Bolt gun for the wife

[Usmc_0331]

Looking for a rifle for my wife that is capable of taking down elk and black bear.

Keeping in mind recoil and weight, what y’all think for caliber?

My thoughts either 308 or 6.5prc.

Input appreciated!

 

[deltawiskey]

I have a Steyr Prohunter in 300 Win short mag that has worked perfectly on a couple of bears, and I'm sure it would be great for elk.
Recoil is surprisingly mild, and being that it's for hunting and not shooting strings of targets I doubt she would have a problem.
DW

 

[Farmerhunter]

I just went through this with my wife a little while ago. If going with factory rifle I suggest letting her handle as many as possible. When she figured that out we seen what was available for calibers. She ended up going with a savage lady hunter in 243. She also has a 260 and shoots my 7mm Saum well. She liked the weatherby Camilla too but we didn’t pull the trigger fast enough on that one.

 

[deltawiskey]

If you're ever in my A/O your welcome to try out a couple options
DW

 

[W54/XM-388]

How about a good old fashioned 30-06?

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Need to see pictures of your wife before we can establish a fair swap value.

Sirhr

 

[sirhrmechanic]

For example, one of these…

Will definitely get you one of these…

But one of these…

Probably won’t even get you one of these…

We do have our standards when it comes to trading!

Sirhr

 

[Usmc_0331]

If you're ever in my A/O your welcome to try out a couple options
DW

Much appreciated!

 

[Modoc]

I went through this a few years ago with both my wife and my mother. They decided on a REM 700 compact/youth and a Ruger 77 Hawkeye both in 7-08 respectively.

We were looking for something that used a fairly common caliber and fit them without major modifications. Now the family has 5 7-08s in various price ranges. These rifles have taken hogs, black tail deer and pronghorn.

I would also consider Kimber, Howa or Tikka in a compact/youth if available.

 

[brian1]

I just went through this with my wife a little while ago. If going with factory rifle I suggest letting her handle as many as possible. When she figured that out we seen what was available for calibers. She ended up going with a savage lady hunter in 243. She also has a 260 and shoots my 7mm Saum well. She liked the weatherby Camilla too but we didn’t pull the trigger fast enough on that one.

243 is great for deer, seems mighty small for elk & bear

 

[Tortuga]

My ex settled on a Remington Model 7 Youth in 7mm-08. That worked great for her in MT for antelope, whitetail, and mulies. I had total confidence that the 150gr Nosler Partition loads I cooked up would drop elk or black bear. I mounted a Burris fixed 6x. Light, plenty of FOV, but very K.I.S.S. for someone that didn't shoot much.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

On a serious note… Remington model 7 or 600 in .308 is a nice gun. Ruger, at one point, made a very nice 77 Youth also in .308.

And don’t write off some of the oddballs. The TC Contender Carbine and the Ruger No3 single shots are both superb and can be configured light.

Last, there was a Ruger interpretation of the Scout rifle concept a decade or so ago. They were all hot for a while and the fad went away. Was it the “Jeff Cooper”’rifle? Anyway another very nice small compact and rugged rifle in .308.

And lest I forget, the Browning Lever Rifle in .308 was ‘the’ ladies gun here in VT in the 1980’s. Beautifully made, clip fed, short throw lever. Compact. Magazine fed. Side eject so good scope real-estate. An older BLR may not be a bolt gun, but it is light, compact and fast with great ergonomics and versatility. Don’t leave that one out.

Nice thing about the .308 is it is very versatile. From small light 150’ grain zippers to some heavy 200 grain… you can load for the task. Light loads allow for a lot of training/practice without building up a flinch. And when shooting at game, no one notices the recoil of a heavier round. Adrenaline has that covered.

Take her to a gun show where she can handle a lot of different rifles. Something will “spark” when she sees it or picks it up. Let her guide the rifle choice, not you. You never know what will get her hooked!

Cheers, Sirhr

 

[Digetydog]

I bought a Kimber Hunter in 243 for my wife and kids to use to deer hunt with. It is a dream to handle and available in Elk relevant cartridges.

 

[diggler1833]

This is why I went with a *gulp* Savage last year.

