Had a friend call me tonight telling me that he’s getting tired of his .30-06 recoil and wants to get a new rifle in a more forgiving caliber that will still reach out to 400-500yds respectably. His thoughts were .270win but I was wondering if a .25-06 might be a better option. Objective is whitetails. Help me out guys cuz I don’t really know how the two stack up against each other. Which way would you go?
I wonder how many Whitetails are shot at 500 yards every year?
Personally I’ve always felt that perceived recoil had a lot to do with the gun. For example, the standard 30-30 Winchester lever is uncomfortable for me to shoot. It jumps up and smacks me in the face. On the other hand my 30-06 Ruger fits me perfect and I can shoot a box of shells through it with no ill effects.
If your friend is in the market for a new gun, he may find one that fits him better and helps with his problem too.
SR
If he doesn’t like a 30-06, the 270 win isn’t going to be any better. On paper, VERY SIMILAR.
Before selling it, I would take a look at what he currently has and WHY it’s uncomfortable. If it’s a feather weight with no recoil pad, then it’s just a mechanical issue. I’ve shot some 243s that were brutal.
6mm or 25-06 could be an option
Had a friend call me tonight telling me that he’s getting tired of his .30-06 recoil and wants to get a new rifle in a more forgiving caliber that will still reach out to 400-500yds respectably. His thoughts were .270win but I was wondering if a .25-06 might be a better option. Objective is whitetails. Help me out guys cuz I don’t really know how the two stack up against each other. Which way would you go?
Sometimes. . . Just let it be
He clearly has tossed it around thinking about it.
But. . . . The .25-06, are you able to test them?
Before selling it, I would take a look at what he currently has and WHY it’s uncomfortable. If it’s a feather weight with no recoil pad, then it’s just a mechanical issue. I’ve shot some 243s that were brutal.
This ^^^. If he’s shooting a poorly-fitting rifle with a steel butt-plate, then you may well have saved him a lot of coin and trouble.
You could also suggest reduced recoil loads. In an 06 these will be more than sufficient for most midwest whitetail situations.
A .25-06 would be the next step down, but I think more thought should be given to why he’s having the issue with his current rifle. Rifles are relatively lightweight now, even box-stock factory rifles are often under 7 pounds and then there are mountain rifles that are going in the 6 pound range. Even with non-magnum chamberings, these rifles are going to kick like a mule compared to a vintage Remington 700 or an older Mark 5 Weatherby.
I wonder how many Whitetails are shot at 500 yards every year?
Almost none. The (very rare) exception only proves the rule.
I’ve GPS’d the last 2 shots that were taken on a neighbor’s property, both hunters claimed a kill in excess of 400 yards. One was 235, the other was 260. Both were very poor hits and they were lucky to recover the deer at all. Had these shots been at a true 400+ yards, both would hunters would have missed badly.
As I’ve said before, the average hunter VASTLY, VASTLY, over-estimates his ability to place accurate shots and the difficulty of hitting game at any distance over 200 yards. Forget about 500, I would estimate that 95% of hunters out there could not hit a pie plate with 5 shots at 250 yards from a field rest.
Having shot a few hundred rounds or so over the years at varmints that were beyond the 400 mark, I can tell people with some certainty that it’s a hell of a lot harder than it looks to hit something at that distance on the FIRST shot. You get out on a bipod or shooting sticks, the breeze is blowing from 3 directions at once, the sun is in your eyes, sweat is running down your nose, the animal is moving, you’re trying to keep it steady, the guide is saying “Shoot now!”…
Grouse
“You could also suggest reduced recoil loads. In an 06 these will be more than sufficient for most midwest whitetail situations.”
I am personally a fan of the lighter rounds but…. The trade off here might be the distance the OP is asking about. I am guessing you loose a lot of energy past 300 yards on these and sighting them for longer ranges (300 – 500 yards) will be challenging.
Dave
I am guessing you loose a lot of energy past 300 yards on these and sighting them for longer ranges (300 – 500 yards) will be challenging.
Yes, but the open question would be how often, if ever, has the hunter shot at a whitetail past even 200 yards?
Also, I must suspect that if the hunter in question is having recoil issues with a .30-06, then he’s probably not shooting his best either. So even if longer shots are presenting themselves, the chances of connecting are probably even more against the odds if the hunter is concerned about recoil.
I know in this day/age where everybody wants to be a “long range hunter”, it’s popular to talk about the “need” to reach out beyond 400. How often it’s actually done and with what results is a completely different story.
I also suspect like everything else in life, guys are very willing to talk about the long range hits. But long range misses? We don’t hear a lot about those for some reason, which I think lends many to believe it’s easier than it really is because you never hear about the epic fails.
Grouse
Awesome considerations guys! As for the rifle, it’s over 20 years old and a Rem 700 BDL. I think it’s still got a solid plate on it. He’s hunted SD before and has experience with prairie dogs and coyotes out there. I know he has success out to 300yds but as suggested, how much of the conversation was about the missed shots?
I honestly think that he’s not concerned about having to take a whitetail down at 400+ so much as he’s trying to use that as a mental gauge for energy and trajectory at shorter ranges. I concur, if this is the real concern, that should be the issue addressed. I should see him tomorrow and I’ll pass on your suggestions and see what he does with it. Thanks guys! As always, I appreciate your responses!
I know lots of friends and family that shoot deer at deer at 400 yds or more consistently, me included. However… we don’t shoot small caliber rifles because they lose too much energy out that far to our liking. We also shoot year round. Not just a few days before the season to “sight in the gun”. Accuracy at long range requires practice and lots of it. I would recommend staying with the 30 cal. and having a high quality recoil pad installed on the rifle and fitted to your friend by a quality gunsmith. I think he would be pleasantly surprised at the difference it makes. There is also the option of having a muzzle brake installed too. It greatly reduces felt recoil but vastly increases muzzle blast noise. Electronic hearing protecting or ear plugs are a must have. Hope your friend finds the right combo and enjoys shooting it.
I only shoot deer to 300, with open sights of course….. I would second the reduced recoil rounds and a new butt plate. 
I verified that his longest shot was 300yds and passed on all of your suggestions. He’s going to look into the reduced recoil rounds and/or improving his ancient Pachmyr red brick recoil pad. I think, deep down, he just wants an excuse to buy a new rifle! Ha ha! He just bought a Tikka T3 in 7mm-08 a month ago and I’m like, “Why don’t you just use that? That’ll reach 300yds with plenty of energy!” He goes, “Well for this year, that’s what I’m going to do”. Eye yi yi!
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