 7x57 Mauser.
Hope this helps. May your health improve!!

 

[BCstocker]

The 257 Roberts is a good midrange deer cartridge. But for your condition I would drop down to a smaller 25 cal, the 250-3000 Savage. Find a good used early manufactured Mod. 99 and you've got the cat's whiskers.

 

[mcassill]

For your circumstances a good bolt gun in .243 would be hard to beat.  Put a recoil pad on if need be, load with Nosler Partitions or similar projectiles and you'll be all set.
Good hunting
Mark

 

[MikeG]

.30-30 works fine for the ranges you list....

I'd personally be tempted by a .357 lever gun, using 180 gr. cast bullets.  I'd think that you'd get somewhere between 1500-1700 fps depending on load and barrel length.

 

[Bruce Painter]

Have you thought of just loading down your .280 Rem. The Speer #11 Manual shows starting loads with their 130gr & 145gr bullets as low as 2450fps. Thats not counting the reduced loads with SR4759 in the 2000fps range whitch would be good for practice.

 

[Jimmy]

Thanks guys, great ideas all...  Bruce, you are very practical, in fact I had thought about this after I posted, just need to load her down, although that does not help me justify another levergun!   ;>)

I am really looking at the 30-30, or a 357 levergun, good in the truck, and will be good for my son in another 2 years when he's ready to start hunting.  

I'll let you know how I come out!

Thanks, Jimmy

 

[LeoCal]

Try a Marlin 1894C in .357 Mag. I sure like mine, but to get good accuracy you'll need to loosen the fit of the forestock.
I had a catheter in my chest for about 9 months in 1992, and it weren't no fun.

 

[Bruce Painter]

Jimmy

I bet my wife would look at my gun safe and just shake her head at the thought of me being practical when it comes to guns <!--emo&--><img src="http://beartoothbullets.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo--> I guess if I were going to use cast bullets I would choose the .357 for the larger meplat and if using jacketed bullets I would probably pick the 30-30. But  then I have never shot a deer with either so my two cents may not be worth but 1 1/2  

 

[moose]

Try a 30/30 rifle (24 inch) with 35 grains of Re15 and a Speer 130 FP. Nice load to shoot and hits like a bigger gun with complete penatration on mule deer and antelope. Good luck

 

[Charlie Z]

.257  Roberts.

 

[rgp]

i vote for a 7x57 or possibly a 30-30 or 300 savage...other possibility from my personaly experience is why not try a handgun? i had nerve & muscle damage that made it hard to hold a rifle for a few years, but had no difficulty whatsoever with a big bore handgun...am able to shoot rifles again though, but since my favorite rifles are all heavyweight items chambered in .375 H&H, and a handgun is easier to carry...i'll stick with my 4 5/8" blackhawk in .45 colt...

 

[Slamhound]

While i'm sure a lever-action 30-30 has a lot less kick than your 280, with the straight stock and low weight a lot of them have it's really no picnic w/ full-power hunting loads [but it does have no problem dropping a deer]. While the recoil doesn't bother me [i have no plumbing in my chest... yet!] i've been thinking of trying it w/ cast bullets on deer-sized game [and the somewhat lower velocity does reduce recoil substantially judging by the cast bullet loads i've tried with it so far].  If you like the leverguns, one chambered for .357 [or 30-30 if you load your own] would probably have low enough recoil energy to not cause you any problems.  I'd have to agree with the rest of the posters that there are any number of fine cartridges in cal. mid-20's that will do what you're looking for.

 

[Stranger]

Another thought...

How about a Browning BLR in .243 Win?

 

[Scott Fox]

If you dont want to buy a new rifle, (I know, I'm just giving you another option) Consider loading your .280 with IMR 4198. I have loaded mine in the past with 145 gr speer bt sp bullets and 27 gr IMR 4198 it was quite accurate for a reduced load and gives very little recoil. Bullet performance would be similiar to that of a 7x30 waters in the contender wich makes a very good 200 yd deer gun. Am considering using that load for my daughter to hunt whitetails with next year.

 

[mcassill]

Another option (instead of buying a whole new rifle) would be to use the Hornady Single Shot Pistol bullet (130 gr, I believe) and load to 7-30 velocity levels.
Mark

 

[m141a]

 Jim..  Have you considered a lever gun in .45 Colt?
      I have 2, a Marlin full size and a Win. Trapper...16".
The Trapper is light, easy to swing in dense hardwoods and has enough juice to do the job out to cleanly out to about 75-100 yds.  There's a heck of a lot of drop on a .45 out that far, but I took a nice 7 pointer in Vt. this season at about 65yds.  Recoil is about that of a .223 or less.  For my opinion, and you know what that's good for, a .357 is a good gun, but I would'nt even try a shot at an animal at 110yds with it.  I'm sur there are MANY competent hunters out there that would and could prove me wrong, so that's why it's only my opinion.

 

[Scott Fox]

I recently loaded my .280 mtn rifle  with 35 gr of IMR 4198 under a 120 gr Nosler Ballistic  tip. Great accuracy with groups at 100 yds under and inch. Recoil is very low only slightly more than my 22-250.

This shold run at about 2500 fps which puts it right at the velocity that my 7x30 waters runs, which has proven to be very effective on deer.

 

[Jimmy]

I knew if I asked this question here I would hear some ideas that I had not thought about!  I am leaning toward two alternatives, first, I am going to download the 280 to get the desired effect, and will thoroughly check it out before next deer season.  You are right, the 7 Waters in an effective cartridge, and I can duplicate it without any trouble in my Ruger.  Second, I am going shopping for a 30-30 Marlin, just in case, and my boy will be able to use it another 2 years anyway.

I really want to thank everyone for pitching in, they are all good options.  A 6.5x55, 7x57, 257, etc are all things I have been thinking about.  I have a bad personal problem though, always interested in a cartridge/gun that I don't have, with money that I don't have (or can't see fit to turn loose of!)

Next month I am going to smack a hog, and will post a pic and story (hopefully!)

Blessings to all, Jim B.