Bolt action rifle for whitetail for my girlfriend

[fiftybmg]

If you handload, you can go bigger from the start.

Don't assume that women have to shoot small calibers.

For example, you can start her on a 30-06 with 180 grain bullets at 2300 fps. Perceived recoil may be a lot less than a 308 shooting factory ammo. A 300 Win Mag can be loaded to 2400fps with 150gr bullets, which is much less than a factory 308.

As she gains confidence, you can up the load.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I'd get her a 243 gas op auto, like the Remington, and i'd shorten the stock as needed, to add a SHOTGUN recoil pad. I might even go full bore and have a compensator added, just too make sure that she enjoys shooting it (a lot). I'd also reload and assemble some "half power" loads to get her started

Seriously, it's just a 243.

 

[Corn-Picker]

In my opinion you're going about it all wrong, no offense. If she's like most ladies she will be best servd by a compact/youth/lady model. I'd worry about rifle size and fit way more than caliber. Let her try a bunch of different rifles and pick the one that fits best, then see what calibers it's available in. Some suggestions (less pricey to more pricey):

Budget:
TC Venture Compact (223 through 308)

Midpriced:
Weatherby synthetic compact (223 through 308)

Six to seven hundred dollars:
CZ 527 youth carbine (7.62x39 or 223)
Browning x-bolt micro midas (223 through 308)
Savage lady hunter (223 through 308)

223 is legal for deer in PA, and carries enough energy out to 100-150 yards to put them down. The nice thing about 223 (and the CZ in 7.62x39), is that your wife can practice with steel cased ammo for $0.25/round, and the recoil won't bother her if she shoots 100 rounds during a practice session. If someone has a rifle that fits them and has fired a few hundred rounds for practice they should be deadly on deer.

 

[Candyman87]

If you handload, you can go bigger from the start.

Don't assume that women have to shoot small calibers.

For example, you can start her on a 30-06 with 180 grain bullets at 2300 fps. Perceived recoil may be a lot less than a 308 shooting factory ammo. A 300 Win Mag can be loaded to 2400fps with 150gr bullets, which is much less than a factory 308.

As she gains confidence, you can up the load.

Not assuming she has to shoot a smaller caliber. She has expressed interest in not shooting something that hurts as much as my .30-06.

I only have one .30-06 and we can't hunt with it at the same time so a new gun will be bought. It's an opportunity to find something that meets her needs with factory ammo (and/or reloads) instead of de-tuning other larger caliber loads.

There's no reason for her to rely on my hand loads to shoot what she wants.

 

[ldlfh7]

You may also consider ammo availability at stores like wal-mart during panic times. If I recall 270, 30-06, 7mm-08 and 243 were never out of stock. However 308 disappeared pretty quickly.
Just a thought.

 

[Candyman87]

In my opinion you're going about it all wrong, no offense. If she's like most ladies she will be best servd by a compact/youth/lady model. I'd worry about rifle size and fit way more than caliber. Let her try a bunch of different rifles and pick the one that fits best, then see what calibers it's available in.

Thanks and that's what I'm planning to do. Most of the models she's looking at come in the calibers I've asked about. Of course fit is most important, but so is recoil management. Since whitetail will be the biggest thing we'll be hunting, there's no need for something with the energy to take down a large elk.

She actually fits full size stocks better than ladies' or kids stocks. She's 5'5" and athletic. She fits my rifles well but has to adjust her neck for the required eye relief.

We will be trying the fit on a few models in her price range and then will narrow down the caliber. Still don't want to walk away with a .308 if a .243 will have the same effect and be more enjoyable to shoot.

 

[shooter1niner]

I'm with Sunray...

For the wife with the .243, I've used 105 gr. Nosler Partitions with success.
Off the bench she can hit suspended golf balls at 100 yds...

The .257 Roberts or .25-06 - 117 gr. Hornady soft points.

The .270 - 130 gr. soft points.

No need for heavy bullets for whitetail. An easy on the shoulder to shoot rifle will help greatly with shot placement.

