My wife is expressing interest in an Alaskan caribou hunt. Chance she might pursue other game there. Current firearms are savage high country 6.5 creedmore and ruger .308. Open to buying a new rifle.
Wife is on petite side. Not a dedicated shooter (recoild has to be considered). Not really strong (i.e. probably won't like carrying heavy rifle long sistance).
The 6.5 is fine for bou and similar size game. My choice would switch to .308 if moose or black bear were being considered, but if all I had was a 6.5 I'd make it work. Maybe just pick the lighter of the two and go with that. But there's no *need* for a new gun. Like Las said though, we'd be happy to tell you what to buy next if you want an excuse.
Not Alaska, but most northern places I've been, people used 30-06, 223, or .303 brit, some .308s. Others say that the SKS has some popularity, but I didn't spend enough time in the arctic to find out. Lots of natives use a .22 centerfire on bigger stuff than I thought would be the case.
Never understood men who coddle women from recoil. Women give birth for cripes sake, they can handle recoil better than most men.
Of the common short action deer calibers, i like the 308 winchester the best for Alaskan hunting. It is versatile enough to be bison-legal. So over the other short action cartridges like the 7mm-08, 260 rem, 6.5 creed and the 243 winchester, the little 308 easily takes readily available 200 grain bullets, and spits them out the barrel at 2550 fps.
Ruger 308's typically have 1:10 twists and stabilize the 200 grainers with great accuracy.
Factory rounds, the 308 fusion stuff is perfect winter caribou ammo. I have cronographed common 308 win, non-premium 180 grain ammo at 20 below zero. The federal used the most temp-stable powders and consitently yielded 2550 fps.
The worst, was 180 grain winchester powerpoint. At 20 below zero, the stuff was leaving the barrel at 2340 fps. It said 2620 fps on the box.
Lots of calibers will take caribou...they are pretty easy to kill and tend to go down when hurt. For a petite woman I think rifle fit and weight needs to be considered. The Savage High Country is long and a bit heavy. A Youth carbine in 7-08 or would be about ideal. For my wife I have a little BRNO 21H in 7x57 with a short cut stock. I like the 7mm for low recoil versatility better than the 6.5's though my own favourite caribou only rifle is a 25-06 in a 5.75 pound Forbes 24B..It has been a death ray on caribou! .... If your Ruger is a youth carbine in 308 you are pretty well set.
My sister lives in Soldotna and has been using a 308 since she moved there in 1984. She's killed caribou and Moose and one bear with it. It's a peep-sighted M88 Winchester lever action.
So go get a new gun. Because you can ------------- and you will enjoy it. But you should take the guns you shoot best with you to Alaska. If that your 6.5CM and 308, so what? No problem with either one.
Just take ammo with good bullets that don't break up badly, and you'll be fine.
Yep. Little bit of hankering to justify new gun mixed in... stopped at local gun shop. They had the new savage ultralight, as well as a Christianson arms titanium, and some others. Handled them, came home and handled her high country, and thought "there is no way she'll be happy if she has to carry that high country far". It is set up for long range so has a high power, heavy scope on an already not light rifle.
Thought something like one of those two at the LGS might be pretty nice there; but also if ever want to do something involving more walking and perhaps bigger critters later. Also, LGS employee said that some areas required at least 30 caliber. Didn't know if that was accurste.
back when the Tikka T3's appeared, bought the gal a Tikka T3 in 300 WSM to replace the bigger, heavy Win70 300 Win Mag she was using for a number of years, and she used it to take a couple of big bull moose and never mentioned recoil, It was understood that it's what guns do and there was nothing to fear ..... , couple years later I had Homer Strickland (RIP) install a muzzle brake and she's taken a bunch of big bull moose with it over the years, again never mentioning recoil or lack of
most guys overstate the recoil thing and then mess up the minds of women & kids , instilling the mania/fear of recoil even though it's not that bad, I suppose it makes them feel like their piddly little guns are some monster recoiling demons and they talk loudly about it with their buddies .... "Man the 7 Mag kicks" ... Fer realz ?
a rifle is supposed to recoil and if it doesn't outright hurt like a 458 Lott then there's nothing to worry about
Consider purchasing her a Kimber "Adirondack" in .308 Winchester. (Weight 4 3/4 Pounds) Then sell all her other firearms, as she will be the most feared of "Riflemen" (She who owns just one firearm and is skilled with-its abilities).
