Before I start I want to give a little background.

Back in 1997 I was in a rodeo accident and broke my neck. I am paralyzed from the neck down.

I am still very active, especially in the out doors and want to start hunting more.

This year I went on a bear hunt and really have the hunting bug again.

I usually spend my fall guiding hunters on our ranch, but it's time for me to start going on hunts.

I have great family and friends to help me through this so I'm going to.

I have a shooting rig that mounts on my wheelchair that I can steer with a joystick and pull the trigger by sucking on a straw.

I'm looking to get a rifle for mostly deer and antelope and maybe a elk.

I can't go with a very large caliber because of the recoil so I was thinking a 270. Plus I used that caliber a lot when I was younger. I just like it.

How does a Remington 700 with a heavy barrel and composite stock with a Leopold tactical scope measure up to this?

I would like the turrets to where I could laser range the animal and dial in the appropriate range.

This will be for inside of 500 yards.

What are your thoughts?

Randy:

I can't answer your question, but my hat is off to you.

Randy, I seriously don't know what to say. You have my respect, that's for sure.

My first thought was something a tad lighter in the recoil department like a .257 Roberts and 100gr. pills. That would be a great 300 yard rig with light recoil.

500 yards though? I agree: .270 would be a better choice. I wouldn't shy away from a 110gr. bullet either like a TSX if the recoil was a bit much. Hand loaded down to 3100 fps and you'd have the same degree of recoil a .257 Bob delivers.

Surely someone must have a rifle near you that you can mount up for testing?

7mm rem mag with muzzel break loaded with 160 nos accubond bullets. This combo would work well for deer and elk and have very little recoil.

.270 or .280 or .308 would work. Put a brake on it or one of the new piston type recoil pads for recoil.

I shot my bear this year with a 270 so I know that caliber will work in my gun rig so I know it will work for me. That is one reason I picked that caliber. It also seems to be a fairly flat shooting rifle. I was just looking for opinions of what you guys thought. I have a Hunter that has been coming for years and he has military background and is a very accomplished shooter who is also helping me.

Here is a picture where you can kind of see my gun rig.

I haven't shot the Remington, but I think the rifle you describe would work well.

Wow!! That smile says it all

IMO your on the right track, a 270 with the specs you mentioned and the correct bullet/load combo will get you any of the critters you want to hunt!

Kudos to you on not letting your disability interfere with a normal active lifestyle!

God Bless you Randy!!

You have all of my respect!! Damm...

In 2006 I hunted in Namibia with Jan Oelefse Safaris. During a discussion on rifles the professional hunters talked about a client they had taken out the previous year who had been injured while serving in the military, and had only very limited movement of his right hand.

Friends had fixed up some kind of rifle turret mount which they adapted to the hunting vehicle. It was run electrically and controlled by a joystick, so the hunter could aim by operating the joystick, then press the trigger.

Because he couldn't reload, the rifle he used was a Browning BAR sporter. I can't recall the cartridge. Namibia does not normally allow importation of semi-auto firearms by hunters. The PHs told me when the situation was explained, the authorities agreed to allow this hunter a special exemption, which I thought was pretty decent of them.

I wonder if a similar rifle might work for you, since recoil should be lighter than comparable bolt action, plus it permits follow-up shots if needed. Much as I like the .270, for light recoil and good long range performance it would be hard to beat the 7mm-08 since there are many slippery, high BC bullets available. I see the Browning Short Trac is made in 7mm-08.

With great respect, and very best wishes for good hunting with whichever rifle you choose. You have some fine buddies there!

I like the .270, for light recoil and good long range performance it would be hard to beat the 7mm-08 since there are many slippery, high BC bullets available. I see the Browning Short Trac is made in 7mm-08.

With great respect, and very best wishes for good hunting with whichever rifle you choose. You have some fine buddies there![/QUOTE]


Are there are not many good loads/bullets for the .270?

That is my brother and my mom with me and yes they are great buddies. They do more than you can imagine for me along with many others.

Randy,

Certainly there's a more than adequate choice of good .270 hunting bullets. I'll never knock the .270, I've shot more game with it than any other cartridge. Currently I own five .270s and three 7mm-08s which shows where my heart lies!

I only mention the 7mm-08 because there are certainly more high ballistic coefficient bullets in 7mm than in .270, since 7mm (and 6.5mm) bullets from various cartridges are popular with long-range shooters.

To give an example, the Hornady 7mm 162 A-Max has a BC of 0.625. You can start it at 2,700 fps from a 7mm-08 case with a relatively modest powder charge and light recoil. At 500 yards it is still going a bit over 2,000 fps.

In my 22" barreled .270s I get around 3,050 fps with 130 gr bullets, about 2,900 with 150 gr bullets. With most of the .270 bullets currently available, 500 yard velocity is virtually the same as the 7mm-08, a bit over 2,000 fps.

Both cartridges would be equally effective on game, the advantage of the 7mm-08 is somewhat less recoil.

Frankly I'm probably making too much of this, if you like the .270 I'm sure it will do well for you, and a minor difference in recoil is likely not an important factor.

I've become more recoil-conscious in the last couple of years after having emergency laser surgery to repair some retinal tears in one eye. I like high BC bullets because they are the closest we can get to "something for nothing" in this shooting game.

Nice bear - congrats!!!