Author Topic: Good Low Recoil?Non Meat damaging Deer Cartridge for Encore (Read 4442 times)

BKS · « **on:** November 22, 2004, 11:53:00 AM »

I just got back from hunting and was lucky enough to harvest a deer. I am currently shooting a Ruger #1 in 7 STW. (I have an Encore in 300 Mag ordered, it was one of the few calibers the factory heavy barrel came in)This is just TOO much gun for the small deer we have in south Arkansas. Most of the shots are from blinds at 125 yards and under. I would like to have some opinions on what everyone else has their Encore chambered for to deer hunt with. A shorter heavy custom barrel is an option, also maybe a short heavy barrel in a pistol.

I have a 357 and 44 mag revolvers and really don't care for the recoil factor in them.

The 300 whisper has always interested me and would give me a reason to start reloading.

As always thanks for any and all replies..

Major · « **Reply #1 on:** November 22, 2004, 12:18:20 PM »

If I were looking for a barrel for an Encore Rifle with low felt recoil but enough stopping power on a small deer I would look at a .30-30 barrel. The .30-30 has taken more deer than almost any other cartridge and as long as you will be shooting under 125 yards like you said you would be, then it should be just fine. The reason I did not mention all of the other caliberÂ’s and chamberings is because the .30-30 ammo can be found everywhere and is some of the least expensive ammo out there if you donÂ’t reload and want to shoot enough to get good with it while not spending a fortune.

Just my 2-cents. I am sure there are other ideas out there.

Encore28 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 22, 2004, 02:52:56 PM »

The .257 Roberts would be an excellent choice-Low recoil and minimal tissue damage.
JMHO
Encore28

Ricochet · « **Reply #3 on:** November 22, 2004, 05:31:46 PM »

I'll opt for the .243 winchester cartridge. Excellent velocity, flat shooting to 200 yards with minimal meat damage. But then, often times meat damage is significantly increased by where you hit your deer i.e. bust the shoulder and regardless of the caliber much of that area will be "toast". Undoubtedly, if you ask 10 guys your question you'll get 10 different answers. The 30-30 is an excellent choice too and it's a good brush buster. But like the previous reply anything past 125 yards is asking it to do alot. I just harvested an 11-point whitetail last week with my marlin 336cs 30-30 and he went less than 20 yards after drilling one into the "boiler room" from 50 yards away from my stand.

ciscoman14 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 22, 2004, 07:19:55 PM »

7mm-08.......as good as it gets for whitetails.

robk · « **Reply #5 on:** November 22, 2004, 08:39:13 PM »

number 1 dog on the porch is a 308 winchester in my opinion i went back to one this season and am waiting for the time to come to go get me some food for the table lol
try a 308
rob k

scratcherky · « **Reply #6 on:** November 23, 2004, 01:57:49 AM »

If you handload, I would reccomend the .257 Roberts.

skinnyme · « **Reply #7 on:** November 23, 2004, 03:37:14 AM »

At that distance, I would keep what you have and shoot them in the neck.

flatlander · « **Reply #8 on:** November 23, 2004, 06:35:26 AM »

How about the 6.5x55 swede?

BKS · « **Reply #9 on:** November 23, 2004, 06:48:01 AM »

I can only imagine what the exit wound in the neck woud look like with that 7STW.
I may just get me a 30-30 or similar pistol barrel in a heavy contour. It would be nice and conveinent to carry and use the 300 when hunts cutovers.
Again thanks for the replies.

grodon of the north · « **Reply #10 on:** November 23, 2004, 06:53:27 AM »