Bison is the only animal with +30 caliber requirement. That goes back to a pipeline oilworker who decided to kill a Copper River bison with a 270 Weatherby in the early 1980s. He wounded the bison and got stomped and the wounded bison took it upon itself to wreck a number of cars in the Kenny Lake area until it eventually was put down.
One of my first moose clients killed with 308 and barnes 168 ttsx. Much better results than same well placed shots later client with 338 Win mag and 225 partitions. But both moose died.
Carolyn had her shooting partner rebarrel a 243 to 6.5 creed. I wanted lapua X47 but since others she hunts with have creed and I'm not always around, the creed made sense. Swap ammo etc...
Since then we have taken coyotes to 1100 yards basically with it. And of course much closer deer and pigs and such. Longest deer shot was a bit over 550. Longest pig a bit over 600 so far.
You are fine.
Otoh buy what you want .
RE Mainer in AK. Carolyn is small. 110 wet. just under 5 feet. Has shot accurately everything up to 460 wtby. But as she gets older like us all, is getting a bit sensitive to recoil. a round out of a new 458 win mag was a bit much for her tastes. But women typically handle recoil better. In fact the smaller people recoil tends to drift through. The biggest friends we have seem to complain the most about recoil and from watching it seems their bodies STOP the recoil instead of letting it flow through. No clue if my hypotheses is correct.
My daughter just turned 16, 90 lbs with winter boots & clothes on, 14 lb rifle & cow tag in hand ....
300 Long Range Hunter aka 300 LRH or 300 NM PImped (Pro Improved) hahaha 236 gr bullets @ 3146 fps, yup, magnetospeed said so ... multiple times during load development .... one shot, one dead cow STAT, zero fear of recoil or ever any mention of ... because IT WAS NEVER EVER a topic in our hunting scenarios... recoil was NEVER mentioned and said shooter didn't ever pay attention to it, accepting the fact that it is a normal occurrence .... STOP instilling fear into beginners and pushing away those who are interested in trying ..... cannot stress that enough times ....
If there are chances of big bear encounters: 45 caliber in a Marlin Guide Gun.
Factory fodder with 405 grain slugs hit about 1,300 fps and are mild on the shoulder. Should one hot rod those rounds, however, they can be quite punishing.
My daughter just turned 16, 90 lbs with winter boots & clothes on, 14 lb rifle & cow tag in hand ....
300 Long Range Hunter aka 300 LRH or 300 NM PImped (Pro Improved) hahaha 236 gr bullets @ 3146 fps, yup, magnetospeed said so ... multiple times during load development .... one shot, one dead cow STAT, zero fear of recoil or ever any mention of ... because IT WAS NEVER EVER a topic in our hunting scenarios... recoil was NEVER mentioned and said shooter didn't ever pay attention to it, accepting the fact that it is a normal occurrence .... STOP instilling fear into beginners and pushing away those who are interested in trying ..... cannot stress that enough times ....
That worked great. Could have been done with a 243 though and same results. FWIW.
Recoil is there when you pull the trigger. Thats what I teach the youth. Its going to make noise. Its going to recoil. It happens whether you hit or miss. Learn to ignore both. As long as you have a firm grip on the gun and the scope isn't too close, and thats all in the basics, its all going to be just fine.
Although I"ve shot and carried large rounds, the bullet tech has come so far and I'm aging and I don't appreciate the heavier recoil these days. Simple as that. So if the bullets work, then you only need what you need.
