Wife rifle: Step up from 243?

[Outlaw6.0]

6.5 creedmore in a sporter weight rifle of her choice.

Another good option, even though I have one, I didn't think of the Creed'.



t

 

[Bigeclipse]

I think you are experiencing a localized issue. The short mags will be here for a LONG time to come. but for what you're needing, they may be a bit overkill.



t

yeah it may be...it sucks here in NY. I have checked everywhere with-in a 4 hour radius of Albany...which is like the entire NY state and everywhere I got the same answer "Your Xbolt is a great rifle, it's a shame it is in 300WSM because we dont take those WSM calibers in anymore" fortunately I found someone who wanted it and sold it to them. I will stick to the more traditional calibers for now.

 

[Bigeclipse]

anyone know how popular the 7mm-08 is? Ammo availability?

I was thinking that even though the 308 is definitely at the top of the bunch for recoil...if I did reload for it...I could load them on the lighter side with slightly lighter bullets for her and still have a rifle with good resale value.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

anyone know how popular the 7mm-08 is? Ammo availability?

I was thinking that even though the 308 is definitely at the top of the bunch for recoil...if I did reload for it...I could load them on the lighter side with slightly lighter bullets for her and still have a rifle with good resale value.

I usually see it often enough; then again, I live in Who

You could always run the 308 with a 150grn Barnes. That should work very well in your application.



t

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

My wife loves my 6.5x47L guns, both heavy and light. Very similiar to the 260, heavies will get you elk capable and deer within 800 yards or so.

I clicked other also. My choice for a rebarrel on my wife's 308 Ruger Compact is the 6.5 Creedmoor. It is what I shoot so we will all be packing the same ammo. I shoot the 130 gr Sirocco at 2900 fps from my 26" barrel so her and my 18" barrels will still be getting 2700 I think. My wife WILL NOT!!!!!!!! Pack a heavy rifle unless she is acting as my bear protection. And we don't have much for bears where I live and mostly hunt now. . Factory ammo is available in goot loadings for deer and caribou and target shooting.

 

[7magcreedmoor]

I bought a 243 compact (Ruger) for my son when he started hunting (he was a little fellow back then, short arms, scarecrow build etc). Now in his 20s he looks down at me from considerable height and has gorilla arms, so I had his rifle rebuilt as a full size 6.5 Creedmoor with a varmint weight barrel. With 140 grainers, the downrange energy is a good bit better than a 243, but the recoil won't be much more, even with a sporter barrel. Not very loud with a 25 inch barrel either.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

With the 6.5 s the 120 gr bullets recoil and sound like a 243 but hit like a 6.5 . They fly pretty flat for out to the range you are talking about. And if you are in an unleaded state there are several lead free 120 gr bullets.
I'm thinking very strongly about getting a Hawkeye and chopping the barrel to 18 1/2" for myself. It will probly become my go to rifle.

 

[WildRose]

Ok guys so my wife is an avid hunter but not an avid shooter. She will go to the range occasionally and shoot her 243 before hunting season. I hate to admit this but she is a better shot than I am...She consistantly prints .5MOA or less with the rifle at 300 yards while I tend to be more around .6-.75MOA with same rifle haha. Anyways, she read some forum threads and articles about how the 243 is really the minimum cartridge for north country deer, especially when getting out to further distances like 400 yards and now she wants to "step-up" in caliber to ensure clean kills even if she hits a shoulder bone. I can understand her view, but she has been great with the 243 up until now and I tried explaining to her she really does not need to change but hey...if I got it in my head I want a new rifle/caliber, no one could tell me otherwise so you know what they say "happy wife = happy life". Here is the problem...she is a tad recoil sensitive...well actually...I dont even think its the recoil that bothers her its more the sound/concussion. When we go to the range and I shoot my 3006, she is like "WOW" that thing really sounds harsh. yes we wear hearing protection. I had her shoot it and she said "not as bad as I expected but still the sound/concussion scared me"...so now the question is...what caliber to get her. Now please, dont comment about large calibers and muzzle brakes. I used to be against muzzle brakes because I like to be able to hear deer approaching and do not like wearing hearing aids/protection but I am starting to come around to that idea but she is NOT. So this will be a woods rifle shooting woods distances (150 yards or less) with one occasional hunting spot that can go out 400 yards. I do re-load but it would be nice if this rifle could also shoot factory so please excuse rare calibers from this discussion. Availability of brassis also a plus just in case I decide to reload for it. I have included a poll with some popular calibers but just in case I forgot any there is an "other" option and please list it in the thread. So her list of importance:

1) Not killer recoil (again, I know this is subjective and something she would be ok with over time but there is no convincing her right now) I think she could tolerate the 3006 with a good recoil pad but that may be risking scaring her off lol.
2) fits her well (she is 5'4 average build) so a heavy rifle is out. Short action may be better but she shoulders my light weight remington mountain 3006 well.
3) Caliber that if she made a shoulder shot at 300-400 yards will bust through the shoulder and still penetrate well...I know this comes down to bullet selection as well but again, it's in her head that caliber is important.

