Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Elk & Plains Game Cartridge for my daughter

I am debating myself on a cartridge for my 15 yr old daughter for her to hunt elk and plains game with. She presently shoots a .257 Roberts and shoots a .270 occasionally. I have stocks cut down that fit her on both rifles. I also have plinking loads for both guns that leaves the muzzle at 2000 fps. So she enjoys shooting and I just slip in a hunting load when we head to the field. In the excitement of a shot on game she never realizes the increase in recoil or velocity over her plinking loads.

One of her requirements with a rifle is that it does not weigh too much. Her .257 Roberts 700 Mtn rifle wears a Ti stock and the .270 700 ADL does too so both those guns are not too heavy. Since I shoot a .338 and I have a plinking load I use with a 180 BT and H-4895 that leaves the muzzle at 1950 fps I was thinking of picking up another .338 and let her use this. I could reduce hunting loads to .338 Federal or .338-06 levels? I thought about getting her a .338 federal but I am concerned with the lack of trajectory with that cartridge in making a 400 yd shot at an elk that is very possible where I hunt. The .338 federal would be fine in Africa for plains game. The other thought is maybe a .300 WSM? Maybe a 7mm Rem Mag?

Here�s the debate I keep telling myself the .270 she has will be fine and just let her keep shooting that rifle and gain more confidence and go hunting. But I personally would not choose to take a .270 on my elk hunts or on a trip to South Africa for plains game so why would I let my daughter do so? I�m stuck what would you do?

IIRC, Eileen Clark (JB's wife) is rather fond of a .257 Roberts for just about everything (including elk), as was Jack O'Connor's wife.

And, of course, Jack thought rather highly of the .270 for the same.

Personally, I'd much rather a good, familiar rifle in a capable cartridge than a new, unfamiliar, "more powerful" rifle. Either her .257 or her .270 fit the first category (to me) just fine.

I agree but she will be going on a mule deer and antelope hunt in 2011 and elk hunts in 2012 & 2013 and then the trip to Africa in 2014. Plus all the hog hunting and deer hunting she wants to do in the Carolinas. So she would have plenty of opportunity to get acquainted with a new rifle, if we choose to go that route.

I'd think the Bob for most of the stuff and a light'ish 7mm08 for the bigger stuff. It certainly kicks less than a 270.

+1 on the 7-08, especially stoked with premium boolits...

Load TSX/TTSXs in either of her current rifles, and I'll bet:

1) That they don't bounce off;

2) That a BUNCH of stuff gets very dead, very quickly; and,

3) That the guide(s) better have a sharp knife handy.

Of course, if the premise if to get her another rifle, well, that's another story all together...

You aren't stuck....the 270 has been rolling elk and plains game since 1925.....I would not allow my prejudices about what constitutes a good elk/plains game cartridge to interefre with what she is comfortable with. I would allow my daughter to shoot what she shoots best,give her good bullets and not allow my prejudices to interfere with what works well for her....and millions of other hunters.Many dead elk will testify on her behalf.JMHO

The more I think about it, a 270/08 makes even more sense.

AIed?

Don't be silly...


Honestly though, I can't imagine not having my daughter/son run a SA cartridge. I'm sure there is a benefit to having longer cartridges poke you in your pocket and burning more powder but I'm not sure what that benefit is.

She will do fine with the 270. I'd use it on elk, and it will do just fine on plains game, in Africa. Use quality bullets, and let her keep shooting. Lots of critters have been dumped with a 270. Besides, it's like everybody sez....it's the 1st shot that counts.


maddog

308 Win, 270 Win or 7-08 Rem would be my recommendation.

My to be 14 year old will be using an old Walther Mauser 7x57 and the 140 gr E-Tip on plains game in 2012. He shoots it well now so things should be fine and I have zero doubt with the cartridge/bullet combo. If buying new I suspect I would go the 7mm-08 route as well, same same.

Speak softly or we'll be in for more pages of 270/08

45-47 gr 4064 and a 130 gr bullet in the 270Win case,and you got one....course when we conjured up such loads, there was no 7/08.

Well this may not make sense to you, but if your intention would be to have her shoot a 338 with practice loads at home and then when she is hunting to "slip in" full power or near full power loads thinking she will not notice may not go so well when you consider the increase in ft lbs of recoil from full power 270 to full power 338's.
You say you are doing the elk hunt's in the next couple of years and the Africa trip in 3 years so she will be 18 by then I presume?
In my own personal experience with female shooters recoil is a very big deal and if they sense any trickery on my part the firearm gets handed to me and that is the end of the session.
Now I have no idea of your daughters personality and maturity so I offer my observations out of my own experience only.

I have never hunted elk, but that is supposed to change in 2011 and dream of Africa, but from my research a 270 or something in the 7-08 class does the job with distinction.

Ron Spoomer has an article in either the latest Rifle or Handloader about his wife taking several species of plains game with a 7-08 and 140gr A-frames I believe.

Could be worth a read.

Absolutely!! Nothing against the .277's but in this case the 7mm/08 covers anything the short 270 would do and then some.Of the newer calibers on the scene in short action configs the 260 and 7/08 are great...IMO Flem

I'd buy a new rifle, make it a .260 Rem, stoke it with 140 gr. Partitions or 160 gr. Woodleighs or 130 gr. TTSX and get ready to see smiles on her face and meat in the freezer. European hunters have been killing "moose" (elk) with the 6.5x55 Swede for a century and didn't know they were under-gunned. Your daughter won't know it either.

I've killed elk with several different cartridges...they all died, haven't lost one....I've killed more elk with a .270 Win and 150 NPTs than any other single cartridge [I killed my first elk more than forty years ago.] While I use my 9.3X62 for plains game..I haven't killed any plains game in africa [including eland] that would not have died when shot through the chest with a .270 and premium bullet. The plethora of really good bullets today makes cartridges that forty years ago were marginal a whole lot more effective. I'm still a charter member of the good shot placement camp. And I believe that's easier done with a rifle we shoot often and are comfortable with.

Going this route I could just stick with her .257 Roberts. For hunting she presently shoots a 100 gr TSX but I could up that to 115 gr. TSX or go to a 120 gr. Partition or A-Frame. But again I am worried about a 400 yd shot at an elk and having enough velocity and energy to properly dispatch the elk. I have only shot a few anilamls at 400 + yds but where we hunt that is a very possible shot. Of course if a stalk lended itself to get closer that is exactly what we would do.