New hunter….initial rifle questions.

[JohnnyMac]

I have a Remington 740 in 30.06 and have killed everything from little Sitka Blacktail to Elk with it. As long as she's good with the pump action of the 760 I would give that a try.

 

[huntpotter]

I'm a .308 fan. I've had plenty of other calibers. The .308s are the ones I keep.
the deer won't know the difference if it's a .308 or 30-06.
For those that are recoil shy in a lighter rifle, 7mm-08 or .260 rem or .243 are all good choices.

 

[echo1]

What part of Idaho will she hunt? That kinda makes a little difference. PAX

 

[Andy54Hawken]

The question of terrain is very important.
What works well here on the wet side of Washington...where a long shot is 100 yards...to the occasional 200 yard shot...
Is a mite different than say in more open land where 200 yards is seen as close range.

In any event...
Woodcraft , and knowledge of the game hunted as well as the land itself is of high importance.
Maybe even more so than what rifle is picked.
Andy

 

[PNW Partisan]

Tikka T3X…. 308, 6.5, .243, or .223. You can adjust trigger down and it's a good trigger in terms of creep and overtravel. You can add a vertical grip for $25 if that's your thing. I would just add a Limbsaver air tech regardless of caliber. Tikkas are super reliable and the action and trigger hold up well to ice/snow. The guns themselves are usually very accurate. The synthetic stock is actually pretty dang good in terms of grip, rigidity, and weight. Shoot good bullets like Hornady ELD M/X, Berger, or Sierra TMK at good velocities and you're set. Get good mounts and rings as well as a scope that doesn't have plastic in the internals. Degrease all and torque with blue loctite. And hit that range as much as possible. I would also add an Andy's Leather Rhodesian sling or a 1907 style that can actually help with shooting unsupported.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

Price point ?

 

[ilostmypswrd]

Why do men need larger cartridges to kill deer than women do?



Bruce

Cuz its bigger lololol

 

[OldBroad44]

@NobullSKS --
Whose gun is this going to be? I ask because you said if she gets a certain gun that would give YOU another caliber to play with. Sounds like you are figuring you will make the decision about what gun to buy "for her" and are planning to shoot it yourself too, and reload for it, giving you control over the ammo too, including whether the gun can be shot at all and how much and with what. No wonder she doesn't shoot much.

You yourself have fancy ARs for your shooting hobby. But you are talking about a budget gun for her. In spite of this being a trip where the hunting really calls for a lightweight gun that can take deer sized animals out to at least 300 yards and must stand up in all kinds of weather. ARs might not be her cup of tea. A Tikka 3X might be. But would you like to encourage her in shooting in general or discourage her? Its not obvious which.

Most people choose hobbies where they can be in control, make the decisions, take pride in their equipment, where they can excel, and where they deserve credit for their excellence because they made the decisions. Even when men would like their wives to be more interested in shooting, they often discourage them by making themselves the boss of their wife's shooting. My dad bought my mother a .32 revolver . She loved that gun. He sold it and replaced it with a Colt Woodsman .22. That 32 was a better gun for SD for my mother. And it fit her perfectly. I was hearing her mourning the loss of "her" .32 decades later. She became an expert shot. But she just went shooting with dad. No way could shooting ever become a true interest for her when she didn't even get to decide which gun she had, and if she got really good with a gun it might be sold out from under her without her permission or any warning. When I went to college my dad went into my private trunk of stored possessions, dug out my .22 single shot and started shooting it. And changed the sights to suit himself. Meaning I could no longer pick the gun up and know where it would shoot. I was furious. I took the gun with me when I left home that time.

If you want to encourage your wife in hunting and shooting in general, first, be willing to allocate the same amount of funds to her gun and scope as you do to one of your tricked out ARs. Enough to get something nice. Sure, she might not hunt often. But if hunting is her focus, she would enjoy practicing with her hunting rifle. Your ARs are designed for holding off an army, but you probably don't use them for that very often either. Doesn't stop you from enjoying practicing for it. Second, let her decide both the gun and caliber. Since she doesnt reload, the caliber should be appropriate for someone who doesn't reload. Third, dont shoot the gun. Keep your hands off it unless you are both out shooting and she gives you permission to use it briefly. And if she does don't alter the sights or scope or any personal adjustments on the gun. Don't ever borrow the gun and take it off somewhere. Fourth, do not start off immediately reloading for the gun. That will make her completely dependent on you for ammo. Let her learn which commercial loads she wants to use for hunting. Then if you reload for the gun, reload only to produce ballistically equivalent practice loads for her chosen commercial loads. No you should not try to create something special for her gun, putting yourself in charge of her hobby. And taking partial credit for any hunting success she has. If its her hobby she needs to be in charge of it. Otherwise its just an unpaid job. And she'll probably pass. Most women don't relish spending what time they have for recreation on unpaid jobs working for their husbands.

