Elk Caliber for Small-Framed Female

[BWALKER77]

Early this year I was in the same boat. Except my daughter is 5' even and maybe 100lbs soaking wet.
I ended up buying a pair of Howa Alpines. One in 6.5 cm Creed and one in 7mm-08. The 7mm-08 kicked noticeably more and had a more lively muzzle rise, so I kept it for myself and she got the creed.
She packed that rifle all over the mountains this year elk hunting without success, but did fill her deer B tag.

 

[Ben Lamb]

My .257 Weatherby Mag just makes me smile every time I shoot it, and even more-so when I hunt with it. You can’t put a price on fun.

I'm a value shopper

 

[Rhino Hunter]

Early this year I was in the same boat. Except my daughter is 5' even and maybe 100lbs soaking wet.
I ended up buying a pair of Howa Alpines. One in 6.5 cm Creed and one in 7mm-08. The 7mm-08 kicked noticeably more and had a more lively muzzle rise, so I kept it for myself and she got the creed.
She packed that rifle all over the mountains this year elk hunting without success, but did fill her deer B tag.View attachment 166695

That's Awesome! Great pic too! Congrats to your daughter and you (the proud father). Keep the tradition going DAD!

 

[GlockZ]

I have a female acquaintance that is 4'10" and hunts everything with her Weatherby Camilla in 270Win, deer, hogs, coyotes and elk, but if your wife prefers a short action cartridge the 7mm-08 or 308 should be the top choices. Let her pick the rifle, it's gotta fit her and she'll know best which one that'll be.

 

[Don Fischer]

Guy's seem to always ask other guy's what cartridge to get their kids or their wife. One 5'5" 110# woman may not be able to handle a 7mm-08 while the next has no problem with a 30-06! I think better way to find out what she can handle is find people with different rifles they might let her try. I have a 13 yr old boy here in town that all he ever shot was his grandfather's 30-30 and he told me he was alright with it. I let him fire my 6.5x66 some and he loved it, said it didn't hurt at all. Then let him fire a 243 and now he doesn't even talk about anything but the 243, that's the one he want's. If the recoil is a bit hard but you really wan to shoot, you learn to handle recoil but many don't learn to shoot well that way! Find several different rifle's she can try and let her decide! If your in central Ore she's welcome to try what ever I have. Keep in mind that a well placed bullet from a 243 will kill a large animal better than a heavier poorly placed bullet from a larger cartridge!

 

[EKYHunter]

I’d suggest the .308 out of all the calibers mentioned. Recoil is not bad at all. There’s many more knowledgeable folks on here than me and they have much more elk experience than me and my family. The picture is my daughter when she was 11. She killed her first elk and first buck in the same year using a TC Encore in .308 with a shortened stock shooting Corbon factory loads with a 168 TTSX. No issues with recoil at all. I’d much prefer the .30 cal bullets for elk over the others mentioned.

 

[Durango Mike]

1.) Get the one she likes. It's for her, so she should have a say in what it looks like.

2.) I'd second the 6.5 or the 7mm-08. Light recoil, plenty of punch for everything up to moose.

Ben is spot on, I lent a 7X57 (the ORIGINAL 7'08) to a young lady for 3 td rifle and she shot a young bull at 197 yards with a 145 Grand Slam moving about 2750, he took 3 steps. Stock fit is essential for women, it helps a lot if the butt pad is offset 5 or 10 degrees so the recoil does not gouge her in the chest, after all there is a little different body configuration to deal with. Easy to do just shape the pad so the toe is offset and well rounded.

 

[Durango Mike]

I’d suggest the .308 out of all the calibers mentioned. Recoil is not bad at all. There’s many more knowledgeable folks on here than me and they have much more elk experience than me and my family. The picture is my daughter when she was 11. She killed her first elk and first buck in the same year using a TC Encore in .308 with a shortened stock shooting Corbon factory loads with a 168 TTSX. No issues with recoil at all. I’d much prefer the .30 cal bullets for elk over the others mentioned. View attachment 167088

You will be beating off teen age boys in a few years! Usually a sawed off pump 12 bore across your lap when you give curfew time will do the trick, otherwise sharpening a knife rhythmically while whistling the theme from Deliverance works too! Nice bull way too cute daughter!

