![chuck hawks expanded rifle recoil table chuck hawks expanded rifle recoil table](https://images.ctfassets.net/pujs1b1v0165/1YTwTXBoM7R2NhCWW2EuPq/e15015e0f1bb100c3182e2b4f77b514f/223-vs.-243.jpg)
There are other 6mm cartridges competing for attention, but none will make deer any deader than the old workhorse. 223 Remington is a marginal deer cartridge in the eyes of many hunters, but it can get the job done with proper bullets at reasonable range. Here are some of our soft-kicking favorites for putting venison in the freezer. There are simply too many good cartridges to list here, and cartridge choice, like recoil tolerance, is highly subjective. Don’t fret if your favorite isn’t on the list. We’ve made it easy for you by a picking a dozen great deer cartridges for recoil averse hunters-rounds which, when used with rifles of reasonable heft, produce recoil below the 15 foot pounds/15 feet per second threshold with most standard loads. Ammo makers don’t typically publish that information, but you can get a good idea by looking at recommendations in reloading manuals. Both approaches require you to know the weight of the powder charge. You can easily find a rifle recoil chart or use an online recoil calculator. Semi-autos tend to spread recoil impulse over a longer period of time, lessening perceived recoil, and good recoil pads also mitigate kick, as can heavy winter clothing. On the other hand, if you bolt enough accessories onto an AR to turn it into an anchor, you can shoot hotter loads more comfortably than you can with a bolt-action sporter in the same chambering. Also keep in mind that cartridges that are mild to shoot in a rifle weighing 8½ pounds may be too much to bear in an ultralight rifle. Stock configuration plays a role because a stock with too much drop at comb and heel can kick harder than an angry zebra.