Howdy

I've pondered this question some also. Most deer I shoot are for meat also so I don't go with that Super Magnum thru the shoulders stuff promoted by some gun writers. I'm currently using a 7-30 Waters in Contender carbine. Intial results are promising. Formerly, I've used mostly a .270 or 25/06 with Rem. Core-Lokt factory ammo in bolt guns. Both are very good deer slayers but do a lot of meat damage. The .270 was easier on meat w/ 150gn loads than w/ the 130 grainers but the 130's were much more accurate in my rifle. The high velocity combined w/ the quick opening Core-Lokt bullet really jellies a lot of meat.
Bullet selection can make a big difference. In the past, I avoided the premium ammo because of the cost but if you consider all the money you spend just to get a deer in your sights then spending a "buck a shot" or more on ammo isn't so extravagant.
In an Encore (which I would love to have) I would seriously consider a 6.5x55 Swede or 260 Rem. The 308 like RobK suggested would also be good choice.
Or like skinnyme sez "shoot 'em in the neck" (or head) sometimes even a neck shot w/ high velocity round can ruin meat in the back straps ect. just from the shock.
That's my 2 cents worth, plus change :-)
Good luck however you end up going.

tripper · « **Reply #11 on:** November 23, 2004, 10:40:23 AM »

If you load I would also consider the 7x30 waters. I have used it in a 14" barrel for 8-9 years now and am very happey with it's performance.

throttleman · « **Reply #12 on:** November 23, 2004, 05:16:23 PM »

Find a big bore of your choosing, shoot a large bullet at slow speed. Less meat damage and plenty accurate and flat shooting to 125 yards. "Eat right up to the hole." .35 Remington, .375 Winchester, .38-55, .444 Marlin, .45-70. Not to mention, all of the above are cool. Not sure what you mean by low recoil, but in an Encore, these should be pretty light.

robw · « **Reply #13 on:** November 24, 2004, 04:01:40 PM »

My choice for an encore would be either 7-08 or 308. Both are more than adequate if you don't want a lot of meat damage, don't use the ballistic tips though.

James B · « **Reply #14 on:** November 25, 2004, 04:06:55 PM »

Another vote for the 6.5x55. Its about as good as deer guns get. Low recoil and not much meat damage.

Nunk · « **Reply #15 on:** November 25, 2004, 05:13:14 PM »

.243, .257 Roberts, or 7mm-08

Skyhook · « **Reply #16 on:** November 26, 2004, 12:48:12 AM »

Although my personal choice is the .308 because of its universal and choice qualities, I also would think strongly about that 6.5X55 or the .243 calibers.
One of our friends who guided in the Adirondacks for a lifetime, used nothing but a .243 with 100gr rounds. He was also known for his ability to place his shots.

Major · « **Reply #17 on:** November 26, 2004, 01:25:16 PM »

Skyhook brings up a very good point. It doesnÂ’t really mater what you use if you canÂ’t hit your aim point. We should all use what ever we can shoot the best, as long as it has the energy needed to do the job. More power does not mean better hits.

robk · « **Reply #18 on:** July 02, 2005, 06:09:47 PM »

i shoot a 24" 308 win from my encore and i have great groups with mine but i am also shooting reloaded ammo and i am shooting .65 to .75" groups at a hundred.
rob k

BeverlyHillbilly · « **Reply #19 on:** July 03, 2005, 06:15:22 AM »

If you are looking for low meat damage and low recoil, choose something like the 243, 6.5x55, 260, 257 Roberts, or even the 7mm08. I am a 257 fan myself, but all of them are good choices. The bullet selection is just as important, so pick something that won't explode on impact but keep intact and mushroom nicely. I have seen a 243 tear a deer shoulder to pieces, but a proper bullet makes one nice clean channel.

My cousin cuts up over 300 deer a year for folks, and the most damage are usually from the light bullet/high velocity types like the magnums and short magnums. The heavy bullet magnums do very little damage, and I use a 375 H&H quite a bit on does since you can eat up to the hole with less damage that most calibers. The recoil would be too much for your criteria though.

Doc T · « **Reply #20 on:** July 03, 2005, 12:59:33 PM »

I live in north Louisiana, so I know what you mean about the small deer. If your shots are 125yds and less, the 300 Whisper is ideal. I have a Contender carbine and two 10" barrels in 300 Whisper. Cor-Bon makes ammo, they offer a 125gr HP and a 150gr SP. I load a Hornady 130gr single shot pistol bullet. The Whisper is a very effecient cartridge to load especially in the pistol. You get the ballistics of a 30-30 with half the powder, half the recoil, and half the noise. Well, maybe not quite half, but you get the idea. My carbine barrel shoots the Cor-Bon 125s in a one hole group at 100 yds. It is one of my favorite rounds. I also load 110gr SPs and 110gr spire points for varmints and more "casual" use. I am thinking about getting another carbine barrel and putting a fire sight on the front and a peep sight for the rear. Do a search on Google (or whatever search engine you use) on "300 Whisper" and do a little reading and I think you will be interested.

