Short, light rifle for little deer

[JayHHI6818]

Just wanted to share a real compact rifle that use to be mine. Son claimed it
Think is was 14 years ago my daughter said she wanted to go deer hunting so I purchased a used SSK 17 inch Encore barrel chamber in 257 JDJ. I have a 14 inch Contender in the same caliber so made sense since I had died and brass. Son started hunting with me 10 and shot 7 deer in 5 years with it.

 

[Downhill]

Take a look at the old Remington 788 carbines. 18.5" barrel. Chambered in 308, 7mm08 or 243. I have used one in 243 for decades. Light weight, accurate and like hunting again in 1980!

 

[3Sigma]

I like these threads. Makes me think of ways to spend other people's money

If you are an AR guy, 6.5 Grendel or 300 BLK. Furniture and accessories to your taste, 16" bbl or shorter on the 300. 450 bushmaster or 350 legend are also good unless the recoil is too much.

For a lever gun, I'm partial to the Win 94, but any will do the job. 30-30 if you don't like recoil.

For a bolt gun, 7mm-08 or 308 loaded light with 125 to 150 grain rounds. But, I prefer larger bores, and don't like to hunt deer with less than. .277 diameter bullets, so YMMV.

 

[Oso]

Micro-calibers: 6.5 Grendel, 6.8SPC, 300BO and recent addition of the 300HAM'R (300BO on steroids).

All fit inside AR15 or mini action bolt rifles (CZ 527 and, Howa Mini) as well as standard medium action.

Recently got turned on to 300 HAM'R. It is a 300BO that is 1/4" longer case for added powder capacity geared to only shooting supersonic loads. It is +300fps faster than 300BO, and as fast or faster than 6.5 Grendel out to 300 yards. It has flexibility to shoot from 95gr - 150gr .308 cal bullets (all the popular ones).

I think this cartridge will garner more attention once market returns to normal. Easy to load, uses 223/5.56 parent case, and easily convert your own cases just like 300BO.

 

[rickt300]

I did a Rossi 92 in .44 for a season. The old eyes are too bad for factory irons, so I went with a Ruger 77/44 with a 1.5-4 Leupold. Shoots 2" with Blue Dot & 240 XTPs. Taken 16 deer in the past 4 years.

I ran Blue Dot with my cast bullet loads for years. Wanted to see just how much more I could get using Paco Kelly loads and recoil increased noticably, accuracy stayed the same, on target impact more impressive but that could be the difference between a 1300 fps cast flat nose and a 1600 fps jacketed hollow point. Have had zero luck recovering bullets from either load.

 

[7887mm08]

Take a look at the old Remington 788 carbines. 18.5" barrel. Chambered in 308, 7mm08 or 243. I have used one in 243 for decades. Light weight, accurate and like hunting again in 1980!

I don't know about light weight! I have toted a 788 in 7mm08 since 1984 and in no way is it a light weight. Not even in the carbine form.
Accurate, well i will agree with you there! Get a tikka and chop the barrel that will be light weight and accurate.

 

[rickt300]

I don't know about light weight! I have toted a 788 in 7mm08 since 1984 and in no way is it a light weight. Not even in the carbine form.
Accurate, well i will agree with you there! Get a tikka and chop the barrel that will be light weight and accurate.

Yep those 788's need a stock slimdown and them barrels are a pretty heavy contour. The actions themselves are pretty heavy.