What gun to get for my wife

[Grits]

Recentely a few of my guns were stolen from my home and as a result I have insurace money to by some replacement guns.

I had my wife set up to hunt with my .308 lever action rifle this year but that was one of the guns they took. I am looking for a lighter shorter gun that doesn't kick like a mule but still gets the job done on a deer.

Anyone have some suggestions? She absolutely won't shoot my 7mm or 300 win mag and my 30.06 is a little on the heavy side for her to pack all day.

Where should I shop for guns in the Salem area?

[Drifty]

A .243 is a pretty good gun for deer. It dosent kick real hard and is a nice gun for a woman. I'm thinking about getting one for my wife she can't quite handle the 30-06 It is a little to heavy and kicks too hard for her.

[OneLastCast]

Several years ago I bought a Browning 25-06 for the wife and she couldn't be happier. She's harvested several deer and elk with it and has not had any problems with to much recoil.

OneLastCast

[Get Bit]

The caliber is a personal preference based on how much recoil she is willing to take vs. the game you are intending to pursue. As far as the rifle make and model is concerned,
I would take a serious look at the Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle. That model is incredibly small and light weight and should be perfect for her. I shoot this same model in a .270 and its a dream to carry all day up the sage brush hills of Eastern Oregon. I wish you good luck in your search.
Get Bit

[Dogfish]

I bought a new rifle this year that wouldn't require you to get different ammo. The rifle in question is called the Gibbs Quest Extreme III. It is an Enfield 2A that is magazine fed, shoots .308 WIN ammo, has a muzzle brake, and is nickel plated. It costs about $320, and has a sythetic stock that will take any kind of abuse she can dish out. Check out gibbsrifleco.com.

I bought two of these for my boys, and also bought a few Enfiled Mark 4 stocks so that I can cut them down to size.

Both rifles are relatively accurate, about 2.5" at 100 yards with open sights from the bench. The actions are tight, but after firing a few boxes, it should work just fine.

Andy

[jet]

.270 period! In a MT. Rifle they are lighter

Jet~~~

[ 09-22-2001: Message edited by: jet ]

[Snake9t9]

My mom hunted with my dad and I and was always a little recoil shy. My Dad however insisted that she use a caliber with acceptible knock down power for elk. She found the perfect package for her in a remington model 7600 30.06. The reduced recoil of the semi auto was perfect for her. Also, you may want to take her shopping with you. Many women tend to lean toward a lighter gun. Remind her during the selection process that a ligher gun will produce more felt recoil in a specific caliber. A good quality, wide, paded sling will ease the burden of packing a slightly heavier gun. A B.A.R. might also be a good choice for a women if you are looking for a hevier caliber.

[Dogfish]

Hi Snake,

Welcome to the board!

Sorry to be a firearms nerd, but the rifle you're referring to is a 740, 742, or a 7400. They are all semi-autos, with a few differences. The 760-7600 series rifles are all pumps. Both have been chambered from the .243 Win up to a .35 Whelen from the factory.

I have an old 740, mfg'd in 1965, and I love it. It is chambered in .30-06, and I inherited it from my grampa Forrest. The recoil is lighter than a bolt gun, but it will still get ya.

Andy

[Snake9t9]

You are correct sir. Sorry I was thinking about my 760 .270 pump while I was typin' that. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Tilla]

I had a nice Ruger lightweight .270 once. Then I went out of town on business for a week. When I got back I found that my wife took the rifle to the shop and had the stock cut (she is 5', 105 lbs) and had the trigger pull adjusted . She knew that the Browning BLR .243 was not enough gun for the Elk hunt that fall and did something about it. I think the .270 is a well rounded calber, just ask my wife! [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Dogfish]

Tilla,

Is she still your wife? Mine had better ask me before doing something like that. (JK) Cool that you got her to go out in the field with you. Andy

[Rauly]

For deer hunting I would recomend a .243 cal. in whatever gun she likes.

[Capin' Dan]

Grits you could do some things to a 7mm or 300 that would really knock the recoil down. take it to a gun smith and have a custom recoil pad and a muzzle brake made for it. might cost you a hundred bucks but well worth it. My 15 year old daughter shoots a browning 30-06 and has always done just fine strait out of the box. I think the heavier wieght cuts down the recoil some.

Dan!

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

The returning deer hunter has an opinion...

