Deer cartridges with minimal recoil

[Skydog]

Wouldn’t going to a mini action reduce weight, in turn increasing recoil of any cartridge?

I think it depends on which version of the mini action you get. According to the Howa catalog (page 18) the Walnut Hunter 6ARC and .243 both weigh 7.2 lbs. Hopefully the catalog is correct, but you never know. Maybe someone who owns one can chime in to confirm?

But I think some of them are lighter or folks use them to build ultra-light guns, which would increase recoil for sure.

https://www.howausa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-Howa-Catalog-reduced.pdf

 

[Skydog]

My mini actions both have a 13.5” length of pull. Also, the barrels are actually available in 22” and 20”. The 20” is a bit heavier contour. Here is a mini Hunter in 6 ARC with walnut and a 22” barrel:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1085429892

The Gunbroker specs show that mini at 8.5 lbs. versus the 7.2 lbs. listed in the 2025 Howa catalog? Any idea how much yours weigh?

 

[RodgerB]

Is your .223 in the Walnut Hunter version? 14 inches is a bit long for me. I prefer something closer to 13.5.

 

[RodgerB]

Is your .223 in the Walnut Hunter version? 14 inches is a bit long for me. I prefer something closer to 13.5.

No, its the factory composit stock with standard 22" barrel. I prefer 13.5 too, but honestly, I don't notice the difference between the 13.5 and the 14.

 

[Castle Rock]

Howas of any description are way down on my list of desirable guns

 

[RodgerB]

My Mini action without a scope weighs 6 pounds 1.6 ounces. It has a hinged floor plate.

 

[Deere_Man]

The Gunbroker specs show that mini at 8.5 lbs. versus the 7.2 lbs. listed in the 2025 Howa catalog? Any idea how much yours weigh?

I don’t have the walnut version. I have a Carbon stalker with 22” barrel that weighs 5.95lbs with the scope.

 

[Skydog]

Howas of any description are way down on my list of desirable guns

Why is that?

 

[Castle Rock]

I really don’t like the design of the action, particularly the safety and bolt release, they tend to have issues with blanking primers with high pressure loads and they don’t seem to be well finished in general

 

[KenLee]

Isn't that a target bullet?

Splatter bullets rule!

 

[KenLee]

I really don’t like the design of the action, particularly the safety and bolt release, they tend to have issues with blanking primers with high pressure loads and they don’t seem to be well finished in general

"Rough as a cob" as the old timers say

 

[Skydog]

The good, the bad and the ugly of the Howa Mini...

How many people are happy with their Howa Mini?

I have a hankering to build a 6mm ARC bolt gun but want a mini action to go with it. I have been reading quite a few posts on these little rifles but it seems after buying the action from Brownells and a Stockys stock of some kind many people are still not happy with the rifle. Is this a waste...

rokslide.com

 

[KenLee]

I don’t have the walnut version. I have a Carbon stalker with 22” barrel that weighs 5.95lbs with the scope.

View attachment 829957

Why manufacturers keep making light to carry rifles with protruding magazines is beyond me. Miserable to carry anyway.

 

[Hackleback]

A quick look at Remington 700's, it appears that there isnt that many chamberings in 243 and its been replaced with the 6.5 CM (maybe something to consider). I was thinking something like the link below.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/56462/remington+243+win.+varmint+target+rifle+w+muzzle+break+green

Something like this, you might have to search on the used market.

 

[TheGDog]

Recoil is very pleasant on a 6.5cm.

DO NOT avoid that cartridge simply because you see the numbers on a .243 Win and go "Oh! but these are even lower!".

(Says the guy whose had arthroscopic on his shooting shoulder, due to a "custom-bend" to his collarbone causing the distal end of the clavicle to depress into the shoulder bursa for years.)

NOTE: We bought a Howa UltraLite in 6.5cm for my 17yo son. (But Daddy Likey!, so in time, going to get one for myself as well)

 

[Skydog]

Wouldn’t going to a mini action reduce weight, in turn increasing recoil of any cartridge?

