# Advice on women’s hunting riffle ??? TIA



## islandrat (Jun 17, 2018)

Looking for some solid advice on woman’s hunting riffle for my fiancé. She shoots well but when I put her behind my ancient 270 model 700 she can’t break flinching, just too much. She shoots a 17 HMR like a champ so I know she can do it. Just need advice on a solid set up and round. Not looking to break the bank maybe a $1,000 range. I’m not a huge 243 fan just because of ammo availability and can’t really get on the 6.5 train. I will say I have a F1 titanium suppressor in 308 about 8 months into wait time so shouldn’t be much longer so I could fit that to a 308 but I don’t know if that will be enough let off kick wise. She’s not tiny but only weighs about 130. Mostly blind hunting with her but she dose love to spot and stalk so I don’t want a giant heavy bench gun. What would you recommend?


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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

6.5 creed with that suppressor on it


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## mrsh978 (Apr 24, 2006)

7-08 Remington. Easy on shoulder , great on deer. 308s little brother


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

My 90 pound daughter shoots 7mm-08. Reduced Recoil loads.

My 100 pound wife shoots 270 with reduced recoil loads.

OR they both really love to shoot the 6.5 Grendel. The nature of a semi auto rifle uses some of the recoil for the action. The 6.5 Grendel is hands down the best balance of most capable with the lightest recoil. Good for anything in North America (except the big bears) and all African plains game at any ethical hunting distance.

They have the bolt action rifles for more traditional hunt invites. Otherwise their first choice is the Grendel....


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## Dan-Man66 (Aug 14, 2016)

Unless you just want to buy a new rifle, put a brake on the 700 and save your money.


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## uncle dave (Jul 27, 2008)

Dan-Man66 said:


> Unless you just want to buy a new rifle, put a brake on the 700 and save your money.


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## uncle dave (Jul 27, 2008)

Remington model 7 in 7-o8


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## Popperdave (Jul 9, 2016)

My suggestion is teach your wife not to flinch. It's easier than you might think. First get off the shooting bench, that's the worse place for a shooter to overcome flinching. Next have them set on the ground in the standard setting position. That way when the gun goes off they just rock back, causing no pain. At this point we don't can if They hit the target we are teaching not to flinch. Next load the rifle for her, sometimes load live ammo, sometimes load blanks, so they will learn not to anticipate. After a relatively short period They will quit anticipating (flinching). After that let her shoot in different positions but not from the bench. The more they shoot without the shock of the recoil they less likely they will flinch when they do encounter it. I've used these systems with a number of bad flinchers and it always works. Good luck stay safe


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## Popperdave (Jul 9, 2016)

P.S. I love the .243 it will take any deer in Texas out to 200yd. I haven't used the 6.5 but I'm sure they will work also.


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

270 with old recoil pad can have some bite. Not sure why you dont like 243 or 6.5 rifles like 260 REM or 6.5 CM (identical bullets). All are very mild recoil and lethal for all Texas game animals. Any of those is my recommendation. Ammo, with decent hunting bullets, for any caliber is going to be hard to find now.


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## wparker (Sep 2, 2014)

25-06 with lite recoil load


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## Ducktracker (Aug 1, 2011)

My wife shoots a M77 25/06 she weighs 100lbs and loves it.


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## Scott Hodge (Mar 12, 2013)

I have a River M77 26-06 with a bull barrel that my daughters shoot. Excellent gun very little recoil.


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## islandrat (Jun 17, 2018)

Thanks for all of the reply’s. I like the 243 I have shotdeer with them before my only hold back was availability of ammo but I guess that’s nearly every round besides tactical. I have been looking into building a Grendel read a lot of good things then I could play with it as well. I am going to also get the model7 260 I have threaded for the suppressor and I think it will be good on her. I have worked tremendously with her on not flinching and loading the gun empty so she understands when she is flinching, however it’s hard to teach someone with a regular riffle when a box of bullets are at least $40 a box right now. She’s burned through a couple boxes of 260 and 270. I have plenty of 17 and 22 which is what I have been letting her build confidence with


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

I vote 243 ....as far as flinch you load gun every time sometimes put dummy in ..and let her shoot..after they feel foolish about flinching when theirs no shell .a few times they usually gain control ...Ya gota keep recoil down and have VG ear protection (sometimes its the Loud Boom their flinching from


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

That model 7 260 is definitely not for her......just let me know when you want me to come pick it up and get if out of your way!!!!! It should work perfectly for her with either a suppressor or muzzle brake and good hearing protection.
For practice I have a .223 that we use. I have a "small amount" of that ammo and the Rem 700 varmint barrel gun is hardly felt when it goes off. 
Have her close her eyes and dry fire on a spent casing. She will focus on the feel of the trigger being "squeeezzzed" until it trips. May help her then focus on the trigger pull and never know when the rifle goes off, that IMO is part of what causes flinching. A person thinks they have to pull=yank the trigger vs squeezing it slowly until it trips.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

I hate muzzle breaks. I call them loudeners....they cause as much flinching as recoil does.