If there are chances of big bear encounters: 45 caliber in a Marlin Guide Gun.
Factory fodder with 405 grain slugs hit about 1,300 fps and are mild on the shoulder. Should one hot rod those rounds, however, they can be quite punishing.
These posts keep coming up. Fact is with the right bullet any bear can be stopped. Bullet choice and shot placement trump caliber all day long.
Heck my puny 10mm will kill a bear. Phils puny 9mm killed a bear. Fact is to stop a bear asap its gotta be CNS and thats enough bullet and shot placement. All the extra is just that. Extra.
Before I'd go get a heavier thumper that limits range, like a 45-70, I'd just get some heavy for caliber solid copper bullets if I was worried about it. Put em in the chamber and mag. Carry hunting bullets along. Its awful rare you don't have time to eject a round and slip in a hunting round or if like me, carrying cold, open the bolt and slip in something better so to speak. That said barnes tsx and ttsx cover both categories really well and backed up with Berger target bullets and a zero, you are covered from 300 in and 300 out really.
If there are chances of big bear encounters: 45 caliber in a Marlin Guide Gun.
Factory fodder with 405 grain slugs hit about 1,300 fps and are mild on the shoulder. Should one hot rod those rounds, however, they can be quite punishing.
Bearanoia abounds! Worse than recoilanoia. . I have a feeling that has a severe rainbow trajectory? Most of my 80? caribou have been taken 200 yards and out, so a brick may not be the best choice for that hunt.
Personally, I think I'll hunt caribou with my .338WM (MOA 250 gr H. RN handholds) this year. In the last 12-14 years, I've put 3 rounds through it, last July. It's still "on", but starting to pout. I used a Rem 770 Wallyworld Special in .30-06 last year, a 725SA in .260 and a M70 7X57 the year before, a M98 in 30-06 the year before that. I've a hankering to take one with the '94, aperture sights..... Maybe carry both the 30-30 and .338WM - see what turns up....
I've killed moose with .243, .270. 30-06, .338WM., 12 ga. slug, 30-30, and finished several road-hit ones with a .22Mag handgun. Caribou don't die either harder or easier.
They all work with good placement under the right conditions.
If there are chances of big bear encounters: 45 caliber in a Marlin Guide Gun.
Factory fodder with 405 grain slugs hit about 1,300 fps and are mild on the shoulder. Should one hot rod those rounds, however, they can be quite punishing.
Bearanoia abounds! Worse than recoilanoia. . I have a feeling that has a severe rainbow trajectory? Most of my 80? caribou have been taken 200 yards and out, so a brick may not be the best choice for that hunt.
Personally, I think I'll hunt caribou with my .338WM (MOA 250 gr H. RN handholds) this year. In the last 12-14 years, I've put 3 rounds through it, last July. It's still "on", but starting to pout. I used a Rem 770 Wallyworld Special in .30-06 last year, a 725SA in .260 and a M70 7X57 the year before, a M98 in 30-06 the year before that. I've a hankering to take one with the '94, aperture sights..... Maybe carry both the 30-30 and .338WM - see what turns up....
I've killed moose with .243, .270. 30-06, .338WM., 12 ga. slug, 30-30, and finished several road-hit ones with a .22Mag handgun. Caribou don't die either harder or easier.
They all work with good placement under the right conditions.
Oh man, we must be thinking alike. I have a Ruger 77 Hawkeye I need to bloody in .338. It didn’t get used at all last year and in 2020 I carried it near hunting, but no luck. I’ve got two nice loads worked up for it one with IMR 4064 and 210 gr Nosler partitions and the other with Accurate 4350 and Barnes 210 TTSX. I’m also working up three more loads with 225 TTSX, 250 NOS Partitions and another with 225 TSX.
My daughter just turned 16, 90 lbs with winter boots & clothes on, 14 lb rifle & cow tag in hand ....
