good women's rifle for booth deer and elk

[Lokaybinnity]

hey you all, my wife and 11 year old son are going thru hunter ed as soon as christmas is over. i already have a couple good calibers for my 11 year old (6.5 cm, 243) and for me (30-06). im looking for a recommendation for a good all around friendly shooting deer and elk caliber in one,  for my wife. she wants to try to hunt elk as well as deer and doesnt like my 30-06 she says it kicks a little to much. it would be west side elk mostly and deer all around the state. we have been looking at 270 7mm-08 and 6.8 western, but im not a fan of the price or availability of the 6.8. what have the ladies in your life had luck with. appreciate everyone thanks. And no my son isn't hunting elk with a 6.5 or 243 he needs to shot a couple deer first  before the elk and be able to shoot something a little bigger as well.       

[Sakko300wsm]

My wife has a tikka 7mm08 - very low recoil and is definitely a little tack driver

[headshot5]

Agreed 7mm-08. 

[Bareback]

If you can, have them shoot some guns with muzzle breaks. If they are tolerant of the noise, blow back, etc. it would open up the available calibers. Something in 7mm would work.

[WSU]

My wife and I have killed bulls with her 270. Works gear.

[Bob33]

Lots of good choices, including using reduced recoil ammunition in calibers like 30-06.

In my opinion a 7mm-08 would be hard to beat.

[Wingin it]

7mm-08 will do the trick. Mild recoil and will tackle deer and elk.

[boneaddict]

Love the ole 25-06.   Fun to shoot, doesnt beat the hell out of you, perfect predator/varmit gun and can kill all the way up to moose.

[steeleywhopper]

My wife has killed many elk and deer with my 7mm-08 Mountain rifle, but due to her not being able to get her head down and sight picture dialed in fast we went ahead and got her a Savage Lady Hunter. This has been a game changer for her as the gun is made to fit a woman.

[Oldguy]

A wood stock reduces the felt recoil and is something to consider. I sighted in a 7mm mag for someone several years ago and it had a synthetic stock. There was a huge difference in the wood stocked rifle I owned and the synthetic stock rifle.

[Wetwoodshunter]

I went with a 7mm-08 for my wife.  She had her crosshairs on a blacktail and decided she wasn’t a hunter so it sits in the safe. It is a Browning X-bolt.

Using the Hornady low recoil rounds the kick is laughable.

[Lokaybinnity]

thanks everybody i will do some research on the 7mm-08. appreciate everyone's input.

[Platensek-po]

My son shoots a 7mm-08 with 101gn hammer hunters and it’s a little laser with very little recoil.

[bearhunter99]

Another vote for the 7mm-08.  My wife and all three daughters have one.  They have killed a lot of deer with that caliber.   


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[Gentrys]

My daughter is 21yo and shoots a 30-06.  She's been shooting  the 30-06 since age 16.  We started with reduced recoil ammo.  She now shoots it with a standard load. 

[fowl smacker]

Another vote here for the 7mm-08.  My daughters both shoot one. Little recoil and a wide variety of bullets.

[C-Money]

My wife shoots a 7mm-08. It is a great cartridge. If I had to do all my big game hunting all over again, I'd lean pretty hard towards the 7mm-08. 7mm-08 has just been a great killer on big game for my wife. I took a good size mule deer with it once. Light recoil, very deadly. Bone mentioned the 25-06, which would be another superb choice. I've helped skin a few friends deer taken with a 25-06, and the cartridge applies just as much devastation as anything else, with tolerable recoil.

[HereDuckyDucky]

My wife used to shoot a Browning A-bolt Micro in .308. It worked, but she wasn't particularly accurate with the rifle because of recoil and fit. Last year I bought her a Weatherby Camilla in 6.5CM. That thing is a dream to shoot. Lightweight. No recoil. Fits her like a glove. And far more accurate for her.

RW

[James]

Independent of caliber, I would get a rifle with an adjustable stock.

Not just LOP, but comb height.  My experience is that women need higher combs on average, so one that's adjustable is quite helpful.

[jrebel]

My wife shoots 7-08 in a Savage Lady Hunter.  Great rifles.....  My daughter shoots a 6.5 creedmoor in a Savage ultralite.  Both rifles are fantastic for women as the comb is higher and or adjustable, which most women need / appreciate. 

I wouldn't hesitate to shoot an elk with a 7-08, 6.5 creed, 6.5 prc, 308.....all short actions with relatively low recoil.  Pick a good bullet and get that lady in the field....Love hearing ladies getting after it.   

[b23]

My stepdaughter is a small frame female (5'3 105lbs).  Her first rifle was a Savage Lady Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor that she thought was going to be a rifle she'd have forever but then she bought a Tikka Ultralite in good old 270 Win and that was the end of it for her Savage.  She'll be the first to tell you her old Sav. Lady Hunter was prettier but her Tikka is her forever gun.  She shoots factory Federal Premium 140gr Berger ammo and has taken a number of deer and pronghorn with it in the three years she's had it.

There's a lot of capable cartridges out there that'll get the job done for you but IMO a 270 Win is never a bad decision and for a reasonably priced factory rifle that they always seem to shoot very well a Tikka would be my first choice.

[addicted1]

7mm-08 or 6.5CM, the 7/08 will out perform a 6.5 inside of 500 yards based on most comparisons I have seen. With west side hunting I doubt you’ll be taking long range shots. Either will be fine for elk, just target a broadside shot. Only your wife would know, but if she isn’t comfortable shooting and fears recoil. Get one of these chambered in a heavier rifle. Sucks to carry around, but will make a difference on the felt recoil.

[ghosthunter]

7 mm08

[sellis_414]

Tikka T3x Superlite 6.5 Creedmoor

[Fidelk]

I went to a local 1000 yard shoot.......there was a woman there with a .50 BMG.......but she was about 6 foot tall and a solid lass. Your wife doesn't like a .30-06......anything between .243 and .270 should work. Caliber doesn't really matter....the goal is to fire one round at an animal.......she won't hear it and she won't feel it.

[lewy]

When my wife decided she wanted to hunt we settled on the tikka compact, short barrel and removable lop spacer. Wanted the 7-08 but couldn’t find one, ended up with the 308. It’s been a great little gun, I actually like hunting timber with it. Also makes a great little truck gun. Ammo easily available anywhere and the tikka eats anything you feed it

[coyotecrazy]

My daughter has a Weatherby compact in 6.5 Creedmoor. Extremely accurate and the stock comes with shims so you can adjust the length. I put a 3 to 9 Leupold freedom edition with the custom turret  from Leupold. Great gun.

[Mulie87]

Another plug for the 7mm-08. My wife loves hers. Low recoil but enough power for deer and antelope.

[huntnphool]

 Ruger compact in 7mm-08

[LarryMarquette]

Bought my wife the Kimber hunter pro in 308. Super light to carry and shoots well. She shot her last bull with it and a couple deer now!