Deer rifle for my wife

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Another vote for a 357 carbine. Recoil is mild even with 180 gr hot loads and it's light and handy. Ammo is inexpensive and fun to shoot. More shooting = better proficientcy. Great gun for the wooded tree stand or stalkers.

I was doubtful until I witnessed it's effectiveness on deer. It leaves a nice big hole on both sides of the deer and it won't be far away from where it was shot. If mild recoil and accurate shots under 100 yards are the goal, it's the cartridge.
 
.357 lever would be great for her. The Marlins are fantastic, but the Rossi is just as good in my opinion and cheaper as well. However, the Rossi is a top eject like the old Winchester 94s. Very little recoil.
 
Something I just thought of... Do the Rossi's have cresent buttplates or shotgun style? Reason I ask is my experience is shotgun style buttplates shoulder quicker. YMMV. As has been said elsewhere, and the Hornady 5th Edition load manual shows it (rifle section vs. revolver section reading identical loads), if a .357 gives 1300fps from a revolver, it'll give 1600fps from a 18" barrel carbine. Thick cover, shots'll be limited to 40-50yds, or they are where I hunt. .357mag (158gr SP) placed right- upper lungs- from a carbine should be more than adequet.
 
I like the 6.5x55 Swede, accurate and low-recoil. The .260 Rem should be about the same, I think it's the same 6.5mm bullet in a necked-down .308 case, could be called 6.5mm08.

Regards.
 
Budget?

The Husquvarna's mentioned above are inexpensive rifles of quality. Sarcoinc.com has been selling them for under $300. They are common in 6.5x55 (optimum).

Winchester or Marlin 30-30’s (or 357’s) are another choice. Should be easy to find around $200.

I like the NEF/H&R Handi-rifle line. I think you should be able to find one 30-30, 243 or 7-08. Buy new at less than $200 and get a youth stock for an extra $30.

If you handload, you can make almost anything work.

David
 
Light recioling calibers that are good for deer?

Easy.

The 6.5x55 (my favorite), 7x57mm Mauser (a classic that people often overlook), 7mm-08, 243 Winchester, 260 Remington and maybe the 25-06.

Anything smaller than these is very qusetionable on stopping power for deer sized game, but any normal sized bolt gun in these calibers (Ruger 77, Remington 700, Winny Mod.70s) should be fairly easy on the shoulder for anyone.

- Brickboy240
 
only1asterisk:

Winchester or Marlin 30-30’s (or 357’s) are another choice. Should be easy to find around $200.
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As I've said plenty of times, I like my Winchester .30-30 and I like Marlin's 357 carbine. The stock sight will do for a 100yd kill shot, provided you can see the sights and your target.

I like the NEF/H&R Handi-rifle line. I think you should be able to find one 30-30, 243 or 7-08. Buy new at less than $200 and get a youth stock for an extra $30.
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I like this line of rifles too. As I've mentioned in another thread or two, I'm fixin' to get a .30-30 barrel for mine. Those come with sights and drilled and tapped for scope mounts. That youth stock might be a good option too.

If you handload, you can make almost anything work.
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Right. I refer back to Layne Simpson's article in this month's Shooting Times. He's talking about his results handloading a .30-30 with 150gr spitzer SP's in a TC Contender and stretching a 200yd deer rifle out to 300yds accurately and with power to spare.

Also, by handloading, you can get .30-30 performance out to 100yds from a .357magnum carbine.
 
Just my two cents

You've gotten some good advice. Gun fit and how a rifle feels is the most important factor...My choices in ascending order would be .243, .257,.260/6x55 and 7/08. Too many good choices......Essex
 
NateG said:
I think the contenders are:
.243
6.5 Swede
.260
7.62x39 (if, somehow, I find a cheap used CZ 527 carbine for sale... but I doubt anyone'd be willing to part with one.)

I wish the contenders included:
.25-06
7mm08
.270
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So why are the .25-06 and 7mm-08 out of the running? They are the most flexible of all those listed, save perhaps the 6.5x55. IMO, the .25-06 is probably the ideal round for a recoil-sensitive shooter. Even with magnum-level loads it is still quite mild, but it can be used effectively on elk with good shot placement (I use mine for elk). It has an extrememly flat trajectory and 117 gr. boat tail .257" bullets have an excellent ballistic coefficient. Factory ammo availability is similar to .243, .270, etc. It is also unrivaled as a long-range varmint round with 75 or 87 gr. pills. You can get a Ruger M77 MkII in either caliber for under $500 NIB.


Another question: Say I get one of the 6.5/.243/.260 cartridges, what would you say is the minimum load for shooting whitetails out to about 100 yards? Or factory hunting loads that aren't too hot?

Thanks again,
Nate
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For .244" cartridges, I would use 100 or 105 grain bullets. For .264", go 120 or 140.

FWIW, there is not a real good selection of 6.5 Swede factory ammo at most stores. Norma and a couple others load it, but it never gained a whole lot of popularity with most hunters. Same for the .260 Rem.; just never caught on. 7.62x39 is widely available in cheap plinking ammo, but decent hunting ammo is a bit harder to find. Of the four in your "likely" category, .243 is definitely your best bet. But if she ever plans to hunt elk, it is a bit light.

