Cow elk caliber for wife

[black dawg]

I have never shot a 7-08, but after seeing kids and small women shoot them I always wondered why everybody around here (MT)considers them a youth caliber, always looked like too much recoil to me to be considered a youth gun. neat caliber though. My kids have been shooting 243s, and sure do go through ammo.

 

[Formidilosus]

I have never shot a 7-08, but after seeing kids and small women shoot them I always wondered why everybody around here (MT)considers them a youth caliber, always looked like too much recoil to me to be considered a youth gun. neat caliber though. My kids have been shooting 243s, and sure do go through ammo.

Because they look at it from the perspective of a grown male that’s used to the recoil of a magnum. In that view a 7/08 is a lighter recoiling cartridge.


Here’s something for everyone that thinks their children/wives/girlfriends have no problem shooting rifles with more recoil than a 223. Have them shoot from field positions- sitting over a top of a pack, off of shooting sticks, etc. Let them take a couple of shots at a target or smallish steel plate with a slight time limit. Say 10 seconds at 100-200 yards. Then talk to them about something (to distract them) while you act like you loaded the rifle. Hand it back to them letting them know it’s loaded and have them shoot again while you watch them- not the target. I guarantee you that they flinch. Probably terrifically so. It’s called a “ball and dummy” and it only works if the person truly believes the gun is loaded.
I can tell you that I have done it to hundreds of adult males, and dozens of children and females, and have had less than five (5) that don’t flinch. All of those that didn’t flinch is because they were trained specifically not to.



The first requirement is to hit the target. And if people view their cartridge and rifle choices in that filter- normally held beliefs go right out the window.... and so do wounded and missed game.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I bought my son a 7-08 for his first gun. Lucky I shot it first. It’s has some pop, especially for a 10 year old kid or small framed women. I agree with the posts above a 243, 6mm or 6 CM is a much better choice.


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[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

7-08 falls into the category of a suitable big game round that usually is tolerable to a smaller shooter assuming the big picture is taken into account and for youth is a gun they can grow into and get more out of it. You don't hand a new shooter the lightest 7-08 around with a hot load and crappy recoil pad (a good recoil pad makes a world of difference on how the same exact gun feels on the shoulder). If you have a 7.5lb all in gun for both at 243 and 7-08 you might be looking at 8ish fl-lb vs 12ish ft lb for recoil (vs like 18ft-lb for that 270win) assuming standard loads, you can back off the loads on a 7-08 though to 10ish ft-lb in that same configuration though and if you add 1-1.5lb on weight to the rifle you are at the same recoil energy as the 243 yet you can turn up the load and shed stock weight (if you've added weight) as the shooter becomes more comfortable. As shooters we all know with practice we learn to manage recoil better with experience and youth/smaller frame shooters are not different.

As I noted I have a 7-08 waiting for the kids for hunting but that isn't the gun they'll start with and learn the ropes on, I have a bolt 223 for that which is cheaper than both the 7-08 and 243 for them to burn up ammo on. As hunting age approaches I'll have them take those fundamentals and put some shorter sessions on the 7-08. If needed I'll weight down the stock initially and I'm not opposed to putting a brake on the gun if needed. I just will feel better having a little heavier and larger diameter projectile coming out of the barrel when they are actually shooting at big game. Plus I reload so I can tame down the loads.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I think the 7-08 is a great round for this use. With 140 gr. Bullets (even loaded hot) it is pretty mild by any standard, as long as the rifle isn’t ultralight. With 120 grain bullets it is downright soft shooting.

My kids use it exclusively for everything from antelope to bison.

I like it myself, and used that caliber for my MT moose last season.

My daughter killed her first buck with it and she is all of 70 pounds.

That gun didn’t even wiggle at the shot.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I think the 7-08 is a great round for this use. With 140 gr. Bullets (even loaded hot) it is pretty mild by any standard, as long as the rifle isn’t ultralight. With 120 grain bullets it is downright soft shooting.

My kids use it exclusively for everything from antelope to bison.

I like it myself, and used that caliber for my MT moose last season.

My daughter killed her first buck with it and she is all of 70 pounds.

That gun didn’t even wiggle at the shot.

But we know you don’t like your kids that much or you would of bought them a 243. Haha


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[JFK]

You could drop the recoil on that 270 quite a bit by putting it into a heavier stock. I know adding weight to things is heresy on this site but the weight of a rifle has a big impact on felt recoil. You go from 7.5lbs all in with a crummy recoil pad to 9-9.5lbs all in with a nice recoil pad and that rifle should kick a whole lot less. You can look at other places in your pack to save a couple pounds to cancel out the added weight on the rifle for hiking purposes. Just an idea.

 

[Matt Cashell]

But we know you don’t like your kids that much or you would of bought them a 243. Haha


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So now the 7mm is too big? Got it.

 

[DangerRanger]

Why are you scared of a muzzle brake? I think that would be optimal for this situation as long as she is using hearing protection.

Apparently my Father hated me when he handed me my youth single shot 20 gauge and a slug. To this day don't have a firearm that gives you the business like that one will. Good times.

You may consider a Browning BAR, that action soaks up outrageous amounts of recoil. Every one I own shoots like a kitten compared to a bolt of the same caliber.

 

[Ryan Avery]

So now the 7mm is too big? Got it.

After seeing two elk get shot with the 6 CM, it obviously has magical unicorn power so I may start using that for all of my hunting needs.

