A gun for the wife.

TriggerMag · Oct 11, 2004

I am looking at getting a (first) rifle for the wife.
Allready have a 300 Win Mag in the house. Need to be able to knock-down a mulie, moose or elk. Want the gun to have as little kick as possibe. Any suggestions.

elk_horn · Oct 11, 2004

ruger 280 would work for the lady but would need to make sure she makes a good clean shot at the moose and elk. The 280 will do the job.

kingfish · Oct 11, 2004

BigPig · Oct 11, 2004

I'd say a 7mm-08, .308 or .270 would be the ticket. You could go bigger and maybe go with a good muzzlebreak like a Vias. Just be aware of the increased noise. Fortunately the Vias are not that bad. The biggest issue is to get her close. Get within at least 200 yards and shoot only at broadside animals. Also make sure the rifle fits her. A compact model might be a good idea. Put a good Pachmayr Decellerator or Simms Limb Saver recoil pad on it. You can reduce the felt recoil quite a bit with proper fit and a good pad.

fisrtcoueswas80inches · Oct 11, 2004

30-06 or 270
casey

RELH · Oct 11, 2004

BigPig said it in a nutshell, good sound advice on caliber, and other items for a woman to enjoy shooting the rifle and still be able to bag the larger game animals.

RELH

rost495 · Oct 11, 2004

Big Pig is dead on. My wife is 110 pounds and about 5'6". She shoots my 300 wtby without break. But prefers the one with a break. My buddies wife used the breaked one but forgot the hearing plugs. No recoil problem at all for either lady. Just remember the plugs and go with the horsepower.

In fact of all the women I've talked with, a lighter 270 or 06 type round kicks as bad, if not worse as a breaked 300 mag.

My wife had a 270(no break) and 06(same) and said both felt like they kicked more than my 300 without. And definitely more than the breaked one.

But there is a huge consideration. How much has she shot? My wife is a country girl and shoots competitively with me a lot. Used to shoot 100 rounds a day in 308 with big bullets. She was used to it. And listened to what I said and how to do it right.

For one new to shooting I'd seriously think that an 06 or even 338-06 or 35 Whelen with a break might be the best choice, especially given the larger animals considered. Sure bullet placement is always the key but on larger animals, bigger chunks of lead tend to fail less and track straighter on penetration, without being afraid to smash bone along the way.

My 2cents, regardless the actual value

Jeff

antlerrick · Oct 11, 2004

I have a 7MM rem mag with a boss on it and it shoots like a .243 as far as recoil.
My daughter shot her big bull with it this year and it done a great job. She shot over 20 rds in a row with it sighting it in and just practicing, and it never bothered her at all. Only problem is that you have to have ear protection with a boss...
Rick
A bad day hunting is better than a Good Day at Work!!

TriggerMag · Oct 11, 2004

>Thanx for all the suggestions as of yet.

Currently I have a 300 Win Mag with a brake and decelerator pad, this gun has next to no kick. A buddy of mine has a 30-06 with a brake and and it has more kick than mine.

I was thinking of a 270, 280 or an 06 , I just didn't want to get the exact same gun that I allready have.

She is a new hunter never really had much practice, she says she fired a 7mm and it knocked her on her ASS.

Any other suggestions would be great in regards to the above subject or the best way of ( so called ) breaking her in.!!!

jameister · Oct 11, 2004

a rifle for your wife? Sounds like a good trade.

Jameister

polarbear · Oct 12, 2004

.375 H&H. Have her get real close to the scope on her first shot.

Eric

GrandpaNasty · Oct 12, 2004

7mm-08. Very little kick and enough power to knock down all big game.

BCbucks · Oct 12, 2004

The .308 or 7mm-08 are my picks !!

A friend of ours (a woman) downed a nice bull moose with one shot from her .308 just a week ago in northern BC.

muleyqueen · Oct 12, 2004

270 or a 243, I have both and they are great. My 30-06 kicks like a mule!

predator · Oct 12, 2004

I'd go with the .280; I was raised with a 30-06, and although I was quite good with it, I found that the recoil was causing me to lose the animal in the scope while shooting. Ballistically speaking, the .280 is very similar to the 06, only a bit flatter because of the lighter bullet. However, I have taken some very tough game with the .280, which I have in a Remington BDL. Using a good partition bullet (mine likes Federal Premium 150-grain Nosler Partitions), I have taken a mature bull elk, a huge Shiras moose, and a tough gemsbok where .30 caliber magnums were recommended.

Does it kick a bit? Yep. I had it ported a few years ago, and it's a joy to shoot now. I believe a .280 with a brake would be a fine choice for your wife.

Lisa

rost495 · Oct 12, 2004

Perception is a big thing in recoil. Obviously a 7 mm remmy could not actually knock her on her ass(unless shooting upwards back over her back like in some duck and goose shoooting and you are off balance....). But she has that perception.

Since you've mentioned that I'd say watch out for speed. For most shooters that I talk to the lighter the gun the worse it kicks BUT the faster it kicks(higher MV) the more it seems to hurt.

My wife is abnormally used to recoil but also mentions that a normal(IE both guns same weight) 270 hits worse than a 30-06 to her. (I totally agree)

We've both shot about everything up to a 460 wtby and without fail the fastest rounds(given I'm not talking 220 swift etc...) hurt the worst. My most unfavorite of all rounds to this date is 378 wtby.

Taking all that into consideration I might lean back towards a 308 with heavy bullets and a good break(06 is a consideration and as I mentioned if large game a 338-06 and break could be a good option)

Hope you can sort through everyones advice. Lots of good thoughts out there!

Jeff

antlerrick · Oct 12, 2004

If you find out where to get a gun for your wife, let me know..I'll trade mine in too....Could use a new gun anytime!
a*r

A bad day hunting is better than a Good Day at Work!!