300 Long Range Hunter aka 300 LRH or 300 NM PImped (Pro Improved) hahaha 236 gr bullets @ 3146 fps, yup, magnetospeed said so ... multiple times during load development .... one shot, one dead cow STAT, zero fear of recoil or ever any mention of ... because IT WAS NEVER EVER a topic in our hunting scenarios... recoil was NEVER mentioned and said shooter didn't ever pay attention to it, accepting the fact that it is a normal occurrence .... STOP instilling fear into beginners and pushing away those who are interested in trying ..... cannot stress that enough times ....
That worked great. Could have been done with a 243 though and same results. FWIW.
Recoil is there when you pull the trigger. Thats what I teach the youth. Its going to make noise. Its going to recoil. It happens whether you hit or miss. Learn to ignore both. As long as you have a firm grip on the gun and the scope isn't too close, and thats all in the basics, its all going to be just fine.
Although I"ve shot and carried large rounds, the bullet tech has come so far and I'm aging and I don't appreciate the heavier recoil these days. Simple as that. So if the bullets work, then you only need what you need.
not disagreeing with the 243 Win on a 60 yard cow, might have been a bit slower to lay down then maybe not, I've seen a 243 kill a big bull faster than a 7mm Rem Mag but it all boils down to bullets used and where they are placed, my daughter was not inexperienced before the hunt, she was quite fond of shooting my 338 Edge at Birchwood on the 300 yard 22" gong, never missed once from my recollection, she'd see "all growd up" men on benches to the left & right shooting 270's and '06's and miss the gong, got her mad and she'd freak "but Dad, they have scopes ?" hilarious stuff
her cow moose hunt was also a new bullet & new cartridge test
Either caliber would certainly work. The .308 provides a little more power if bears and moose are in the area. A .308 load with a 150 grain TTSX will give lots of penetration and very moderate recoil.
Most important: do these rifles fit your petite wife well? Everyone shoots much better using stocks with the right LOP.
My daughter just turned 16, 90 lbs with winter boots & clothes on, 14 lb rifle & cow tag in hand ....
300 Long Range Hunter aka 300 LRH or 300 NM PImped (Pro Improved) hahaha 236 gr bullets @ 3146 fps, yup, magnetospeed said so ... multiple times during load development .... one shot, one dead cow STAT, zero fear of recoil or ever any mention of ... because IT WAS NEVER EVER a topic in our hunting scenarios... recoil was NEVER mentioned and said shooter didn't ever pay attention to it, accepting the fact that it is a normal occurrence .... STOP instilling fear into beginners and pushing away those who are interested in trying ..... cannot stress that enough times ....
That worked great. Could have been done with a 243 though and same results. FWIW.
Recoil is there when you pull the trigger. Thats what I teach the youth. Its going to make noise. Its going to recoil. It happens whether you hit or miss. Learn to ignore both. As long as you have a firm grip on the gun and the scope isn't too close, and thats all in the basics, its all going to be just fine.
Although I"ve shot and carried large rounds, the bullet tech has come so far and I'm aging and I don't appreciate the heavier recoil these days. Simple as that. So if the bullets work, then you only need what you need.
not disagreeing with the 243 Win on a 60 yard cow, might have been a bit slower to lay down then maybe not, I've seen a 243 kill a big bull faster than a 7mm Rem Mag but it all boils down to bullets used and where they are placed, my daughter was not inexperienced before the hunt, she was quite fond of shooting my 338 Edge at Birchwood on the 300 yard 22" gong, never missed once from my recollection, she'd see "all growd up" men on benches to the left & right shooting 270's and '06's and miss the gong, got her mad and she'd freak "but Dad, they have scopes ?" hilarious stuff
her cow moose hunt was also a new bullet & new cartridge test
All makes sense on your and my posts.
Man those bullets have a big tip on them. Makes me uncomfortable. Like the old. ballistic tips. LOL.
