What caliber for my wife?

C

colorado russ

New member
Aug 10, 2017
1,083
A twist on the other thread. My wife informed me this weekend that she wants to hunt whitetails in Oklahoma after we move. Rifle season there is short so not a big deal! :)

For her, I would only be looking at a good deer gun so no need for a magnum I don\'t think. Keeping recoil down is a must for her. She shoots my 7mm magnum but it has a muzzle break.

First thought is .243. Good round and easily available.

Other thought is a buddy in OK had a .25-06 that he really liked. I honestly haven\'t looked into ballistics on either but figured would toss out this morning before starting work.
 
I don\'t think you could go wrong with either. A fun option would be the .243 in an AR-10 setup and that thing wouldn\'t have much recoil at all. I don\'t think Remington makes it in their newer version of the R-25, but I know the original R-25 came in .243. Unless she is planning on shooting over a couple hundred yards, you probably won\'t notice the difference in a .243 and a .25-06.
 
Shot distance would definitely be under 300 yards. As for ammo, once I find what shoots right in the gun, I\'d just buy up a few boxes and that\'d last us a while since only shooting some at range then a couple each year hunting.

Hoping to get my Remington Friends & Family \"invite\" this year but won\'t know for a week or so. Will definitely be reaching out to your guys if any AR\'s are listed.

Thanks!
 
Others to consider are 270 & 308. And if you reload, you can bring the recoil down on almost any caliber.
 
i know i have typed this before, but i would go with the 3006 and reduced recoil rounds. they kick less than a 243 but have almost identical zeros out to 200 yds. so sight it in with a hotter load then let her go hunt. then, if she ever wanted to hunt elk your ready to go. my kids have killed several whitetails with the reduced recoil loads, they do the job very well.obviously im a 30 cal fan, lol.
 
I\'m a midwest hunter and its hard to beat the .25-06 It just gives a little more punch than the .243 and with no noticeable difference in the recoil. 7mm-08 would be another good choice. In a short gun like the Remington model 7 it is very easy to handle/point.

--Mitch
 
My daughter has a model 70 243 and has taken a lot of whitetails with it. She shoots the Remington Core Locks in 100 gr. A plus is you can use some lighter loads to reach out and touch some varmints if she wants to.
 
My cousin\'s wife is a very small framed lady and she hunts with a .308. It\'s a small rifle, I believe it\'s a Winchester but it\'s been awhile since I\'ve seen the gun. She handles that rifle and likes it better than her husband\'s 25-06. Some of it may have been the fit of the gun but that\'s one comparison from a smaller framed females perspective. I have noticed 25-06 ammo seems terribly expensive around here.
 
I don\'t own one, but I want one: .260 Rem.

I DO own an .257 Roberts, and it\'s a wonderful round to shoot! Light recoil, short action, hits hard. I visited today with a guy who regularly shoots elk with a .257.

Oh ... and the .257 Bob has \"Cool Factor\". Try THAT with a .243 or .25-06. Or .7-08 or .308.

Walk into camp with a .257 and you are instantly \"cool\". Trust me. I\'m very cool. :crazy:
 
Word is already out how cool you are John! :)

Guy I met in Hayden, CO who guided up by Trapper\'s Lake many, many years ago and he had a Weatherby .257 in his scabbard used to take quite a few elk. Goes back to the point of how important shot placement is. Now, I\'m sure his shots weren\'t very far either but extremely successful.

I\'ve got a .30-06 but even with lighter loads it seems to kick quite a bit(Ruger M77 with 22\" barrel).

Still crossing fingers that Remington will do their Friends & Family sale this year. 2 years ago there were several 700 BDLs listed in various calibers but I didn\'t jump on them as I should have just like a couple of AR15s I passed on for like $450 each!

Appreciate all the input!

Russ
 
Second the 257! I have one that I don\'t shoot often but it\'s a great mid size caliber. You can load it hot and it\'ll put the hurt on bigger game or load it lighter for easy recoil on deer sized animals.
 
John beat me to the 257. I had one built for my wife on a small ring mauser action and she loved that gun. She took some nice whitetails with it too until it was stolen. She\'s not very big but had no problem shooting it.
 
2nd vote for 7-08.

I dont think she\'d dislike the 243 or 25-06. Each have slight advantages. I own at least 1 of all 3. if I had to sell two of them, the 7-08 would be the survivor. Easy choice.

the bullet selection availability is FAR greater in 7mm and recoil is still mild in the small case.

In fact, if 7-08 was the only rifle I had my life would be a heckuvalot more simple. :)
 
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