rifle debate what caliber

[Lefty]

My daughter wants a rifle for her lifetime. If she was a guy I would suggest a 300 RUM mostly because of bullet selection.


She has her moose so an elk will be her biggest game. And my guess she will shoot more coyotes than everything else with a new gun. She has said she likes shooting her boyfriends 6.5 Creedmore,..
When it comes to bullets I believe bigger is better on game. But she needs a lighter gun to carry and maybe for her shoulder. My guess Ill load shells for what ever she gets. Load up for big game and down for varmints.
So those mid range guns such as 7mm, 6,5, .270, .28, .280 what are your arguments.
I dont want a rare or custom caliber, a Caliber with a range of light to high weight bullet selection

[Tigger]

I have 2 7mm-08s and love them. Soft recoil and pretty much the same ballistics as a .270. good ammo availability, but I only use TTSXs. I will be buying another so my 2 boys and I all have the same caliber. Browning XBolt. My antelope was shot at 362 yards this year with perfect performance by the bullet. I wouldn't even consider another caliber. it is a joy to shoot.

If you go to Hunttalk, the 7mm-08 is known as the 7mmHunttalk because so many over there love that caliber.

[Fridaythe13th]

What wrong with the 300 RUM? Might be a little hard on the fur prices.
Just stop buy Ahlman's in Morristown mn on one of your return trips and have a muzzle break put on. Mine kicks like a 243 now.
You never know if she want to go to Alaska someday. Lol

[Swede]

I like the 7mm. A 7x57 would be fine if you can find one. The 7mm-08s are dandy too.

[Lefty]

What wrong with the 300 RUM? Might be a little hard on the fur prices.
Just stop buy Ahlman's in Morristown mn on one of your return trips and have a muzzle break put on. Mine kicks like a 243 now.
You never know if she want to go to Alaska someday. Lol

Headed that way in 2 weeks

I wont hunt with anyone with breaks

I guess I was worried about more weight of the gun on the 30 calibers

Maybe I should be looking at shorter tigger pulls

[saddlesore]

7-08 or .308. 6.5 Swede with AB's or Partitions.I wouldn't buy a 6.5 creedmore on a bet.
If bullet selection is in the equations, a 30-06 will do everything a 300 will but burn a lot less powder.130 gr bullets will do any varmint and if one wants heavier bullets a 200 gr Partition or 220 gr RN will bring down anything in the lower 48.

[Deanmac]

If bullet selection is in the equations, a 30-06 will do everything a 300 will but burn a lot less powder.130 gr bullets will do any varmint and if one wants heavier bullets a 200 gr Partition or 220 gr RN will bring down anything in the lower 48.

X-2 Got a 7MM mag, but 30-06 is my go to rifle.

[saddlesore]

I wont hunt with anyone with breaks :

I guess we will never hunt together then. I have brake on my 06. due to first a bad shoulder that couldn't tolerate recoil then that shoulder was replaced with a titanium/plastic one, which I have to be careful with. Others that have had detached retinas found they are great for reduced recoil instead of having to quit hunting. I guess all us with some disabilities just need to give up hunting.

[Lefty]

I wont hunt with anyone with breaks :

I guess we will never hunt together then. I have brake on my 06. due to first a bad shoulder that couldn't tolerate recoil then that shoulder was replaced with a titanium/plastic one, which I have to be careful with. Others that have had detached retinas found they are great for reduced recoil instead of having to quit hunting. I guess all us with some disabilities just need to give up hunting.

I understand the shoulder problems.
Ive had my head rung twice , once from a rifle,.. once from a ported shotgun . The fellow with the ported shotgun I sent to my truck to get a back up gun of mine,.. He uses another gun when we hunt

So if were hunting together you can use my gun Or you need let me get well behind you,..

[Indian Summer]

I have a .300 RUM. I love it. I shot it for a year or two without a brake but put one on and I love it even more. Nobody remembers recoil when shooting at game. The brake is nice when I’m working on loads at the bench. But is a caliber like that really necessary? I guess the answer depends on your hunting style and the area you hunt. I shoot a big gun because a 500 yard shot is common in the semi open country I hunt. And the ability to shoot further is definitely a benefit. If I didn’t need to be prepared for that I might still be hunting with my 7mm Rem Mag. The main reason I bought a new gun was because I didn’t want to subject my wooden stock to the weather and outright abuse of a lifetime of elk hunting. I wanted a synthetic stock. So I figured well.... might as well buy a bigger caliber.

So I’d say if your max shot distance is 500 yards or less go with the 7mag.... or maybe a .300 Win Mag and if she doesn’t like the recoil put a brake on it. Both are very versatile. I hear lots about the 6.5 Creedmore but personally I want a heavier bullet. I could never figure out short mags either. That like having a Corvette with a 6 cylinder motor. You either want the performance or you don’t.

[Swede]

[quote="Indian Summer"]I could never figure out short mags either. That like having a Corvette with a 6 cylinder motor. You either want the performance or you don’t.

That is an interesting question. I wonder if it is the glamor or mystic of having a belted cartridge? Why was the 224 Weatherby ever developed? Of coarse I have wondered why GM has not placed an overhead cam engine in a vette. Why do they stick with the cam in block engines?

[Lefty]

My daughters is a shooter and she did make shots at antelope at 425 and parked a 2 Nd shot just 3/4 “ from the first

My worry wasn’t recoil as much as hiking around with a heavy gun

[Indian Summer]

Lightweight gear always costs more. My Remington is a model 700AWR. That’s Alaskan Wilderness Rifle. Not only a teflon coated stainless barrel but milled down to reduce weight. The reduced weight caused an increased price! But hey... I paid once and carried it up a thousand hills so I guess it was an investment.

[Lefty]

,,,,,,,,an investment.

Yeah all my hunting gear is an investment too for my sanity
I think we’re going with a 300

[Roosiebull]

a Christensen traverse in 6.5PRC would be a good choice. (really nice balanced rifle and very capable)

I think the 7-08 is the perfect "girlfriend gun" if they don't want a brake... a barret fieldcraft would be a nice light platform for that