 

[NobullSKS]

@NobullSKS --
Whose gun is this going to be? I ask because you said if she gets a certain gun that would give YOU another caliber to play with. Sounds like you are figuring you will make the decision about what gun to buy "for her" and are planning to shoot it yourself too, and reload for it, giving you control over the ammo too, including whether the gun can be shot at all and how much and with what. No wonder she doesn't shoot much.

You yourself have fancy ARs for your shooting hobby. But you are talking about a budget gun for her. In spite of this being a trip where the hunting really calls for a lightweight gun that can take deer sized animals out to at least 300 yards and must stand up in all kinds of weather. ARs might not be her cup of tea. A Tikka 3X might be. But would you like to encourage her in shooting in general or discourage her? Its not obvious which.

Most people choose hobbies where they can be in control, make the decisions, take pride in their equipment, where they can excel, and where they deserve credit for their excellence because they made the decisions. Even when men would like their wives to be more interested in shooting, they often discourage them by making themselves the boss of their wife's shooting. My dad bought my mother a .32 revolver . She loved that gun. He sold it and replaced it with a Colt Woodsman .22. That 32 was a better gun for SD for my mother. And it fit her perfectly. I was hearing her mourning the loss of "her" .32 decades later. She became an expert shot. But she just went shooting with dad. No way could shooting ever become a true interest for her when she didn't even get to decide which gun she had, and if she got really good with a gun it might be sold out from under her without her permission or any warning. When I went to college my dad went into my private trunk of stored possessions, dug out my .22 single shot and started shooting it. And changed the sights to suit himself. Meaning I could no longer pick the gun up and know where it would shoot. I was furious. I took the gun with me when I left home that time.

If you want to encourage your wife in hunting and shooting in general, first, be willing to allocate the same amount of funds to her gun and scope as you do to one of your tricked out ARs. Enough to get something nice. Sure, she might not hunt often. But if hunting is her focus, she would enjoy practicing with her hunting rifle. Your ARs are designed for holding off an army, but you probably don't use them for that very often either. Doesn't stop you from enjoying practicing for it. Second, let her decide both the gun and caliber. Since she doesnt reload, the caliber should be appropriate for someone who doesn't reload. Third, dont shoot the gun. Keep your hands off it unless you are both out shooting and she gives you permission to use it briefly. And if she does don't alter the sights or scope or any personal adjustments on the gun. Don't ever borrow the gun and take it off somewhere. Fourth, do not start off immediately reloading for the gun. That will make her completely dependent on you for ammo. Let her learn which commercial loads she wants to use for hunting. Then if you reload for the gun, reload only to produce ballistically equivalent practice loads for her chosen commercial loads. No you should not try to create something special for her gun, putting yourself in charge of her hobby. And taking partial credit for any hunting success she has. If its her hobby she needs to be in charge of it. Otherwise its just an unpaid job. And she'll probably pass. Most women don't relish spending what time they have for recreation on unpaid jobs working for their husbands.

Her rifle…
Thank you… great perspective I didn't consider. Your right. Honestly the reason I didn't ponder much of this is because my intention is to be hands off. She was asking me for my opinion. I admitted I'm 100% ignorant to hunting, and what it requires. Hence reaching out here.

I don't intend to hunt really. The reason I haven't been interested is I can't stand the taste of game and wouldn't want to kill because of that. She wants a way to bond with her friends and that's what they're gonna do.

It's still exciting to have another cartridge in the house, my advice exactly was considering ammo availability…. and performance during her trigger time. I couldn't begin to RE hatch the initial conversation but I'd like to defend myself a little. My ARs are all budget built….hahaha. Her ARs were built with more of a budget than any of mine……hahaha. I don't really need another project rifle.

She's frugal and mentions budget. I'm happy to invest with her if she wants. I think it's kinda a more urgent buy and see if she still likes hunting. Instead of a higher end rifle and glass off the bat for one trip. We didn't even look at resale values but it's always a loss. At least with my luck and level of patience dealing with potential buyers.

And if buying used is ideal then it is. I nor her really know where to start.

Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it.

 

[Yarome]

Her rifle…

It's still exciting to have another cartridge in the house, my advice exactly was considering ammo availability…. and performance during her trigger time. I couldn't begin to RE hatch the initial conversation but I'd like to defend myself a little.

