270. or 30-06 for a female beginer??

Both my sons started and have stayed with "lightly used" Rem 700's in 7mm08. Both have since used them to kill numerous deer and one elk each. Buy a decent quality gun and you won't be sorry. I believe the best low recoil rounds that are still fully "moose capable" are the 7mm08 and 6.5x55. A .270/130 grain kills and kicks about the same as they do, but has noticeably more muzzle blast, especially if you choose a short barrel rifle. I don't like when people who are not expert marksmen use a .243 for moose. Just no room for less than perfect bullet placement.
 
For the "budget-minded", a Tikka T3 Lite, in synthetic/blue in caliber 260,
6.5 x 55, or 7mm-08.

For a few more bucks, the Remington Mod. 7 CDL in 260 or 7mm-08.

Remington 710/770 Fuggedaboudit !
 
What does beginner mean? Never shot a rifle or beginning to hunt? Advancing someone to 270 or 30-06 is a disaster. My wife was doing fine with a .22 long rifle. The lightest recoiling rifle was a 40X in 6mm Remington weighing over 13 LB. One shot and she has never shot again . . . Plus there is a lot of difference between 5'2" and 100 LB vs. 150 - 200 - 250 and 300!!!
 
When you are making a mistake of such magnitude as buying a Remington 710 or 770, the difference in unsuitability for a novice between the .270 and the 30-06 is insignificant.
 
One more vote for the 6.5x55 suggestions. I'm a woman and recoil concerned me about my first big game rifle. The 6.5x55 recoils just enough to be fun:redface: And it is effective.

SG
 
So, Remington uses their "might" to tar & feather Jim Zumbo for his statements, I believe that those sonsa#####es should also reep the same treatment for producing such crap as the 710's and 770's. I won't buy even their 22 ammo ... fucj them.
 
I just bought 2 Stevens...just for ####s and giggles....1 in 7 MAG and 1 in 7mm-08....my wife loves the 7mm-08...no recoil at all. Cheap rifle or not...these Stevens shoot great
 
Mauser 6.5x55 they shoot well no recoil and they are cheap. Look on tradex you should find one that some midget european cut down. I had a 6.5 when I was kid and am still kicking my ass for selling it to buy a browning BLR, now that was ####!
 
Being a woman that has harvested 3 deer and one 2 year old black bear as well as several small game animals... I would strongly suggest a .243. Presently I stand 5' 3/4" tall and am petite. In my experience I think the Remington model 710 is not a well made gun. Neither is it thought very highly of. I used my Remington Model 7 in .243 for all my 4 big game.

In my experience as a petite female hunter, it's all about practice, bullet placement and bullet choice. In my opinion I would suggest to use Barnes X prejectiles for Moose and Regular factory loads for deer. I used a regular 100 grain factory load for my game, so far. If she's a new shooter/ unter I would make the experience a good one. If the gun is not heavy enough the recoil will set her the wrong way. She may not want to do it again. I am not recoil sensitive but after trying a .308 I went back to a .43 with a Stenvens model 200 in .243 as my hunting riffle choice.

Up in the North West Territories the First Nations use a .243 to harvest Caribou. All of my game have been with one clean shot... NO JOKE... If she really wants to use these higher calibre riffles, make sure she tries a few models before you buy one.

Good Luck, Fran
 
I am not sure, but I thought the stevens 200 only came in a few calibers - 270, 30-06, 7mm , .300 win mag. (good rifle for the money though)
I have held several 770/710's in the last few years, and they are TRULY pieces of CRAP!!!!!!! The trigger guard is part of the cheap molded stock, not metal, so if she drops the rifle and snaps off the trigger guard, she's screwed, you can't screw in a replacement. The action is rickety and the magazine is a joke.
I live in the NWT and a lot of the natives here use 222 or 223's for caribou, so a .243 will definately do. I borrowed a friends .243 several years ago when I moved here (as my rifles were still in my previous province locked up) and went up the ice road to get a few caribou.
I ran into a herd of appoximately 600 and took 5 good sized boo's with 7 shots (100 grain winchesters off the shelf) at well over 300 yards. It is enough rifle for most small to medium game.
 
sgt.rock said:
I am not sure, but I thought the stevens 200 only came in a few calibers - 270, 30-06, 7mm , .300 win mag. (good rifle for the money though)
Click to expand...

