New Rifle For The Wife?

[Greg30-06]

Hey all .  I am looking into a new rifle for my wife who is taking her hunters safety later this summer.  She will be hunting deer and elk on the wet side with me .  Does anyone have any input on the effectiveness of a .270 for elk.  My wife shoots my 30-06 great but I was looking for something that maybe has a little better range.  Would a .270 fit the bill.  Ammo cost is another factor.  I would like something that will be fairly cheap (yes i know that no ammo is "cheap" ) to target shoot with.  I was thinking of a 7mm mag but after a little reading I started to think that a .270 might just fit the bill a little better.  What are your thoughts?

[NWBREW]

A 270 would work fine. Shot placement is the key. 

[carpsniperg2]

270 would be a great pick. My wife has shot a lot of critters with just a 270wm. From deer to stag to elk. It is a great pick for all around hunting in the states. I hunt a good bit with a 270wsm and have shot some great critters with it.

[Huntbear]

There is a gorgeous .280 Remington in the Classifieds right now...   and that caliber will do all you want..

.270, 7mm-08, .308  you can not go wrong with any of those or bigger....    Make sure the gun fits her good, and has good glass on it, and she will have an animal killing tool in her hands..

Like said above, magnums are not needed,, it is all about shot placement out to 350 yards or so..  make sure she does a lot of practice... and not all from a bench...

[RadSav]

Before all the new .30 magnums came on the seen the .270 was considered one of the ultimate elk cartridges.  With better bullet choices available today I have a hard time believing it is no longer any good as an elk cartridge.  That being said,  the old 30-06 is one hell of a good elk killer.  If she can shoot the -06 fine without the twitchees I can't really see a reason to change.

[Greg30-06]

Doesn't a 270 have a flatter trajectory ?

[SI Eagle]

Why not stay w/ the 30-06? If you want it to shoot it a little flatter use 150 grain bullets. If she likes it and can shoot it well it is plenty for elk. Not a sexy caliber but but has probably killed more elk than any other cartridge.

[Curly]

Doesn't a 270 have a flatter trajectory ?

Not really.  Not enough to matter anyway.  Only possible advantage a 270 might have would be a little less recoil.

[Guy]

She already has a .30-06 and shoots it well?

She needs no other elk rifle.

[scottfrick]

I believe he said she has been shooting "his" rifle the 30.06?? The 270 for the wife would be a great caliber. My wife shots a Remington model 700 270 and has no problem with it at all.

[Biggerhammer]

There is a gorgeous .280 Remington in the Classifieds right now...   and that caliber will do all you want..

.270, 7mm-08, .308  you can not go wrong with any of those or bigger....    Make sure the gun fits her good, and has good glass on it, and she will have an animal killing tool in her hands..

Like said above, magnums are not needed,, it is all about shot placement out to 350 yards or so..  make sure she does a lot of practice... and not all from a bench...

The .280 is a superb cartridge.

[Greg30-06]

I believe he said she has been shooting "his" rifle the 30.06?? ...

Exactly.  Its kinda hard for two people to hunt at the same time with one rifle.  I know the 30-06 very well and love it but kinda want something different.  Why have two of the same rifle?   I appreciate all of the input.   Does anyone know of a range in skagit or whatcom counties that rent rifles so she could try one out?  NorPoint doesnt do they? 

[JimmyHoffa]

How about a .308 Win?  Plenty accurate and can basically do what a .30-06/.270/.280 can do, plus you can get it on a variety of platforms.  The KelTeck RFB is a cool one, especially on the wetside.  Very compact and recoil is barely felt.  Easy gun to pack into the mountains.
The M1A (M-14) is generally a heavier rifle, but there are replacement stocks that can take care of most of that.

[BLUEBULLS]

I believe he said she has been shooting "his" rifle the 30.06?? ...

Exactly.  Its kinda hard for two people to hunt at the same time with one rifle.  I know the 30-06 very well and love it but kinda want something different.  Why have two of the same rifle?   I appreciate all of the input.   Does anyone know of a range in skagit or whatcom counties that rent rifles so she could try one out?  NorPoint doesnt do they?

get her a 30/06 like yours.... My wife shoots a .270, I shoot a 7mag, she stuck some of her ammo in my box = BAD IDEA!

can easily be avoided though... .270 should work real well for her.

[WapitiTalk1]

How about a .308 Win?  Plenty accurate and can basically do what a .30-06/.270/.280 can do, plus you can get it on a variety of platforms.  The KelTeck RFB is a cool one, especially on the wetside.  Very compact and recoil is barely felt.  Easy gun to pack into the mountains.
The M1A (M-14) is generally a heavier rifle, but there are replacement stocks that can take care of most of that.

There you go!  Can't go wrong with this round.....