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## Jerry713 (Nov 6, 2019)

Sgrem said:


> I hate muzzle breaks. I call them loudeners....they cause as much flinching as recoil does.


Agree going from one problem to another IMO. You can wear ear protection but that presents more problems if communication before the shot is needed. 

I agree try to get her over the flinching regardless of whether you move to another gun or not. Doing so will give her a lot of confidence and make her an overall better shot.


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Jerry713 said:


> Agree going from one problem to another IMO. You can wear ear protection but that presents more problems if communication before the shot is needed.


Range muffs solve that problem and are all I use, especially when at the range with inexperienced shooters.


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## No Luck (Oct 25, 2012)

Vote 6.5 Creedmoor. Your lady will love it!
The rifle in this pic is a 6.5 Creedmoor that we built last month from Aero Precision components. My daughter absolutely loves this gun due to lack of recoil, light weight and ease of function. Bonus...it's a big caliber in a small, compact weapon.


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## T-Roy (Oct 4, 2004)

Not a lot of history with the 6.5 creedmoor. I did shoot a doe with one with a can on it. I will say that was a sweet shooting gun. NO kick. Wishing I would have bought my wife one instead of here 7-08, but she likes her Ruger Compact 7-08. She tells everybody she loves her gun, cause it is pretty.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

The 7mm-08 and 6.5 creedmore have the same parent case and same case capacity for powder. Therefor with the same weight bullet at the same velocity out of the same weight rifle the recoil would theoretically be identical. Except the 7mm-08 would punch a bigger hole for theoretically better shack and tissue damage. Although the game likely won't notice. My money would be on the 7mm-08 for hunting game.....and the creedmore for shooting paper.

BTW. Same can be said for 243 Winchester , the .260 Remington (6.5-08 A-Square), the 7 mm-08 Remington, 308, the 338 Federal , and the 358 Winchester (8.8×51mm). They all have the same case and therefore same case capacity for powder charge. If you could get same weight bullet at same velocity out of same weight rifle all of the above would have identical recoil.


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## JAG_361 (Oct 25, 2013)

Another fan for the 7mm-08 I have an 8 year old daughter that shoots one very well. It would help to get it in a heavier rifle scope configuration to help relieve the small amount of recoil. Grendel is another great choice. The 6.5 creedmoor parent case is .30TC which is not quite same as 308 case, its slightly shorter and wider but you are really starting to split hair at this point .

Good luck lots of good knowledge shared here. It's always one of my research tools.

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## Starplex007 (Jun 28, 2016)

TC 30 if you can find one. Hornady still provides ammo for it.

The .30 TC (0.308 in (7.8 mm) x 1.920 in (48.8 mm) is a non-magnum that is somewhat shorter and wider than the .308 and .30-06.[5] The .30 TC has speed and energy equal to the .30-06. [7]

All three cartridges weigh approximately the same, but the .30 TC produces less recoil. The case length of the .30 TC is 1.92 inches. Although it is somewhat shorter than the .308, the .30 TC fires a 150-grain SST bullet nearly 200 fps faster. The .30 TC also propels the 150-grain SST faster than the 2.494" .30-06.

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## Capt_Gilligan (Jun 8, 2016)

7-08 is an excellent cartridge. Most folks don’t have the slightest idea how much potential and versatility is packed in that cartridge.


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## ReefMonkee (Sep 10, 2019)

Capt_Gilligan said:


> 7-08 is an excellent cartridge. Most folks don’t have the slightest idea how much potential and versatility is packed in that cartridge.


