# Deer rifle for woman



## stevedc (Jun 23, 2008)

My wife will be hunting with me next year and I need some help getting the right gun for her and my mom is hunting this year and we thought that we would buy them both just one gun so what would be the perfect gun they will not shoot my 30-06 it hurt there shoulder and I want something that I can reload for them so let me know what you think


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

go with a 270 or a 243 for them. they dont kick at all. give them a try. they have the power to kill the deer.


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## stevedc (Jun 23, 2008)

ThanksI will look into that thats what we were thinking so thanks for the info


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## truemule (Sep 12, 2007)

dkhntrdstn said:


> go with a 270 or a 243 for them. they dont kick at all. give them a try. they have the power to kill the deer.


 +1 but, I will add .308 to that list.


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## mulepacker (Sep 11, 2007)

For a minute I thought I might be able to swap one of my rifles, if the woman was right. However I guess this wasn't a trade proposition so I will give my answer to the question. :wink: :!: 

I believe the design of the gun is as important as the caliber. A gun fitted for a woman will make a huge difference in both recoil and comfort. I would suggest a short action (bolt) gun.
As far as caliber I am a fan of the 260 Rem. however a 308, 7MM-08 or 270WSM are all great guns. If you stay with a caliber that can shoot a 140 to 160 gr. bullet you should be able to use the rifle for any of Utah's big game within reasonable shot distances.

Shooting becomes enjoyable when you can hit the target, being able to get a proper sight picture is imperative. Whatever gun you choose make sure the wife can shoulder and cheek the gun comfortably and correctly.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

243 is a great choice for a women, my daughter started out with one when she was 14, she now shoots the 30-06 all the time, my other daughter started with the 06 when she was 14 and she is only 5'1" and weighs 110. I do reload the 06 at a comfortable load. You can also get low recoil loads.

Another option is to get the 243 or 223 and shoot a lot on the range then use the 06 in the field, when shooting at an animal they won't even notice the recoil.

For example: My daughter a few years ago got off the 4 wheeler and leaned her gun against it and it fell and landed on the scope, I told her it would probably be off now. Anyway on our way back to the truck later that day we came upon 3 4 points, I know it was kind of like road hunting  :mrgreen: , but she wasn't going to pass up the shot, she picked out the one she wanted and I ranged it at 185 yards, she shot and they just stood there, as she started to cycle another round I told her to stop, we had forgotten she dropped the rifle earlier that day, I had her put the gun back on the rack and gave her my 300 WSM, she shot the deer and I asked her if she felt any recoil, she said no.


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## Elkoholic8 (Jan 15, 2008)

Another vote for the .270 My wife loves hers. She has taken 3 deer with it and I have taken 3 elk with it. 
As for the recoil in the field, they don't even notice it. Last year my wife had a chance at a cow but when i ranged it I felt it was too far for the gun to handle (475 yards). My buddy (who had just planted his cow from the same spot) said you can use my gun (.325 WSM), she gabbed the gun pulled the trigger and dropped her elk. Later I asked how the recoil was and she said it was just like my gun (the .270) why? I said because that is one of the big dogs of the rifle world! Now if that would have been at the range, well she probably would have been mad I didn't tell her ahead of time.


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## skull krazy (Jan 5, 2008)

Check into the .270 WSM, rumors are it's a fantastic round that woman can handle


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

All good choices. I lean toward the .243, then you can use it to hunt vermin. :mrgreen:


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## muzzlehutn (Oct 26, 2007)

.25-06


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## stick_man (Sep 10, 2007)

So many excellent choices are available. If your wife has a fairly small frame, I would suggest looking into something (as previously recommended) along the lines of the .243 or 7mm-08 in a short action rifle. I haven't shot the 260, but have also heard good things about it. The reduced weight of the short action is nice when packing a rifle up and down a mountain. If she is medium to large framed, the 6mm Rem., .270 Win., .280 (7mm Express), or the .25-06 would all make great guns (with my nod going to the .25-06 very slightly over the .270 and .280)

Get her/them something they can practice a lot with and not become recoil sensitive. 

Happy shooting!


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

Maybe you should consider the Remington 6mm? Higher velocity than the .243


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Finnegan said:


> Maybe you should consider the Remington 6mm? Higher velocity than the .243


but only if you handload. 
Or try the 257 Roberts, 7x57 Mauser, 6.5x55 Swedish, 6.8 SPC, 250-3000 Savage, 300 Savage, any or all of the 308 family (260, 7mm08, 308, 338 Federal, 358 Win did I miss any?), 6.5 Remington Mag., 284 Winchester. There are grundles of great cartridges out there that kill large game without an abundance of recoil.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

I'll vote for the .243. If you get this caliber then go with a 100 gr Nosler partition bullet.

I've taken many a deer with the .243 and they were mostly one shot kills at less than 150 yrds. Easier to pack and not much recoil versus larger calibers. Have her handle and shoulder a couple so she can choose one that is comfortable.

sawsman


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## 4x4 Bronco (Sep 7, 2007)

muzzlehutn said:


> .25-06


+1 Ilove this gun.


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## InvaderZim (Sep 7, 2007)

4x4 Bronco said:


> muzzlehutn said:
> 
> 
> > .25-06
> ...


