Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Let me first off say hello as I am a new user to the forum.
I moved to Texas from Indiana (where we don't get to use rifles for deer or anything else).
I am looking into a rifle for deer and boar here in Texas. I have shot many rifles and owned quite a few also since my military days. They have included,Marlin 30-30, Browning A-Bolt 270 , Savage .223, Rem 700 .308, SKS.AR-15.

Now the question, since I have sold all of those when my kids were born many moons ago- I am looking for a nice easy shooting rifle to take any game here in Texas boar/deer/coyote..etc..
Quite frankly the old A-Bolt .270 Hunter was light and pretty much punished my arthritic shoulder. It was good for about 3 shots at the range and I had to set it down- same goes for the 308.
I do not have any experience with the 7mm-08 (factory loads since I do not reload). Is this a viable all around easy shooting rifle? I want comfort but I don't want to be riding the edge of being undergunned.
I have been looking at the Tikka T3 Lite (since it's the only model they make in 7mm-08 I believe), and I have been looking at the Remington SPSDM, and Ruger M77 Mark II All Weather.
Any suggestions or input on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

The .308 in a Ruger MK 77 All Weather rifle would be a great gun for Texas.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

And welcome to the forum.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

1. A good recoil pad would be a very wise investment
2. A heavy gun is your best friend when recoil's an issue
3. A heavy bullet is not your friend (in a given caliber) when recoil is an issue.


If you used to use the 180gr bullets in the 308 you may try 150gr bullets. They are all you'll ever need for deer. Secondly, Look at "varmint" rifles in appropriate calibers, they weigh quit a bit more. (I believe Savage may make a "varmint" in 308...but there site is down right now) With 150s and that heavy of a gun I would guess it can't be any worse than a light 30-30

Notice the weight of the rifles http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm


Don't know that I've heard any valid reason to not like the 7mm-08.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

For the conditions you have stated, I would suggest a 7mm-08 with a sims limb saver pad. The weight of the rifle will help reduce the felt recoil as well. The lighter the gun, the more recoil you will feel.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I have a pertinent question before making any suggestions as to calibers. I live in Texas as well and all of Texas is not created equal, so what part of Texas are you planning to hunt in? I have a thread going now because I am trying to choose between a 308 and a 7mm-08 for a barrel for my Blaser. You might get some info on 7mm-08 from the thread. I hunt in the pineywood area in east Texas and have gone back to my OLD Marlin 336T 30-30. It is a mild recoiling gun that has worked well for me, but most of my shots at deer or hogs will be under 75 yards. Welcome to Texas!!!

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Since you are so recoil-conscious, I'd get a6mm Remington or a .243 in a Rem. Model 7 or a Ruger Ultra-light. Next step up would be a .257 Roberts or a .260 Rem. Even a .22/250 or .220 Swift with Barnes X or Nosler Partition bullets will do for anything you'll find in TX.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I live in Texas also. I hunt deer in the Hill Country, north of San Antonio/west of Austin, and I use a .243. Nice light recoil, and plenty of pop for the game in our area. Our shots are normally less than 100 yards. Big bucks in our area average about 150 lbs and does run about 100 lbs.

If you plan to hunt South Texas or the Panhandle, the deer tend to be bigger, and the shots longer. The .243would still work, but, you might want a step up. 7mm-08 would probably be ideal there, although I would expect recoil to be pretty similar to the .270. As for what most of the guys shoot in Texas... I was at the rifle range a couple weeks ago, and probably 2/3 of the guys there were shooting .270's.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

For hunting in Texas, a .25-06 will handle anything you come across. Recoil is lighter than a .270, though not by a lot, so you might consider a heavier rifle.

If you are planning on handloading, a .257 Roberts would be even better.

That said, I use a .223 with 55 gr. Sierra gamekings more than anything, and I've had no problems dropping hogs.

