light recoiling cartige for the old man!

[screech]

A 243 would be a good choice or a braked 6.5x284 or just a straight .284. depends on whether your going the custom route or factory. My dads getting to be over the hill and im doing a braked .6.5 for him

 

[azsugarbear]

I recently completed a semi-custom build in .243 Win. on a Rem Model 7 action. The Brux barrel has a 1:8 twist to stabilize the 105 gr. berger VLD's. It is my lightweight "truck" gun and recoils is mild. It shoots the 105 gr. VLD's at 3,020 fps, which will knock any Mulie out there for a loop (even at 600 yds).

Another option is the 25-06 on a long action. If memory serves me correctly (and it seldom does these days), it will move a 100 gr. bullet at 3,300 - 3,400 fps. A 120 gr. bullet at 3,00 - 3,100 fps.

Just about any off-the-shelf 25-06 will have the right twist to achieve the results in the 25-06. For the 243, I'm not sure if there is a stock rifle offered by any of the manufacturers that has the 1:8 twist necessary for the heavier 6mm bullets.

As far a lightweight & accuracy is concerned: I can highly recommend the Browning A-Bolt/X-Bolt. They are lightweight (as you have found out with your 30-06) and usually very accurate. For me, the Tikka T3 Light has had some mixed results in accuracy of late. If you have a few more $$$, I would bypass the Tikka and buy a good used Sako synthetic. Savage is known for accuracy, but I am not familiar with their rifles in terms of weight.

Your original post states the possibility of a build, so the sky is the limit there. Good luck to you and your Dad.

 

[Tikkatactical308]

If you want something fun and plan to reload, the 6br will put a smile on the old man's face,recoil is very minimal they are cheap and easy to load for and super accurate and the barrel will last for thousands of rounds,i shoot the 95 berger's @2980 and 105 amax's@2888.

My Coice as well.......

 

[Oliveralan]

6br, 243, 260, 7-08, or 6.5-284. Any one would work great. I'm leaning to the 7-08 for a bigger hole in the target. Can shoot 162 A-maxs with a pile of RL17 an strech it well over 500! And at the same time, use something like 120 BTs that will get it done to 500 no problem. Depending on how your dad does you can down throttle or rev it up to what he wants.

 

[fj40mojo]

I vote for the .260 Rem or .260 Ackleyized Rem. 130 or 140grn bullets at 2800+ fps are sufficient for critters even bigger than what you spec'd. Little recoil, great bc and sectional density. The 6.5mm/.264 cartridges are pretty hard to beat.

 

[BountyHunter]

My choices would be either the 6.5 (260, creedmoor, 6.5x47) or the 7mm-08

If you go with one of the 6.5s, get it throated for the 130s

As a couple mentioned, the 7mm-08 with the 120 Btip would be the way to go.

I have had 4-5 7mm-08s and love them but shooting a 6.5x47 right now throated for 130s also.

+1 on a Limbsaver pad

also fiberglass stocks have a little "flex" in them and give more of a push compared to the wood which tends to be much more sharp.

BH

 

[bowkill02]

oh man, check out the 257 roberts, load some 100gr btips and go to town

 

[matt_3479]

243. win shooting either 95 grain bergers, 105 bergers, 107 grain Matchking, or 115 grain DTAC's seems to be would be the best way to go. Super flat, fast, hard hitting, light on recoil. No issue there!

 

[midnightmalloy]

dang thanks everyone for all the feedback! Some of you might have missed that my dad is left handed so thats why i would just probably customize the short action lh tikka 595 i already have. I guess the cheapest way to go would be to sell my 595 and buy a t3 lh ss in 7-08 and put a break and manners stock on it. I also think i could just rebarrel what i have in a 6.5 creedmoor and put a break on it. then i get the twist and throat that i want. that would run about $800 for the rebarrel and a break so thats ok. then i could just bed the action in the wood stock and put a better recoil pad like a kick ezz. the weight would only increase by 1/3 or 1/2 a pound so thats good. i think i llike the creedmoor more than the 260 in this setup since you can seat the bullets out and still have them feed from the mag. check this out if you already havent
http://www.americanrifleman.org/Webcontent/pdf/2009-6/200961145351-hornadycreedmoor.pdf
seems like with the high bc bullets in the 260 has to have the bullets pushed too far back in the case reducing powder volume unlike the creedmoor. this with a muscle break seems to be a great combo for the old man. I reload so i dont care about factory ammo. do you guys think this would work?

