Rifle for the Wife

[Greg Duerr]

Well my wife has made it very clear that she wants to put in for a Deer and Antelope Tag, wants us to start hunting together...............thats great as she grew up with two brothers and hunting and eating Deer and Elk is what they did. I know one thing she sure can cook venison and its always really tender just excellent, plus the added bonus that she loves cooking in a Dutch over over the campfire and made is very clear to me also that she will only
camp in a Wall Tent with a wood stove, NO trailers.

I have always loved the CZ Rifles and was considering getting her a CZ 527 6.5 Grendel .......I believe it has a 24" barrel and all my CZ rifles are excellent shooters.........

What are your thoughts, as I always get excellent advice from you guys on this sight.
You all have helped me so many times. Thinking of a bullet weight around 120gr........

Thanks

 

[ShtrRdy]

CZ does make a nice shooting rifle, but these days I would be putting my money on a Tikka.

 

[lancetkenyon]

6.5 CM at least. Get a bit of extra horsepower. Even though I am in NO WAY a CM supporter, they are a popular round for a reason.

 

[Weatherby Fan]

Its hard not to like the 6.5CM, just about every rifle company is chambering it as well as most all ammo companies are loading for it, its the most sensible choice for gals and kids, low recoil, not to mention reasonably priced ammo.

 

[Just cut]

I shoot the 123 sst and the 123 eld m out of my 6.5 Grendel, both of them have performed very well on pigs.

 

[Sneaky Apasum]

Get her a 7/08. It'll give you more bullet weight options with minimal recoil. My wife shoots one, and she's very sensitive to recoil. It's a deadly round, too.

 

[26Reload]

Wow....hard to believe you're asking a bunch of guys about your wife's rifle....it was much easier in my head to pick something for either buying new or reloading ammo...
You already know she doesn't need a magnum...and that cuts you down in choices....so if you do lots of reloading maybe set you thoughts around dies you already have.....since it is gonna be her rifle..get her somewhere she can put hands on...after all it is supposed to be hers....
And remember the old saying..."a happy wife..a happy life".......(liars)

 

[CaptnC]

Built the wife a rifle last year, she was never even around them before. She was a little resistant, but didn't say much as it was coming together.

After taking her first deer (and her 2nd, 3rd and a hog) she is like a new person!

I told her last week that I was building her another and ask if she wanted to pick out the color and stlye of the stock...she was at the computer like a flash!

She has little hands so a thumb hole was out. She ended up wanting a Boyds Pro Varmiter....in Zombie Hunter!

I picked the caliber because she doesn't know anything caliber and recoil. Her first rifle 6.5-06 has a break so no felt recoil.

6.5 Creedmoor

Took me a while to drink the coolaid, but I did. This will be the 5th 6.5mm to go into the safe in the last 10 months! So I've fought a long hard battle to not do a Creedmoor...

I was weak!

 

[26Reload]

Before you take the thumbhole off the table...
I took a Boyds liteweight thumbhole an whiddled the thumbhole to a correct position for little hands...mine too...
Being the stock is laminated the colors run all the way thru the stock....I took a dremel tool with a grinder bit an made it fit our hands.....shortened the foreend...added a second stud...took quite a bit of wood off the sides of the foreend...and being it was for a compact ruger it had square sides below the magazine...rounded all of that out some....made the hole in the butt larger....and set the action and barrel...
Basically a remodel job....all sanded nice and neat...I used an acrylic over the wood and it looks really nice...had to have taken 1/2# or better off the stock....shoots amazing for a 16" barrel....

 

[J E Custom]

Although I am a big 7/08 fan especially for deer I would recommend a 280 rem with a muzzle brake so she could shoot light fast bullets for deer and antelope and heavier bullets if she plans on taking Elk.

If deer and antelope will be the only thing she will be shooting a 6.5 CM. 260 rem or 7/08 would be ideal, but remember that even the 6.5s have recoil that may be objectionable to some if the heavy bullets are used.

Just my recommendation

J E CUSTOM

 

[Elkeater]

My 5' 4" wife has a 7mm/08 weatherby vanguard youth model. Fits her well so she handles the recoil fine. Hurts my cheek when I shoot it but it does not fit me at all.

 

[Waynzee]

If you're buying ammo then I would say 6.5 Creedmoor would be top of the list and if you're reloading the 6.5 Creedmoor would still be top of the list. It's just a good deer killing caliber with very mild recoil and there is a bunch of different rifle and ammo companies that make it now.

 

[CaptnC]

JE Custom

I was leaning hard towards a 280 w/break because I already had the dies and brass, but really fell for the 6.5-06 when I heard about it. I still put a break on it...I'd never heard of it before March of last year. It a sweet shooter!

I wouldn't shoot elk out very far with 6.5-06...

 

[Biggs300]

I would suggest either a 6.5 CM or 7mm-08. Both have relatively mild recoil. As to rifle make, I would suggest you let her shoulder as many rifles as you can find and let her make the decision. I have a Tikka in a 7-08 that handles nicely. "Our" 6.5 CM is a medium heavy barrel Ruger Target Varmint set up as a benchrest rifle and it was bought for my wife...at least that is the story I told her. With the right bullet, both are very accurate; certainly more than adequate for hunting.