 

[Archbull]

Killed a pile with my old 270.

 

[Jc2020]

260 Remington is my go to Antelope/deer/elk round not much recoil very accurate

 

[Oldskool67]

Get her a .308 so she can look down on recoil shy 6.5 CM owners

 

[longbow51]

My wife shoots a .260 and loves it. The .260, 6.5x55, ,270, and gasp, the 6.5 are pretty close ballistically. I don't know how animals will instinctively know that a 130-140 gr bullet traveling at the same speed came from a .270 or a 6.5, but obv they do as the ones shot with the 6.5 run off, and the ones shot with the .270 are DRT

And realize that way more elk are shot at more than 250-300 yards on the internet than in real life.

And yeah, the Camilla is the prettiest rifle Weatherby makes. Good luck!

 

[Don Fischer]

I don't know much about the 260 Rem or the 6.5CM but one thing I do know is that they use the same bullet's as any other 6.5 cartridge. The bullet is the important part for me. I think a 140gr bullet from a 6.5 Jap used at reasonable range will kill an elk just as dead and just as quickly as the same bullet from a 264 Win Mag. Of course different cartridge's with different size case's will change the velocity starting out but then just work withing what you have. I got a 6.5x55 for the ex and she had no trouble with it at all. Also a modern action so the loads I loaded for her were in line plus with the 260 Rem/6.5CM. In fact they were not that far below my 6.5x06.

Looking for the right rifle for her, case size and bullet weight will determine recoil but the bullet will determine the ability to kill at reasonable ranges. In my own 6.5's I really like 140gr bullet's. The 6.5x06 has taken three elk for me with the 140gr bullet, one shot each. Keep in mind it matter's a good deal where you place the bullet! Years ago I lived in Montana at at that time ws into magnum rifles. Had a 7mm Rem Mag and 338 Win mag to shoot elk with but thinking back, I also had a 7x57 and I doubt any elk could weather a good shot from it with a 160gr bullet. Actually not even with a 140gr bullet if the bullet was placed right! Leads me to believe the 7mm-08 would also be a goor cartridge to consider! Major difference between the 260/6.5CM and the 7mm-08 to me is recoil. I'd stick with the 140gr bullet in the 6.5'd nd a 160gr bullet in the 7mm-08. The heavier bullet in the 7mm-08 is going to recoil more to some degree. Maybe it would bother the wife and maybe not. If I didn't know I'd stick with the 6.5, won't be much of a disadvantage. If you have a 308, take her out and let her try it with some 165gr loads, recoil should be about like the 7mm-08 with 160gr bullet's. The 6.5 rounds with 140gr bullet's will be a bit less. You really need to find out what she can handle without recoil problems! If worst came to worst, you might consider the 250 savage with a 120gr bullet. The secret to killing elk with it will be how you place the shot, dead is simply dead!

 

[Blevins1997]

I’d say she would be fine with a muzzle break in a 7mm mag

 

[jbseamus83]

There are a lot of calibers that fit the bill. As others have said, I am partial to the 7-08 myself. There are a lot of options as far as bullet weight is concerned. Bullet type and selection should be the most important piece though. I used Hornady Superformance 139 gr GMX this year on a cow elk and it was ideal. But, there are lots of options and you just have to find what will fit her best. Any way you have some friends that would let you borrow a few guns in different calibers to let her shoot?

 

[KyHunter98]

I just read through this and have to say I am also partial to the 7-08. With a Nosler 140 grain BT my Bergara has performed tremendously. Very comfortable gun to shoot and with a awesome stock straight from the factory.

 

[Don Fischer]

So, how many guy's on her are 5'5" and 115#?

 

[Buffs35]

I also vote for .270.

I bought one for my sister, she loves it.

 

[Rhino Hunter]

I'm a value shopper

Me too...I value fun! And my .257 Wby Mag provides it.

 

[AndyPOW]

7mm08 in a Weatherby Cammila.

As a matter of fact, I'm picking up a Remington Model 7 with the laminated stock in 7mm-08 for my wife on Friday. NIB.