I'd suggest a 7mm-08 for your wife in a Model 7 or 700 Mountain rifle for your wife. It's a little more versatile than a .243 as you can use it for bigger game, but the recoil level is only slightly more.

If you handload for it and load the stronger 150 grain bullets it could even be used for open country elk where one can pick their shots.

Oh...my trip.. the deer won but just barely. I had the potential for 4 shots within the capability of my recurve.... took 3 shots, lost one arrow. Those recurves sure are light compared to compound bows.

[Fish Hunter]

Ditto on the Remington model 7. Got one for my wife and she likes it. It has a trim 20" barrel on it so there is so much less weight to hold up for her. The 180gr bullet elk loads in .308 are tough on the shoulder. She can do it. She needed a gun suitable for elk and deer. We use 150gr. bullets though it for deer and practice and the recoil is ok. 7mm-08 would suit your wife well I bet.

[Snapset]

BAR .243 hands down. They even make a lightweight version of it and the kick is non-existent. For elk, I would go with either a .308 or a .257 Roberts, both soft shooting. IMHO a .270 is one of the hardest kickers around. And I usually shoot a 7 mag.

[Snake9t9]

I agree with snapset. My .270 seems to have more recoil than my 30.06 or .300 win. The .300 is more of a shove than kick and the 30.06 just dosn't seem as sharp. That light weight .270 has a respectable recoil IMHO.

[Osprey]

If she's only gonna hunt deer go with a 243 in a mtn rifle,if she might hunt elk....280 rem in the same rifle.......Os

Pround to be an American

[HOGTIDE]

Actually two different factors are being weighed in the discussions above. One is the 'pounds' of recoil produced by a given cartridge. The other is the 'perceived' recoil transmitted by a specific brand/make/style of rifle.

E.g. A .270 does NOT produce more pounds of recoil than a 7mm mag. However, a .270 is frequently surrounded by a lighter stock, action and barrel than a 7mm mag, which in its reduced weight and inequitable ratio of weight/recoil gives the shooter a greater 'perceived' feeling of recoil.

I shoot a .300 Wby mag that doesn't punch much harder than my short action .308. But, the Weatherby has a barrel that is 6" longer, a stock designed to push energy up, rather than back, and it weighs in at about 3.5# more.

Perhaps the best approach to finding a rifle for your wife is to first decide on the smallest cartrige that you know will effectively get the job done on whatever game you choose to pursue. Then...find a rifle in 'that cartridge' in the heaviest weight that your wife is able to carry and aim comfortably.(You can check that out at the store)

Your wife's best combo for lower recoil is a low pressure cartridge in a heavier firearm. Its actually easier to shoot offhand accurately with a heavier weapon...especially during those huffin' and puffin' hikes!

Good Luck

John

* If you know the spec.s on your favorite cartridge, you can go to the 'RECOIL CALCULATOR' found on the front page of huntamerica.com. Find out what kind of back-pressure your favorite load is producing!

[ 09-27-2001: Message edited by: HOGTIDE ]

[Snapset]

Amen to everything Hogtide just wrote.

[WaterDog]

So………If I were to buy a Remington Model 7 for me would that make me a women? [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] I’ve been eyeing that gun for a while. I would think it would make a great brush gun like my Marlin.

[Osprey]

I don't think it matters what caliber you shoot,the deer sure doesn't know the difference [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
when I was Kid,I hunted for years with a 250 savage and killed a ton of critters,
Bottom line is to be comfortable with what ever you shoot,a well placed shot with a 243 is lot better than a nissed placed shot from a 338.......Os



Proud to be an American

[Fish Hunter]

Waterdog, I love that Model 7. It's my main deer rifle when the wife's not hunting. Makes a great brush gun. Snaps on target really fast with the 2x7 Nikon scope. Love it on long hikes.
I do notice that I shoot heavier rifles better offhand. The original rifle shot 1.5" groups with factory ammo, but had a flawed chamber, the spent cases would lock up the bolt siezing in the chamber. Remington finally replaced the whole rifle after months and months with it at the factory. If I had to buy something to replace it just for myself I would look harder at the Mtn. Rifle, just a little heavier , with a 22" barrel vs. 20" for the M7.

[HOGTIDE]

If you buy that model 7 in a .416 Rigby, you will be considered a man amoung men [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] ....at least til you squeeze the trigger the first time! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]