Deer rifle suggestions

[Ole Cowboy]

Wife wants a deer rifle, just not sure what she wants. Bolt action, lever action, semi auto? She has a Ruger SR556 and a Ruger Ranch rifle in 556. She is 5'9 and 130 lbs so I want to keep her in something below the hard hitting 7.62 family.

Went to Cabela's couple of days ago and looked at the lever action Winchester, I got turned off at Win's asking about $1000 for a under $500 rifle.

I like the .243 for deer (think it would be the near perfect military rd also)

Open to suggestions and gun and rd for HER!

 

[dee]

243 is great in Texas. Also look at the 260 and 7mm08.

 

[kittyhawk]

How about an 6.8 spc upper for her AR?


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[Dawico]

I would stick to the youth rounds for her, like .243 or 7mm-08. Bolt actions are the obvious choice. At 5'9 she can probably use a standard length stock.

I am in the same boat with my son. He isn't that tall yet but is too tall for most youth models. I am thinking about the same calibers for him, but the 6.8 in an AR is appealing also. Maybe even .300 Blackout.

Those may be good soft recoiling rounds for your wife also. Adjustable stocks will help as the clothing layers pile up too.

Good luck.

 

[Younggun]

Been hunting deer with q Savage .243 since I was 12. Still one of my favorites to shoot.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Remington model 7 in .243 or a new upper in 300 or 6.8.

 

[Acera]

I like the idea of a .300BO also. The adjustable stock, light recoil, weapon familiarity, factory loads available, etc. add up to a solid choice. Remember you don't have to run sub-sonic out of it with a suppressor, that is just an added bonus if you choose that route. You can run a heavy bullet with some good stopping power, for example 150gr @1950fps=1266 lbs, or pick up the speed a bit and run a 115gr @2150fps=1180 lbs.

 

[zenarchery]

.556 will drop a deer. Just use Barnes TTSX.


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[HandgunHTR]

My wife is 5'2" and just a hair over a buck-ten and she shoots a Tikka T3 Lite SS in .243. It is deadly accurate and with 90 grain SPs will put down a whitetail with authority.

 

[Sugar Land]

I have had nothing walk away with my 7mm08. Got a little kick but not real bad.

 

[shortround]

.243 is the optimum deer caliber for smaller folks.

Caliber selection is not about gender, but about size and recoil tolerance versus game hunted.

A 100 grain .243 bullet will anchor a White Tail at 150 yards, with nary any recoil.

It is also economical to reload (when supplies are available).

 

[AZ Refugee]

.243 or 6mm

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[country_boy]

243! Took down that big 6 pointer. Shot placement folks shot placement


Hoping for 8 when they pull that gate..

 

[Bozz10mm]

Ruger American in .243. Or, if you can find a used Remington 788 in good condition, those are excellent little rifles.

There are a couple listed on Gunbroker in .243. I have one and they are very accurate shooters.

 

[country_boy]

I bought that 700 adl clearance for 300 new


Hoping for 8 when they pull that gate..

 

[clifpaul2]

Ruger American in .243. Or, if you can find a used Remington 788 in good condition, those are excellent little rifles.

There are a couple listed on Gunbroker in .243. I have one and they are very accurate shooters.

Another vote for a Remington 788 if can find one. Mine will still put five rounds of 22.250 inside a half inch at two hundred yards. And I'm at best an average shot

 

[locotonyf]

First of all, there's no such thing as "Youth Rounds". If it'll drop a deer in its tracks, it's a deer round in your deer rifle. Going up or down in caliber according to the size of the person has nothing to do with a good choice of caliber for the intended game animal. What a crazy idea!

Many people hunt with the .243 all their lives. It's simply a necked down .308. It's one of the best all around calibers out there. It's my favorite round. It'll kill a deer or man at its maximum effective range, same as a .375 H&H.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

The more I look and hear about the .243 the more I like it...

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

The more I look and hear about the .243 the more I like it...

It should be the round the military uses vs 556.

 

[ROGER4314]

The .243 is a well established round with a sterling record. Ammo is easy to find and you have a good selection of bullet weights and styles. If you're willing to experiment with the ammo, the rifle has excellent potential accuracy. I don't personally use the .243, but know the round from my cartridge and exterior ballistics hobby. From that perspective, it is a winner!

Many years ago, as a young man, I wrote to the NRA advice column about whether a 7mm Mauser was "adequate" for deer hunting. I will never forget the reply: "You can only kill them dead." It was good advice.

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