 

[judgedelta]

You can get "reduced recoil" loads for most calibers. Good to start with, at least. I've got a .308 Remington 700 LTR with a 20" barrel, but plenty of weight to handle the kick. Don't know if they're still in production, but might find a used one cheap. Try to borrow several for her to try before you buy... My experience is that recoil on a .270 is not much less than an '06.

 

[Sam1911]

Fit is key, as others have said. Do make sure you're measuring correctly for length-of pull, especially. Then proper height and positioning of optics (or sights) for the kind of shooting she's going to be doing. (Do you hunt with a bench-rest or similar rest, or will she be shooting kneeling, offhand, or in a rested off-hand position?) Do some research and learn how to set up a rifle to help her succeed in the field, not just off of the bench down at your local range.

Having said all that, there's nothing in Eastern PA that needs a lot of horsepower to kill. .243 is fine, 7-'08 is fine, .260 Rem, .257 Roberts is great. And you know what might REALLY do the trick? How about that new .357 Magnum bolt-action from Ruger? A pal has one and that's a REALLY cool gun. Put some 180 grain loads in it and go right through both sides of any dear in the Commonwealth.

Of course a Marlin 336 in .30-30 or .35 Remington would work really well, too.

 

[BigBore45]

Find a good fitting gun. Then pick caliber, my wife has a .243 Winchester and Kansas deer are good sized. I am confident in that caliber too 400 yards. If you look on YouTube there is a woman that takes a good sized elk at 600+ yards with a 243.

 

[oldcelt]

The .257 Roberts, an old favorite of mine as is the 7x 57 Mauser

 

[P-h-w]

If you're a roll your own guy I'll vote for a .25-06, .260 rem, 6.5 creed.257 Rob or Roy. I like those light and fast rounds on deer...

 

[Gtscotty]

I think .243 is the best choice in this case, it's very comfortable to shoot, suitable ammo is available everywhere, and it kills deer as dead as they get. I would agree with the folks that said choose the rifle carefully with fit in mind, it really does make a difference in felt recoil; any commercial bolt action you choose will be available in .243.

 

[cdb1]

I find it highly unusual that a full size stock fits her better than a youth/compact. The vast majority of women do better with a youth stock. I sell guns for a living and every once in a great while do I wait on a woman that needs a full stock. My daughter is 5'7" with long arms and her Weatherby Vanguard S2 Youth .243 fits her much better than any full size stock rifle she has tried. I'm not saying a full size stock doesn't fit your girlfriend better, it's just that it would be unusual, especially at her height.

Most women do need a higher comb than men. The Bear Tooth comb raising kit is an easy and inexpensive fit. Savage also makes the Lady Hunter with an appropriately high comb but they are pricey.

IMO the Vanguard S2 Youth is the best of the youth rifles should she go that route. As one poster stated though, she might shock you with her choice and it does need to be her choice. The .243 is a great round on coyotes and deer.

 

[tomrkba]

Rent and/or borrow guns and let her try them.

 

[Corn-Picker]

I find it highly unusual that a full size stock fits her better than a youth/compact. The vast majority of women do better with a youth stock. I sell guns for a living and every once in a great while do I wait on a woman that needs a full stock. My daughter is 5'7" with long arms and her Weatherby Vanguard S2 Youth .243 fits her much better than any full size stock rifle she has tried. I'm not saying a full size stock doesn't fit your girlfriend better, it's just that it would be unusual, especially at her height.

Most women do need a higher comb than men. The Bear Tooth comb raising kit is an easy and inexpensive fit. Savage also makes the Lady Hunter with an appropriately high comb but they are pricey.

IMO the Vanguard S2 Youth is the best of the youth rifles should she go that route. As one poster stated though, she might shock you with her choice and it does need to be her choice. The .243 is a great round on coyotes and deer.

I agree with you 100%.

I'm a 5'6" guy with orangutan arms (my reach is significantly greater than my height) and I always buy youth/compact rifles. I can handle recoil if the stock is short, but as soon as the stock gets long I can't get the butt pad in my pocket unless my arm is stretched forward, at which point there's no "meat" in the pocket and then the recoil hurts like heck. The short LOP is also nice during deer season, when I may be wearing a puffy down parka.

