Mild recoiling rifle for hunting medium sized game

[Boneafide]

Yep you need to go with what you fill but!!!! I know you need too spend as much on scope as gun if not you will do like me 1800$ ca ridgeline 100$ scope and two bucks still running free .(Buy good scope)

 

[Hondo64d]

Regarding my budget, it is whatever my wife says it will be.
But up to $2000 including scope. I would rather spend money on hunts.

For what you describe, and with factory ammo a consideration, you're just not going to do better than a 6.5 Creedmoor.

Bergar HMR ($950 from several sources) chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor with one of these on top of it.

https://cameralandny.com/shop/tags/...7b7f-0137-0fa6-00163e90e196?variation=1971935

Well under your budget. Enough left over for some good ammo.

John

 

[Master Yoda]

hard to beat the 7mm-08

 

[wv270wsm]

I'd agree with the 7 mm 08 100% . And as bad I hate to but the creedmoor wouldn't be a bad choice

 

[ronaldwschaefer]

.260 Remington, 7mm-08, .308, in SAKO 85 if your wallet can handle it. Scope, Vortex Viper 4-16X44 HS-T...scope will be about 600.00, great for 100-1000 yds. About 120 more for drop in turrets matched to your Bullet & velocity.

 

[436]

It would seem that the 6.5mm as a clear edge in this discourse, with the 7mm showing a good following as well, both fine calibers. So, these calibers could show up in any form, 6.5x55mm Swede a well-known game taker, 7x57mm Mauser likewise the 6.5x57 Mauser both have killed Sage Rats to Elephants in their long history, along with everything in 6.5mm & 7mm that has come after which are capable of doing I'm sure. So, how would I spend my hard-earned frogskins, on a light hunting rifle and cartridge, it would be on the .308 Win for all of the aforementioned reasons, they all kill at the range mentioned, but there is no denying the .308 Win is a proven meat ax at the same ranges. I'm not saying it's the absolute best, but'.., out of a lighter rifle with bullets from 100gr to 200gr plus depending on what's being hunted, it's pretty darn hard to beat. To me, it's like the ubiquitous .30-30 Win which is still in many hunters safes today'..., because it's a proven solution on many types of game hunted since the 1800s and the .308 Win now falls into that same category. So, my pick would be the .308 Win hands down, and yes, I have .30-30 Win and .308 Win in my safe and always will have. Did someone say subsonic? Yep, it also does that very well; with everything up to the 240gr bullets these are specialty loads but they do work. Of course, there is all the Military surplus ammo in all manner of configuration for about any application you can think of and few we can't. Just my 0.02... Cheers.

 

[Truc]

Let's look at this in another way. If what you already have has load data for H4895, then you can download the cartridge. The way to figure out the amount is, look at max load for this powder and multiply by .60. This is your minimum load and anywhere up to the max in the book.
I did this for my wife's 6.5 Remington Mag shooting 130 Bullet is 44 gr
44x.60 =26.4 gr. I started at 30gr and ended up with 39 gr H4895 as her load and at about 10lbs felt recoil

 

[CRNA]

6.5 Creed if buying factory ammo. No question at all.

 

[Kimber7man]

Hello, new to this forum. Looking for recommendations for factory rifles for this purpose. My planned shooting range on game would not exceed 600-700 yards but I would like to try target shooting out to 1,000 ish yards. The 6.5 CM gets a lot of press and it seems like there are a lot of choices in rifle and ammo. However, I am open to other caliber choices. I don't plan to handload.
FYI, I have a 300WM that I use for elk hunting and shoot it well but would be nice to practice with less recoil and lower ammo cost.
I would like scope suggestions as well.
Thanks in advance.

Based on the fact you don't plan to handload and want to practice MORE with less recoil and lower ammo cost, I don't see why you wouldn't go with the 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[Kodiak Special]

308 Win, there is an amazing array of ammunition available.

 

[Oldschool280]

7-08 its like a 308 only better 260
Rem also

 

[Lompoc]

I have a Bergara b14 hmr n 6.5 cm with a vortex viper PST 5x25x50 and I love it rifle was $899 scope was $900

 

[Lompoc]

And factory ammo is cheaper for cm than the prc

 

[Gcan]

If primarily for hunting and then some long range shooting/practice, I would go 6.5 PRC
If you are gonna be doing a lot more target shooting than hunting -- don't even question it -- get the 6.5 Creedmoor. You won't regret it.

As for a scope, if on a budget, I would get a Vortex 5-25x50 Gen II PST. If you need to go a little lower maybe a Vortex HST 4-16x44 would work well for you. It just won't be illuminated. You can great deals often in the classifieds for the Vortex Gen I PSTs. The Gen I PSTs are one of the best values in used scopes.

Exactly what Barrelnut says. Hunt, 6.5 PRC if you are 6.5 inclined. Just for shooting? 6.5 Credemore.
I'm a 308 fan to 800 yards but the 6.5 PRC is hard to argue with. The Cede shoots extremely well in several moderately priced factory guns.

I finished this 6.5 Credemore Friday. A gift. Broke it in Saturday. 25 rounds. Fusion hunting for initial break in. Fusion shot .60"/.620" start to finish. 6 rounds of Hornady match ammo. Shot 4 rounds in one hole at 100. Thought something was wrong. At 36x it looked like a single hole. Moved 1 moa left. Shot next 2 into same hole again. Quit. I like to think its more bout the ammo than the rifle. It's hard to argue with factory hunting and match ammo that shoots like that and costs $20-$35!

Again agree with Barrelnut. Generally, with today's Name Brand Glass it merely a matter of budget and use/options/power. Vortex pretty much has it all covered in that price range.

 

[Stgraves260]

Hello, new to this forum. Looking for recommendations for factory rifles for this purpose. My planned shooting range on game would not exceed 600-700 yards but I would like to try target shooting out to 1,000 ish yards. The 6.5 CM gets a lot of press and it seems like there are a lot of choices in rifle and ammo. However, I am open to other caliber choices. I don't plan to handload.
FYI, I have a 300WM that I use for elk hunting and shoot it well but would be nice to practice with less recoil and lower ammo cost.
I would like scope suggestions as well.
Thanks in advance.

Sense you don't plan on reloading then 6.5 Grendel, 243 Win, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 25-06, 7-08, 22-250, 270 Win, all good on deer out to 700 yards. Some a lot further. These caliber rifles are easy to find Ammo for also. Now if you can find the 6.5 PRC I would do that. But it's to early in the game to see where it's going. No advantage over the 260 Rem. But just hard to fine factory Ammo For both.