She's frugal and mentions budget. I'm happy to invest with her if she wants. I think it's kinda a more urgent buy and see if she still likes hunting. Instead of a higher end rifle and glass off the bat for one trip. We didn't even look at resale values but it's always a loss. At least with my luck and level of patience dealing with potential buyers.

And if buying used is ideal then it is. I nor her really know where to start.

Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it.

That clarifies things a bit. Personally... considering possible distances, weight and it's for her... I would still go with a .308. Maybe something like a winchester model 70 featherweight and a basic 3x9 variable scope.

If going used, they should be plentiful (although the featherweight's less so), fairly reasonable and ammo selection is quite broad. A nice 150gr boattail softpoint/silvertip are some of my preferred.

Another option with slightly less recoil (standard rounds... about 17ft/lbs vs. 22ft/lbs would be a 7mm-08 (not talking mag). Not as plentiful though and ammo selection will also be a bit narrower. For distance shooting it's a nice option, but within the 200yard range the .308 is still going to pack more punch.

One thing I do like more in the .308 is the versatility. It can be an excellent caliber for deer, but also extremely capable for larger game as well. IE., Elk... moose...

I still prefer a 30-06 myself, but you're also talking more weight and felt recoil.

 

[ma96782]

Just don't do a Bubba Conversion.

OK, Ok, ok....it's your rifle and your money. So, whatever.

In all truth.....
I have two converted/sporterized Mauser '98s in .30-06. I bought them both that way. And YES, it pains me to see them that way. But, that's me.



BTW....back then, they were just like me. CHEAP.

Maybe, you'll be able to find an ex-military/rescue rifle for hunting?

Aloha, Mark

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

 

[JRuby]

Doesnt take a lot to kill a deer. My favorite cartridges for deer are 6.5x55 and 7x57 mauser. They can reach out a few hundred yards pretty easily and they dont take your shoulder off. Pretty much anything from a 243 to as big as you want to go will kill deer. If you want to plan future hunts make sure its a caliber that your wife would enjoy shooting. Your talking about this one hunt but hopefully if this one goes well there will be many more in teh future.

 

[Bobbygun]

My favorite is the .25-06. Half the deer I've killed in the last 50 years have fallen to 117 grain bullets that are .257 in diameter. My son killed his first elk at the age of 12 with the same. He was a small kid and that was just the right mix of how much recoil he could handle and what I would consider on the bare minimum end of what you want to shoot an elk with. Others opinions will differ of course.

 

[OldBroad44]

Her rifle…
Thank you… great perspective I didn't consider. Your right. Honestly the reason I didn't ponder much of this is because my intention is to be hands off. She was asking me for my opinion. I admitted I'm 100% ignorant to hunting, and what it requires. Hence reaching out here.

I don't intend to hunt really. The reason I haven't been interested is I can't stand the taste of game and wouldn't want to kill because of that. She wants a way to bond with her friends and that's what they're gonna do.

It's still exciting to have another cartridge in the house, my advice exactly was considering ammo availability…. and performance during her trigger time. I couldn't begin to RE hatch the initial conversation but I'd like to defend myself a little. My ARs are all budget built….hahaha. Her ARs were built with more of a budget than any of mine……hahaha. I don't really need another project rifle.

She's frugal and mentions budget. I'm happy to invest with her if she wants. I think it's kinda a more urgent buy and see if she still likes hunting. Instead of a higher end rifle and glass off the bat for one trip. We didn't even look at resale values but it's always a loss. At least with my luck and level of patience dealing with potential buyers.

And if buying used is ideal then it is. I nor her really know where to start.

Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it.

@NobullSKS -- what a delightful mellow response to my admittedly somewhat grumpy post.

If your wife is asking your opinion about anything whatsoever you must have been doing a whole lot right. If she's asking your opinion about her hunting rifle purchase, that's great. That means you can share in the fun and excitement of getting a new gun. But I'd suggest making sure she knows she will be making the final decision. And make sure she purchases the gun by her herself. Its a symbolic thing that will help make the gun hers.

What rifle calibers has she shot and enjoyed shooting? Namely, are you thinking in terms of recoil at .308 or lower or is a bit higher okay? Or should the recoil be substantially less than a .308?

The article already posted considered many of the issues relevant to a new shooter in choosing a caliber. But she isn't really a new shooter. Just a new hunter. What stuff is your wife likely to be interested in hunting? At a guess, that might be anything her friends hunt. It might be relevant whether its deer sized animals up to elk or deer sized animals and under. Or both. Maybe some of your wife's friends would be willing to go to the range with her and let her try their guns/calibers. There are plenty of internet articles on what calibers are good for shooting which game. And of course it matters what distance the successful shots are at in the area to be hunted. Her friends can tell her that. If the average deer is shot at 200+ yards, flatter shooting calibers help a lot.