One of my first moose clients killed with 308 and barnes 168 ttsx. Much better results than same well placed shots later client with 338 Win mag and 225 partitions. But both moose died.
Carolyn had her shooting partner rebarrel a 243 to 6.5 creed. I wanted lapua X47 but since others she hunts with have creed and I'm not always around, the creed made sense. Swap ammo etc...
Since then we have taken coyotes to 1100 yards basically with it. And of course much closer deer and pigs and such. Longest deer shot was a bit over 550. Longest pig a bit over 600 so far.
You are fine.
Otoh buy what you want .
RE Mainer in AK. Carolyn is small. 110 wet. just under 5 feet. Has shot accurately everything up to 460 wtby. But as she gets older like us all, is getting a bit sensitive to recoil. a round out of a new 458 win mag was a bit much for her tastes. But women typically handle recoil better. In fact the smaller people recoil tends to drift through. The biggest friends we have seem to complain the most about recoil and from watching it seems their bodies STOP the recoil instead of letting it flow through. No clue if my hypotheses is correct.
458Win's daughter reportedly uses her 416 Rem on everything, including Caribou.
But, she's young and tough (Phil's daughter, what else would you expect). That doesn't make it the best choice for everyone, but seems to work pretty well for her. And from all accounts she can shoot it. But again, what would one expect, otherwise?
Have an old Ruger (tang safety) in 6mm Remington. It shoots 95 grain Partitions very well and is three for three (with one bullet each) on cow moose. Oldest hunter using said rifle was 14 years of age. Your wife is well armed with either of those. . .
My guess is that she will forget the weight of either the moment she espies a Caribou, and will not notice the recoil when she shoots
back when the Tikka T3's appeared, bought the gal a Tikka T3 in 300 WSM to replace the bigger, heavy Win70 300 Win Mag she was using for a number of years, and she used it to take a couple of big bull moose and never mentioned recoil, It was understood that it's what guns do and there was nothing to fear ..... , couple years later I had Homer Strickland (RIP) install a muzzle brake and she's taken a bunch of big bull moose with it over the years, again never mentioning recoil or lack of
most guys overstate the recoil thing and then mess up the minds of women & kids , instilling the mania/fear of recoil even though it's not that bad, I suppose it makes them feel like their piddly little guns are some monster recoiling demons and they talk loudly about it with their buddies .... "Man the 7 Mag kicks" ... Fer realz ?
a rifle is supposed to recoil and if it doesn't outright hurt like a 458 Lott then there's nothing to worry about
I agree with you. I introduced my gf, now wife to shooting. Started her with a 257 Roberts. Bought her a Nosler M48 280AI which she used for deer and a bull moose. Last year she wanted more power so I got her a Nosler M48 Mountain Carbon in 30 Nosler. She killed a deer and black bear with it. She loves that rifle and shoots it out to 800 yards. She shot my 338 RUM and said it wasn't that bad. She knows recoil is what it is. JD338
One of my first moose clients killed with 308 and barnes 168 ttsx. Much better results than same well placed shots later client with 338 Win mag and 225 partitions. But both moose died.
Carolyn had her shooting partner rebarrel a 243 to 6.5 creed. I wanted lapua X47 but since others she hunts with have creed and I'm not always around, the creed made sense. Swap ammo etc...
Since then we have taken coyotes to 1100 yards basically with it. And of course much closer deer and pigs and such. Longest deer shot was a bit over 550. Longest pig a bit over 600 so far.
You are fine.
Otoh buy what you want .
RE Mainer in AK. Carolyn is small. 110 wet. just under 5 feet. Has shot accurately everything up to 460 wtby. But as she gets older like us all, is getting a bit sensitive to recoil. a round out of a new 458 win mag was a bit much for her tastes. But women typically handle recoil better. In fact the smaller people recoil tends to drift through. The biggest friends we have seem to complain the most about recoil and from watching it seems their bodies STOP the recoil instead of letting it flow through. No clue if my hypotheses is correct.
