Looking for a deer rifle for the wife

Remmy700 said:
Plan on doing some mainland hunting for mulley and always have my fingers crossed for limited entry for elf on the island so want to option of throwing some heavier loads. One of my hunting partners got a white tail that was 192lbs on the hook dressed so there is the odd illusive monster to be found.
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Personally I think the 30/30 or .243 would work on mainland mulies but then again I spend a lot of time practicing with a rifle at the range before I take it hunting.

Consider a tradex 6.5x55 swede and don't be surprised if you buy yourself one down the road. :D

Remmy700 said:
If and when you can get your significant other to get involved it defiantly results in many more hunting trip :D
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And more deer tags. :D
 
sillymike said:
Iron Glove,

I think bringing your wife along would still be the thing for cougar defense...

cougar3.jpg
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OK, who sent you the picture of my wife, er, cougar. :p
I wish.
 
So my choices would be:
.243 in Model 7
.44 mag Ruger deerfield but they are usually closer to $700
6.5x55 - not much recoil there
.357 in Marlin 1894 I think is the model - plenty of gun at short range

All would work fine on deer.
 
Savage has a Model 11/111 Lady Hunter that might be interesting. 6lbs with a 20" barrel.

poza11-111LadyHunter.jpg


Model 11/111 Lightweight Hunter. 5.5lbs with a 20" barrel.

poza11-111LightweightHunter.jpg
 
Bigbubba said:
So my choices would be:
.243 in Model 7
.44 mag Ruger deerfield but they are usually closer to $700
6.5x55 - not much recoil there
.357 in Marlin 1894 I think is the model - plenty of gun at short range

All would work fine on deer.
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my little lady picked up a low LOW low use ruger 44 mag from 1969. wikked rifle. fits her like a glove and she can manage the recoil. shes thinking about getting a ruger 77/44 some time to go with it. Shes 5'1 and 98lbs and loves shooting it. says it fits her as well as her 10/22.
 
just remember a light rifle increases the recoil in whatever calibre you choose and even a 6 lb rifle is going to feel heavy for her. I would go with the 243 which is a great deer cartridge.
 
"Can someone tell me the load range for a 7mm-08? I'm still leaning towards 26-06 or 260, start talking 6.5mm and it might not be her gun for to long"

The 7mm-08 is a good choice, totally manageable recoil, also reduced loads are available in factory options.You can load 100gr up to 168gr(With accuracy and useable velocities).

I wouldn't hesitate to use the chambering on varmint up to moose with suitable loads.

For your needs I would look at something in the 120gr projectiles loaded in the 2600-2900 ft/sec(looking for peak accuracy of course) area for the game you desire.

The choice in rifles is almost endless as many are chambered for 7-08 as well as many others listed here.As well as the others mentioned, I have been having very good success with a few Wheatherby Vanguards(same action as the Howa) I have been playing with.If you can get the original or one of the new ones for a steal they are great value for the $$.Something that has a bit more weight to the rear would help her manage the handling a bit better.

Shoot me a PM if interested in load data, I have a fair bit.

The 7-08 , as well as others can be loaded to suits your needs easily.The LA choices may be a bit stout in the recoil department. 243 ,.260. 7-08 6.5x55 , 7 x 57 all would be wonderful choices. However heavier bullet choices are possible as you go up in bore size if you are looking for flexibility.

.243 and 7-08 probably have the most commercially available factory loads of the ones I mentioned.Also, the 7-08 recoil isn't very noticeable over a .243.

What is the exact budget??

Are you handloading??

Are you scoping the rifle?
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
"Can someone tell me the load range for a 7mm-08? I'm still leaning towards 26-06 or 260, start talking 6.5mm and it might not be her gun for to long"

The 7mm-08 is a good choice, totally manageable recoil, also reduced loads are available in factory options.You can load 100gr up to 168gr(With accuracy and useable velocities).

I wouldn't hesitate to use the chambering on varmint up to moose with suitable loads.

For your needs I would look at something in the 120gr projectiles loaded in the 2600-2900 ft/sec(looking for peak accuracy of course) area for the game you desire.

The choice in rifles is almost endless as many are chambered for 7-08 as well as many others listed here.As well as the others mentioned, I have been having very good success with a few Wheatherby Vanguards(same action as the Howa) I have been playing with.If you can get the original or one of the new ones for a steal they are great value for the $$.Something that has a bit more weight to the rear would help her manage the handling a bit better.

Shoot me a PM if interested in load data, I have a fair bit.

The 7-08 , as well as others can be loaded to suits your needs easily.The LA choices may be a bit stout in the recoil department. 243 ,.260. 7-08 6.5x55 , 7 x 57 all would be wonderful choices. However heavier bullet choices are possible as you go up in bore size if you are looking for flexibility.