Accufit stock works well for my 5'7" F-I-L, and can be taken down well enough to fit my 5'3" wife. It isn't exactly a "robust" system, but it does make a $1K rifle fairly adjustable for various sizes of shooters. I went with the Timberline, so the downside is that it is about a pound heavier. However the factory brake does a good job of softening recoil without being too harsh.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Look at the Weatherby Vanguard Women specific rifles. The Weatherby stock does a lot to mitigate recoil and the Vanguard offers a wide range of calibers from mile to wild. I'm thinking a 280 Remington, or 280 AI offering plenty of power and bullet weight for elk without going overboard on recoil. However the Vanguard Camilla only comes in a short action so, look at a 308. They do offer a Camilla model in the Mark V action in .280AI. Gonna set you back around $2000 so, if budget is a consideration, there it is.

AS Recommended, get her to a club where she can try a lot of different rifles. TWICE. First impressions are good, long term love is much better.

 

[fpgt72]

Looking for a rifle for my wife that is capable of taking down elk and black bear.

Keeping in mind recoil and weight, what y’all think for caliber?

My thoughts either 308 or 6.5prc.

Input appreciated!

Having got a lot of girls shooting, it really depends on her. How does she take recoil, her build had a great deal to do with this. If she is 5' nothing and 100lbs soaking wet with rocks in her pockets handing her something like a 3006 or even 308 is likely to have it be a one shot and done type deal.

We have a lunch deal almost monthly where the inlaws, and kids come out, kids being my boy and his wife to be. My boy is short, roughly 5'3" but built like a fire plug, he is thick and all muscle. His wife to be (October) is 5' nothing and that 100lbs, she is an itty bitty thing. We shoot clays in the back yard when they are out. I have several 20's, a pump, a gas gun, and an Auto 5, She hates the pump, is OK with the Auto 5 and can shoot the 1100 all day, I have a Tri-Star that is my loner shotgun, there is very different recoil between each. She likes the 1100 but it does not fit her like the youth Tristar I have, the Auto 5 is a bit harsh, and she hates the pump, too much kick.

This tells us that it is not only what it is shooting, but what it is that comes into play. Shooting an auto 5 set for heavy loads is super easy, there is so little recoil, the gun will not cycle, but a 12 or 16 set that way is a great way for recoil sensitive people to ease into this sport.

Bear and Elk, for an ethical hunt you are going to need something more meaty over the 243, generally one of the suggested youth cartridges.

IMHO you need to get her some trigger time behind the rifles and see what she likes.

I have one more story, a shot gun story again.

My wife and I shoot sporting clays a bit....at least before covid.

She wanted a "good" shotgun, and one that fit her. She was shooting an 1100 and it was just too long and I did not want to cut down something vintage. She bought the "top of the line" automatic, a benelli....and she hated everything about it. The magazine spring was too stiff for her to get the shells in, the lifter would bite her thumb, she hated the "feel" of the inertia system. She sold it before the season was over. It went back to Benelli twice and nothing worked. She bought a weatherby, and tristar with some money left over with the sale, both turk guns and she loves that SA08.

Guess what I am saying you can't pick for her, you need to let her pick, offer suggestions but only she can make that choice.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

^^^ 1100 vintage...

Gawd I feel old now.

Thanks a lot.

Sirhr

 

[xsn10s]

My buddy hunts Eastern Oregon and mainly uses his 308 Win with 165 Partitions for his elk. He's a big guy with plenty of magnums laying around. but most of his elk fell under that combo with a 300 yard limit.

 

[xsn10s]

I wouldn't overlook a 7-08 either though. 30-06 is my go to in a Model 70 FWT. If you handload any of these would work. I'm a 30 cal guy but have been thinking of a 7-08 1-8" or 1-8.5 twist lately. A 280 Rem would be a great choice also. Better BC's with the heavy 7mm's.

 

[fpgt72]

^^^ 1100 vintage...

Gawd I feel old now.

Thanks a lot.

Sirhr

Sorry, but I am vintage as well.....not quite Antique however.

 

[Pharmseller]

7mm-08.

My hunting group has killed multiple deer, antelope, and elk.

The Mighty -08 punches way above its weight class.




P

 

[xsn10s]

7mm-08.