458Win's daughter reportedly uses her 416 Rem on everything, including Caribou.
But, she's young and tough (Phil's daughter, what else would you expect). That doesn't make it the best choice for everyone, but seems to work pretty well for her. And from all accounts she can shoot it. But again, what would one expect, otherwise?
DF
no flies on the 416. Had I found a used one instead of a 458 I'd have gone that way. But honestly as I age the recoil isn't as much "fun" as it used to be. As long as we aren't hunting with a. ballistic tip and place it right, it really doesn't take that much. Stopping a wounded or charging something, thats a totally different story and why a guides gun should and could be different than a hunters. This fall for moose I'm going old school to a M1 Garand,. But it will stop charges as needed. If that would ever happen. And generally the 458 is in camp if we manage to do a bad oops like gut shoot a bear or such.
I've always lusted for my very own .375 H&H - I carried one on USFS trail crew. Explodes middle of the night cabin chewing porcupines right nice...
My wallet has always over-ruled my alleged mind, however.
I kind of fell in love with the .375H&H too. It's borderline pleasant in the Winchester 70 Safari, and the 70 Alaskan is pretty manageable too. Just a big push mostly. Seems like you get way more than it costs. The ammunition is substantially cheaper than .458 WM or Lott last I checked as well.
Originally Posted by CZ550
Education on the .458 Win Mag is incomplete if someone thinks it has to hurt! But of the two owned, I'd suggest the .308 Win.
I had a Ruger RSM in .458 Lott. Shot four rounds and the stock split at the tang, so that was it and I sold it on at a loss of a few hundred dollars. Not sure if the .458 is for me, as that Ruger definitely walloped me to the point where I was thinking it's a bridge too far. Even with a PAST shoulder pad that I haven't worn for anything else.
Maybe a Winchester 70 Safari fits better and would punch me less, give my above experience with the .375. I'd like to play around with hand loads for the .458 WM in lieu of a Marlin Guide Gun. I bet it would be lots of fun with Trail Boss powder, and that 325 or 400 grain bullets would lower the brutality a bit from full house 500 grain DGX cartridges.
All of the above are from standing position. Probably wouldn't do either prone, though the Safari in .375H&H would probably be fine.
I've always lusted for my very own .375 H&H - I carried one on USFS trail crew. Explodes middle of the night cabin chewing porcupines right nice...
My wallet has always over-ruled my alleged mind, however.
I kind of fell in love with the .375H&H too. It's borderline pleasant in the Winchester 70 Safari, and the 70 Alaskan is pretty manageable too. Just a big push mostly. Seems like you get way more than it costs. The ammunition is substantially cheaper than .458 WM or Lott last I checked as well.
Originally Posted by CZ550
Education on the .458 Win Mag is incomplete if someone thinks it has to hurt! But of the two owned, I'd suggest the .308 Win.
I had a Ruger RSM in .458 Lott. Shot four rounds and the stock split at the tang, so that was it and I sold it on at a loss of a few hundred dollars. Not sure if the .458 is for me, as that Ruger definitely walloped me to the point where I was thinking it's a bridge too far. Even with a PAST shoulder pad that I haven't worn for anything else.
Maybe a Winchester 70 Safari fits better and would punch me less, give my above experience with the .375. I'd like to play around with hand loads for the .458 WM in lieu of a Marlin Guide Gun. I bet it would be lots of fun with Trail Boss powder, and that 325 or 400 grain bullets would lower the brutality a bit from full house 500 grain DGX cartridges.
All of the above are from standing position. Probably wouldn't do either prone, though the Safari in .375H&H would probably be fine.
Shooting the 458WM with 410 loads (factory or 458 brass with card wads) makes a dandy "birds for camp" option.
I've always lusted for my very own .375 H&H - I carried one on USFS trail crew. Explodes middle of the night cabin chewing porcupines right nice...
My wallet has always over-ruled my alleged mind, however.