.243 and 7-08 probably have the most commercially available factory loads of the ones I mentioned.Also, the 7-08 recoil isn't very noticeable over a .243.

What is the exact budget??

Are you handloading??

Are you scoping the rifle?
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I received a pm from a CGNer about a remmy model 7 in 260 for a fair price, also have the local gun shop bringing in a couple marlin xl7 in 25-06 for the wife to handle. 7-08 has got alot of good feedback from you guys though, so now I have a bit more homework to do:D

Budget is $600 for the rifle and $2-300 for glass and yes reloading is the only way to go. I really appreciate all the suggestions and feedback guys, will keep you guys updated on the progress.

ET
 
Nothing wrong with any of your choices, however I am gonna recommend taking a good look at the Vanguard or Vanguard II.

Here is a test target from today @100 yards.25-06 with 115 gr Berger VLD Hunting @ 3150 ft/sec, recoil being very manageable.

25-06115Berger.jpg


With lower winds it may have been better yet.

With your budget you will get a very nice rifle with good performance to boot!


Remmy700 said:
I received a pm from a CGNer about a remmy model 7 in 260 for a fair price, also have the local gun shop bringing in a couple marlin xl7 in 25-06 for the wife to handle. 7-08 has got alot of good feedback from you guys though, so now I have a bit more homework to do:D

Budget is $600 for the rifle and $2-300 for glass and yes reloading is the only way to go. I really appreciate all the suggestions and feedback guys, will keep you guys updated on the progress.

ET
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To, Remmey 700 , I lived in B.C for ten years , shot blacktails , My wife shot as well her gun was a rem bdl in 6mm ,she was small as well the gun fit her and she loved it . With the right bullet it would take deer ,moose,black bear, Recoil minimal , not complicated to operate. with 105 gr round nose,kills them all.
 
Go with the 6.5x55 and she will be out shooting you in no time. I am not small but have bad shoulders and my 6.5s are gentle on the recoil. And I can still load them up with 140 gr bullets that will kill most anything I hunt.

You may also want to consider a lever gun in 30-30 or 44 magnum. I find bother are very mild. It does depend on where you hunt. I don't get much beyond 100 yards and that is rare.
 
Remmy700 said:
So the wife told me "no more guns!, so I came up with a brilliant plan. When she asked me what I wanted for my b-day, I told her a hunting rifle for her:D

So before we get started just keep in mind that we live on Vancouver Island and our deer aren't that big compared to the mainland species, secondly there is a budget of a max of $600 for the rifle but would prefer to spend a little less.

The rifle
I've been thinking stevens 200, marlin xl7, or one of the savages.
Calibre- somewhere between 243-270

The shooter
So my wife is pretty small, all of 5'2 and 115lbs wet, so LOP is sometimes an issue plus she doesn't enjoy huge recoil hence the calibre spectrum.

What I'm looking for is a little insight on the rifles above from anyone that has experience with them. I'm open to any other suggestions. I have been checking the EE regularly but it's pretty much just full of 300wsm.

If your looking to sell something in any of these variations pm me.

Thanks
ET
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Why not try a classic in 44-40 winchester or maybe a 45 Colt if she can handle a light weight lever action. Recoil is light as well is the noise.
They have dropped more deer historicaly than the 30-30 ever could...
 
Unless you are willing to chop the standard stocks on Marlin/etc. she will likely not like the LOP...Ted made a good point about a Winchester...a model 92 would be very nice and shoulder's nice for a small person.
 
The local gun shop is bringing in 2 marlin Xl7's for her to handle and one of the is the youth model.

The CGNer that has contacted me has a remmy model 7 in 260, what I'm wondering about this rifle is recoil, can someone list a calibre that has equal kick?

ET
 
Remmy700 said:
The local gun shop is bringing in 2 marlin Xl7's for her to handle and one of the is the youth model.

The CGNer that has contacted me has a remmy model 7 in 260, what I'm wondering about this rifle is recoil, can someone list a calibre that has equal kick?

ET
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The 260, 243, 7-08 , 6.5 x 55 are very close , sometimes not even noticeable differences in my experience.Fit will effect perceived recoil as well.A good fit on the rifle will go a long way to comfort/recoil tolerance.
 
So the local gun shop brought in the marlin for me, I couldn't pass it back fast enough. Now I've read some good reviews on this rifle but it's very cheap feeling. Picking up a nice used rifle from a local CGNer on tuesday.

The verdict
Remington model 7 in 260

Thanks for all the insight and advise, really appreciate it.
ET
 
Now im all interested in this .260 yas talk about!!

I was unaware it was on a 308 case! Sounds like a cracker Fallow cartridge
but not enough to make me change from the .270win grrrr
 
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