New Deer Rifle for the Wife... Any Suggestions???

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knoxx45

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My wife hunts with me. We usualy hunt whitetails. Her gun is a 20 ga youth shotgun. She wants to start using a rifle (after shooting my AR this weekend). My Question is: What is a good deer round that is between a 243 win and 308 that does not kick too much and may be available in a woman's/youth bolt action. She is 5'6", 115lbs, and is not terribly recoil sensetive, but does not like heavy recoil. I was more interested in caliber, but if anyone has any gun/load combos that would work well, please let me know.

thanks,
-Knoxx
 
Check out a 260 Remington or a 7mm-08. Both are based on the 308 round, but necked down to 6.5 and 7mm, respectively.

My personal choice would be the 260 as it uses the wonderfully efficient 6.5mm bullets which have very high sectional densities. They will penetrate deer quite well and yet not recoil very much. But if you just aren't quite comfortable with a smaller round then the 7mm should do just as well with only a little more kick.

Neither round is as easy to find as say 30-06 or 308, but since you narrowed it down to something above 243, then that's the price you pay.
 
I'm not ruling out the 243

I'm just saying that is, in my opinion, the smallest caliber for deer. I was accually thinking of the 7-08, but having never shot one, I don't know what the recoil is like, or what guns in comes in- (youth/ladies size). She is typically very good with shot placement, so as long as the bullet does its job, i guess I was more concerned with recoil. Also... what other game could you comfortably take with a 243, 7-08, 260, etc.

thanks..
 
In addition to the 260 Rem. and 7mm-08 Rem. already mentioned you might also look at the venerable 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser cartridge. Most manufacturers still offer it in several rifles. Also, don't forget the good ole 30-30 Win. It's a nice little 30 cal round with mild recoil, and those Marlin and Winchester leverguns are handy rifles. Ruger also made some M77 MkIIs in 7.62x39, another light 30 cal round. If she likes the idea of a levergun one in 44 Mag or 357 Mag is another great idea; both are very mild out of a carbine and the bbl length lets them build some great velocity & energy. Finally the semi-auto Ruger Deerfield carbine in 44 Mag would be a less thought of, but still very viable option.
 
Based on the availability of rifles and factory ammo and taking into consideration ballistic performance, I think you'd be hard-presses to beat the .25-06. Soft-recoiling, flat shooting and potent enough to use for elk with good shot placement. It has a considerable advantage over the .243 in energy and bullet weight, with a far better trajectory than a .260 or 7mm-08. This is not to suggest that the others aren't good rounds, just that the .25-06 is one of the finest hunting cartridges available for recoil-sensitive shooters.

On a personal note, I am not recoil-sensitive, but I use my .25-06 for everything from praire rats to cow elk (When I have a bull tag, I take my .375 Ultra). It will literally fling praire dog parts 20 feet with 75 gr. HP's or V-maxes (3716 FPS) but will also drop large deer in their tracks with 100 gr. Barnes TSX (3577 FPS) or 117 gr. Sierras (3182 FPS). These are all warm handloads, but do not flatten primers. It's extremely flat trajectory and my confidence in the rifle/scope combo mean that a B&C buck 600 yards across a rivine is not an impossibility; it just means I need a good, steady firing position!

The .25-06 is just a very flexible cartridge for all game up to 500 lbs or so.
 
I'd suggest that whatever caliber you pick, see whether there's a Remington Managed Recoil load available in that caliber. (I see that they even have it in 30-30 now; that's got to be a real easy load to shoot.)

I went four-for-four on deer last season with this ammunition in .30-06, and the recoil was (just like Remington advertises) less than a normal 30-30 load.

Another idea--get her a Marlin 1894C in .357 magnum. Very light recoil, handy little rifle, great ballistics on deer within 100 yards (though I've not hunted with one myself). My wife, who is quite petite and is no fan of recoil at all, pronounced the 1894C "cute" and "fun". Very high praise from her!
 
Savage and Remington market a shorter stocked "youth" model but we all could probably use a bit less stock while dressed in winter garb. 7mm-08 would be great but if recoil is too much (shouldn't be) back down to the .243.
Good luck,
GeoW:)
 
I would go with the 7mm-08 Remington. With that cartridge and a premium bullet you can cleanly take whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn, elk, moose, black bears, wild hogs, and pretty much anything short of big bears (and with proper shot placement and a brave heart you can take them too).
 
