6.5 by 55

[Contenderizer]

mrmiskin

First, I must agree with the others, the 6-1/2 Swede is a great round. Low recoil, flat shooting, and, with the proper bullet, it will take about any North American game.

I am a little surprized that your son likes the 270, but finds the 30-06 to kick a little too much - given that the 270 is nothing more than a 30-06 necked-down. When firing the same weight bullet the recoil should be very similar. It may be a mental thing, or, as you mentioned, the gun itself might be the factor.

Yes, brass, etc is available and reasonably priced for the Swede. Here is a suggestion, though. If your son is comfortable with the 270 barrel on the Contender, why not stick with it? For deer and hogs the 270 will perform just as well as the Swede and you won't need to invest in a new barrel and dies. If you are trying to reduce recoil a little, take the gun in and have a Limb Saver (or something similar) installed. At the same time, you could have the length of pull adjusted for the little guy.

I doubt that changing to a wooden butt-stock and fore-stock will add enough weight to make any difference. Spend the money on the Limb Saver.