 

[Tod osier]

I have never shot a 7-08, but after seeing kids and small women shoot them I always wondered why everybody around here (MT)considers them a youth caliber, always looked like too much recoil to me to be considered a youth gun. neat caliber though. My kids have been shooting 243s, and sure do go through ammo.

Agreed. They might not bruise you like a magnum, but I have one that is a pain to shoot in a t shirt. Fits well, not overly light, but not a great recoil pad. I bought it thinking it would be a pussycat and it just isn't. It took me a long time to accept.

I started my son shooting a .308 with reduced loads (75% max and 110 grain TTSX) with a brake and that is a much better youth combo than my 7mm-08. I like shooting it, a lot of fun. It is a light gun which he needs and the brake was the way to get recoil down. He is shooting a little hotter loads now, but still fun to shoot.

 

[seldomseensmith]

Why are you scared of a muzzle brake? I think that would be optimal for this situation as long as she is using hearing protection.

Apparently my Father hated me when he handed me my youth single shot 20 gauge and a slug. To this day don't have a firearm that gives you the business like that one will. Good times.

You may consider a Browning BAR, that action soaks up outrageous amounts of recoil. Every one I own shoots like a kitten compared to a bolt of the same caliber.

Haha. My first gun was a single shot 12 gauge. Fired it once.


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[elkduds]

Suggest you let her decide. Provide a range of calibers, emphasize comfort and accuracy rather than impact on game. If it is her goal to kill an elk, she will work her way up calibers to those that are effective. She sounds like a good candidate for a suppressor, which would quiet and tame recoil on every gun that wears it. there is plenty of pressure built into shooting @ live game, no need to compound that w a flinch from recoil. Wounding, losing an elk would be a an ugly introduction to hunting them.

 

[DangerRanger]

Suggest you let her decide. Provide a range of calibers, emphasize comfort and accuracy rather than impact on game. If it is her goal to kill an elk, she will work her way up calibers to those that are effective. She sounds like a good candidate for a suppressor, which would quiet and tame recoil on every gun that wears it. there is plenty of pressure built into shooting @ live game, no need to compound that w a flinch from recoil. Wounding, losing an elk would be a an ugly introduction to hunting them.

I agree, and any possible reason for a suppressor is a good one!


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[seldomseensmith]

At the risk of sounding rude, if I had access to all the guns/calibers I’m considering, I wouldn’t be asking you guys. Would have been a simple problem to solve.
Also important to mention is that I appreciate the sentiment that accuracy trumps mass and velocity. I’ve never lost an elk and as a matter of fact I’ve never even had to track an elk that I’ve shot with a rifle. I’m not the best shot in the world but I keep my shots short (under 200 yards) and shoot 180 grain out of a 30-.06. A virtual death sentence imo.
So sure the .270 was dumb but live and learn. I get that this question is a can of worms but the likely outcome for me is that I have to make a semi blind choice at some point. Lucky for me my wife gets it on all levels. She too wants to be gunned for success. We haven’t bought beef in 4 years and will do our best to keep the dream alive. A tag for each of us this year so we are pumped.


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[LightFoot]

The 6.5 Creedmoor is a great choice for low recoil with enough "umph" for elk. I like the 143gr eld-x or 120gr gmx from Hornady. If you load or don't mind paying for custom loads, Nosler makes a 100gr, 125gr, and 140gr partition in .264.

I have some 100gr partitions loaded but haven't had the opportunity to try them on anything. I thunk the 100s would be a little light for elk, but I would trust the 125s at reasonable ranges.

There is a reason the 6.5 Creedmoor has garnered such a following. It ain't just the marketing. It will do everything the 7mm-08 will do but with less recoil.

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[CorbLand]

I wouldn’t say the .270 was dumb and those that are are being dicks. My aunt shoots a 270 and loves it. She is not a very big lady. I think it’s more that some people are affect more by recoil than others.


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[thinhorn_AK]

My wife does well with h a 308.

 

[DangerRanger]

At the risk of sounding rude, if I had access to all the guns/calibers I’m considering, I wouldn’t be asking you guys. Would have been a simple problem to solve.
Also important to mention is that I appreciate the sentiment that accuracy trumps mass and velocity. I’ve never lost an elk and as a matter of fact I’ve never even had to track an elk that I’ve shot with a rifle. I’m not the best shot in the world but I keep my shots short (under 200 yards) and shoot 180 grain out of a 30-.06. A virtual death sentence imo.
So sure the .270 was dumb but live and learn. I get that this question is a can of worms but the likely outcome for me is that I have to make a semi blind choice at some point. Lucky for me my wife gets it on all levels. She too wants to be gunned for success. We haven’t bought beef in 4 years and will do our best to keep the dream alive. A tag for each of us this year so we are pumped.


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I am(really) also not trying to be rude.. but what do you want us to tell you? There's tons of firearms and most of them have a slightly different recoil impulse even if they are almost identical.

Do you want firearms that we think recoil far less than others in that category?
Do you want calibers? unfortunately as seen with the 270 I don't really think that is going to be of much help.

My 30-06 BAR recoils about equal to my 6.5 CM bolt gun, but its heavy.

 

[bhylton]

maybe look at a "normal weight" rifle in 7mm-08 rather than a tikka or other lightweight option. 1.5lbs of mass weight and a good pad might make all the difference.

learning proper shooting form and how to hold the rifle is important too. might try shooting off sticks or from a seated position for a few shots also. shooting off a bench always brings out the recoil in a rifle