Which rifle for my daughter

[johnmattos]

My daughter is 20 and wants to buy her own big game rifle and we have narrowed it down to 2 calibers, either a 270 win mag or a 7mm Rem mag. My daughter shot her first deer with my 7mm and said she didn't feel the recoil so I thought a 7mm with a muzzle break might be a good caliber. My wife has a 270 which is a great caliber but my daughters wants to hunt elk so that is why I am leaning toward the 7mm. Also what brand of gun do you think is really good now out of the production guns. She likes the feel of the Winchester featherweight and I'm a fan of the Remington 700 series. She's on a budget so the gun should be in the 600 to 800 range. She will be hunting antelope, blacktail, mule deer and elk with the gun so ranges can be out to 300 yards maybe farther if she get better at shooting at longer ranges.

 

[338winmag]

Take a look at the Tikka T3 I have one in a 300wsm and a 338 mag and they both shoot sub MOA. If she can handle the 7 mag that would be my choice.

 

[DW]

The 270 has killed a pile of elk thru the years and will continue to do so in the future. How is she at the bench with your 7mm after 10 rounds? If recoil is still not a problem either caliber would be fine. As a disclaimer my first big game rifle was a 7mm and always thought it was the best all around big game caliber if a person was limited to one rifle. I realize those may be fightin words to some, it's just my opinion.

 

[mmwb]

Can't go wrong with either. Think about the muzzle break. They serve a valid purpose, but are loud. Report can contribute to flinching as much as recoil. I'm a fan of my old Savage.

 

[Cahunter805]

7mm-08! Take her to a local gun store and let her handle a few different rifles. See what fits her the best. M70,M700, weatherby vanguard, howa, savage all make some nice rifles. Good luck!

 

[Phantom Hunter]

I am a fan of the 7mm Rem Mag. If she can handle the recoil it will take care of most anything in North America with proper bullet selection. I normally load 160 gr Accubonds or Partitions in my Rem 700.

 

[sjhgraysage]

My brother-in-law has a M70 in 7mm mag with the "Boss" on the barrel. Man I hate being close to that when it is fired, very loud.
Both cartridges will do the job if you do yours. IMO The 7mm has a better bullet selection if you handload.

 

[Weiserbucks]

Another vote for the 7mm-08 . Great beginner cartridge for adults and children alike . I have one in a Weatherby Vanguard , shoots great and the price is tough to beat .

 

[BIGJOHNT]

My daughter is 22. She just killed her first bull using her 270.Her bull is in the photo gallery and on the elk forum. A great all around gun,light soft recoil and not loud. She shot a 6 mm when she was younger. Just not enough gun for a comb deer/elk rifle.

 

[sagebrush]

.270 is a great caliber. My wife shoots one and I shot one for 15 years. When I decided to treat myself to a new rifle with more reach, I went with a 7MM Remington Magnum with a muzzle brake. I love being able to see my bullet hit the target, the recoil is so minimal. The Browning AB3 Hunter has an MSRP of $669.99 and can probably be found for less. All my Brownings are tack drivers right out of the box.

"You can fly a helicopter to the top of Everest and say you've been there. The problem with that is you were an a$$hole when you started and you're still an a$$hole when you get back.
Its the climb that makes you a different person". - Yvon Chouinard

 

[littlebighorn]

I would go with the 270 because it will ultimately be easier for her to shoot well. Confidence and comfort are keys to good marksmanship.

None of us feel the recoil when shooting at game, but if it's going to be her rifle, she will need to like it while shooting over a bench, or practicing.

I am an old guy who read almost every word written by Jack O'Connor. I'm pretty sure he would agree with how I have restated his doctrine.

I have owned both calibers and both could be great. I have just seen way too many hunters, especially younger/smaller ones, who fear recoil and flinch in response.

Kudos to her for wanting her own rig and to you for asking!

 

[kilbuc]

I am a died in the wool fan of 7MM's. I have used a 7MM R mag all over the world. But for your daughter I would look closely at a 7mm-08, lots of good choices, just use good quality bonded core bullets.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"

 

[johnmattos]

Thanks for the good advice I kind of want to stay with those two calibers because we already have guns in them and I'd rather not have a bunch of different ammo.

 

[Deerdon]

My daughter shoots a 270 WSM. Faster and flatter shooting than the regular 270. She started when she was 15.

 

[muley505]

I'll put in a vote for the Ruger American rifle. It is offered in .270 but not in 7mm. They are an exceptional rifle for the money. They are very accurate, well made, have a good trigger on them, and you can get one for <$500. That rifle makes a lot of people mad because it shoots so well for such a small amount of money.

I've also heard great things about the Tikka T3, and it comes in both of the calibers you're interested in. I'd personally go with the .270 over the 7mm too. There's no sense in giving her a flinch if you don't need to. Put some Barnes bullets in it, and you won't have any trouble on elk. Love those Barnes bullets.

That's an awesome thing to be needing for your daughter.

 

[Elkduds]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-31-15 AT 08:12PM (MST)[p]I have an Interarms/Mauser 98 in 7 Rem mag, weighs 9# w glass, and a Stevens 270 which is 6.5 # w glass. I don't see a lot of difference between them in terminal effect on elk. Ballistically you give up 15 grains of bullet weight in going to 270 from 7 mag, meaning 165 gr in 7 mag has the same muzzle velocity as 270 w 150 gr. bullet. Partition and bonded bullets give a modern 150 gr bullet the same on-game performance as older cup-and-core 165 gr bullet @ the same velocity. In a light rifle, the extra recoil of the 7 mag would be considerable. For elk, the only time I would prefer my 7 over the 270 would be for shots beyond 300 yards or non-broadside, neither of which I'm in a hurry to take. Get the 270. If she needs more power (unlikely), get the Hornady Superformance 270 ammo.

 

[GunCarver]

I have a Tikka T3 Lite in a 7mm Rem Mag. I really like it. However, I wouldn't put my wife (or any other beginner) behind it for all the reasons listed above. I am also not a fan of muzzle brakes for noise reasons. I think I would tend to lean toward the .270, and I would definitely look closely at the Tikka T3. Realize that the recoil pads that come on the Tikkas are junk. Put a Limbsaver on it, and it will make a huge difference.

 

[txhunter58]

I own both and I love my 270, but there is no question that the 7 mm mag is the better elk gun. I have a recoil arrestor and even though it makes this gun a dream to shoot, I would not recommend going that way. There have been a few times in the field that I was in too much of a hurry to put on hearing protection and my hearing is suffering because of it. Put a SIMs recoil pad on it and always shoot it in something like a lead sled off the bench and she will never really feel the recoil.

Also, you can shoot reduced loads off the bench for practice but she will never notice the recoil in the field. Like this: http://www.cabelas.com/product/horn...%3BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=hornady+reduced+

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)