Wanting a new rifle

[Kevin Davenport]

I have a .300 win mag that I'm going to take on my plains game hunt. I would like to buy a rifle to take smaller game with, what do y'all recomend?

 

[Kevin Davenport]

It would be for my wife to use as she is not comfartable with the recoil on the rifles that I have

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Just got back a few weeks ago from my hunt with my 12 year old son. He used a M70 FW in 7x57 with 140gr bullets. Nice easy kicking gun with a bunch of dead animals when it was all said and done. My boy's first animal was a zebra on a quartering to shot, no problem at all for the 7x57 using North Fork bonded cores. The virtual ballistic twin to this caliber is 7-08.

 

[The_Wanderer]

3006 in a model 70 sporter? enough weight to soak up the recoil, Controlled Round Feed and 5+1 mag capacity. Have stock maker fit the stock to her frame to really make it enjoyable to shoot. Other option would be to do this in a 300 Win Mag and add a recoil reducer.

 

[spike.t]

with phil on the 7x57, or .275 in its correct non metric foreign designation . or a .270

 

[ActionBob]

My wife tried out my guns and the stocks were all to long, mostly M70 Winchesters at the time. Went to Reeds in Walker MN and the salesman spend half a day bringing out different things for her to try and mounting up scopes... Savage Lady hunter models were actually the worst.

Finally he brought out a gun they had just gotten in... A Ruger Guide gun in 30-06... A near perfect caliber when you look at ammo available the World over, plenty of hitting power, being just below the 300 win mag. Probably more factory load choices than any other caliber. And not too bad on recoil. So that salesman took out spacers to fit it to her and mounted up a nice little Z3 3-9, she loved the gun with open sights, did not like the scope... Tried a leupold VX3 2.5-8 and she loved it. The guide gun is short and stout, and plenty heavy to control recoil.

I think the first thing is to get a gun that fits. Then if a 30 caliber is too much, drop down to a 7x57 or a 7mm-08, or go as small as a 6.5 caliber..... We have a 6.5 Creedmoor that looks and kicks comparably with a .260 Remington, but if you look at punch it carries way more ft pounds out to long distances. The polar opposite of the 30-06 for ammo availability though... You could go to 6.5x55.

 

[ActionBob]

Go to a high service level dealer to try things, not a Cabela's or Gander type big box store. Scheel's are usually good, or a smaller shop with personal service.

A 270 would be a great choice!

 

[Kevin Davenport]

Thanks guys. We are going to look this weekend for her rifle. This will be her first bolt gun as she normally uses an ar15 for hogs, sheep, and whitetail.

 

[spike.t]

what cal.......

 

[Divernhunter]

My daughter uses a 257Roberts and took large and small PG in SA at ranges from 135 to 410 yards all with one shot using Swift A-Frame bullets. She has also taken deer and hogs here at home. None have ever required more than one shot and have not needed tracking here or in Africa.
Other choices I have used for game are 6.5X55, 260Rem which are about the same and preform far above what the paper data would have you believe.
The 7mm-08 is excellent The 7x57 is about the same.
The 270 and 25-06 offer more recoil and not much or nothing to gain over the above in hunting situations you will probably have. Especially if using a blind.
The 257Weatherby actually has one foot pound LESS recoil than the 270. It will also shoot flatter and take any PG or elk/deer/pronghorns you want. So much for the 270 fanatics with flatter and less recoil argument for choosing a 270 for recoil shy people. That and all the above have less recoil and in the real world will get the job done quite nicely.
There are good reasons I did not list a 6mm/243 cartridge.

 

[ActionBob]

what cal.......

You know our smilies are really out of date and not up on current PC standards.... We need these with guns!

 

[Kevin Davenport]

Spike.t, it is a .223 using barnes vortex 55gr tsx ammo. She has taken deer out to 150 yards cleanly

 

[jduckhunter]

Kevin don't forget to check out the Ruger line up. They offer both the Hawkeye and the American rifles in compact models chambered for .243, 7mm-08 and .308.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Kevin, I'm sort of in the same mode you are. Sort of like a golfer, needing a new in-between club. I've been leaning towards a 308 or 7mm-08. I have a 270, 30-06 and 338, so I really don't have a gap I need to fill, but thinking a smaller rifle for my daughter would be good. Maybe a Remington model seven or a CZ550 FS.

