Looking for a weapon

[.270]

what scenario is crazy? if she flinches with a hard kick, then get her a gun she won't flinch with. a .243 will do anything you can make it do. and it will do more than "any" bow. but in the hands of a guy that knows what he's doing, a bow is fine too. from how i read what you just wrote, you made my arguement for me. i never said she was anything. with all the equipment that is available today, the only unkown variable is the hunter. no matter what the prey or what kind of tool you are going to use to kill it. the success of any hunt, depends on the hunter. no matter what the game, the weather, the conditions, the terrain or anything else. cartridge, rifle, bow, scope, ammo, broadheads, etc, none of it matters. just the hunter. is this lady doesn't like to get hammered every time she pulls the trigger, she needs a rifle she ain't afraid of. there ain't much that can overcome a flinch. when i was a little kid my first rifle was an old .30/30. steel crescent butt plate old model 94 winchester with 170 gr ammo loaded really hot . and it kicked me hard. i flinched so bad i had a hard time hitting the same hill the deer were on. we'd go target practice and my old man would get all pissed at me because i couldn't hit anything. the one day he sat down like i always did, and shot it a few times. bruised his shoulder. he got me some 150's and a slip on kick pad and i did pretty good with it. when i moved up to my first .270, that had a kick pad on it and a scope, it felt like feathers compared to that old 94. one of the worst things you can do to a kid or someone just starting to hunt, is to let em be afraid of their firearm. i don't know that i'd get locked into a semi auto, tho they do have a little less recoil. they are heavier and you have to deal with all day. but a good friend of mine has been using an old belgian browning auto in .243 for over 30 years, and he loves it. and he is bigger than me. just about anything will kill just about anything. just depends on who's using it. Lark.

[MattMan]

how is it a totally different ball game? i have to disagree with that. you're out there to kill an elk. you use what you have. i hear people all the time talk about this and that not being enough for a certain animal, when guys kill the same animal with a bow and arrow. there ain't a bow and arrow on earth that is even 50% as effective as a .243. i ask this question all the time. and so far nobody has answered it. here's the answer. the difference is the guy packin' it. if any gun ain't enough for an elk, it's because the guy doin' the shootin' ain't enough, not the gun. indians used to kill buffs by runnin' em off a cliff. no weapon. just experience. they killed all kindsa other stuff with bows that pale when compared to today's. and spears. cavemen killed mastodons and mammoths with clovis pointed spears. my ol' man shot several wily coues bucks with his ol' bear recurve. pigmys kill elephants with dinky little bows and arrows that will just barely stick in em. with poison tips, they get their animal. well, they used to. poor little fellers have about been outta business by progress. bows and rifles are completely and within reason, comparable, with the right guy packin' it. there are calibers that are "better" in a certain scenario, but they are all pretty much capable of the same results. i read a story once about an old eskimo that was real good at killin' polar bears. he used an old single shot .22. snuck up and shot em in the head. i think he had an extra sled just to haul his gonads. the greatest ivory hunter was karamojo bell. he used a 7x57 mauser and a .303 british. i kinda doubt you'll find anyone using those calibers these days for elephants. the only true variable, is the hunter. if anything is inadequate, it's the hunter. well, unless we're talkin' 7mm/08's. then it's just a severe behaviorial disorder.

 

if you can only have one rifle, then get a .270. if someone can't take recoil, a .243 is a perfect choice. hotrod little cartridge, light recoil, even when loaded hot. and if you know what you're doing, they'll kill anything in this state.

 

the reason i use a .270, for most stuff, is because i've shot one since i was 12, have used the same rifle now for almost 35 years, and because my ol' man says they are the best. Lark.

 

Biggest reason it's a different ballgame is you can't take a 243 or 270 during archery season...

 

An archery elk hunt is a different animal than a late rifle elk tag... different time of year, different habitat, different animal behavior, different hunting pressure, etc...

 

I'd be slammin' the P&Y books with a 243, and would likely hold every world record with my 264 Win Mag or my 6.5-300 RCM if allowed to hunt during ANY regular archery seasons...

 

Prove me wrong by killing a B&C book animal with a bow during a general hunt.

 

That said, my wife and kids have SLAMMED every animal they've shot at during rifle seasons with a 16.5" barreled 260 Remington...