I strongly recommend the .25-06.

Happy hunting!
 
I've started women and kids on the 6.5x55 Swedish and its ballistic twin, the .260 Remington. Recoil is never a problem. Getting the rifle back so I can use it is.
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I couldn't pry a Sauer 202 in 6.5 Swede out of my wife's hands, either, so it's hers now. It is an interesting cartridge with a lot of flexibility for the handloader although factory ammo is downloaded for use in milsurps, is hard to find, and expenseive. 6.5mm bullets have good BCs and SDs and come in weights from 100 to 160 grains. The action on the Swede is longer than the traditional short action, so a handloader can do more with it than with a true short action gun with a 2.8" magazine box. The bigger action also makes the gun weigh a bit more, which also aids in dampening recoil. My wife is launching 125 grain partitions at 2820 fps and does not notice the recoil at all.

Our 12 year old son likes his 7mm-08 though. He is shooting 140 grain Triple Shocks downloaded to 2500fps. It bucks slightly more than the Swede.
 
Another vote for .260. It's what I bought my Mountain Rifle in 4 years ago. Shoots great with low recoil, and the sectional density of a 140gr 6.5mm slug is pretty good (on par with something like a 160gr 7mm or a 190gr .308), so penetration shouldn't be an issue at all.

It seems to be quietly popular around here. The few I've spotted on the used racks don't seem to stay put very long, and the same is true of the odd factory new ones that pop up.
 
Sorry to resurrect the thread...

But I (finally) ended up getting my wife a rifle. I found a sporterized (rather nicely, I might add) vz24 mauser chambered in 7x57 for $100. I'll be handloading this one way down for her until she finds something she really wants, but this one will be the default if we don't find another before she comes hunting with me. Basically, I couldn't pass up the rifle for 100 bucks. I had bought the mauser's twin in .30-06 from the same store earlier, and really liked it.

Now I just have to find some 7mm mauser ammo... or wait a about a week for the package from Midway to come with the dies, brass, and bullets.

Thanks again for the advice.
 
My ex wife is 5´1" and she used to shoot a 25-06 Ruger no1 very well. she put many of the men to shame down the range and knocked over a few deer as well.
 
I've been using a Sauer .243 for years with fabulous results. It can be extremely accurate, is very flat and carries enough energy out to at least 300 yards for average size deer. The recoil is extremely mild even in a lightweight rifle. I couldn't recommend it higher.
 
Seems like a choice between a very affordable, synthetic stock - single shot, or a better quality, higher priced rifle that you could resell if she tires of hunting, or gets ready for a change.
 
the best of these two is the swede. but better than that... go to a gunshow or a gunshop and find an old remmy 600 . they weigh about 5 to 6 pounds, have a 16 in bbl. and fire the best midround ever made, the 6mm remmy. flat and as long almost as a 2506, with less kick, and much longer bbl life, than a 243, with a 90 or so grn bullet , that is about 200 fps faster than a 243.
 
does she enjoy shooting Handguns?

My G/F tryed for a long time to get a Rifle That was the right "fit" for her. Tryed alot of different actions and Calibers...she never really found one she liked to hunt with.

So i suggested trying Hunting with a Handgun. Shes Been planning hunting trips ever since.

No mind you it will require her to be a bit more adventerous and get closer to the target...but that all part of the stock. You never know she may take to it like my G/F.

If not I would suggest a Lever Action as some of the above posters have listed. Honestly its all about preferance when it comes to lever actions (most the time its what there grand pappy used or they learned to shoot on).

Or a Remington 700 BDL. Great bolt action rifle. Reliable and a Great rifle if your looking to customise later.

Anyways Goodluck with whatever you 2 decide on.
 
Congratulations on your 7x57. A true classic round that will most assuredly do the job. And that round properly SHOULD come from a mauser rifle. Good luck with it and I hope she loves it.
 
Some light recoilers for deer:

-.243 win
-6mm rem
-.357 mag (short-range)
-.45 colt (short-range)

Tad heavier recoil:
-.44 mag (short-range)
-7.62x39mm
-.30-30 win
-.257 robts
-250-3000 savage

A bit heavier yet, but still relatively low:
-.260 rem
-6.5x55 swede
-.35 rem
-.25-'06

I'd go with .243 or 6.5x55mm myself...
 
I would include a .303 British in this mix too. The recoil's not heavy. Even if the rifle were re-stocked to be lighter to carry and fit the shooter's length of pull, the felt recoil still won't be bad. Use an aperture rear sight zeroed to 200yds and it'll hit minute-of-claybird to 200yds (depending on the barrel) with PMP's 174gr SP offering. There's been a lot of deer killed with .303's too, as have many with .30-40 Krag.

But, I agree concerning the 7x57 Mauser based on what I know of it.
 
my 1944 no.4 Mki* fires 303....and it kicks like a beast.

The 303 can have a very powerful recoil.
 
Go with the 243 it will do more than enough unless she trys to kill an elephant;)
 
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