The Stevens 200 does come .243, I have one in my gun cabinet. It has a dark grey stock that I'll be painting bubblegum pink with grape camoflage soon... he he he... If you go to the Savagearms website and click on "Stevens" and then click on "Stevens Centre Fire" then on "Short Action" you'll see that the Stevens is made in a few calibres. Here's a copied selection from the site:

Stevens® Centerfire: http://www.savagearms.com/st_200short.htm

Stevens Model 200 - Short Action
Caliber: 223 REM, 22-250 REM, 243 WIN, 7MM-08 REM, 308 WIN
Overall Length:41.75"
Barrel Length: 22"
Weight: 6.5 lbs
Magazine Capacity: 4 rounds
Stock: Gray synthetic with positive checkering, dual pillar bedding
Sights
No sights. Drilled and tapped for scope mounts
Rifling Rate of Twist: 1 in 9" (223 REM)
1 in 9.25" (243 WIN)
1 in 9.5" (7MM-08 REM)
1 in 10" (308 WIN)
1 in 12" (22-250 REM)
Features
Standard trigger, blued barreled action, free-floating and button-rifled barrel, top loading internal box magazine, and swivel studs.

Suggested Retail: $346.00


I really think she'd like shooting this. Even in .308 the recoil is manageable but I am really a fan in the over all ability of the .243. It's definately my hunting riffle of choice.

Good Luck...
Fran
 
I disagree with the choice of a .243 as a big game cartridge. With no disrespect to Fran's experience, caribou seem to succumb to wounds that a whitetail won't, and the use of .22 centerfires for caribou is common throughout the north. A .243 is a pleasant cartridge to shoot, but IMHO big game cartridges start at the quarter bores with 120 gr bullets. Although not my first choice, provided I could use handloads, I would hunt any North American game with a .25/06, but not a .243. There is a great deal of game taken with various 6mm's, and as a pal of mine says, "It won't do em any good!" But the idea is for a quick humane kill, under all conditions and without concern for shot angle. There's a guy I know who always teases me about using "cannons", and he has taken moose (a lot of moose) successfully with single shots from a .22-250. When I suggest to him that the .22-250 is lacking as a big game rifle I get laughed at - although he often carries a .338 for bear work. This doesn't make a .22-250 a moose gun despite his experience and despite that cartridge's fantastic accuracy and low recoil.

If the issue boils down cost, there are fine Husqvarna 6.5X55 sporting rifles for sale at Tradex for the same money as the new Savage/Stevens rifles. Quality wise there is no comparison, and the M-1600 Husky is certainly the equivalent of the pre '64 M-70, and in some respects better. My wife's M-1600 Light Weight (.30/06) weights about 6.5 pounds. The 6.5 cartridge produces recoil similar to the .243, but it is a superior game killer with bullets ranging from 120 grs up to 160.

There are aspects of rifle choice more important than the cartridge it chambers. The rifle must be light enough that it does not fatigue the hunter who carries it. It's overall length must be such that it points naturally but does not snag on every branch in heavy cover. The length of pull must be correct so that the rifle shoulders in a natural fashion and that the cheek weld is the same every time. A good quality pad on a rifle that fits the shooter will tame even robust cartridges. The choice of sights and their subsequent mounting is no less important. Scope use is universal, and a good used scope trumps new junk for the same dollars. Mounts need to be strong and rigid regardless of the rifle's cartridge. The scope should not be mounted so far to the rear that the shooter get smacked when the piece recoils. Magnification should not be so high as to make the sight useless at close range. The trigger should break cleanly with a minimum of creep and over travel, but not be so light that the piece can be fired accidentally, nor so heavy that it causes the shooter to tremble.
 
