Rifle for Mulies and Elk

[3006]

I have a question for all of you.
I am in need of a rifle for the Mrs. She has a 243 win. and has taken many deer with her rifle and my son has two elk with the rifle. That being said, the dog-gone thing is not enough rifle for bull elk. My wife will draw a trophy unit elk tag next year and I would like to get her a new rifle that she will be comfy with. She currently does not think anything of going out and shooting 40-50 rounds with me at the range. So I don't want anything that will slap her around, but it needs to place a well constructed bullet a little deeper into the critter than fragile bullets out of a 243 are capable of if the shot is not perfect.

So I am pondering a .308, a buddy recommended a 270 and that is one caliber I do not have. I know lots of elk are harvested with 270's each year. However is it the caliber one would buy if looking for an elk rifle? Any thoughts? CW

 

[nitis]

Do you hand load?

I would look into the 7mm08 or even a 260 but if you handload what's wrong woth a 30.06 loaded to recoul like a 270? Good luck!

 

[owenv]

My sister bought a .270 last year and loves it. She got a savage with the accustock and accutriger. The new and improved stock greatly reduces recoil.

 

[FOTIS]

7mm-08, 260 or 270 win. Either will do for elk also.

If she can handle a 308 she can handle either one of these. :wink:

 

[Polaris]

My wife shoots a .308 Sav. Md 10 quite comfortably so long as I keep the bullets at or under 165 grain. We have the possibility of a moose hunt in our future so I went with the heaviest caliber I thought she could handle. Started with reduced 150 grain loads to get her used to centerfire rifles and then worked up to full power. If you're not trying to reach super far, that would be a good round with a 165 AB.

My pick would be a 280 rem or 7mm08 over the 270. Similar recoil and trajectory, but the 7mms will handle a 160 gr Partition giving you a tad more punch and a no nonsense elk killer. Downside of those rounds is limited rifle availability. They are both easy shooters though with lots of knockdown and pretty flat shooters.

 

[SJB358]

I would vote for the 7-08, 270, 308 or heck, even the 30-06. All allow modest work up with reduced recoil. I bought my wife a Ruger Hawkeye 308 and she shoots 125's out of it for deer and when we go bear/elk hunting she steps up to a 150gr bullet. I know it isn't a heavy duty hammer, but the recoil is somewhat moderate and a good 150gr bullet is plenty good for the ranges she will be shooting. Scotty

 

[6mm Remington]

My vote is the 7-08, 280 Remington, or 30-06. In an average weight rifle and good recoil pad, they don't kick real hard and have plenty of pop for elk. I would use 140's in the 7-08 and 280, and 165 in the 30-06.

Start her out with just a few shots at a time. Even if it's only 3 rounds fired accurately, and then your wife shoots something else like her 243 for the rest of the time, that's okay. I think it's important to not let them get banged around at first. Instead of shooting paper after the rifle is sighted in, shoot a reactive target like a small steel plate. It is fun and it helps take the mind off of the recoil just like shooting at game does. Good luck!

David

 

[backcountryhunter]

since we appear to be votin' for your Mrs, I vote for a .308 and for a number of reasons - 1) it will do whatever a 30.06 will do with 165's and under 2) it is a short action making it less of a "chore" to operate (not a big deal for us but might be for a gal) 3) no limits on bullet choice 4) inherent accuracy 5) lots of rifles 6) lots of LIGHTWEIGHT rifles 7) lots of ammo - if you happen to not handload then there are several new factory loads that equal the "06" last year and if you do let me know and I'll give you a bunch of loads for 150 AB & TSX, don't listen to the hype, they will tip an elk over just fine inside 300 yards - shoot 125 BT's for practice

 

[JD338]

I would look at the 7mm-08, 308, 280 Rem and 30-06. Start loading with light bullets and work up to meet your wife's comfort level.
I would also have her fitted to the stock by a good gun smith nad have a Pachmyer Decelerator or Limb Saver recoil pad installed.

JD338

 

[BK]

My choice would be a .260 or 7-08. I plan to get my son a 7-08 for his first elk rifle.

 

[DrMike]

I'd say almost cartridge that spans the spectrum encompassing 7mm-08 through 30-06 would work quite well. I should imagine that fit to her frame is more important than anything else. Make certain any rifle she picks has a good recoil pad, fitted for her when she is wearing winter clothing.

 

[RiverRider]

I think the 7mm-08 makes a lot of sense, but I think I'd have her shoot something along the lines of a .30-06 first to see what she thinks. And something else: the stock design makes ALL the difference in the world. She may well be able to handle 180s out of a .30-06 with no problem in a rifle that fits her correctly. But then again, it could be the .243 fits her perfectly and she thinks it's a monster, but I thought I'd throw that out there anyway.