 

[fj40mojo]

Read this Terry's Tactical Two-Sixty AI before you go getting all committed to the Creedmore. Just so you can say you made an informed decision.

 

[midnightmalloy]

Read this Terry's Tactical Two-Sixty AI before you go getting all committed to the Creedmore. Just so you can say you made an informed decision.

thanks but i have already read this article. terry's gun is using Accuracy International magazines that are quite a bit longer than my tikka or a rem mag. Also i had a stupulation that i dont like cartriges that dont match the headstamp. I mean i could 'ACKLEYIZE" the 6.5 creedmoor i guess but i have read that the creedmoor sends 130gr bergers at 2900fps and i think thats in the ballpark. no feeding troubles and easier to convert my 22-250 to and not have feeding problems.

 

[J E Custom]

thanks but i have already read this article. terry's gun is using Accuracy International magazines that are quite a bit longer than my tikka or a rem mag. Also i had a stupulation that i dont like cartriges that dont match the headstamp. I mean i could 'ACKLEYIZE" the 6.5 creedmoor i guess but i have read that the creedmoor sends 130gr bergers at 2900fps and i think thats in the ballpark. no feeding troubles and easier to convert my 22-250 to and not have feeding problems.

I don't know much about the 6.5 Creedmoor but it sounds like a good cartrige but with
Hornady being the only one that sells ammo it does not leave much room to find ammo
that shoot well and diffacult at best to find ammo with proper head stamped brass.

Like a lot of people on this site I like to wildcat cartriges myself. But when I do I understand
all of the pit falls of doing so and if there is an equal performer that is a standard cartrige
thats the way I recomend to go and "Keep It Simple".

For example = the 7/08 can push a 140grain to 2950 ft/sec and the 120 grain bullet to
3150 ft/sec in a short barrel.

There are no less than 10 different manufactures of 7/08 ammo and lots of good components
for it to reload with.

Just explaining why I would chose the ones I recomended but the choice is ultimately yours.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Miller Outdoors]

no doubt about it... LH Savage 111 in 260 rem or 7mm-08 will meet all your needs and wt limits

I agree with this, and would add 6.5x55 and .243 to the list of capable cartridges.

It's a cool thing what you're doing for your dad.

 

[Good]

As I'm ahead of you dad in age but not quite there yet with the shoulders and knees I'll chime in. 60 is a quite young age to me missing out on the hunt. Especially when the son is considered. Those are great times out there!

All advice given has been good. J E Custom's is pretty much spot on.

The secret is the recoil pad! Plus I'd put a brake on any rifle you settle on. Even a 260 or 7-08.

As for the recoil pad. Seeing as your going to put this rig together yourself I highly recommend the Limbsaver grind to fit. It will be way oversize for you stock. That is a good thing.

When sanding to get the fit and finish, do no reduce the size of the butt end. Except maybe the top, depending on how you mount it. Taper the sides to the stock.

I use this on a braked 338 RUM @ just under 10#s and its a pleasure to shoot, prone.

The brake will necessitate hearing protection which I don't think has a down side. I use a set of the ones with sound and batteries for walk and stalk. Once you get used to the increased hearing ability its pretty good. Plus yur ears are always warm.

I agree with everything you say! Only gun I'd recomend otherwise is the .243. It's a great cartridge- you can buy ammunition anywhere and they don't recoil much but are great for deer size game and under. I'd also brake it and get some electronic muffs/plugs.

Good luck!