People in this thread are assuming your wife is gonna have trouble finding a deer to shoot. But for all we know she is a woodswoman, has spent thousands of hours in the woods hiking and camping and watching critters, and can find and walk right up to a @#$%& deer easily any day of the week, thank you very much. She just never happened to have shot at one before. If so, the big issue will be unfamiliarity with the turf. In which case much depends on those she will be hunting with.

 

[ORhutner]

Her rifle…
Thank you… great perspective I didn't consider. Your right. Honestly the reason I didn't ponder much of this is because my intention is to be hands off. She was asking me for my opinion. I admitted I'm 100% ignorant to hunting, and what it requires. Hence reaching out here.

I don't intend to hunt really. The reason I haven't been interested is I can't stand the taste of game and wouldn't want to kill because of that. She wants a way to bond with her friends and that's what they're gonna do.

It's still exciting to have another cartridge in the house, my advice exactly was considering ammo availability…. and performance during her trigger time. I couldn't begin to RE hatch the initial conversation but I'd like to defend myself a little. My ARs are all budget built….hahaha. Her ARs were built with more of a budget than any of mine……hahaha. I don't really need another project rifle.

She's frugal and mentions budget. I'm happy to invest with her if she wants. I think it's kinda a more urgent buy and see if she still likes hunting. Instead of a higher end rifle and glass off the bat for one trip. We didn't even look at resale values but it's always a loss. At least with my luck and level of patience dealing with potential buyers.

And if buying used is ideal then it is. I nor her really know where to start.

Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it.

I would figure out what recoil level works first by getting trigger time behind some different cartridges from 243 up to whatever the upper limit is under consideration. It is more important to be confident in your gun and how you shoot it than the given cartridge it is chambered in. Modern bullet technology and loadings make most any caliber 243 and above an excellent deer cartridge.

While figuring out the acceptable recoil threshold that works, I would also be going into Sportsmans Warehouse, Cabelas and any of your local gunstores that are well stocked with bolt action rifles. Don't look at the brand or price tags and focus on just handling each different model/configuration. You want to see what rifle fits and balances well so shoulder the rifle, throw it up and find out which ones come up and point naturally, have the balance that feels right and get things narrowed down to your top models/configurations. Then start looking at price tags, doing research on reviews online, etc....

Now bring both paths together and start looking for that top model and configuration on your list in the cartridge you have singled in on. Some brands I wouldn't hesitate to buy used and others I would only buy new. I would also place a want to buy ad here for what your looking for as there are a LOT of lightly used hunting rifles sitting in the back of folks safes looking for a new home.

 

[oremike]

One thing I will mention is that in general shorter stocked or youth models tend to fit women better than full sized rifles. Look for Length of pull down around 13". A full sized rifle is around 14" LOP this is a case were size (LOP) matters.

 

[OldBroad44]

One thing I will mention is that in general shorter stocked or youth models tend to fit women better than full sized rifles. Look for Length of pull down around 13". A full sized rifle is around 14" LOP this is a case were size (LOP) matters.

Good point. But is assuming the particular woman is average or under average in size for a woman, therefore smaller than the average male.

I'm 5' 8" after shrinking a little. And I have long arms. When I pick up a random rifle in a gun store its more likely to be too small for me than too big with a LOP uncomfortably short.

@NobullSKS -- How tall is your wife?

 

[oremike]

Good point. But is assuming the particular woman is average or under average in size for a woman, therefore smaller than the average male.

I'm 5' 8" after shrinking a little. And I have long arms. When I pick up a random rifle in a gun store its more likely to be too small for me than too big with a LOP uncomfortably short.

@NobullSKS -- How tall is your wife?

I'm not assuming anything only stating my own personal observations.

 

[PNW Partisan]

Forgot to add. Tikka T3X compact. Shorter lop. Shorter more handy barrel. .223, .243, .308, 7mm-08 and 6.5 chambering. I'd personally pick .308 due to ammo availability. 6.5 is a close second with less recoil and slightly better ballistics (not a big deal under 400 yards). I can tell you this, .223 will kill the heck outta deer if that is your main target. It can take elk with the right bullet and range. But the best thing about .223 is the ammo availability and cost of practice. If you can, let her shoot some and decide a caliber. Then have her handle and pick a rifle. But you cannot go wrong for overall functions with tikka