Rifle recommendations?

Question

I'm looking to purchase a rifle so that I can hunt whitetail with my fiance on his 160-acre farm in Kansas. I'd like to find one with a nice mix of range/accuracy - I already tried out his 7mm-Mag but I'm just not that comfortable with it. If we're out for quite a while (he's got a block permit since he has crops on his land), I usually feel like someone has taken a sledgehammer to my shoulder :)

What do you all suggest?

Answer 1

I think the .243 is marginal, that is it's light powered, if you can handle more then by all means get more.

I'd recommend the .270. There's a lot of good power combined with very good range and it's more gentle than his 7mm kicker.

My wife, 5'2" and "healthy" shoots the .270 well and she started on my more powerful .30-06, so it was a pleasant step down in recoil for her.

There is a tremendous variety of ammo in .270....another big plus.

Also, get as heavy a rifle as you can comfortably carry all day. The heavier the better for taming recoil. A lightweight rifle will kick YOU more....it's simple physics.

Remington, Savage and many good used brands like Winchester, Browning, etc. You should find a good variety in .270.

Another good option is a .30-30 lever rifle, like Winchester 94 or Marlin 336. You can handle the kick but it's range is really under 150 yards. My grandaddy used one for 50 years and always brought home deer.

Hope you enjoy hunting and all works out well with the fiance. Hell, with a 160 acre deer-rich stake, I know some guys that'd love to marry him!

Answer 2

Savage - some thing in .223 for low-priced train ammo. In carrying rifles I possess two Savages (a hundred and ten and 340), two Winchesters (670 and 70), two sporterized Mausers (M38 Turk and Spanish La Coruna), a Rossi, a Marlin (336), a sporterized Springfield 1903, and a sporterized SMLE No1Mk4. If I knew I needed to make a distinct shot, the Savage a hundred and ten could be what I reached for.

Answer 3

The best firearm to shoot is the one youre most comfortable with and have the most confidence in...the 7mm is a very good round but like you said it creates quite a kick which makes it hard to build the confidence you need to relax and make a good shot. If I were you I would buy a 308 or a 243 in any make or model...a .308 will harvest any animal on the North American continent Ive taken black bears,antelope,mule deer,whitetail deer and elk using the .308... the kick is very minimal and it is an enjoyable round to shoot..optics are as important as your rifle so I would mount a Leopold 3-9 variable scope on your rifle..dont sell yourself short when it comes to your optics on your rifle or your binoculors..but I believe the .308 would be the perfect round for you and if you reload you can load for any game from varmits to grizzlies...Be safe take a hunters saftey course if you havnt...and have fun with your very lucky fiance..if you have anymore questions you can leave them on my 360 profile anytime ...your friend and fellow outdoorsman..God bless

Answer 4

My former wife, at 5'1" and 110 pounds, used an old Remington Mohawk in .243. She got every deer she went after for over ten years. She used a 90 grain bullet in the rifle for her hunting. The rifle had a fixed six power scope on it. She practiced regularly with the rifle. She was, and still is a crack shot. Which is one of the reasons that, even though we are divorced, I try not to piss her off.
The only change I would suggest to you is to use a variable scope, like a 3x9 power.
I don't think Remington makes the old style Mohawk anymore. But the Model 7, in .243, with its 20 inch barrel and youth stock, should suffice. What made the rifle work for my EX was the short barrel and short stock; it balanced very well for her.

Answer 5

.243 Winchester cartridge is a good choice for women and teenagers if you are concerned about recoil.

.270 has much better range and is very accurate but will kick a bit more.

30-06 has been voted many times as a good all around choice for deer....but a bolt action (Remington 700) will kick more than the automatic (Remington 7400) which releases more recoil when the bolt opens to eject the spent cartridge.

These are very common cartridges...but there are countless available to choice from. I would go with a Remington Model 700 bolt action chambered in a Remington 270 if I were you...can't go wrong with that.

Answer 6

You can get 7mm performance without worrisome recoil quite easily. Either the old 7x57 Mauser, perhaps my favorite deer cartridge, or the ballistically equivalent 7mm08 will give you the performance of those nice 7mm bullets in a cartridge that's quite pleasant to shoot. One of my kids is quite recoil-sensitive but shoots his 7-08 with ease, and his little brother and I, neither of us recoil-sensitive, choose them often among the fifteen or so "deer cartridges" in the family battery. I have to admit to liking medium-bores like 348 Winchester, 8x68 and even 9.3x62 on occasion, though nobody would call those last two "deer cartridges," and I've killed plenty of deer with miniatures like 6mm Remington, but I probably use one of those 7mm's more than half the time.

Answer 7

In my opinion, the .308 Win is the best combination of power, accuracy, long range capability, and modest recoil.

A Browning BLR, Winchester M-70, or Savage M-110 would be great choices in that caliber.

Doc

Answer 8

try either a winchester model 70 "featherweight" in 25-06 or 257 roberts or 243 winchester.. Remington also makes a lightweight rifle called a "mountain rifle" and is available in the same calibers. &mm mag is a stout kicking rifle, especially for an in experienced shooter. .243 winchester is what mt 16 year old daughter shoots, she started hunting with it when she was 12. I built a nice winchester for my wife chambered in 25-06 and she has taken several deer with it. I personally shoot a winchester chambered in .270
shoot safe

Answer 9

The best choices for your purpose are 30-30, 30-06 or 308 & 32 Winchester Special.*

Answer 10

.243 or 30/30 or 30/06 lightly loaded are all easier on the shoulder and can reach out and touch something.

If you are going with closer ranges I would suggest a rifle chambered in .357. This works VERY effectively inside 100 yards and several come in short barreled carbine varieties that are much lighter weight.