I hate to do it but I have to. Help me pick a caliber.

[Scott85]

Yup it is a caliber post.
I need or maybe want to get my wife a new rifle for hunting from everything from pronghorn to elk. I want to get her a rifle that will last her lifetime. I want something light weight and accurate, and choices abound from the mesa rifle to a tikka from a cooper to a remington. Picking the rifle is the easy part picking the caliber on the other had is a lot harder so I am putting the decision in the hands of a bunch of fantastic hunting lunatics on this forum. She is not recoil shy up to an 30-06 and my 700 mountain in 280. Her deer rifle right now is a 243 which she says she doesn't notice the recoil at all. I would like to keep to rifle to short actions just to save some ounces. All shots will be 300 yards or less.

 

[JLS]

Why not get her the same rifle you have?

 

[homers]

What is 7mm-08, Alex

 

[Scott85]

Why not get her the same rifle you have?

If it wouldn't cost that much to ship and it wasn't a pain in the butt in Hawaii, I would have the 700 mountain that for sale on here for her.

 

[mtmuley]

Get another Mountain Rifle in .280 and ask JLS for load info. mtmuley

 

[Scott85]

Get another Mountain Rifle in .280 and ask JLS for load info. mtmuley

I already got that recipe. Or I could get a left handed 280 made and give her the one I got now.

 

[JLS]

I already got that recipe. Or I could get a left handed 280 made and give her the one I got now.

I think the answer here is obvious.

 

[HighDesertSage]

There is a huntalker on here with a 7/08 Rem 700 Mountain.

 

[rtraverdavis]

There is a huntalker on here with a 7/08 Rem 700 Mountain.

That’s what I was thinking too. Those are sweet guns, and IIRC, that one was a good price.

 

[antelopedundee]

Yup it is a caliber post.
I need or maybe want to get my wife a new rifle for hunting from everything from pronghorn to elk. I want to get her a rifle that will last her lifetime. I want something light weight and accurate, and choices abound from the mesa rifle to a tikka from a cooper to a remington. Picking the rifle is the easy part picking the caliber on the other had is a lot harder so I am putting the decision in the hands of a bunch of fantastic hunting lunatics on this forum. She is not recoil shy up to an 30-06 and my 700 mountain in 280. Her deer rifle right now is a 243 which she says she doesn't notice the recoil at all. I would like to keep to rifle to short actions just to save some ounces. All shots will be 300 yards or less.

Aside from elk and similar sized game your options appear to be more alike than they are different. I'd just put the choices into a hat and have her draw one.

Here is a post I am borrowing from a poster on another website. Item 3 seems to be appropriate.

"
What I have learned on TS, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence."

 

[Gunner46]

HAHAHAHA...Breath....HAHAHAHAHA. You put the 7HT on the list and expect, What ?

 

[Europe]

Scott 85

you mentioned Mesa, Tikki, Cooper, and Remington , but I am not sure any of them make a rifle specifically for women.

The caliber, of course is important, and my choice for her would be the 7mm-08, but fit is also important. I would have her shoulder and if possible shoot a Weatherby Camilla in the 7mm-08. It has become a real hit with the females in my family. It has worked well for Antelope, Deer, Elk, Ibex, thus far.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

I just bought my wife (and maybe myself) a Weatherby Vanguard Camilla in 7mm-08. Haven't had a chance to shoot it yet though...

 

[elkduds]

Why isn't (270win) your wife deciding, as in handling and shooting (cough 270win cough) some different brands and chamberings?

She will have her own preferences for fit/finish/handling, and be the best judge of the difference between enough (cough 270win) and too much recoil.

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/270-win-130-gr-gmx-superformance#!/

Ahem... I just reread the OP and saw the preference for short action/300 yds. 7HT it is, how silly would your wife look w a manbun?

 

[Brian in Montana]

I went through this with my wife some years back, and to complicate matters with her, she's left-eye dominant and shoots left handed. After trying some different things we settled on a .270 for her. She has a Remington 700 SPS. She shoots it well and the recoil doesn't bother her too bad.

You mentioned your wife is a little recoil shy, so out of the cartridges in the pol/pole/poll I'd go with the 7mm-08. I have one and its very comfortable to shoot, and will shoot a 140grn bullet out there a long ways accurately. I've never shot an elk with it but I wouldn't hesitate to do so. My wife likes it too. She'd probably want to hunt with it if it were a lefty.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

My suggestion lines up with an old saying I'm reminded of at times like these.

Do what you want, you will anyway.

 

[Scarey]

7mm-08, light recoil, light weight rifle and fun to shoot. It's one of my favorite deer rounds.

 

[Nick87]

If it wouldn't cost that much to ship and it wasn't a pain in the butt in Hawaii, I would have the 700 mountain that for sale on here for her.

Going to be in the lower 48 anytime on the near future? I know that guy selling the 7-08 on here.

 

[antelopedundee]

The other day I saw a Savage axis left hand .270 on closeout for $280.

 

[Scott85]

Going to be in the lower 48 anytime on the near future? I know that guy selling the 7-08 on here.

I will not be in the lower 48 for another 10 months. I know your rifle is great and I was in the lower 48 it would have been sold already. Its a good deal and I'm tempted by it every day.