gun for the wife

hhunter23

hhunter23

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i am looking into getting my wife a gun for next hunting season. i was wondering what you all thought was a good caliber for her to shoot. she doesnt like the kicks that some guns give so i might put a muzzle brake on whatever it is, if it needs it. i was thinking like a .243 or .257? what do you think





"Shoot Strait"
 
I wouls say a 243 would be perfect for deer/antelope. If she is going to hunt elk, I would say a 7mm-08 would be great. Both have little recoil that I think she wouldnt need a brake. Good luck! Let us know what you pick
 
My wife and son both shot 308 cal rifles and use a 130grn TSX. Great all around comb. Wife has killed deer, elk, and antelope. all one shot kills no tracking needed. My wife has a weatherby vangard (great gun) and my son a rem 700 SPS. The weatherby is easier for her to handle and came with a compact and full length stocks.
 
I bought a Howa in 7mm-08, it comes with a youth and adult stock which saves about $170 if you had to buy another stock. The youth stock fits my wife and 12 year old son great. She shoots Federal Premium with 140 gr. Nosler accubonds, 1 shot on her deer this year and it dropped in its tracks. Both her and my son love to shoot it, practically no recoil. I have shot it and it is a fun gun.
 
I bought my wife a remington model 700 bdl in 25-06. It has been an awesome gun for her. It doesnt kick very hard and with the 110 grain accubonds that I load it has dropped every deer she has shot right where it stood. Ive been impressed with it enough that I even used it on my deer hunt this year instead of my 300rum.
 
I'd skip on by the 243 myself and go up a full notch, but still mild recoiling, to the 25-06 or maybe even better, the 7mm-08. In either, you can shoot 120gr bullets and in the case of the 7mm-08, shoot 139's factory loads at 3000 FPS from Hornady.

Nothing against the .243 really, i killed my very first deer with one and several others. It's just nice to know you have a little more than what's needed in your firearm, confidence makes for better accuracy on game.

Joey
 
My wife shoots a model 70 featherweight in .270 win.
My kid shoots a 7mm-08 in SS model 70.
I've watched him dump half a dozen bucks & a couple antelope out to 520 yards with it.

I think the 7mm-08 is just a superb deer/antelope gun with such slight recoil you can see the impact through the scope.
It would be my #1 choice for a women/youth gun, Hell anyone for that matter.
It's killing ability seems completley out of proportion considering it's small size.

HH
 
I have to agree with those liking the 7mm-08 --- very manageable recoil and will do the job up to an elk ...

Lv2hnt

"Every man dies --- not every man really lives."
 
Another vote for the 7-08. My wife shoots a Savage Model 11 and it fits her perfectly at 5'7" with no modification. She's been happy with it and shoots it as well as I could. I suggest 140 gr. Partition loads from Federal for elk.

I learned one big lesson while getting her into shooting that might help. Get her to use lots of hearing protection. We use "in the ear" style plugs with muffs over them. I think for a lot of people it's the noise, and not the recoil, that is so scary--once the noise is gone they barely notice the "kick".

This year's deer--her first.

Theresa_s_09_buck.JPG


Her first elk. The shot was 309 yards--I was impressed with the rifle and her shooting skills.

23339100_0560.JPG
 
My wife shoots a Remington model 7 is 5'6 and in a 260 rem and she loves it. She is 5'6 and 100 lbs and the recoil don't bother her. The 260 is just find for deer but if your going to hunt elk but the 7mm-08



"Let's keep things in perspective.I mean for Peet's sake there are kids in Africa that don't even hunt....hello" Jimmy Big Time
 
I love these posts. If it was a guy....nothing short of a 300mag will work for elk......Long live the 308winnie .....LOL :)

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-31-09 AT 05:24AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Dec-31-09 AT 00:55?AM (MST)

I would go with a 270wsm with a good brake on it. Due to the large amount of gas pressure with the short mag it makes good use of the brake and results in nearly no recoil. The 270wsm ballisticly is a very well rounded cartridge and can produce long range energy found in much larger cartridges.
 
My wife shoots a 25-06
13 year old daughter shoots a .270 win
12 year old daughter shoots a 7mm-08

My preference is the 25-06.

I wouldn't go with a light weight rifle either because it will kick harder than a standard weight.
 
thanks for all the input, it sounds to me that i need to look into the 7mm-08! i did a little research and i am impressed. i think between the .308 and the 7-08 we might make the wife happy. im really leaning towards the 7 though.

another question, is ammunition hard to find for the 7-08? and what about reloading, what kind of ballistics are you getting out of this caliber?




"Shoot Strait"
 
Ammo is pretty easy to find. At least 3 to 4 brands at all the stores, Cabela's, Sportsman and Gunnies. Most of the factory loads are around 2800 fps, with 2500 ft-lbs at the muzzle dropping to 2200 fps, with 1500 ft-lbs of energy at 300 yards.
I haven't reloaded any but should be plenty of supplies available for it.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-02-10 AT 11:58AM (MST)[p]My go to gun, and I have several calibers, is my 7mm-08. Loaded with the right bullet it will take down anything in North America, and it doesn't beat you up doing it. Mine is a Kimber Montana, very light weight, great gun to pack.
 
I'll throw out one not yet mentioned. .280 Rem. Love mine, went to it when I got sick of the recoil of a 30-06.

It put down a moose and an oryx just fine!