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RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I would also suggest the 25-06. I have used one on deer for years and never had a problem. There is a moderate amount of bullet choices and many of the major companies make rifles in this caliber. the last year tha my dad was able to hunt he used my rifle to shoot a doe and a 8 point and had no complaints. He had cancer with a tumor next to the nerves in his left shoulder and the recoil was manageable even with that. Whatever you get, trying to decide what caliber to get a new gun is a pretty good problem! Good Luck

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

If shooting off the bench is a problem because of recoil, regardless of what you decide to go with,then by all means buy a Past shoulder pad. I always use one when shooting from the bench whether I'm shooting a .243 or .300 Mag. With the pad I can concentrate on shooting good groups and not worry about my shoulder.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

My suggestion would be a 25-06 Remington. Less recoil than a 270 and a flat shooting cartridge. There are many factory loads available with 100-120 gr bullets for deer sized game and 85-90 gr factory loads available for varmint hunting. If you choose to go after large hogs there are loads available with the Barnes TSX & Nosler Partition from Federal.

Most in my camp in SE OK use the 25-06. I'm the odd ball and use a 257 Roberts. I do own a 25-06 in a Smith & Wesson 1500. Using my 115 gr handloads you aren't kicked out of the scope and generally see where the bullet strikes an animal you are shooting at.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Another thing you might consider is a .30-06, but using the new Managed Recoil ammo. Supposedly, it kicks about like a .243.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I to would suggest the 25-06 Rem.
BBJ

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I own a .243, a 7mm-08, a .308 , and a .270. There is not much difference between the 7mm-08 and the .308. They are a little bit easier than the .270. In my opinion, if you want a light recoiling round that will still work for you than get the .243. You can also get a good recoil pad installed on it if it does not come with a good one ( based on the gun you choose ), and you can get a shooting shirt with a pad onthe shoulder. With this combination, you should be able to shoot just about all you want to.

If you did desire a larger caliber, you can move up to the .308 and buy some remington managed recoil ammo or some federal low recoil ammo. and shoot that. This ammo uses a faster expanding bullet ( at lower velocities ) and a lower powder charge, to get the lighter recoil. The recoil isslightly less than a standard.243 round, and has the energy to make it effective on game out to just over 200 yards. I have tried both brands, and it does what the companies say it does, and is a quality ammo.

Remington Managed Recoil is available in( .270, 30-30, 30-06, .308, ) less recoil than a.243 --- (.300 mag, and 7mm mag. ) more recoil than a .243.

Note: Managed recoil ammo will not cycle a semi-automatic rifle fully, to eject the spent case.

I hope this helps.

Good luck and God bless.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I just bought a Tikka T3 Lite stainless in 7mm-08 with a 3X9X40 Zeiss Conquest SS scope on it for my son this year. I have owned many guns over the years and this has to be one of the best setups I EVER purchased. The only drawback is that when my son and I hunt together we both want to use it. The guns setup is also very nice looking. My son shot a pig and buck with it this year and I also shot a buck with it. All animals dropped in their tracks ( both deer were shot at 125 - 150 yards). My son is very scared of reciol but he loves this gun and also shoots it well.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I dont think you'd be able to tell much difference from a 25-06 to a 270. If you honestly have a prob with recoil then maybe a bolt action isnt the gun of choice. Maybe you should go the route of an auto loader. Rems 7400 is ok but a Browning BAR(ugly though-imo) is a superb autoloading gunwith a ton of caliber choices and will have more then enough accuracy for hunting. I doubt any of the calibers will provide enough recoil to bother you.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Thanks for the input! The bench is all that really bothers me, I can take the occasional hunting shot w/o to much of an issue thats why I was reading about the 7mm08 being user friendly and not to harsh on the bench.
I live in North Central Texas but I plan to hunt all over the state.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

another vote for the .25-06

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Well I actually got a chance to go shoot a bit yesterday although the north wind was a bit chilly.
One of my buddies at work has a .243 and a .308 that I was able to test out. Now either Im getting tougher in my old age or my .270 possibly did not fit me well at all.
Because Neither gun was harsh on my shoulder but I did like the reduced recoil of the .243 a little bit, it was a great difference but it was enough to notice.
With that being said, I would opt for any round with a varmant barrel and a good recoil pad that I could use for Hog-Deer- possibly coyotes at long distances......looking at that info is the 25-06 the viable choice because it's a flat shooter (will it still punch a hogs shoulder) or would it be the 7mm-08?

