Originally Posted by
markrwilson
I’m new to the forum. If there’s an old thread I missed then I apologize. I’m looking for a couple of hunting rifles. I don’t trust the internet reviews. I’d rather hear from guys that use them. I’d like a rifle mainly for deer but good enough to use for some bigger game as well. Brown bear, elk etc. recoil less than a 30-06 with range up to 300 yards. Suggestions??
I agree with what everybody else said above. Having said that, I noticed your title and post both mentioned "2 rifles" and preferably with less recoil than a 30-06. That is an easy solution that many of us have employed. A smaller caliber "deer rifle" for game you'd likely hunt in your home state every year (deer, antelope, black bear, etc.) and a bigger caliber "Large game rifle" if you decide to drop the big $$ on a brown bear, moose or even an elk hunt out West or in Alaska.
I use a 270 for as deer rifle because black bear is on the menu for me when I'm deer hunting. The 270 kicks almost as much as a 30-06. I use a Limb Saver slip on pad to reduce the recoil a bit and because my old pad wore out. If you wanted to go down a little in recoil and still be prepared for black bears, you could look at a 7mm-08 or maybe a 6.5Creedmoor. If black bear isn't on the menu, you could use a 243 which really cuts down your recoil.
For my elk rifle, I use a BAR in 338WM. It's a larger, heavier rifle and the recoil is more of a push than the sharper crack of my 270. I know it's a magnum caliber but it works extremely well on elk and moose. I'd take it on a brown bear hunt but those are some very pricey hunts. Hopefully this helps in your selection.