Am I on the Right Track?

[BCSteel]

So my wife and I are just getting into hunting and I wanted to run a few ideas by you guys to get your thoughts on some of our gear choices ~before~ we start spending money on gear.

We were both originally going to get gun/scope setups right off the bat but the reality is that for the first year, my wife will only be hunting if we are together or I will be solo. Are the real world logistics of two people hunting with one gun feasible if we are basically always beside each other (both with appropriate hunting/gun licensing)? Our reasons being with the saved money we could pick up a .22 for small game/plunking/target/trigger time and a better set of binos (Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 or similar? Open to suggestions here too up to $500 cad) and still be a few bucks ahead.

I'm leaning towards something like a Tikka t3 stainless hunter in 30-06 or similar in a Rem 700. For a one gun show it seems like a very versatile calibre. Also, I didn't want to be under gunned for elk and bear or possibly moose. I was thinking of putting a Leupold v2 3x9 on it and calling it a season. Sound like a reasonable set up?

Hunting will be quite varied from foothills stalk and spot bears to flat/farm land whitetails to high country mule deer to elk wherever we may find them.

We are very comfortable outdoors and do a couple week long hike in camping trips per year and now wanting to add hunting into our mix.

Thanks for any insights and/or suggestions.

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[oldgoat]

Perfectly ok to hunt with one gun, that's how most people start hunting with mentor and one gun, just have to figure out who gets to shoot first!

 

[mtluckydan]

Depending on your wife's experience with shooting guns you may want to consider a smaller caliber. The recoil with a 30-06 is substantial enough many women wouldn't like it. If she either develops a flinch or just don't enjoy shooting the rifle you will be sol. A 308 or 270 would be a better choice in regards to recoil for women. My wife shoots a 7-08 and I wouldn't feel under-gunned for anything you will run across. You could buy a caliber suitable for her now and then get something larger if you really wanted that for your second rifle. I think if you research on this forum you will see plenty of big game killed with smaller calibers. Not bashing the 30-06 but I have never liked them because of recoil.

 

[mtnwrunner]

Your setup is a good one. Perfect for what you want it to do and no problems in sharing a rifle.
I am also a fan of brakes so you can always do that if recoil is an issue. Yeah, yeah, I know they are loud but wear earplugs

Randy

 

[mtnrunner260]

My wife shoots a 7-08 as well. It's a great little gun.

 

[VernAK]

Assuming your wife is shorter armed than you, be sure the rifle is short enough for her to comfortably get into the scope.

 

[KMT]

You're definitely on the right track. The 30-06 is a great all around gun. The model 700 is a great workhorse. I've had a .270 for over 30 years that my dad gave me. He bought it in the 1960s.

 

[hodgeman]

Completely feasible to hunt with a single gun, my son and I do it all the time. Getting a .22 will pay huge dividends in term of practice and getting field knowledge. I know few really good big game hunters who aren't also fanatical small game hunters. Picking up a decent pair of binos is rarely a bad move either

Nothing wrong with an '06 in a rifle that fits you both... I will say that you should get a rifle your wife is comfortable shooting. Depends on her build, but most women have shorter arms and need a reduced length of pull to comfortably fire a rifle. It's pretty easy to shoot a stock that's too short, it's terrible to try to shoot one that's too long. I can shoot my son's 7-08 carbine without issues- it feels like a toy in my hands but I dropped a caribou in his tracks at 250yds last year.

Most reduced length stocks come on short action rifles...if she needs a shorter stock there is nothing at all wrong with the .308 or 7-08 for any of the game you mentioned and you can pick up an appropriate rifle in either. Some rifles are coming with adjustable stock spacers- not such a bad idea either if you need two different lengths of pull.

 

[BCSteel]

Awesome, thanks guys!

In my mind using one gun for both of us sounded doable, glad to hear that it shouldn't be a problem.

If it turns out that a 30-06 is just too much for her we will definitely get her her own gun, it's going to happen anyways. If we can get away the first year with one between us, perfect. If not, then we get something that suits her better and were really set to get our hunt on.

Any concerns with the optics I mentioned to start off with? Like our rifle setups I'd like to get something not garbage to start with but good enough that we can figure out what we like and don't like and base future purchases off of those first ones.

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[Rs3003]

The Leupold vx 2 will do all that you need. Good caliber and scope package. I have VX2 on all my rifles, about 7 of them.

 

[sneaky]

X3 or whatever the number is up to now for the 7-08. Dead is dead, and that caliber gets it done every year. She'll enjoy shooting that one more than the 06, and truth be told, so will you most likely. Have you guys set a budget for just the rifle itself? Lots of good options out there these days in that Tikka/700 range.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Your setup is a good one. Perfect for what you want it to do and no problems in sharing a rifle.
I am also a fan of brakes so you can always do that if recoil is an issue. Yeah, yeah, I know they are loud but wear earplugs

Randy

^^^This

 

[Muttly]

I,d go the other way, start with a .22. Don't know what shooting background either of you have. A good .22 will let your wife learn trigger control, and get used to the noise of a rifle without the muzzle blast and recoil of a bigger rifle.
Pretty tough to get any real recoil or muzzle blast from a 22. Get a 30-06 that,s a little lighter, with a shorter barrel, it would probably balance better for her, but at the cost of more recoil and muzzle blast.
Can't remember what Tikka has for 22s, but a similar platform as the intended hunting rifle would make for an easier transition.
And if you don't reload trigger time is a lot cheaper with a rimfire.