I have a Weatherby Vanguard S2 youth in 308, a TC Dimension in 223, and a CZ 527 youth carbine in 7.62x39. All have a 12.50-12.75" LOP and the Weatherby and TC have high combs that are perfect for scopes, while the low CZ stock is perfect for a peep sight.

 

[mshootnit]

Interesting how the OP put forth a very specific scenario and ended up with caliber suggestions from 223 up to 30-06.

 

[Chuck R.]

I'll 2nd (or 3rd/4th) the .260.

I put the little MOD 7 pictured in .260 with a Leupold V3 2.5-8X together last year for my 12 year old son. Reloaded a 100 grn Ballistic Tip to approximate a lite .243 (2800 fps) and he killed his 1st whitetail with it in SEP. It makes a nice, light, compact package. Loaded with premium 14o grainers and it's adequate for about anything in the lower 48.



Chuck

 

[WYO]

The .243 should be plenty adequate. In a rifle that fits properly with a good recoil pad attached (which may require the stock to be cut down to the correct overall length), felt recoil should be minimal.

 

[Slamfire]

Either the 257 Roberts




Or the 6.5 X 55 Swede.






A M70 featherweight in these calibers is light enough and yet won't recoil badly. I think both cartridges are better choices for hunting than the 243 Win.

 

[murf]

a quick-and-dirty way of measuring correct length-of -pull is to hold the unloaded firearm straight up in the crook of the arm (elbow joint) and put the trigger finger on the trigger. the finger should lay on the trigger "just right", not too long and not too short.

fit is important. not fighting recoil is important (butt firmly in shoulder). a recoil pad helps when bench shooting the gun as the body is at a bad angle to the gun. have her shoot standing and see if that reduces felt recoil.

luck,

murf

p.s. i vote for the 243 winchester caliber

 

[Catpop]

243 is a very good choice for a lady and men who have bad shoulders (like me).
That said, I'm having a ball with 30-06 150 gr and 60% reduced H4895 loads. At 200 yards the accuracy is there!
Advice to you---- guide her BUT don't lead her into something she will regret later. Put together a fun range day with your hunting buddies (and spouses) to let her shoot as many different setups as possible. She will indicate which one she likes most. Who knows, there may be more wives join the fun. Remember to finish the day by taking them out to eat afterwards.
Good luck!

 

[Gtscotty]

A M70 featherweight in these calibers is light enough and yet won't recoil badly. I think both cartridges are better choices for hunting than the 243 Win.

The .243 kills deer just fine. Your response would make sense for a gun-nut/reloader like most of us here, but this thread is about a girl who just wants a light recoiling rifle for deer hunting. Also, it sounds like the OP and his girlfriend don't really plan on reloading for her rifle, at least right away. There is much, much more .243 ammo available, generally at a cheaper price than there is .257 Roberts, or 6.5x55. I just don't see much point the OP urging his girlfriend towards less common calibers, when her requirements are simple, and easily met by something like the ubiquitous .243.

 

[MEHavey]

The .243 kills deer just fine....

+1
Ahem... there are some 3-dozen mule deer and 13 antelope in California & New Mexico that found that out over the years.

 

[VoodooMountain]

243 is a boring answer

25-06 is one people often overlook but it is a great round for anything smaller than elk. If you handload you can mimic 257 Roberts loads that hardly recoil at all and are very capable for deer.

7mm-08 has light recoil with factory ammo and she can use factory reduced loads and it is still a very effective cartridge.

260 is also an awesome round but ammo may not be as available.

I can't really give any advice on a model of bolt gun as I have no way of knowing what will fit her best but don't go too light or get a compact barrel. A Remington model 7 might be a good place to start or even the 700.

I'm having somewhat of the same problem right now with my wife. She has been using a youth model gun but now wants a full size gun. I would narrow down your options, taker her to the gun store, and steer her gently toward the options you have in your head for caliber and model. She gets to choose her own rifle and you know it will do the job. Just my opinion.

Felt recoil depends on a couple of factors but the 270 recoils about as much as a 30-06 in most cases.