Wife's rifle build - looking for thoughts and experience

[Ronald W Schaefer]

Look into Thunder Beast suppressors--you can buy the 338 BA and be covered from .22LR TO.338. The system uses an adapter for each caliber you want to use. Depending on the threads and bore size you buy an adaptor that also acts as an internal muzzle brake...then screw on the can. My son has that system and covers everything from 22-250 to .300 WM with one can and they all shoot like a pellet gun. The adapters are not class III and only cost about $134.00 per rifle.

 

[freddiej]

So I just finished up my light .338 NM build, came in perfect just at or under 9 lbs as I planned. Only issue is....my wife wants to take it now ha ha. She loves the way the EH-1 handles, she likes the weight, and she likes the overall feel, just doesn't like the arctic camo pattern and wants a more standard camo. No problem, that can be done. But now the issue is building everything else for her, so she can have the perfect rifle.

But here is the hard part. She is pretty new to shooting, but she is good at it, we just haven't had much time due to nursing school to practice. But if I dope the rifle properly, she makes the hit. She isn't very fond of the muzzle blast from my brake though. The solution of course is to get a supressor, but here is the other side of that. We shoot a lot of elk, and most of our elk are shot at long ranges. 703, 710, 713, 810, 840, 865, and 910 just in the last 3 years for our elk.....so I would really prefer to build her something around a 30 cal 215 Berger around 2950+, but that introduces significant recoil for a relatively new shooter that I don't want developing bad habits, and while a supressor reduces recoil, I am doubtful if it would make it "new shooter" friendly in a 8-9 lb rifle, so a rifle like this would need an efficient brake.

The other option is go with a supressor, but limit it at a 6.5 using the 156 around 3000 fps or so. Which I am confident this kills elk, I used a 156 at 2940 to take two elk this year, one at 840 and another at 865. I would just feel better with something a little bigger for her, especially since we hunt in grizzly near country at times too.

So a question I have, the supressors that mount onto qd brakes, does the brake help reduce recoil at all or since it is contained and can't vent the gasses, does it not really make a difference from a direct thread? Direct thread is the only supressors I have toyed with, that and one that mounted onto a flash hider. Is there any way to supress a 8.5-9 lb rifle sending a 215 bullet around 3000 and have recoil be light, as in about like a .243 or 7mm-08? Or is it gonna have some recoil?

Cody, I read a lot of the responses and took into account there are many new cases out there for the 0.308" diameter slugs. also my bias on the 300 cases. here is what I suggest.
As stated: you want a 30 caliber with a 215 slug. No matter what case you end up using, PRC, Win Mag, WSM or even a RUM. Use a 1:8" twist or 1:7" twist barrel. to save weight flute the barrel you put on your wife's gun. just a bit of practical advice, PRC and WSM utilize a 24" barrel well, Win Mag 26" barrels seem to be very well suited, the RUM 26 to 27"
you can and should run the suppressor like you want to, either direct screw on or QD.
I have personally seen women shoot my 300 Win Mag with exceptional proficiency and I think she will do the same. My gun has a very efficient muzzle brake. it's loud but I also have them wear in the ear and over the ear hearing protection that makes the muzzle signature much less than is intolerable to women. I have a DG slayer Model 70 in an African big game cartridge that a 4'11", 88 pound woman shot with amazing ease. I have a small brake on it, well it's thin and standard 1.75" in length, the muzzle signature is not much louder than without, but the recoil has been deadened by at least 40%. keep this in mind, a muzzle brake does not have to be loud to be effective enough to make the 300 super mag tolerable for a woman to handle.
Chet Brown of Brown Precision makes a stock called, "the pounder", it is 15 ounces as it comes to you due to Aramid cloth used in the stock. this can help with weight as well.
There are not singularly correct answers in this game. you can pick and choose options, traits, advantages for each part or accessory. Your Wife will be an exceptional help for any rifle she wants to shoot. fit, cosmetics, and character will all be for her. if you explain each parts advantages and disadvantages then let her decide what she wants in her rifle, then the gun will mean more to her than anything you could build for her without her input.
my 2 cents worth.