My hunting group has killed multiple deer, antelope, and elk.

The Mighty -08 punches way above its weight class.




P

He's got the pictures to prove it too.

 

[Coloradocarbine]

Agree…7mm-08

 

[candyx]

.338 Lapua if you want to take down both animals with a single shot to save on ammo.

 

[4O6shootist]

Yes 7-08, buy some quality alpha ocd brass, drop a 162 eld or 168 Berger in it 15-30k off lands, rl16 to get top velocity. It'll be accurate and very lethal for way further out than her shooting abilities.

 

[rottenruger]

Looking for a rifle for my wife that is capable of taking down elk and black bear.

Keeping in mind recoil and weight, what y’all think for caliber?

My thoughts either 308 or 6.5prc.

Input appreciated!

I can't get my wife to even shoot her Ruger 10/22 on a regular basis, and it's a sweet little rifle with a nice scope, and when she does shoot it she loves the ping of those little leadies hitting the helium cans (throwaways). FORGET getting her to train on her AR15 to be able to back me up.

Damn, I'm a goner.

 

[supercorndogs]

6.5 PRC, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08, or 243. 243 is plenty for elk and black bear. A 7-08 with 162s is going to kick pretty much like a 308 with 168s both are plenty adequate and probably kick about like the 6.5 PRC with 140s. I really like the 6.5 Creedmoor with 123 class bullets and Varget or RL15 for a soft shooting hunting round.

 

[Billygoat109]

How about a good old fashioned 30-06?

I’m with you..hard to beat the 06!

 

[Coloradocarbine]

06 too snappy for a lot of women.

 

[Urimaginaryfrnd]

7mm08 is what my disabled friend uses for elk. I would look for a stainless tikka they don't leave the factory unless they group under 1 inch at 100 yds.

 

[Usmc_0331]

All info is appreciated leaning towards the ruger American with the magpul stock in 6.5 creedmoor

 

[Usmc_0331]

Then again the Tikka T3x Superlite Stainless Bolt Action Rifle - 7mm-08 Looks nice as well

 

[Downzero]

All info is appreciated leaning towards the ruger American with the magpul stock in 6.5 creedmoor

I don't think I'd be shooting at anything that could eat me with a 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[10X Rifles]

A 7-08 with a 150 Nosler Accubond, will handle bears and Elk. Keep the distance to less than 300 yds. Not that heavy recoil either.

 

[Whistlepigs]

Yeah Tikka in 7mm-08 is what I would be looking at for my wife.

 

[Yslg77]

Remington and Tikka are the go-to rifle. Affordable and very efficient.

 

[fpgt72]

I can't get my wife to even shoot her Ruger 10/22 on a regular basis, and it's a sweet little rifle with a nice scope, and when she does shoot it she loves the ping of those little leadies hitting the helium cans (throwaways). FORGET getting her to train on her AR15 to be able to back me up.

Damn, I'm a goner.

This is the thing so many "men" just don't get about "women". They are hard wired just differently. You can safely say that this gunz thing is really a male thing. If it was a female thing we would not have anything larger then 243. They (again for the most part) just don't like getting hurt. Men will man up, feel manly and shrug of those huge belted cartridges and think to themselves YEA I AM A MAN, I CAN TAKE IT. Women don't want that, or think that way. Upon finding that out a female will just do that eye roll thing (something they come out having) and think Men?

My wife started shooting at 8yrs old, both she and her folks tell stories of her hitting peach seeds in the back yard, the girl could shoot, she still can shoot. She shoots sporting clays, and has more padding then you can shake a stick at, you could hit her with a truck and she would bounce off. She does not want the pain, no bruise, and this is the only person I ever knew get a bruise from a M1 carbine, and that was her last CMP match as well, it hurt afterword.

My full sized AR she will shoot, but to her it is also heavy, there is not much recoil there as it is a full sized AR so a little meat there, and 223 is not a hard recoil round. But the weight gets her as well. Well get stronger, her desire for that is just not there. Swing a shot gun for two quick birds is enough. She loves dinging steel, and knocking over metal chickens, sheep an such, seeing how they fly and spin. But the larger calibers the reward is not worth the pain that comes with it.