 

[JD338]

Mike and RR,

You fellas are spot on, proper stock fit is king!
You can ahndle a lot more horse power if the stock fit is correct.

JD338

 

[Polaris]

since we appear to be votin' for your Mrs, I vote for a .308 and for a number of reasons - 1) it will do whatever a 30.06 will do with 165's and under 2) it is a short action making it less of a "chore" to operate (not a big deal for us but might be for a gal) 3) no limits on bullet choice 4) inherent accuracy 5) lots of rifles 6) lots of LIGHTWEIGHT rifles 7) lots of ammo - if you happen to not handload then there are several new factory loads that equal the "06" last year and if you do let me know and I'll give you a bunch of loads for 150 AB & TSX, don't listen to the hype, they will tip an elk over just fine inside 300 yards - shoot 125 BT's for practice

Excellent point on the bolt throw, hadn't thought of that. How bout a BLR? whole new can of worms.

 

[Powerstroke]

We all know where I'm going with this -

The .260 is a sweet little round and proven itself very well for my family. IMO - recoil of the .260 is less than that of it's bigger brother the 7-08. The high B.C. of the 6.5 makes for
a deep penetrating bullet.

With that said - very hard to beat any of the others mentioned - the .280 would be another great choice.

 

[6mm Remington]

We all know where I'm going with this -

The .260 is a sweet little round and proven itself very well for my family. IMO - recoil of the .260 is less than that of it's bigger brother the 7-08. The high B.C. of the 6.5 makes for
a deep penetrating bullet.

With that said - very hard to beat any of the others mentioned - the .280 would be another great choice.

I like your thinking Powerstroke but maybe there's another way to skin a cat? How about a 6.5-06? :shock: A little more pop than 260 (although that's a sweet light recoiling critter) and they could load that wonderful 125 gr. Partition or 130 gr. AccuBond?? :grin:

This just hit me too, now how about a 7x57 Mauser? What a neat cartridge and very effective in a modern rifle! Powerstroke do you think we are helping things here? :mrgreen:

 

[SJB358]

since we appear to be votin' for your Mrs, I vote for a .308 and for a number of reasons - 1) it will do whatever a 30.06 will do with 165's and under 2) it is a short action making it less of a "chore" to operate (not a big deal for us but might be for a gal) 3) no limits on bullet choice 4) inherent accuracy 5) lots of rifles 6) lots of LIGHTWEIGHT rifles 7) lots of ammo - if you happen to not handload then there are several new factory loads that equal the "06" last year and if you do let me know and I'll give you a bunch of loads for 150 AB & TSX, don't listen to the hype, they will tip an elk over just fine inside 300 yards - shoot 125 BT's for practice

Excellent point on the bolt throw, hadn't thought of that. How bout a BLR? whole new can of worms.

I like your idea for the BLR, but only if you can find someone to adjust the trigger. I don't mind a heavier trigger, but the Browning BLR's tend to be really heavy. I like mine and can shoot it well, but I think a less experienced shooter would have a harder time with accuracy. They do come in alot of great calibers and as far as I am concerned, they are just about as accurate and strong as about any bolt gun. Scotty

 

[Mighty Peace]

My wife shoots a Tikka T3 LS with 140gr Accubonds. She has taken elk, mulies, whitetails and moose....mostly all 1 shot kills.

Maybe a 7mm-08 would be another caliber. Nothing wrong with a 308...thats what my wife's mother uses.

 

[3006]

OK guys we have run the gamut here.
The 308, 7-08, 270, & 280 are high on the list. I think a 6.5-284 would also do nicely.
There is so much to work with on the 308, like I just seen 308 Lapua brass in 308 for $56.00 at Cabelas.
Thanks CW

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I would much rather have a 270 or 280 then the 308 708 260 variants...

Elk are big and tough and I think they deserve a little more umph then the 308 and its variants deliver on elk, especially a big mature trophy bull elk, theres a bit of difference between the two.

270 w/good 150g bullet, 280 w/good 160g bullet and your good to go, put a limbsaver on it, bet she would shoot either just fine... Cant be much more recoil then the 308 round as the rifles are usually 1 to 1.5 lb heavier since being a LA.

For a woman, cant beat either of those 2 cartridges really IMO for an all around deer/elk/bear. I wouldn't really consider much anythign else really, since I HATE the 06...And I'm not much of a fan of SA calibers for type of hunting/shooting I do.