Lisa
 
I think there's something that has been overlooked here that is just as important as the caliber you pick for your wife. That is gun fit. Most people don't give it enough thought but it's a big factor. Rifle fit and stock design have nearly as much to do with felt recoil as the cartridge it's shooting. Spend as much time picking the right fit as she would when she's shopping for clothes. I don't mean just putting a gun up to her shoulder in the gun shop. Get her some trigger time behind different models and let her choose.

It shouldn't be a problem rounding up enough different models of guns for her to try between friends and family. If you can't round up enough I'm sure there's enough people here who would let you test drive a particular gun at a range. Stock design makes a huge difference. Also if she's small in size don't be afraid to have the stock altered to fit. She's probably done growing. A good Limbsaver or X-coil recoil pad will help reduce the felt recoil even more.

Do it right the first time. It will save you lots of headaches and make it more enjoyable for your wife. If she's not comfortable she's not going to have a good experience and that will kill her enthusiasm.

I think the 7-08 is a good choice but so is the 260 rem or 257 Roberts. Knowing what she may or may not hunt will help you pick the best cartridge for her. Stick with a short action especially if you need to shorten the gun for her. It will give much better balance in a smaller package.

A good rifle should feel like a natural extension of your body. It's hard to get a one size fits all from the factory. But there are enough variations out there that you can usually find something that will feel right to her.
 
go with the 7mm-08.. mine has killed 2 elk a black bear & 6 mule deer all were 1 shot kills the longest was a 317 yarder on a cow elk... my wife shoots this gun it has barely any recoil.. check out the rem 700 spl nice & lite syn stock & under $400 shoots under 1" groups...
 
hhunter23,
My wife shoots a 270 Winchester. The rifle is a Remington model SPS youth. She's not very tall and we had to have the stock shortened. I reloaded up some Barns bullets for her in 110 grain and they clock at 3350 fps. She has harvested one deer and one antelope with that set up. With that load, she doesn't mind the kick. I think it has around 900 foot pounds of energy at 600 yards. She still has a hard time holding it up so we use shooting sticks. We're looking at trying to purchase a Tikka Lite in that caliber. All the rounds that were mentioned above are all good rounds and I like the idea of the shorter bolt, it cuts down on the weight. I would try to stay in the 3000 fps range and find a rifle that fits her. With the new scopes out there, that can be fired out to 600 yards, you really can't go wrong. I believe it's recommended you have around 1000 pound of energy for deer size game when you strike the intended game. Good luck. quest
 
My wife shoots a Browning A-Bolt 300 WSM with a brake on it and loves this gun. She's killed a couple deer with it along with my daughter using it a year ago she was 16 and used this gun. Hasn't got bad recoil at all.
 
regarding recoil A 243 win has roughly 8ft/lbs , a 7mm-08 has roughly 12.5 ft/lbs and a 270win has roughly 16.5 ft/lbs recoil.As some have stated stock design and recoil pad can make a huge difference also.I purchased a Rem 7mm-08 sps youth for my 11 yr old daughter and also got a great deal on a Rem model 7 7mm-08 so I couldn't resist getting that as well.Even with the same ammo,there is a HUGE difference in recoil however.The model 7 kicks like a Mule in comparison.Maybe it is just this particular model 7,as this is the only one I have ever shot but, wow,The SPS youth is a pussycat in comparison.I even put a limbsaver recoil pad on the model 7. It just has a very "sharp" kick to it.I would not let my 11 yr old daughter shoot it, as she doesn't have much experience with a centerfire rifle.The sps however, not a problem. I have thought about selling the model 7 but, it shoots so good and is so nice to pack I am tempted to keep it.My wife is recoil sensitive,and she has a short stocked Rem 270 with a good pad that she has killed deer and elk with.She did pack the Rem sps 7mm-08 quite abit this year though.It is lighter,and kicks a bit less.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-12-10 AT 07:04PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jan-12-10 AT 06:09?PM (MST)

I set up both my daughters for hunting and I had them both shoulder a lot of rifles before I bought , they know what feels right to them after handling a few. I also believe fit and balance play a big part with a smaller shooter .Also the limbsaver pads can not be over stated in there value for any rifle,one daughter shoots a 30 06 she's 5'9" 140# the other a 308 she's 5'3" 95# and not getting any bigger. With a limbsaver they would rather shoot those guns than my 243 with out a big pad.But you may have to go with a youth stock or with wood that can be cut down as the thick pad adds about 1 1/4" to the reach.I don't think most synthetic stocks can be cut down. Good luck have fun!!
 
My wife hunts with a Remington 300 SAUM, yes it does have a break on it, but she loves it and anything inside of 500 yards is not safe. Her first gun was a savage 270 WSM and even with the break on it, it kicked more then the 300SAUM, it was brutal, I even hated shooting it.
 
lv2bugle what bullet weights were being used to get those results for kick? My wife shoots 110 barns and it doesn't kick that hard. quest
 
Quest, lets see, The 7mm-08's we are shooting Rem 140 gr corelokt factory loads.These loads kicked the hardest in my model 7 7mm-08. The model 7 is sighted in now with fusion 140 gr factory loads and seems to like them 1/2 inch groups off of a card table and bulls bag at 100 yards.Our local range was just shut down, so I had to improvise...My wife shoots 130 gr Rem core lokt factory loads, or some Sierra 150 gr handloads, in her 270 win. I may try some Nosler Accubonds or berger Vld's, in these rifles.Just haven't loaded anything up for them yet.If you handload I would try these bullets first,I have some friends who have lots of world records in 1000 yard bench. They seem to lean toward these bullets for their hunting rifles,with fantastic results.
 

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