Agreed. To the OP, I trained the ex on a stainless T/C, 24" barrel in 7-08 with 120 grain Nosler loads. She's maybe 125 lbs. soaking wet. She fell in love with it, and became very proficient. It is her go to, and she hunts a lot. She also has a .308 Remington youth rifle she took to Africa. Brought home Impala, Black Wildebeest, and Kudu shooting Barnes 165 TSX loads. But stateside, it is the TC every time. Mostly all neck shots on whitetail and pigs these days, but she has taken a couple cow Nilgai with it shooting Barnes 120 grain loads. Red deer as well. She obviously loves it because it went with her when she left Lol! I do still own two Remingtons in that caliber. A model 700 stainless 24" barrel for myself, which has been my go to for many years. And a Model Seven that I loan out to smaller framed shooters. 140 grain Noslers out of the 700, and 120 Noslers out of the Model Seven. We do handload, and as mentioned above this is a very versatile caliber. I personally dropped two mature Auodad rams on our lease in Real county with the 140's. One at 90 yards, the other across the canyon at 378 yards. Both high shoulder shots, DRT. Could even step up to heavier bullets if the need arose, but so far that hasn't been required. 100 percent success rate so far with the loaner gun. They all ask to buy it! But pretty sure it won't be for sale any time soon. All that said, I can highly recommend the TC or the Model Seven for your intents and purposes.
Hope this helps.... 🍻


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## sharkbait-tx70 (Jun 28, 2009)

Everyone has an opinion but as mentioned the 7mm 08 and 243 are the best recommendations above for several reasons including ammo availability... My wife and 13 yr old daughter shoot both and kill deer and hogs better than most men.


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## Navi (Jun 2, 2009)

6.5 creedmoor. 

Hate to be a fanboy but the cartridge is deadly and no kick. My 14 year old daughter has shot everything from my .22 to my 45/70, killed several deer with my .308 before we bought her own 6.5 creedmoor. It’s no different than any other round, put the shot where it belongs and it does the trick. I’ve got a pretty gory exit wound I can PM you if you need convinced they can do the trick


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## Dave M (Aug 9, 2021)

I bought my wife a Remington.260 - she loves it. For her birthday I ordered a custom thumb hole stock . Everyone that has shot it says it is the gun for a woman.


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## bogan (Mar 23, 2006)

One more supporting the 25-06. My wife loves our Weatherby Vangaurd in this caliber.


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## Jkmoore03 (Jun 19, 2015)

Caliber has nothing to do with the equation. I have a 14 year old daughter that slays animals with a Browning A-bolt chamber in the good old *** kicking 30-06. We use full loads and she’s even used 180gr big game loads for larger animals. It has a muzzle break on it and she shoots it with both hands behind the trigger (one on the trigger/grip and one on the cheek weld). The gun has zero recoil.

A quality firearm set up properly for the shooter is more important than trying to get a boutique round that is not versatile (.270 and 30-06 give you more flexibility for various game and conditions than any other caliber) or a weaker caliber just to try and minimize recoil.

I’ve also got a Weatherby Mark V .300 Mag with a big rose bud muzzle break that shoots like a .243. Just about any gun can be made to shoot soft. Within reason.


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## chicken fried (Sep 8, 2010)

7m-08 or a Browning semi auto either 308 or 270. I’m with you on the 243. I haven’t had good luck with the 243 so I moved on to other calibers.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

islandrat said:


> Looking for some solid advice on woman’s hunting riffle for my fiancé. She shoots well but when I put her behind my ancient 270 model 700 she can’t break flinching, just too much. She shoots a 17 HMR like a champ so I know she can do it. Just need advice on a solid set up and round. Not looking to break the bank maybe a $1,000 range. I’m not a huge 243 fan just because of ammo availability and can’t really get on the 6.5 train. I will say I have a F1 titanium suppressor in 308 about 8 months into wait time so shouldn’t be much longer so I could fit that to a 308 but I don’t know if that will be enough let off kick wise. She’s not tiny but only weighs about 130. Mostly blind hunting with her but she dose love to spot and stalk so I don’t want a giant heavy bench gun. What would you recommend?


25.06 is a great caliber and not too much recoil for your lady. Also 6mm which it think is .244 will take down any Texas game. Ammo in any caliber might be hard to find on any given day. Good luck, let us know what you settle on.


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## mley1 (Feb 22, 2009)

Ensuring the rifle stock fits your wife is extremely important. My wife is not a large woman. She shoots a Browning A Bolt in .270 using Remington Core Loct 130grn bullets. To make that happen, I had the stock cut to fit her length of pull. I also made sure the scope rings and scope were low enough to the bore so she didn't have to take her cheek off the stock to see through the scope. Get a scope that has a good eye relief so she doesn't have to strain or move her head close to the scope to see through it. She must be comfortable when she shoots. My choice on scope was a Leupold VariX III 2.5-8x32. Once we got it mounted, and sighted in, we've not had to adjust it since. She's been using that rifle about 30yrs now. All three of my kids also hunted with her rifle once they graduated from the single shot .243 I started them on at 7 or 8yrs old.


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