4) again, no muzzle brakes and please dont state "the 243 will be fine" lol this is her decision not mine haha.

.260 Rem hands down. See if you can find one in a 700 CDL SF if you can. She'll be so in love with it before she ever even pulls the trigger she'll never want to part with it.

You probably want to have the LOP cut down to 12 3/4 or even 12 1/2" including a limbsavers pad.

Have it pillar bedded and all before you even let her see it and put some decent glass on it and you'll have her hooked for life.

Great all around caliber for what you are looking for and my wife thinks my 700 CDL SF is the prettiest thing we own other than the dogs.

Shoots awfully nice as well.

 

[budlight]

I didnt mention the wsm because I think they are a dying breed...which I want to avoid. My local gun shops will not even take in WSMs on trade anymore due to poor resale turn-a-round time. I have owned a 300wsm in the past and loved it but again im trying to stick to the cartridges that have survived and will continue to do so. Not saying the WSMs wont survive but my area is starting to show they wont.

that is funny! Where can I find those good buys on worthless 243 wsm and 270 wsm. I will buy those junky rifles! I know with our lack of powder choices and case availability you just can't find a bag of 500 and call it good for life anymore. I have a rifle that I band saw the parent case and trim and die to use.

The 270 will always have brass as is the 308. I always wanted a 260 Rem because my 243 even with 100 gr bt's lauching at 3200 fps seemed to not have the TKO power. Some major person here posted about loosing two Texas deer with a 6mm 06 with 95 Bergers.

 

[lewwetzel]

Just re-barrel the .243 to a .260 and be done with it. Then go have a beer. Your wife will love you for it.

 

[Leslie Sapp]

Just re-barrel the .243 to a .260 and be done with it.

This.. Or buy one just like the one she has now in .260.

My wife and I went through this evolution about 20 years ago. She was hunting with a full sized mod. 70 in .243 in the swamps of North Florida. She was killing game, but we rarely had an exit wound. We knew that it was just matter of time before a poorly shot animal was lost in the water and sawgrass, and the rifle was too barrel heavy for her anyway.

We bought her a Rem. mod. 7 in .260, and it has killed every animal it's been fired at since, and we have never recovered a bullet from a carcass. I'm loading 120gr sierra pro hunters over varget for it now, and that little pencil barrel will shoot an honest 5/8" 5 shot group at 100 yards.

One caveat: The .260 is a reloaders round. There are few factory loadings, and they are expensive enough to prohibit the extensive practice necessary to become truly proficient with a rifle.

 

[Bigeclipse]

Even though I do reload...I think I am leaning toward the 7mm-08 than the 260 for ease to find factory ammo if needed.

 

[fmajor]

Even though I do reload...I think I am leaning toward the 7mm-08 than the 260 for ease to find factory ammo if needed.

I also think the 7mm-08 is a wiser decision.

The 260Rem should have less recoil/blast, but differences would be minimal. Ballistically, it seems like a very capable chambering (I've never shot/owned one) and a noticeable jump above your 243 without the shoulder/ear numbing affect of a larger chambering.

However, pragmatically speaking, the huge convenience of the availability of factory ammo for the 7mm-08 simply should not be overlooked.

If you're away from home/loading bench and for any reason, Murphy's Law - whatever, your ammo is MIA or you run out of reloads 7mm-08 is much more readily available than 260 Rem.

Also, the variety of reloading components (thinking bullets here) favor the 7mm's vastly over the 6.5mm offerings.

Since you do reload, if ever your Mrs. wants to increase her range, a precision bullet seater and neck sizer in 7mm would still work if you wanted to go to a 7mm mag of some flavor. You could simply buy a new FL sizing die for the new chambering and be all set for her new LR rig. Just a thought to future potential......

 

[Nmugy]

I am a huge fan of both. the ballistics of the 260 are superior to the 7-08 but the 7-08 offers more choice of bullets. I load the 7-08 reduced for youth and small women. The 120gr Nosler Balistic tip in front of 32grains of H4895 produces 2350fps out of my sons stevens 200(which is a 1-11"twist), and a 140 Nosler Balistic tip with 34 grains of H4895 produces 2400 fps and my son says he can't tell the difference in recoil and he weighs in at a whopping 68lbs and he can shoot them all day. The 120's shoot the best out of his rifle and are sub moa at 100 yards. We use a Deadshot Fieldpod to hold the rifle for him in the stand and it works awesome.