Jape
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.243 and 6.5 CM (despite the hate) will be perfect.
First time hunter rifle
- Thread starter wyoelkfan15
- Start date
elkhnter
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I’d feel better with a 25-06 than a .243. I’ve killed deer with both and prefer the 06.
wyoelkfan15
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Thanks all for the great advice!
375H&H
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I would not trust a 243 on elk unless the elk was in an open field and you could watch it die. Doubtful it would leave blood unless it was a young of year calf.
I shot a bull elk with my 25.06 at 40 yards straight through the heart broadside...no blood. And the bullet was recovered on the hide opposite side fully intact and mushroomed. That was the Last elk I shot with that gun as finding that elk was quite the ordeal.
BuzzH
Well-known member
I've shot enough stuff with a .243/6mm to know what works and what doesn't...but thanks for your all your experience with a .243.
Maybe someday I'll get lucky enough to experience killing an elk.
Maybe someday I'll get lucky enough to experience killing an elk.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Gun shy as in she flinches, or just kind of intimidated by the cannon? If there is a flinch, it's a habit that needs to be unlearned before just stepping down a couple notches to the .25-06 or similar.
Even if she isn't flinching, I'd still shoot a few hundred rounds over several sessions with the .22, then shoot a hundred more .223 rounds before stepping up the the big game rifle of choice.
SG25
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I’m another fan of the 25-06. I love mine and it shoots awesome.
Hummer
Well-known member
Many of these suggestions have merit but most are right out of the 1950's. What sense does it make for a novice woman hunter to carry a heavier rifle simply to tame recoil? To outfit the ladies for the hunt it's worth investing in the right combination that minimizes flinch from the impact of both recoil and noise. Seems to me the ideal modern option for a woman hunter is a lightweight suppressed rifle. While .25-06 and .243 are fine deer calibers a suppressed 7mm-08 is very soft shooting, relatively quiet and fully capable of taking big game from pronghorn to elk and moose. My Adirondack in 7mm-08 has a 13.3" length of pull and weighs under 8 lbs. complete with scope, sling, suppressor and a full magazine. Pretty much ideal for a person of smaller stature.
Hunting Wife
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About as much sense as it makes for a novice woman hunter/shooter to spend 3 or 4 times more cash than necessary on a fancy setup with extra bells and whistles to try out the sport when a straightforward setup in a 1950’s caliber will work just fine.
p.s since I made this post earlier today, I have been asked about the difference between a weatheerby and a kimber and my agreement with hunting wife was with the word "novice". My granddaughter who now has a 7mm-08 weatherby has been hunting for 12 years, maybe a bit longer. She started off with old reworked hand me down rifles. We did everything we could to make them a good fit for her, and therefore i stand by my agreement with hunting wife
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Panda Bear
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I agree with Hunting Wife and Europe on several points
1. start with a 243, it is enough for the animals you mentioned that she will hunt and it is easy to shoot
2. If she has already hunted and likes it, but is still new at the sport, a 600/700 dollar weatherby camellia will be easier to sell if she doesn't continue to hunt than a rifle costing 3 times that much
3. As hunting wife says there are even some old 243's for sale for even less, that would work until she is sure that this sport is for her. ( I also liked Rugers )
4. I have found that those who hunted before all the new whiz bang things we have today, have very good knowledge about hunting.
5. this one is just my opinion but those who have females in their family who hunt regularly and females ( who hunt regularly, or did ), like Hunting Wife and Europe are speaking from first hand experience ( refer to posts number 3 and 5 )
1. start with a 243, it is enough for the animals you mentioned that she will hunt and it is easy to shoot
2. If she has already hunted and likes it, but is still new at the sport, a 600/700 dollar weatherby camellia will be easier to sell if she doesn't continue to hunt than a rifle costing 3 times that much
3. As hunting wife says there are even some old 243's for sale for even less, that would work until she is sure that this sport is for her. ( I also liked Rugers )
4. I have found that those who hunted before all the new whiz bang things we have today, have very good knowledge about hunting.
5. this one is just my opinion but those who have females in their family who hunt regularly and females ( who hunt regularly, or did ), like Hunting Wife and Europe are speaking from first hand experience ( refer to posts number 3 and 5 )
std7mag
Well-known member
Another option i have done, and would seriously consider for someone's first time hunting rig.
A used (insert make here) rifle, and a Boyds ATOne stock.
Inexpensive, and you can adjust the stock to fit the user.
While good optics always help, don't get the highest power, with the most doodads.
A good 3-9 by Leupold, Vortex, Nikon, Sightron.
Something with good eye relief.
While i started my daughter and my wife out on a Mossberg bolt rifle in 22 WMR, my daughter will shoot my 257 Roberts, and my wife likes my custom Mauser in 284 Win, and my 7mm Rem Mag.
Lets face it.
A suppressed Defiance action with a heavy Bartlein barrel set in the latest chassis in Super Manbun is for you. Not her!
A used (insert make here) rifle, and a Boyds ATOne stock.
Inexpensive, and you can adjust the stock to fit the user.
While good optics always help, don't get the highest power, with the most doodads.