This is where I come back to say you can't pick for her, only advise and be ready if it does not work out. She might like the idea of the weight of a feather weight rifle, but that added recoil feeling she may not like.

 

[W54/XM-388]

This is the thing so many "men" just don't get about "women". They are hard wired just differently. You can safely say that this gunz thing is really a male thing. If it was a female thing we would not have anything larger then 243. They (again for the most part) just don't like getting hurt. Men will man up, feel manly and shrug of those huge belted cartridges and think to themselves YEA I AM A MAN, I CAN TAKE IT. Women don't want that, or think that way. Upon finding that out a female will just do that eye roll thing (something they come out having) and think Men?

My wife started shooting at 8yrs old, both she and her folks tell stories of her hitting peach seeds in the back yard, the girl could shoot, she still can shoot. She shoots sporting clays, and has more padding then you can shake a stick at, you could hit her with a truck and she would bounce off. She does not want the pain, no bruise, and this is the only person I ever knew get a bruise from a M1 carbine, and that was her last CMP match as well, it hurt afterword.

My full sized AR she will shoot, but to her it is also heavy, there is not much recoil there as it is a full sized AR so a little meat there, and 223 is not a hard recoil round. But the weight gets her as well. Well get stronger, her desire for that is just not there. Swing a shot gun for two quick birds is enough. She loves dinging steel, and knocking over metal chickens, sheep an such, seeing how they fly and spin. But the larger calibers the reward is not worth the pain that comes with it.

This is where I come back to say you can't pick for her, only advise and be ready if it does not work out. She might like the idea of the weight of a feather weight rifle, but that added recoil feeling she may not like.

It all depends on the woman.
Plenty of tough women who wouldn't think twice about picking up a decent heavy classic hunting rifle in 30-06 or 7mm magnum or any decent sized cartridge and going out and getting some food.
But those kind usually aren't shooting for fun and sport they are out getting food for the kids or dogs.

 

[fpgt72]

It all depends on the woman.
Plenty of tough women who wouldn't think twice about picking up a decent heavy classic hunting rifle in 30-06 or 7mm magnum or any decent sized cartridge and going out and getting some food.
But those kind usually aren't shooting for fun and sport they are out getting food for the kids or dogs.

You are right, I would go farther and say it depends on the person. I was talking in general. In general women if they do hunt and they have two choices that will do the job they want to do equally I would bet they are going to choose the more comfortable one. Now things like grandpa's rifle can change that, but what I am saying grandpa has a savage 99 in 243 and a 99 in 308 I would bet she picks the 243 more often then the 308.

 

[Downzero]

You are right, I would go farther and say it depends on the person. I was talking in general. In general women if they do hunt and they have two choices that will do the job they want to do equally I would bet they are going to choose the more comfortable one. Now things like grandpa's rifle can change that, but what I am saying grandpa has a savage 99 in 243 and a 99 in 308 I would bet she picks the 243 more often then the 308.

You must not like your wife very much if you would send your wife with a 243 against a bear.

 

[xsn10s]

If recoil is an issue another option is to add a muzzle brake. Some won't do it on a hunting rifle because the increase in report. I can't shoot anymore or even mow the lawn without hearing protection anymore. So I advise wearing plugs and muffs while shooting and electronic muffs or ear plugs while hunting. YMMV.

 

[fpgt72]

You must not like your wife very much if you would send your wife with a 243 against a bear.

No she knows that unless you practice with something you stand a good chance of making that bear more angry. The same can be said in a self defense setting. She also knows she will not practice with it to get good at it, and knows hitting it where you want with a 243 and hitting it just anywhere with something more powerful is not better.

 

[Usmc_0331]

Well change of plans… the wife likes my fn fnar an wants to take that . So all this brain storming for nothing

 

[xsn10s]

Well change of plans… the wife likes my fn fnar an wants to take that . So all this brain storming for nothing

LOL I almost said a BAR lol.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Well change of plans… the wife likes my fn fnar an wants to take that . So all this brain storming for nothing

Nice gun. Good choice!

Now you can buy yourself something new to replace it!!

Always thinking!!

Sirhr

 

[Usmc_0331]

Nice gun. Good choice!