Browning BAR in .270 would be just fine If you ask me. Nice, clean, mid weight, Ok price and accurate.
 
I like the 25-06 out of any caliber between 24 and 27 made. They're just awesome for their smaller size. It would make a nice rifle for a female. If not, a 257 roberts is also nice and a little less kick than a 25-06
 
I recently bought a Winchester M-70 featherweight in 25 WSSM, and am highly impressed...25-06 performance, 243 recoil...And although you can't get the Winchester any more, you CAN get the Browning micro medalion youth rifles chambered in the WSSM calibers...
 
Any quater bore 25 wssm, 25-06 (probably the best, easiest to find) or find a savage action and slap a 250 savage barrel on it...uses abuy 2/3's the 25-06 powder and still gets to around 3000 or so fps with 100 grainers. after that waht has been suggested will be great 260/7mm-08...either or
 
I have used a 257 Roberts for years with Hornady 117 grain bullets.It works.
Byron
 
I concur with GTSteve03 and others regarding the 260 Remington. I think it's just the ticket for the situation you've described. As mentioned however, selection of ammo is a bit thin. I use 140gr. Remington Premier Core-Lokt Ultra, saving my brass for eventual reloading.

stellarpod
 
7.08 , 6.5 swedish, or 257 roberts are fantastic , very effective, light recoiling rounds. Plus the 6.5 swedish is not only super accurate, but alot of manufacturers are making them now. Plus you can get milsurp for it .
Another very good round would be the 25.06.
 
now that being said, there are a couple of fantastic rifles out there to get; a cz in 6.5 swede or 762.39. I have the 762. and it is just fantastic. Also if , i say IF, you can find it, go to a gun show or gunstore and look for an old Remmington Mohawk or 688 or 788 in 6mm. The 6mm bullet is like a 243 on steroids, and the Mohawks have 16 to 18 inch bbls, weigh about 4 lbs, and some of them have the ultra cool vent rib that starts at the bbl receiver, and goes all the way to the muzzle. ruger also makes this rifle in a brand new rifle all the time.
Also Kimber and howa make a Remake of the old carl gustav swedish rifles, the cut them short, clean them all up, recut rifling, put them in black syth stocks. they are great also , and you can get them for between 300 and 400 dollars.
 
7mm-08 Rem. Model 7

Will be just the ticket. Recoil is between the .243 Win. and the .308 Win.
The mod. 7 is a fine rifle and is available in the youth stock but I'd have her put both to her shoulder before making a choice.
 
I played with a Ruger .243, scout style rifle the other day, excellent ergonomics and a slightly shorter than normal LOP. The only down side is the forward scope mount but if all the shooting is within a couple of hundred yards a extended eye relief 4x should work perfect on it.

Personally I'd limit my hunting to small to medium size deer with a .243, maybe 150-200 punds. The .260 maybe a little more, a 7mm - 08 should be good up to Caribou size, maybe elk with a good shot and the right bullet.
 
For your purposes any of the mid caliber chamberings will get it done. .243, 6 mm Remington, 257 Robertts, 25-06, 260 Remington, 6.5 x 55, 7 x 57. As I've said before, I believe there are so many good rounds available with the differences between them being very minor that it is much more important to get a good rifle and scope combination that fits and you have confidence in and will actually practice with, than to agonize over what chambering is "ideal".
 
wow... Thanks for all of the help

I like the .25 idea because i've always wanted a .257 Weatherby, so, that makes one less box of bullets to buy for reloading... on second thought... it may only complicate things... oh well. So that just leaves the which one question.

Is the 25-06 a 30-06 necked down to 25 cal.? if so, is recoil really that light? Not that I disbelieve any one, but i have never shot one.

I also like the lever action in a pistol cal. (.357, .44, or .45 colt) idea. It can be her hunting rifle and my fun rifle.

You guys are great, so much help, so many options. Almost too many. Naha... can never have too many when it comes to rifles.
 
Don't forget the 30-30! Recoil is mild, it's probably killed more deer than everything else combined, ammo is very inexpensive & available EVERYWHERE, rifles are fairly cheap, lever action offers a quick second shot and are easy to operate.

My suggestion: Have her at least try a Marlin 336 in 30-30 at your closest Wal-Mart to see if it shoulders well.
 
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