Great gun, with enough "umph" to put down larger critters.

I've dubbed mine the antelope slayer.


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## MarkM (Sep 7, 2007)

I got my wife a Savage youth model 7mm-08 that has been a great gun, light recoil yet lots of energy down range.

Mark


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

My wife loves her Browning Bar lightweight model, its a 308. She picked it out after I gave her a blank check to choose any rifle she wanted.

The 308 round is suitable for all Utah big game species, it's probally a little big for varmits but the extra knock down power would be more effecient for moose or elk.


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## chet (Sep 7, 2007)

get her a muzzleloader!


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

muzzlehutn said:


> .25-06


Ditto on the 25-06...._deadly accurate_ !! :evil: :wink:


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

257 Roberts.


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## stick_man (Sep 10, 2007)

257 Roberts? Didn't that die off a long time ago? Just kidding. That is actually a very good caliber as well, but I would still have to give the nod to the .25-06. Are there even any non-custom rifles being chambered for the Roberts any more? Ya just don't hear of that caliber mentioned very often any more.

For reloaders, the Roberts brass seems to be a little harder to come by and, when you can find it, it seems to be a little more pricey than the .25-06 They are both very close ballistically and both very capable of taking anything in the deer family.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I vote .308, although my wife shot .270.

What does she know.




Igottagofishin.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I would also vote for the 257 Roberts. Ruger chambers it in their Ultra-Light rifle and I think in their M77 (Gunnies had one a couple months ago). I bought one for my wife after she was in a car accident and the 280 and 25-06 kicked a little harder than she liked. The 257 Roberts is a great cartridge and has a little more power than the 243. There are factory ammo options, just not a huge selection.

If she doesn't like the kick of a 30-06 then I doubt a 270 or 280 would work and the 25-06 would be on the edge.

I think a 7mm-08 would be a good cartridge also.


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

My ex wife and daughter both shoot a 243. They've tried the 270, 30-06, and 30-30 as well, and they both prefer the 243. When I asked my daughter why she likes the 243 her response was "because it's fun to shoot" and in the end that's what makes the difference for me. If she likes to shoot it at the range for fun, she's less likely to flinch and potentially wound an animal in the field. If there's any way that you can borrow a gun or two and let her try out a couple different calibers and decide for herself, it would probably get you a lot of brownie points. Also I can't say enough about replacing the recoil pad that comes stock on the gun with a good one (I prefer the ones offered by limb saver) it'll go a long way towards taking the punch out of the recoil.


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

stevedc said:


> My wife will be hunting with me next year and I need some help getting the right gun for her and my mom is hunting this year and we thought that we would buy them both just one gun so what would be the perfect gun they will not shoot my 30-06 it hurt there shoulder and I want something that I can reload for them so let me know what you think


If you're going to reload then you have a lot of options on the caliber. I would focus on which model of rifle fits them best to begin with, and then choose a caliber from what's available in that gun. I used a Remington Model 7 as a kid and have always liked those as a smaller, handier gun. Choose a caliber that you can load down for reduced recoil, but that can also be stoked back up as an elk gun or for deer at longer ranges. If they start shooting a lot they may want more power in the future. In a short action I would favor the 7mm-08. You could load up some 130 or 140 grain bullets at around 2200 fps for a very low recoil deer load (Remington even sells a managed recoil load that would be great). Or, you can stoke that caliber up with some premium 140s to over 2800 fps that would be suitable for elk at close to medium range. Just keep in mind that you can load a bigger caliber down but not the other way around.


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## gwailow (Jan 20, 2008)

It's very hard to beat the .243 IMO. I bought one for my wife and she loves not only hunting with it, but shooting it often. If I had to pick one gun to hunt with and I wasn't planning on doing any elk hunting, the .243 would be my pick without a doubt, no second guessing at all. Regardless of the gun though, make sure you put a good scope on it. That will be the key to her enjoying the sport for many years to come.


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## Bad_Karma101 (Jul 22, 2008)

Try the 7MM-08. Very smooth. Someone mentioned the 270 WSM. A little peppy, but managable with good shooting techniques. ( I personally love that round. I have it in a Win. Mod. 70 synthetic. A tack driver for a large bore rifle.)


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## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

Another vote for the 7mm-08 my wife loves hers she's killed 2 antelope, cow elk and a cougar with hers..... 140 gr sp and 150 gr sp are the most common round but remington makes a 120 gr bthp that works great on deer and antelope..


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

One more thought. In addition to considering a caliber with mild recoil for women or younger shooters, we tend to lean toward rifle styles that are small and light. Proper fit is very improtant but remember that the mass of a rifle absorbes recoil and a lighter rifle in the same caliber will have more felt recoil than a heavier one. It is not allways wise to go too light for a smaller or inexperienced shooter.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

There is a lot more to felt recoil than the caliber of the rifle. A stock that fits well, a good recoil pad, and proper hearing protection all reduce perceived recoil. With all of these in place, almost any caliber is manageable. I would stay away from muzzle brakes, They increase muzzle blast to the point that they induce flinches more than reduce them. They may have a place on the big bores, but anything smaller than 40 caliber shouldn't require one.


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