Now you can buy yourself something new to replace it!!

Always thinking!!

Sirhr

Absolutely!!!

 

[barmour]

I've been using a 7mm-08 since early 2000 initially for deer in FL, then moved to CO and went back and forth between 7mm-08, 30-06, 270 WSM, 7mm. Since that time I "relearned" that accuracy in what you shoot is primary and comfort and power for the job 2nd, my cheap Ruger American stainless youth model 7mm-08 is my preferred carry hunting rifle for "anything" in CO. I am confident I can kill anything up to elk out to 500 yds and have shot on paper to that distance to ensure the grouping is sufficient. Now that being said, accuracy matter most and more so if using lesser powered guns. A gut shot .300 win mag elk will have more damage than a gut shot 7mm-08 but still might run 100+ yds. "Most" people that go hunting just sight in at pristine setups for zero at the range and are unable to use a scoped rifle to take offhand/unsupported shots with much accuracy at 200 yds and make accurate kill shots repeatedly (try it at the range and you'll see). I practice a few off hand shots each year just to know how much harder it is mentally due to the jittery scope magnifies the error the eys see. That said, if using a very light hunting rifle for offhand or minimal support shots, the light rifle seems to float/jitter more to hold on target and a heavy rifle will hold more stable for poor/unsupported shots. My 20 inch barrel 7mm-08 "flips" more with max loads than my ruger FTW ranch 7mm mag max loads is comfy to shoot, but that 1-2 pd lighter rifle is sure nice to carry. My daughters first elk at age 14 or 15 was a 200 yd neck shot with the ruger ftw 7mag because it shoot less snappy than my light 7mm-08. I also learned 20 years ago the difference between "good" bullets and "better" bullets. Shott at 200 yd clean dirt hill with the 7mm-08 winchester silvertip and remington core lokt 140's and same gun right beside shot 140 gr nosler partitions and dug them out the sand and the lesser bullets had blown apart appx 30-40% retention and partition had 75-80% retention. If going for beefier hide, bone, thicker animals and less power use a better bullet. Don't get wound up, the "cheaper" bullets have & will still kill everything and have for years, but there is a difference. Imagine a close shot with a cheap bullet at 35 yrds if they fall apart at 200. Everyone gets hung up on the "more power" thing. I've shot clean thru large cow elk ribs and lungs at 250yds with partition and accubond in 7mm-08, now at 500 yds likely only 75-90% pass thru is the diff vs using a 7mm to 300 win. Just know your limitations and don't take pot shots at 400-800 yds without playing correct winds and elev. The 6.5mm is all the hype but even if you shoot big game with a 300 win mag or a 6.5 creed, you still have to guess correctly cause they both drop twee 40-80 inches at 800 yds so it's not like you can just have a magic caliber. For big game the 7mm-08 has the same if not slightly better power at 500 yds that the light weight 6.5 creed maybe. Who cares if one drops 50 inches at 500 and the other drops 43 inches, still have to accurately know and holdover and bad on yu if its a 10 mph cross wind at 500 yds and you don't factor that it with whatever you shoot.
I've told peeps for years that scoff at a .380 for personal protection on forums and what people hear that must have a .45 acp or the person you shoots with a .380 will just get pissed at you and keep coming and tell them versus nothing to carry a .380 it's ok if it allows you to always carry all the time to save weight and accuracy is still key. I've have people make the argument about .380 just pisses people off as a defense round and have offered up that if they let me shoot them in the chest and they just get angry and take me down I'd buy them dinner of their choice where ever. No takers yet tho. In short the 7mm-08 is fine for animals up to elk size out to 500 yds if the bullets are good and shooter is accurate IMO.

 

[Digetydog]

The 7-08 is a great cartridge, but impossible to find on the shelves in my area. OP should check out the store shelves in his area before commits to any cartridge. Any of the 308 based cartridge should work. 270 with a lighter load might.

Once he picks a rifle, pick the cartridge.

 

[FuhQ]

Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT 20" barrel in 7mm-08 Rem. I have one, and it weighs absolutely nothing. Feels like a feather, recoil is minimal, and very accurate. Mine is shooting 1/4" groups with handloads and Berger 175 Elite Hunters.