Low Recoil Rifle/Caliber With Good Take-Down Performance?

Need some advice, guys. Seriously injured my shoulder several weeks ago (broken collarbone/clavicle fracture), with recovery likely to be quite protracted. Don't want to be without firearms for that long. In fact, doctor said shoulder may never be as it once was. My pistol is just fine. However, sold my rifle (way too much recoil), leaving me feeling kinda naked.

So, looking for both caliber and rifle recommendations. Again, moderate to low recoil with fairly good take-down performance. Certainly not rich, so lets keep the rifle somewhat (okay, well) under $750. Not sure if I want an assault-style rifle or hunting rifle. To be honest, not likely to be hunting for a good while, leaving self-defense as the primary consideration.

Thanks for any kind advice.

 

Mini 14? .223 .semi auto and can be used for hunting

 

my marlin 30-30 doesn't kick to hard and you should be able to pick one up for well under 750$ It's nowhere near an assualt rifle though haha

 

You did not say what you want to hunt, but the 6.8SPC is plenty mild and certainly will thump a deer fine. WAY less recoil than a 30-30 lever-action. It is chambered in AR15's, will shoot a good 300 yards, and ammo is not too tough to find.

In a bolt-action rifle I guess 243 Win would be my choice, but Remington makes a few Model 7's in the 6.8 SPC and that would be sweet as well.

I have a Rem 700 bolt-action in 223 for modest range target work and it is a great fun rifle as well. (Some say .223 Rem is underpowered, yet our military uses the nearly identical 5.56 NATO for bad guys).

But 90% of my 223 shooting is with AR15's which are very low recoil and more accurate than the shooter much of the time, and can be had or built heavy or light, long or short as the shooter desires.

There are a lot of oddball cartridges and specialty cartridges but these few are common and mild. I had a shoulder injury in 2009 and bought a 28 Gauge over-under to replace my 12 gauge shotgun and it works just as good for my dove and Quail hunting here in the desert as well as trap shooting. Downsizing does not mean you have less fun!

 

Rem 750, in .243 its semi so the recoil should be slightly less that bolt, but other than that ive heard great things about recoil from a gun called the T Rex should be great for any woman or small child


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwHs4DtQU3I

 

A SKS?

Mimics 30-30 ballistics, ammo is dirt cheap, gun is easy to find, and many *MANY* deer and people have been killed off with 7.62x39

 

AR-10

 

I second the 6.8spc. I have that caliber in a rock river arms AR and have killed plenty of deer with it. One shot kills. Cant walk into a Walmart around here and find ammo for it, but usually not a problem at bigger sporting good stores. Easy to load if your into that, as the bullet is actually a .270. Usually have to order brass, but everything else for it is available anywhere that sells reloading supplies.

 

i would also vote for a mini-14. you can get them in semi-auto which will take out some of the recoil to move the bolt. If you dont want to go that route i got my wife a .243 and its got very little recoil. The .243 is a Thompson Center Venture, and its awesome. And for mini-14 ruger makes a really really nice one.

 

M44 Mosin-Nagant in 7.62x54r FTMFW!

 

if your hunting get yourself a semi-auto browning or remington in 270. the gas systems cut the recoil and you should be alright.

or get the new versa max.

 

I would also agree with those who stated 6.8. It is a great caliber, and the great thing with ARs is that you can swap out the upper later for a 5.56.

 

Okay, interesting ideas, but a lot of variation. I'm looking into each one and will comment more.

Perhaps I should have provided something to compare to. I had an old, hand-me-down, Winchester bolt-action 30-06 in very bad shape (time to replace anyway - a friend buys old guns, fixes them up, and sells for more). Had a surprising kick. I was thinking a semi-auto might have less kick, but not sure it would make that much of a difference.

Actually, don't want to lock myself into a 30-06. There's a lot of calibers to choose from. Besides, a 30-06 has too much kick anyway. I need something less.

As for what it will be used for, I got into deer hunting years ago, but haven't done so for well more than a decade. I keep saying I'm going to do so again, but that's increasingly unlikely. Honestly, the rifle will probably spend most of it's time locked up. Seriously considered not buying another, but we've seemingly always had one. Can anyone tell I'm undecided?

Oh, yeah. That's the ticket. Hell, if I fired that, the game would have to carry me away, not the other way around.

 

.223 - low recoil, especially in semi-autos... and good incapacitation performance, ...also widely used for hunting varmints

 

Savage 17HMR M93

 

alright, i've found it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQuTDQBV29A


Its *technically* a pistol, and it rapes.