I'm not a big fan of the cheaper line of rifles that most of the makers have come out with (Ruger American, Savage Axis, etc), but I was wowed by a video recently on the Browning el-cheapo version: http://randywakeman.com/BrowningAB3VideoReview.htm Still doesn't make me want to buy one, but amazing accuracy when you find the ammo it likes.

 

[jduckhunter]

Kevin, I'm sort of in the same mode you are. Sort of like a golfer, needing a new in-between club. I've been leaning towards a 308 or 7mm-08. I have a 270, 30-06 and 338, so I really don't have a gap I need to fill, but thinking a smaller rifle for my daughter would be good. Maybe a Remington model seven or a CZ550 FS.

I'm not a big fan of the cheaper line of rifles that most of the makers have come out with (Ruger American, Savage Axis, etc), but I was wowed by a video recently on the Browning el-cheapo version: http://randywakeman.com/BrowningAB3VideoReview.htm Still doesn't make me want to buy one, but amazing accuracy when you find the ammo it likes.

375 Ruger Fan, I know what you mean about the new less expensive line of guns that are out there today. They are not much to look at, but I was very impressed by a Ruger American rifle that the Ruger R&D boys showed my son a few years ago. He was at the range with them and they showed him a 30-06 that had 40,000 rounds put through it. The rifling was all but gone, but it still shot with acceptable accuracy ( 3" group at 100 yds. ) I don't know about you but I don't think that I will ever be putting that many rounds through any gun anymore.

 

[ActionBob]

You can't help but appreciate the ingenuity of Ruger, and the value.... If you can stand the looks of these newer guns.

 

[johnnyblues]

Ruger guide in 270. I ve taken moose, caribou and a ton of deer with this caliber. Upgraded to the 270 wsm a few years back had Hill country rifle build it. Tack driver!

 

[johnnyblues]

You can't help but appreciate the ingenuity of Ruger, and the value.... If you can stand the looks of these newer guns.

Action Bob, for the money they are a tough gun to beat..I called Matt at Hill Country Rifles this year and asked his opinion on which factory gun to buy for DG, he said the Ruger guide is one of the best out there. I love mine. Bought it in 375 Ruger, And yes I have only done range time with it but plan ( hope to god) to hunt either Buffalo or lion in 2017 with it. I agree not crazy about the color but I doubt the buff or lion will mind.

 

[Velo Dog]

Today's Model 70 Winchester CRF in 7x57, with best 4x scope you can afford, set in Alaska Arms brand low rings and two piece bases.

(For me personally, I would have a proper Gunsmith install decent open sights on it as well but that is a personal quirk of mine, it is not the Gospel for everyone).

And to keep recoil mild but still have plenty of penetration on larger "plains game" animals - use 160 grain Swift A-Frame bullets if available for every environment she plans to hunt in, thick riverine forest to open graasveld.

The same outfit will do very well for deer, blackbear, pronghorn, wild boar, caribou and elk in N. America or anywhere on earth that wild swine and deer to elk size game is hunted.

Some might say that it's a little light for Alaska-Yukon moose but enough have been taken with the 7x57 to say very many negative words about it for moose hunting (same thoughts on the 7x57 for eland - "perhaps a bit light but many eland have been taken with the 7x57").

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

My wife tried out my guns and the stocks were all to long, mostly M70 Winchesters at the time. Went to Reeds in Walker MN and the salesman spend half a day bringing out different things for her to try and mounting up scopes... Savage Lady hunter models were actually the worst.

Finally he brought out a gun they had just gotten in... A Ruger Guide gun in 30-06... A near perfect caliber when you look at ammo available the World over, plenty of hitting power, being just below the 300 win mag. Probably more factory load choices than any other caliber. And not too bad on recoil. So that salesman took out spacers to fit it to her and mounted up a nice little Z3 3-9, she loved the gun with open sights, did not like the scope... Tried a leupold VX3 2.5-8 and she loved it. The guide gun is short and stout, and plenty heavy to control recoil.

I think the first thing is to get a gun that fits. Then if a 30 caliber is too much, drop down to a 7x57 or a 7mm-08, or go as small as a 6.5 caliber..... We have a 6.5 Creedmoor that looks and kicks comparably with a .260 Remington, but if you look at punch it carries way more ft pounds out to long distances. The polar opposite of the 30-06 for ammo availability though... You could go to 6.5x55. View attachment 44291

You know Bob, both your wife and that zebra are prettier than you....just sayin'.