Rifle reccomendation

[snowshoes22]

Look at the 6.5 creedmoor. Low recoil, great ballistics, good sectional density with heavy for caliber bullets.

[headshot5]

Definitely go with a 7mm-08, or a .260.  I have a couple 7-08's and a .260 and love them all.  You can use 120's for deer and 140's for elk.  With my .260 I can watch a bullet hit the target (usually an animal) through the scope.  Pretty awesome.  My .260 is a Stainless ruger M77.  My 7-08's are a 700 Rem and a TCR 87.  Recoil is mild in both calibers.   

[coachcw]

Definitely go with a 7mm-08, or a .260.  I have a couple 7-08's and a .260 and love them all.  You can use 120's for deer and 140's for elk.  With my .260 I can watch a bullet hit the target (usually an animal) through the scope.  Pretty awesome.  My .260 is a Stainless ruger M77.  My 7-08's are a 700 Rem and a TCR 87.  Recoil is mild in both calibers.   

  .338 fedral also a good choice for elk close range

[Blacktail Sniper]

Have you considered an autoloader like a Remington 742?   Depending on how sensitive she is to the recoil, a 742 in say .30/06 or .270 with a muzzle brake should be pretty mild in felt recoil. And more than enough power for elk, probably not much different in weight to carry and a detachable magazine for convenience.

[Mark Youngblood]

Maybe consider a semi-auto a well...that will take out allot of recoil and with a muzzle break added I would think she could handle a larger caliber no problem.

[Chukarhead]

Since there are a lot of darts hitting the wall, I'll throw another.  Consider muzzleloading.  For the price of a new rifle and decent glass, you could buy two muzzies easily.  Since confidence is a big deal, as is recoil, practice is key.  Muzzies allow you to handload on the fly.  We shoot super-light loads for paper punching, similar to recoil from a .223, but can run up to magnum loads for whomping big elk without changing weapons.

I have a light .30-06 that is uncomfortable with standard loads, and is downright painful with hot hunting loads.  Consequently, I don't shoot it much, and don't have great confidence in my shots.  Not so with the front-stuffer, which is like an extension of my body.

Have fun--hunting with your special lady friend is a great deal!

[TriggerHappy]

My wife shoots a 7MM with a limb saver recoil pad like its a .22, the limb saver pad is awesome.

[snowshoes22]

i agree with the limb saver they are great.

[Bean Counter]

Well I love my slip on Pachmayr, and it was much cheaper than the Limbsaver 

[callonetta]

I had Mr. Palazzo build a 25-06AI with brake on it for my wife, I reload the ammo with Barnes TSX 100gr.
She has killed so far 2 muleys, 1 whitetail, 2 pronghorn and this year a cow elk, only one of the goats needed a second shot, she loves the rifle and feels no recoil.

[Watimberghost]

I will echo the .270 win. Can find the ammo anywhere and it's fairly cheap. Along with a limbsaver that cartridge would feel like a pellet gun. I know an old timer that has taken over 60 elk with his winchester pre-64 .270.

[dvolmer]

I have a wife and six daughters that hunt so I have been down this road already.  Stay away from all the funky calibers and stick to the basics.  .270 or 30-06 is what you want with a good recoil pad.  My girls shoot either a Browning BAR semi-auto in 270 and 30-06 or I have a Remington semi-auto 30-06.  The semi-auto is the key.  The recoil of a gas operated rifle is reduced by at least 30% or more.  The guns are a little bit heavier but it works.  My 130 lb 16 year old shot a nice large cow elk this year with the BAR 270 and my 20 year old 120 lb daughter shot a nice cow this year with the Remington 30-06.  My 13 year old son shot a nice 3x5 muley in Montana with the BAR 270 with no problems at all.  My oldest daughter has shot two 6X6 bulls in the past with the Remington 30-06 and she is around 5'6" and weighs in at around 130 lbs. In these calibers, ammo is cheap and easily found.  If you want to find a gun that just jumps in your hands with no kick at all get a Browning BAR in 243.  but I wouldn't reccomend a 243 for elk.