Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Deer & Antelope caliber for the wife?

Looking to get the wife her first rifle as she wanting to get involved in hunting. Wondering what would be recommended as a good caliber for deer and antelope? First thoughts are .243, 25-06, 7mm-08. Also thought the .270 & .308 though I think those would be a bit much for her to shoot enough to be comfortable and accurate with the rifle. Whats your thoughts? Any one "better" than the others? Trying to stick with more common calibers due to ammunition cost and availability as I do not reload.

Thanks

243 all day long

.260 or 7-08. Both can fire a superior sized/weight ball at excellent velocities.

There is a Remington 700 .257 Roberts in the Classifieds that would be absolutely perfect for her.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth.../WTS_Rem_700_ADL_257_Roberts#Post6980136

Bob

243. 243. 243........until lasers are legal.

.243
.257 Roberts
.25-06
.260
7mm-08

No debate here will declare the winner of "Which is best." Just go find a good deal on one and go kill stuff.

I guess I'm a little "old school", but if you don't mind reloading and can find one, a .250 Savage hard to beat for a lady. Very little recoil and muzzle blast, even in a light weight carbine, and very deadly on game. Nothing I ever shot with a .250 required a second shot.

Like I said in the OP I want to stay with the more common choices due to availibility and cost, though the other suggested calibers will no doubt be good choices. I have whittled it down to those listed in the OP. I am leaning .243 or 7mm-08 though the 25-06 is also up there though. I do not reload, yet, this is on my list of things to get into. Finding .250 Savage, .260 Rem, and .257 Roberts around here is a bit more challenging for factory ammunition choices. On that matter the .243 seems to have the best factory options.

Thanks

The caliber is less important that how the rifle fits her. Remember women have less upper body strength and more padding on their upper chest.

My wife started out with a 22" 6.5x55 with a cut down stock and had issues shooting it any way but off a rest. She found a 7mm-08 Model Seven Youth with an 18.5" barrel and just flat out kills anything she shoots at. Funny thing is she finds full size short action Model 70 Featherweights also work. Winchester now makes that model in a compact that might also work.

Just let your wife handle various models until she finds the one that works. If you can, find an experienced female hunter to accompany you and her gun shopping.

25-06, 260 would be the first two I'd look at, although my wife will be using my .257 wby

For her first cf find one that fits her. In 243,or 257 or similar cartridge.Hearing protection allways and stay away from cartridges with much muzzleblast , that bothers new shooters more than recoil. Especially the 25-06 or any magnums let them learn and get comfortable with shooting first instead dumping hot rds on them right away.You will make a better shot out of her that way. Magnum Man

A 243 would be hard to whoop for a first rifle.

jcrain1970,
Go with the 243 Winchester.
It's a great round to start with for a beginner.
There are plenty of other good cartridges out there too, but for factory ammo selection you'd be hard pressed to find a better one with that light of a recoil, and with a little practice for good shot placement it will handle deer & speed goats way out of proportion to its size.
Good Luck,
Ted

Another vote for 243

get a 243

If you think she might every get into elk hunting, a 270 might be a thought too

.243 Win for a starter rifle, then move up to a .243 Win when you think she's ready for a "real" hunting rifle.

A 257 Roberts would be perfect.


ddj

My wife switches between 243 and her 7mm-08. Both will kill either animal as dead as you could ever want. I cant see anything bigger killing them any deader.

I think Savage offers a bolt gun in .250 Savage. That's the route I'd go.

There's only one real choice for somebody who doesn't handload, the .243 Winchester. It's not only great for beginners but many veterans choose it as well.

My wife started hunting in her 30's with my grandmother's old .257 Roberts, but it was a little heavy. Since then she's hunted big game all over the U.S., as well as in Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Africa, with rifles chambered for over around 10 cartridges up to the .30-06. But recently she's become more sensitive to recoil, and last year picked up a light Hiusquvarna .243 that's now her favorite general-purpose rifle. It works on deer and antelope as well as anything she's tried, and a couple days ago she took her 100th big game animal with it, a pronghorn at 243 yards!