Interesting real-world exercise...

I've been doing a lot of research on the 6ARC (and similar cartridges) in the Howa minis. The vast majority of the ones I'm seeing are either in the factory plastic/carbon stocks or very light aftermarket stocks. I've seen examples coming in at 6 lbs. with a scope. Not seeing a lot of folks using the heavier wood stock. Seems like a lot of folks are using these to build ultra-light rifles.

But...I'm looking at standard weight, wood stocked rifles in .243. With my scope of choice (Huron) and the rifles I'm looking at, my setup will end up at a minimum of 8.5 lbs., maybe more. And there's a lot of hunters using the .243 in these types of classic, heavier bolt action rifles since the .243 has been around for 70 years.

The preferred deer round in the .243 is the 95 gr NBT. The preferred deer round in the 6ARC is the heavier 108 gr ELDM.

So, using factory ammo ballistics and a recoil calculator...

Recoil Calculations:
6.5 lb. 6ARC with 108 gr ELDM = 9.75 ft-lbs of recoil
7 lb. 6ARC with 108 gr ELDM = 9.05 ft-lbs of recoil
8.5 lb. .243 with 95 gr NBT = 9.5 ft-lbs of recoil

So, as we've established in previous posts, when comparing guns of the exact same weight, the recoil difference is somewhere between 1.5 and 2 ft-lbs.

But in a more real-world example, there is no difference in recoil and it's not hard to demonstrate examples where a .243 has even less recoil than a 6ARC. For some of you guys shooting light weight 6ARCs, my .243 setup will likely have less recoil than your setup.

Now, I realize that a lot of folks are using the 6ARC in AR platforms and that the felt recoil of the AR will be less than a bolt gun. But that's irrelevant to this discussion. We're talking bolt guns.

And I know a lot of folks will continue to argue that the 6ARC is the "ultra-low recoil" option and that you perceive a significant difference in felt recoil when shooting the 6ARC. But the data just does not support that. In real world hunting situations with common bolt action rifles, the data shows that at most it's around a 2 ft-lb. difference. But in most scenarios, it's about the same or even less recoil for the .243.

I'm fully prepared to get flamed for this post...

 

[Ringbill27]

I’d take the 2lbs for the larger number of option and availability of the 243. Which is the only 6mm I find on the shelves around here.

 

[Skydog]

I’d take the 2lbs for the larger number of option and availability of the 243. Which is the only 6mm I find on the shelves around here.

Yeah, I agree... if you look back at post #148 where I did a head-to-head comparison, the .243 easily won in every category except for recoil. And now with the further research into real-world examples of hunting scenarios (post #216), the .243 either ties or wins in the recoil category. So, for common deer hunting scenarios with bolt guns using factory ammo, the .243 is the superior cartridge in every way.

It seems that the only advantages to the 6ARC are:

• If you want to use an AR platform. I don't.
• If you want to build a compact, ultra-light rifle based on a mini action. I don't.
• If you want a rifle and twist rate more suited to the heavier bullets like the 108 gr ELDM. I don't. The 100 gr and under will kill just as well.
• If you are a handloader. I'm not.

 

[Ringbill27]

Yeah, I agree... if you look back at post #148 where I did a head-to-head comparison, the .243 easily won in every category except for recoil. And now with the further research into real-world examples of hunting scenarios (post #216) the .243 either ties or wins in the recoil category. So, for common deer hunting scenarios with bolt guns using factory ammo, the .243 is the superior cartridge in every way.

Ok now go buy your howa. I’d still recommend the tikka first but the howa will work.

 

[Skydog]

Ok now go buy your howa. I’d still recommend the tikka first but the howa will work.

Now that I have settled the cartridge question...I'm still not 100% sure which rifle to get...considering Howa, Weatherby, Browning and Tikka...and maybe a few others suggested in this thread.