 

[2ski]

If you don't have a .22 yet I'm guessing that means you guys haven't shot alot. I'll just throw this out there to NOT start her out with a 30-06. Don't take the "we'll see how she handles it and if she doesn't like it get her a different gun". You may end up giving her bad habits like flinching. Habits that are hard to get rid of. Let her try something like a .243 or the 7mm-08. If you determine she can handle something bigger for bigger game then when you buy your rifle you get something bigger. But let's emphasize thus...you do not need an ought 6 to kill anything in the lower 48. Don't take the risk with her shooting. I'll say this again, if you are buying two guns eventually make the 30-06 the second gun, if you feel like you HAVE to go that big.


Your optics choices will work just fine. Sometimes I think we put too much into our optics choices and there's a reason that a lot of people buy Nikon and Leuopold.

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[BCSteel]

So after thinking about it a bit more, I'm kind of leaning towards the 7mm-08 for a one gun to start us off. I know I'd be OK with a 30-06 (put a box of rounds through my uncles a couple months ago) but I'm 200 lbs and have 70 lbs on my wife. It makes sense to gear the one gun around her and then I can choose something different in the future if necessary (desired).

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[kravguy]

7mm08. Got one for the kids, and after shooting it myself and seeing the animals they put down with it, I am getting one for myself.

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[RCA Dog]

Where in BC are you ? Different rifles will fit different people differently. One of the biggest causes of 'felt recoil' is in the stock fit. I will say that there is no possible way to get the same rifle to fit a 130 lb woman and a 200 lb man. And I'm not just talking about length of pull, it's everything like height of comb, drop of comb, different requirements like eye relief, and the list goes on. If I were in your shoes, I would find a short action (.243, .308, 7-08, there's more, but those are everywhere) with a cheap synthetic stock that can be easily swapped for a youth stock, since I bet that's what your wife will end up with. I would also find a .22 that she can shoot. Bonus if it's in the same configuration as the short action. Then go out and shoot them both lots, with different types of ammunition if you don't reload, to find out which type each rifle prefers. Then go hunting, you carry the short action, she can carry the .22, and if you find a grouse or rabbit, she shoots it, if you find a mulie, you shoot it. Later on, if you both want to carry a rifle big enough for deer or elk or whatever, get one that fits you, and swap out the cheap stock on the short action and make it fit her.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

7-08 is such a sweetheart of a round (and tends to be ridiculously accurate) I always smile when I hear of someone getting one. A 3006 would do everything you could ever want to shoot in NA but at your stage in life I'd go 708, especially knowing you'll be buying a 2nd gun down the road. 7-08 will take down everything on your list and be enjoyable for the Mrs

As far as brands of gun and scope.... you could spend a lot more money on either and be no better off... good call in both departments. My only complaint about a tikka 7-08 is it's not a true short action, tikka use all one size action so there's no real weight savings but that's petty. You're still getting a damn fine rifle and very good glass for the money

 

[archer wapiti]

Nobody's addressed the binoculars yet. You've got a lot of good options out there in that price range. I have Pentax (due for replacement, as one barrel fogs now), but the Monarchs will be as good, as will Vortex, and surely others. I'd look at warranties, free shipping offers, and the following specs for the binoculars:
WATERPROOF
Fully Multicoated optics
If you or your wife wear glasses, look for the longest eye relief. Understanding Eye Relief: A Closer Look – Eagle Optics
I also want to be able to focus at my feet. You'd be surprised how many times you want to look at something close through your bins. If all you did was hunt with them, that'd not be an issue, but there's a lot of other things to look at when you're out there.
Look at the weight of the binoculars. Lighter is better unless you see in the reviews that there's a lot of breakage due to a weak chassis.
I prefer 10x, having used this power since I was about 12, but 8x is steadier.

 

[JeffRaines]

A lot of good advice. I'd watch the '06 with that scope combo - the scope is great, but that gun is already light. As someone else mentioned, you might want to look into a lighter caliber. The reality of the situation is, anyone who gets into hunting will be buying more guns... it just comes with it. Buy something like a .243 now... it will do everything you want it to do(except for moose, and brown bear, but I assume you meant black bear when you said bear). It'll make a great shared rifle. Next year, look into that 30-06, or 270, or 7-08. Also, as someone mentioned - BUY A .22. The fundamentals of marksmanship are the same no matter if you're shooting the big gun or the 22. You can get 200 rounds of 22 for 20 bucks(or cheaper) compared to 20 rounds of centerfire.

When it comes to muzzle brakes, I've always heard that if you can't handle the recoil without a brake you're shooting too much gun. Brakes damage your hearing even with hearing protection. I don't know about you, but I care about my hearing.

As far as glass goes, buy the best you can afford. I'd keep my eyes open for used deals. Not only will buying used get you more for your money, a lot of the glass manufacturers warranties will transfer, so if anything is wrong just warranty it. You'll also do better on the other end if you want to resell them.