[desertdog]

what scenario is crazy? if she flinches with a hard kick, then get her a gun she won't flinch with. a .243 will do anything you can make it do. and it will do more than "any" bow. but in the hands of a guy that knows what he's doing, a bow is fine too. from how i read what you just wrote, you made my arguement for me. i never said she was anything. with all the equipment that is available today, the only unkown variable is the hunter. no matter what the prey or what kind of tool you are going to use to kill it. the success of any hunt, depends on the hunter. no matter what the game, the weather, the conditions, the terrain or anything else. cartridge, rifle, bow, scope, ammo, broadheads, etc, none of it matters. just the hunter. is this lady doesn't like to get hammered every time she pulls the trigger, she needs a rifle she ain't afraid of. there ain't much that can overcome a flinch. when i was a little kid my first rifle was an old .30/30. steel crescent butt plate old model 94 winchester with 170 gr ammo loaded really hot . and it kicked me hard. i flinched so bad i had a hard time hitting the same hill the deer were on. we'd go target practice and my old man would get all pissed at me because i couldn't hit anything. the one day he sat down like i always did, and shot it a few times. bruised his shoulder. he got me some 150's and a slip on kick pad and i did pretty good with it. when i moved up to my first .270, that had a kick pad on it and a scope, it felt like feathers compared to that old 94. one of the worst things you can do to a kid or someone just starting to hunt, is to let em be afraid of their firearm. i don't know that i'd get locked into a semi auto, tho they do have a little less recoil. they are heavier and you have to deal with all day. but a good friend of mine has been using an old belgian browning auto in .243 for over 30 years, and he loves it. and he is bigger than me. just about anything will kill just about anything. just depends on who's using it. Lark.

 

You did not read it wrong. I never disagreed with what you said about its all on the hunter. In fact I said I agree with you that in the right hands any weapon can kill any game your hunting. However even the best hunter can be off by a few inches. Anything can happen. The animal can move, a bee could fly down your shirt right before you pull the trigger and all of the sudden you pulled the shot just a few inches. Now would you rather be off with a .243 or .270. And with a good recoil pad the weight of the semi auto and shooting say a 130gr bullet the .270 recoil is not bad. Most women and kids will be able to handle it just fine. But like I stated many times that’s just my preference. I aint bothered non if any one wants to shoot the .243 for elk. More power to ya.

[Diamondbackaz]

First of all stop YELLING!!!!! Turn off the 17 font bold print.....we can hear you just fine without it! I highly doubt "all she can only handle is a semi-auto" but whatever.

 

If she "just must have a semi -auto" get her a Remington R-25 in 243.

 

Coues7 correct me if I am wrong but "yelling" would be if everything was in CAPS as opposed to larger fonts as I used! It seems in previous messages my fonts were too small and hard to read thus the reason for the creative sizing and font type. I do though like your idea of a military type weapon for the wife as I am comfortable with them as well and they are simple to understand. I was thinking either the 308 or 243 in the R25 as well which would cover all species of critters top to bottom, just asking opinions to see if something is out there I may have missed. Thanks for your input and have a very Merry Christmas... Kirk

R25 is 7.75 pounds w/o scope

[.270]

how can you kill a pope and young record book animal with a rifle? and they have november archery elk hunts now. and they have been killing some really nice bulls. people always have these opinions that some rifles aren't adequate for elk or whatever, but bows are. it always cracks me up to read it. when any rifle is better than any bow. Lark.

[rugermack]

She needs to shoot whatever she shoots the most accurate. My hunting partners boy is 10 and shoots a .270 with a muzzle break, the boy hates to get kicked.(but loves the 270 with the break) My son also shoots a 25-06 with a muzzle break. Muzzle breaks work great for smaller people or people who don't like to get kicked hard. Women typically fall into this catagory. Whatever you get here, put a break on it.

[ruffcountry]

take a look at Benelli R1 rifle

[D.F.M.]

I say 270 once you get it sighted in your good to go and its good for just about any animal. Plus when you take aim at an animal deer ,elk or whatever I guarentee you won't feel the rifle kick like it does at the range. And yes I have a 270 and a 7mm both excellent rifles. Have taken deer, elk, antelope and coyotes with the 270 no problem. Thats just my opion though.