Hmmm after looking at some manufacturers sights it looks like heavy barrels are usually not offered in these calibers.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

i have a heavy barrel for my T/C .25-06

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

hotled
If you are not opposed to a single shot, you can set a T/C Encore up with any barrel weight from standard to full bull. I would personally recommend something from the T/C Custom Shop or a custom barrel maker, but that is just me. Do you have any idea what you are intending to spend? I don't own a 25-06, but my hunting buddy shoots it in a Remington Sendero (which would fit your bill for a heavy barrel too) and kills hogs and deer with ease. You might want to look into a Remington Sendero as well as the Encore.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Retr...
Ya I looked at the Remington Sendero but it's a little out of my range. I will probably have to opt for a standard T3 .

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Seems to me that, if you liked shooting your buddy's .243, it fits your specifications pretty darn well. It's potent enough to take deer anywhere in the state, out to about 300 yards. If you're worried about whether it's got enough juice for big hogs, go to the hog hunting forum and check out the porkers that Guess and his wife have shot using .243's. It's a sweet rifle. If you do your part, it'll take down anything in the state.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I have never looked at Tikka rifles before, but from the ones I looked at on gunbroker, that seems to be an excellent choice. Good luck with your choice and post back how you like it.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I honestly would stay away from a heavy barrell. I own a .243 in heavy barrell and it sucks ! They are way to damn heavy.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I'm not a fan of heavy barrels, either. They add a lot of weight without adding much benefit. Just more weight to lug around, slower to shoulder, and harder to hold steady andshoot off-hand.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Yeah, if you get a mild caliber like the .243, there's really no need for the heavy barrel. There's some recoil benefit with big calibers. But, the .243 is mild enough that you don't really need it. My 13 year old son has a .243 Remington Youth Model 7. Very lightweight rifle, and still a very mild kicker. Heavies aren't bad if all you do is drive up to your blind and sit for four hours, but, if you do any walking around, they get a bit tedious.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Just read the 25-06 thread, think I am sold on that caliber[:-] so far that is!

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Are you still looking at the Tikka T3 for your rifle choice? I am very interested to hear how you like it.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I sure am as I think it looks like the best bang for the buck:P
I'm specificly looking at the Camo Synthetic SS standard, not the light version. Optics may be an issue however, I need more than a 10x and I see the size of the scope is limited on the T3.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

"Texas hunting rifle?" All you need is a bucket of oats and a club!

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Texan, have you ever shouldered a T/C Encore? since they are generally 6-8 inches shorter than a regular bolt or semi rifle (because they lack the actual bolt/ semi action)...they are easier to maneuver and shoulder, even with the bull barrel. i will say the bull/heavy barrel does add weight to the rifle but it still weighs less than my Wby. .300 mag

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I have. Not trying to step on anybody's toes, but I'm just not a big fan of them. I wasn't ever real comfortable with the angle of the grip, and they just don't shoulder as well for me as my other rifles.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I, like Texan, am not a big fan of the Encore's either, they just don't feel good to me, with that weird grip.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

the grip is what sold me on the rifle. it's more of a "natural" feel

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

To each, his own.

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

I'm not a big fan either.....[&:]

RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
 

Well thanks for all the input and I went a little different route than I thought I would.
I wound up getting a Savage 110FP 25-06, just liked the feel of the trigger and wanted a little heavier barrel, hopefully it will serve me well!