Rifle for wife

[sdnative13]

I am looking for suggestion on a rifle to buy my wife that won't kill her when she shoot's. Any suggestions

 

[AZ Jim]

For elk ? Light weight rifle (how much can she hold up and shoot accurately) ? Is she recoil sensitive ?

If so .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .260 Remington, 6.5 Swedish Mauser, 7x57 Mauser, .25-06 Remington, .243 Winchester. My favorite of these for a female or younger shooter would be the 6.5 Swede. This rifle can be used successfully on elk sized game out to 200 yards with the right shot placement. It has low recoil and can shoot up to a 160 grn. bullet.

The .243 is the smallest caliber I would use for elk and limit my shots to 100 yards or less. Practice shot placement no matter what caliber you choose. You should be able to find scoped rifles in any of these calibers that weigh 7 to 8 lbs with a scope (maybe even less). Just remember the lighter the rifle, the more recoil.

If she can handle the weight of the rifle and the recoil, then the .270 Win., .280 Rem, .308 Win, 30-06, and possibly .338 Federal, or some of the short mags out there. Remember there are very good recoil pads and muzzle brakes to assist with the recoil issue, this way she could use one of the medium to medium heavy calibers which are more ideal for elk sized game. The largest caliber rifle that the hunter can carry, hold up for the shot and shoot accurately in a mentally and physically stressed hunting situation is what she should use.

AZ Jim

 

[iroc6976]

remington 280 is good but a 30-06 semi auto doesent kick like a bolt or lever so it all depends on what action

 

[slanttop357]

AZ Jim what about the 300 Savage ?

 

[DirtyDave]

Maybe a .270 or 25-06? wouldnt really want to go smaller than that for Elk.

 

[Rob P]

what ever caliber you get her make sure you slap on a quality recoil pad like limbsaver or whatever. My 270 used to kick worse than my 7mm with old factory recoil pad. once I put on the limbsaver it really help my confidence and allows me to shoot without pain.

 

[Almanorjoey]

When talking Elk i suggest the 7mm-08 as the smallest, having enough bullet, energy, with the least felt recoil, cartridge that 'd personally use.

I do know several women, two of which are of very small stature, that handle and like hunting with their 270 WSM's. I have a rifle in that cartridge and feel it has less recoil than my old Rem 700 in 270 Win yet the WSM version with 140 and 150 grain bullets has over 1500 FPE out past 500yds, a flatter shooting and considerably more potent version than the highly respected older issue .277 round.

I would say that if she shot one of these WSM's and liked it, she would be well armed for most of what she will ever care to hunt. I feel i am!:wavin hello:

Joey

 

[weekender21]

7mm-08 or .308 I would not recommend elk hunting with anything lighter. If you want to put a custom muzzle break on the rifle she could shoot almost any of the magnums.

muzzle break=LOUD(ear pro required!)

 

[CA Karen]

30-06 with limbsaver pad.. works great for me.....180 gr. @ 2500 fps drops them with one shot no question. But I also hand load my bullets.

 

[sancho]

i second (or third) the 7mm08. not a bad round. i think just as important as the caliber, you need to find the right rifle. some feather light mountain rifle would still kick decent in a mini caliber.

why not find a 30.06 in a semi auto? i have one, and that thing barely bucks.

 

[AZ Jim]

yes, good call you guys, I forgot the 7mm-08 and 300 Savage both good options. Same goes for what I said before, though, need good shot placement and know the effective range for the animal you are hunting.
AZ Jim

 

[DLS]

Other than the .243, I think all of those non-magnum suggestions are very good for a woman. As has been suggested, get a limbsaver pad and don't get too light of a rifle.

While I can't think of the name at the moment, there is a new product ont he market to help with recoil, and it might be great for her. It is a 'shield' type product that she'd wear on her shoulder, I believe it comes sewn into the shirt, and distributes recoil over a wider surface area, being somewhat firm, so that the felt recoil isn't as great. You might try a search under 'recoil' and see what you find. I'll try to find the item again and will post it if I am successful.

 

[Sigma]

I would suggest a Tikka T3 Lite in 6.5x55. Light rifle, low recoil, accurate and the Swede offers excellent penetration due to high sectional density. Recommend trying the Lapua Mega 155g.

 

[AZ Jim]

I would suggest a Tikka T3 Lite in 6.5x55. Light rifle, low recoil, accurate and the Swede offers excellent penetration due to high sectional density. Recommend trying the Lapua Mega 155g.

Sigma,

You are right on about the 6.5X55 Swede !

The section density, penetration quality of that round is excellent. It is used often in Europe for moose sized game. The accuracy is excellent as well. The 155 Lapua Mega is probably the best choice out there for larger sized game. Norma also sells a round in 140grn. Nosler Partion that is good as well.

AZ Jim

 

[sdnative13]

Thank you so much to everyone for all of your helpful comments and suggestions. So now I have narrowed down my choices to either the 7mm-08 or 6.5x55. I was orginally leaning towards the remington 700 but after seeing the t3 lite i'm torn.

 

[fishnhunt]

one thing to consider on the remington vs tikka...is that since the tikka is lighter it will kick more. But owning both I like my tikka better. I think it's a better made weapon to the point I've thought about trading in my remington to buy a tikka. Another caliber to consider would be the .257 roberts. At the end of the day SHE needs to buy a rifle that SHE feels great with. Within a hundfed yards anything from a 243 on up will kill an elk with a well placed shot. My gf and I have had this same discussion a few times. And what matters more at the end of the day is if she can shoot the gun accurately. I'm more than willing to trade a few grains to ensure that the bullet makes it into the boiler room. Let her choose the gun and caliber since it will be her gun and she has to love it! It's hard to be hands off but in the end it will pay off big.

 

[Sigma]

Thank you so much to everyone for all of your helpful comments and suggestions. So now I have narrowed down my choices to either the 7mm-08 or 6.5x55. I was orginally leaning towards the remington 700 but after seeing the t3 lite i'm torn.

Let me help you: Tikkas have the same barrel as a Sako since they come from the same factory. Both lines are are well known for quality and superb accuracy. No Sako leaves the factory without putting 5 shots within 1". Tikka barrels are free floated as are Sako barrels. Long range 1000 meter matches in Europe are consistently won with Tikkas. Tikkas have the same trigger assembly as a Sako, fully adjustable, not a "lawyer trigger" with tons of creep. However, to buy a Sako, you'd have to spend over twice the amount. Tikka packages the components which are essential for accuracy and function in an affordable package. So, as to be expected, there are some drawbacks: a one-size-fits-all action (in my opinion not a big deal), polymer trigger guard and magazine, dove-tailed two-lug bolt. Still, the Tikkas remain a no-nonsense hunting tool at a very competitive price.

As an alternative, take a look at a Weatherby Vanguard which is also sold at a very competitive price. Their SUB MOA models - guaranteed to shoot a 3-shot group out of the box - start at just under $1000.00. That's still alot more money than a Tikka though. Your call and personal preference.

 

[jchrist1]

sdnative13! Don't know if it was mentioned.I'm in SD also. You might want to take your wife out to PROJECT 2000,(EAST, RANCHO SAN DIEGO).They rent rifles! Let her try a few inn different calibers....then you and her make a decision.BE BLESSED !!!HAWK.

 

[weekender21]

The 6.5x55 is a great caliber but you'll find ammunition for the 7mm08 more often and in in more places, if that matters to you.

 

[inchr48]

How about a .300 Ruger Compact Magnum?

Ruger Hawkeye rifle with a 20" barrel. Short, light, less recoil than other 30's.

150, 165, 180 grain factory loads available (including GMX).