A good 3-9 by Leupold, Vortex, Nikon, Sightron.
Something with good eye relief.
While i started my daughter and my wife out on a Mossberg bolt rifle in 22 WMR, my daughter will shoot my 257 Roberts, and my wife likes my custom Mauser in 284 Win, and my 7mm Rem Mag.
Lets face it.
A suppressed Defiance action with a heavy Bartlein barrel set in the latest chassis in Super Manbun is for you. Not her!
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Addicting
Well-known member
As some of you know I bought a Savage Lady Hunter for my wife as she needs a shorter length of pull than a standard rifle. I got in 6.5 Creedmoor as I already reload for one. It got a Leupold VX3i 4-14 added. This is a good set up but did set us back a grand. That price tag is not ideal for a new shooter but it will have good resale if needed.
A few things I would do differently.
1. Find one and play with the action before ordering. I don’t care for the Knerling on the bolt. It’s too aggressive and hurts her fingers when shooting without gloves. Also try the Weatherby out, didn’t know about that option at the time.
2. Go with a Leupold freedom 3x9. The current scope is very nice but was hard for her to use at first. She only felt comfortable with it turned up to 8-10 power. We could of saved a lot of money here and had better results, then upgraded later if needed.
3. Make shooting sessions fun and don’t worry too much about accuracy at first. She will figure it out with subtle coaching and rounds down range. Also get a good bench or a thick Yoga May to put down for her if using the prone, she has to be comfortable if it’s going to be fun.
I’ve got a thread going under Solo target that is her shooting over this summer if she wants to follow along.
A few things I would do differently.
1. Find one and play with the action before ordering. I don’t care for the Knerling on the bolt. It’s too aggressive and hurts her fingers when shooting without gloves. Also try the Weatherby out, didn’t know about that option at the time.
2. Go with a Leupold freedom 3x9. The current scope is very nice but was hard for her to use at first. She only felt comfortable with it turned up to 8-10 power. We could of saved a lot of money here and had better results, then upgraded later if needed.
3. Make shooting sessions fun and don’t worry too much about accuracy at first. She will figure it out with subtle coaching and rounds down range. Also get a good bench or a thick Yoga May to put down for her if using the prone, she has to be comfortable if it’s going to be fun.
I’ve got a thread going under Solo target that is her shooting over this summer if she wants to follow along.
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Don Fischer
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Specifically designed for female shooter's is miss leading. I strongly suspect they are designed for the average size woman. A woman 5" tall will find the LOP to long and a 6" woman find it to short. Good thing about averages is a 5' 10" woman is the same LOP as a 5' 10" man! Now I have no idea what average is for men and women but I assure you they are different. How tall is this friend of your's? I'd simply get a standard rifle and have it cut down to fit the girl! If she's simply to tall for a standard stock, I'd find me a new girl!
Addicting
Well-known member
Don, it is more than just LOP. Women have a different anatomy in their chest and shoulders. The height of the comb and angle of the butt pad is also changed for these type of rifles. Just cutting one down is not the best answer. Getting one built for them or one with enough adjustments is, or at least is was for my average sized wife!
375H&H
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I would love to find a woman 5” or 6” tall...better yet, I would pay money to see one shoot ANY rifle.
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Std7mag and Addicting I started them with a fixed power scope and my granddaughter still prefers them
Don Fischer, with all due respect sir, Addicting is correct ---as he stated the stock is toed out, away from the body. women on average have longer necks so the comb is higher, the pistol grip is smaller for smaller hands, etc., as well as the shorter lop.
jvanhoy--congratulations to your son, well done, well done indeed.
375 h and h --lol --- she would be a candidate for the " greatest Show on Earth" or are you old enough to remember the circus lol
'
Don Fischer, with all due respect sir, Addicting is correct ---as he stated the stock is toed out, away from the body. women on average have longer necks so the comb is higher, the pistol grip is smaller for smaller hands, etc., as well as the shorter lop.
jvanhoy--congratulations to your son, well done, well done indeed.
375 h and h --lol --- she would be a candidate for the " greatest Show on Earth" or are you old enough to remember the circus lol
'
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ImBillT
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A 130gr bullet from any of the 6.5mms is going to have very similar recoil to a 130gr bullet from a .270Win. As much as I’d like to recommend a .260 or 6.5CM, I don’t think it will help much.
.243Win, 6mmRem, 257Rob, 25-06. The three smaller cartridges and a 26” barrel will decrease the volume of the report compared to the 25-06 or .270 particularly if they are shorter barreled. An especially loud report can be as flinch inducing as heavy recoil.
.243Win, 6mmRem, 257Rob, 25-06. The three smaller cartridges and a 26” barrel will decrease the volume of the report compared to the 25-06 or .270 particularly if they are shorter barreled. An especially loud report can be as flinch inducing as heavy recoil.
huronmtns
Well-known member
7mm-08 with either a 120 gr Nosler BT or Barnes TTSX. You have great velocity, light recoil, and a short action rifle that is compact. I can't think of anything in the lower 48 that cannot be hunted with this combination.