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Boomer said:
I disagree with the choice of a .243 as a big game cartridge. A .243 is a pleasant cartridge to shoot, but IMHO big game cartridges start at the quarter bores with 120 gr bullets. Although not my first choice, provided I could use handloads, I would hunt any North American game with a .25/06, but not a .243. This is just your opinion, and many others disagree. 20 extra grains of weight, and 15 thou of dia difference makes one a varmint caliber, and the other capable of hunting all north american big game? C'mon. Having shot animals with both, all died. Isnt that the end goal?



If the issue boils down cost, there are fine Husqvarna 6.5X55 sporting rifles for sale at Tradex for the same money as the new Savage/Stevens rifles. Quality wise there is no comparison, and the M-1600 Husky is certainly the equivalent of the pre '64 M-70, and in some respects better. My wife's M-1600 Light Weight (.30/06) weights about 6.5 pounds. The 6.5 cartridge produces recoil similar to the .243, but it is a superior game killer with bullets ranging from 120 grs up to 160.
Click to expand...
A 30-06 in a 6.5 lb rifle is more recoil than most shooters can normally handle, and your recommending this to a small framed female shooter? Your wife may be able to handle it, but most would not enjoy that. Also, the 6.5X 55 is a good round, but a good husky in 6.5 outweighs a model 7 by what, 4 lbs? When your 110lbs, thats alot of lugging wieght. Bad advise.
There is nothing wrong with the 243 in the hands of those comfortable using it. (or any of the other rounds that you spoke of)
Define "quality wise"? Are they better at venting gas than the stevens No. are they stronger? No. Do they have a better/easily adjusted trigger than the stevens? No. Is there anything wrong with an old husky? No.
But, its a classic rifle that many people love, and I cant take a thing away from that.
I wouldnt be caught dead hunting with an old husky sporter, but thats just my opinion. Worth nothing more than the above rant that a 243 is incapable

The 243 is like my 30-30 will be one round that I'll allways have a rifle chambered in.
 
Darryl, go back to my first post. I said the .30/06 should only considered if reloading was an option to allow the new shooter to grow into the cartridge's potential. My wife is 5'7" and about 125 and she has no problem with the '06 because the rifle fits her, and because the loads are only loaded to full power (180 gr X @ 2750) for bear work. With 180 gr bulk bullets loaded to 2500 she shoots regularly and without discomfort. Around here we carry our rifles year round and we shoot year round, so we have developed a pretty good idea of what works under a variety of conditions.

My wife's Husky 1600 Lite Weight weighs 6.5 pounds, I doubt if it would gain another 4 pounds by being chambered for the 6.5. With respect to the .25/120 vs the .24/100, the .25/06 will take elk and moose with quartering away shots, while this shot will as often as not defeat the 6mm bullet. When I recommend a big game cartridge, I cannot in good faith suggest one that will not work in worst case scenarios rather than one that will work with only a broadside shot. A .25/120 gr soft point bullet of good construction with a minimum impact velocity of of 2000 fps, will upset and penetrate deeply enough to take any ungulate on the continent. My M-7 .243 is a decent rifle for game under 100 pounds but I don't think much of it for anything else. I am aware that there are folks who like the .243, but then there are folks who think a .22 centerfire is big game capable as well.

The classic design of the Husky makes it a far more practical action for hunting under difficult conditions. It has a controlled round feed action that does not split the locking lug, feeding is smooth regardless of bullet design (from 120 gr spitzers to 240 gr round nose) and the trigger was without complaint while not being as touchy as a trigger that belongs on a target rifle. Good performance at the range has little relevance to performance in the field, but almost anything will work with enough time at a gunsmith's, even the Remington 710.
 
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Why not just go out and try out a bunch of different rifles. Find the one that fits her. In the real world any of the intermediate calibres would be fine. Don't good too big. The reality is that the rifle matters more than the calibre. Except that she has to be comfortable shooting it.

Best advice is to find a rifle she likes in a calibre that she likes to shoot. Start small and work up.

Baindoor.
 
What ever you end up getting her... just make sure she wants to shoot it again and she won't flinch because the recoil is tooooo much for her. If she flinches it doesn't matter she is shooting... she'll miss.

The Stevens model 200 series are good guns... My husband Jay has one in .308... you might want her to try a few of those...

... just my opinion...

P.S.
the pink paint job is happening in the warmth of spring...
 
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