I did that too, out of Sitka. We were given as much ammo as we wanted to "practice". One field season all I did was follow around a F&W guy as gun bearer as he documented eagle nests around Sitkoh Bay. I also remember when they got some defective M 70s, and the maintenance guy used a cutting torch on them to cut them up and he dumped them in Sitka Sound. Your tax dollars at work.
Back in the 70's I made up my mind that I was going to hunt every animal in North America with one rifle.....had Dave Gentry build me on a pre-64 Winchester in 338 WM action was electro-nickel plated pencil thin stainless barrel Mag-na-Ported 24" barrel and a custom carbon fiber stock topped with a 1 1/2-4 Leupold and a extra 3-9 Leupold weighed just over 7 pounds....I shot every animal in North America several times over except a Polar Bear.....
If I were to do it again a 338 WM would be my rifle.....
Back in the 70's I made up my mind that I was going to hunt every animal in North America with one rifle.....had Dave Gentry build me on a pre-64 Winchester in 338 WM action was electro-nickel plated pencil thin stainless barrel Mag-na-Ported 24" barrel and a custom carbon fiber stock topped with a 1 1/2-4 Leupold and a extra 3-9 Leupold weighed just over 7 pounds....I shot every animal in North America several times over except a Polar Bear.....
If I were to do it again a 338 WM would be my rifle.....
You shot every animal several times over? Hmmm..., I'd have expected at least SOME one shot kills :-) Sounds like a great rifle, though.
Back in the 70's I made up my mind that I was going to hunt every animal in North America with one rifle.....had Dave Gentry build me on a pre-64 Winchester in 338 WM action was electro-nickel plated pencil thin stainless barrel Mag-na-Ported 24" barrel and a custom carbon fiber stock topped with a 1 1/2-4 Leupold and a extra 3-9 Leupold weighed just over 7 pounds....I shot every animal in North America several times over except a Polar Bear.....
If I were to do it again a 338 WM would be my rifle.....
Either the 308 or 6.5 will he fine, if your thinking lightweight than a 243 would be hard to beat for recoil, not first choice for moose, but had a friend that hunted moose with a 243, he never went hungry... he dead now, wonder what happened to that gun.. ?
You need to find the sweet spot in term of weight and recoil. Very light rifles can have significant perceived recoil, yet be easy to carry.
Vice versa for a heavier gun.
Of course, reduced loads are an option as well.
It is. My wife took her caribou last fall with "Stub" - a 17 inch barreled RU Tanger in 30-06, using Hornady's 150 gr. reduced recoil ammo that I sighted the gun in with for the hunt. I didn't tell her, so neither she nor the 'bou (bull-200 yards) noticed the difference. bang-flop. But she handles recoil well, expecting it, as others have mentioned - I just wanted to try the RR ammo, mostly.
I will say, tho, I didn't notice much difference - at least with Stub. Some, but I would not call it a significant reduction in recoil, FYI, if you haven't tried it.
Stub, however, is no longer with us..... went gay with a 22" . 270 take-off over the winter. Because I could. Her stock got shortened another inch (bulky clothes caused some problems with acquisition) and re-finished, and I fitted, bedded, refinished a standard length take-off stock for me - I picked the worst of several I had laying around. I didn't even take off the original Ruger pad - tho hers' wears a Decelerator.
I can swap stocks with no change in poi- tho that has nothing to do with the OP.
What ever cartridge I choose to hunt with has to have enough of the "right stuff". Meaning sufficient power to deliver a good tough bullet of high weight retaining deep penetrating at the needed impact velocity.
Both the 6.5 Creed and .308 Win. will do that. So for your wife I would use the Creed and buy some factory Barnes 127 grain LRX bullets. I put a SWFA 3-9x42 on my Tikka Superlight Creed. Plenty of power for a hunting scope. A guy on You Tube runs my set up out to a 1,000 yards!
You need pen another book, las!