Spot Shooter · « **Reply #21 on:** July 04, 2005, 02:37:36 AM »

BKS,

I like the 358 Winchester for a few reasons.

I with a 225 to 250 grain you go all the way through the deer with little meat damage (just a nice decent sized whole throught the boiler room).

Second you can load them light starting at 1800 fps, up to 2400 fps so they can meet your needs up to 250 yds if need be.

So my question here is one of distance, if your a woods hunter and most your shooting is done under 75 yds the 358 is definitely the way to go IMHO.

If however you normally shoot at 150+ I'd say the 7-08 is the way to go if you want a lighter kick..

Good luck,
Spot

poncaguy · « **Reply #22 on:** July 04, 2005, 05:36:39 AM »

I would think a 405 grain 45-70 would do the job best without a lot of meat damage..........

huntswithdogs · « **Reply #23 on:** July 05, 2005, 12:47:51 PM »

The guys that I hunt with have been shooting does off of the property that we hunt for a couple of years now. We will generally use head or neck shots instead of the behind the shoulder shot. Less meat torn up and then it don't matter the cartridge choice. I personally use 308,243,2506 and this year will be using my 300 winmag.

HWD

rickyp · « **Reply #24 on:** July 05, 2005, 01:22:18 PM »

I will put my thoughts in as well.

I would get a 30-30 or 308.
If you hand load you can load pointed boat tailed bullets in the 30-30 and give it another 50 yards or so of hunting range

the 308 should work out to about 300 yards but will damage more meat up close.

Ranger413 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 11, 2005, 05:12:46 PM »

Fist, it kills me to see people call certain calibers "brush busters". I am familiar with this term from hunting back in the dense woods of PA. You'd often see a fellow clad in bright orange carrying his trusty 30-30 and immediately think "brush buster". Was it because of the round nose bullet or the eight rounds the guy would crank off down through the woods in hopes of hitting something? Every bullet will deflect if it hits something. Typically the larger the diameter bullet the deflect less. So, is a 30-30 round nose any more a "brush buster" than a .308 pointed soft point? No. But a 12 gauge slug would be over a .223.

Onto the question at hand. Personally I like the .308 Winchester and it is on my want list as the next Encore barrel. I'm going to opt for the 24" factory barrel in SS. The .308 is an inherently accurate cartridge to start with. It also is widely available as a factory loading and reloading components are plentiful. I'm biased toward this round because I grew up on it. I have never lost a deer that I shot with this round and most died within a few seconds.

Another round which has caught my attention is the 7mm-08. People often call this round the "Ultimate Whitetail Round". I've studied the ballistics on this one and some of the articles written about it. They may be right.

But, as others have already pointed out, becoming familiar and proficient with your weapon is far more important than having the latest, greatest short magnum on the block. Pick a standard loading with a proven track record. Then, shoot the heck out of it.

Ranger413

Two Bears · « **Reply #26 on:** July 12, 2005, 06:16:30 AM »

.257 Roberts.............

bubba · « **Reply #27 on:** July 12, 2005, 10:13:38 AM »

257 Roberts Ackley Improved

Elwood · « **Reply #28 on:** July 13, 2005, 07:40:02 AM »

Dear Friends,
I have read alot of "eat right up to the hole" comments. Unless you are using a lead free bullets this is not a good idea. Lead causes all sorts of mental impairment and physical problems. Even microscopic amounts are documented to cause serious problems, especially for children. Cut some meat away and be safe.
Elwood

John K · « **Reply #29 on:** July 14, 2005, 03:28:53 PM »

How about 7.62 x 39. Its in the same class as the 30-30. Comes factory loaded with pointed bullets. I would use the 125gr soft point for hunting or reload. For practice or plinking buy surplus ammo. Currently it is under 10 cents a round. Barrels are available thru the TC custom shop or EABCO.

John K