 

[Mram10us]

Freddie has a great point about cosmetics! I let my wife pick colors and before I knew it, I was spraying red cerakote She loves it though

 

[sceeder]

So I just finished up my light .338 NM build, came in perfect just at or under 9 lbs as I planned. Only issue is....my wife wants to take it now ha ha. She loves the way the EH-1 handles, she likes the weight, and she likes the overall feel, just doesn't like the arctic camo pattern and wants a more standard camo. No problem, that can be done. But now the issue is building everything else for her, so she can have the perfect rifle.

But here is the hard part. She is pretty new to shooting, but she is good at it, we just haven't had much time due to nursing school to practice. But if I dope the rifle properly, she makes the hit. She isn't very fond of the muzzle blast from my brake though. The solution of course is to get a supressor, but here is the other side of that. We shoot a lot of elk, and most of our elk are shot at long ranges. 703, 710, 713, 810, 840, 865, and 910 just in the last 3 years for our elk.....so I would really prefer to build her something around a 30 cal 215 Berger around 2950+, but that introduces significant recoil for a relatively new shooter that I don't want developing bad habits, and while a supressor reduces recoil, I am doubtful if it would make it "new shooter" friendly in a 8-9 lb rifle, so a rifle like this would need an efficient brake.

The other option is go with a supressor, but limit it at a 6.5 using the 156 around 3000 fps or so. Which I am confident this kills elk, I used a 156 at 2940 to take two elk this year, one at 840 and another at 865. I would just feel better with something a little bigger for her, especially since we hunt in grizzly near country at times too.

So a question I have, the supressors that mount onto qd brakes, does the brake help reduce recoil at all or since it is contained and can't vent the gasses, does it not really make a difference from a direct thread? Direct thread is the only supressors I have toyed with, that and one that mounted onto a flash hider. Is there any way to supress a 8.5-9 lb rifle sending a 215 bullet around 3000 and have recoil be light, as in about like a .243 or 7mm-08? Or is it gonna have some recoil?

My cousin has been a guide in Montana for over 30 years and in that time he has taken an elk almost every year with a 257 Roberts, Great rifle. I load up 120gr Nosler Partition's for him when ever I can. Most of his shots are a one shot kill. Yea he makes me sick.
But this would be a great gun for your wife.

 

[codyadams]

My cousin has been a guide in Montana for over 30 years and in that time he has taken an elk almost every year with a 257 Roberts, Great rifle. I load up 120gr Nosler Partition's for him when ever I can. Most of his shots are a one shot kill. Yea he makes me sick.
But this would be a great gun for your wife.

Not for 700+ yard elk unfortunately, I wouldn't want to go that small

 

[Zymurgist]

Cody, Here is a thought. 300WSM on a long (3.4"?) action. WSM is pretty soft for a 300 and very efficient. I had a 28" Abolt for a while that was that heavy and unbraked. Kicked less than a light rifle in 7-08 I had. Using the long action and throat and seating the bullets out should get you close to 2900 with a 24" barrel. Using a longer barrel would make it pretty clumsy for a girl I would think. Another thought would be the same gun with a 190ABLR. Good long range BC and it would be a great bullet for that cartridge. Would get the velocity up enough to help with wind drift. This bullet is a little soft in a RUM up close, as I have found out, I suspect it would be perfect in a WSM. She would notice the difference in recoil. And it might out perform the 215

With the gas operated action in the Browning BAR the 300 WSM is even softer in the recoil department. I imagine a 7mm WSM is even more so. I wish my 300 had a detachable box magazine as it is fun to shoot and I have to stop and reload it a lot more than I'd like to.

 

[codyadams]

OK, I think I got things sorted out on what this build will be. Gonna end this thread here and start fresh, my wife's build thread will be here:

Wife's 7mm Sherman Max build thread

Ok, managed to get all my ducks in a row and figure out the perfect rifle to start putting together for my wonderful wife. So, the build is going to go like this: Left hand Manners EH-1 in Molded GAP camo (her pick), 12.5" LOP, two flush cups right side, 10" Area 419 Arca rail Krieger Rem...

www.longrangehunting.com

Thanks for all the input guys, it is appreciated!!!