Wanting a new rifle

[Divernhunter]

If you do not like the American then look hard at the Tikka T-3 Lite in 260Rem/6.5X55 or 7mm-08(even 308). My daughter and her husband and myself really love the. They also shoot 1" or better. All of ours will shoot cloverleaf groups. They are handy and easy to carry. They are light enough I can carry them with my handicaps. Put a direct replacement Limbsaver recoil pad on them and get an extra mag. Put a 3-9X40 or 3.5-10X40 Leupold on them with a claw sling, a elastic buttstock shellholder , and you are set for life and just about any game.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Kevin,
Your last name is the same as the name of one of my favorite makers of fine rifles, Sterling Davenport.
Through the course of two marriages I formulated an almost fool proof method of procuring many rifles and only a few ass chewings. You are on the correct path of letting your wife know you are looking for her new rifle! Now is where my plan comes into play. You bring home a 375 H&H for instance.
Look what I got for you honey! She will be elated that you got her rifle. Now when you get to the range, being the hero husband, you offer to try it first.
Oh baby, way to much recoil for you to shoot comfortably, I made a mistake on this one! Dam guy at Bubba's beer and bait said this would be the ticket.
This will work exactly twice before they figure out what you are doing! The third gun you bring in better dam well suit her fancy or she may use it on you!
I have had good luck with setting ladies up in 6.5mm's and 7/08 and 7x57. Getting them comfortable shooting is the key, to much to fast will spook them off the bench and the more gals we have in the field all the better for our sport.
Cheers and enjoy shooting with your wife,
Cody

 

[woods1126]

Kevin, I returned from a recent plains game hunt. My friend's wife used a 7mm-08. It was a very nice handling Ruger 77 in a compact model. She was shooting 140 gr. Nosler Partitions, I believe. She had all one shot kills, on Kudu, Blesbok, and Springbok. Kevin

 

[BWH]

After purpose.... I'd ask sensitivity to recoil.... Then I'd prolly say 7mm-08, maybe a 25-06.

 

[ActionBob]

Ok Kevin I think @Bullthrower338 has your plan all laid out... What it seems to come down to is two new guns for you and three for your wife. That ought to cover all eventualities and should increase the service level at the gun shop considerably, especially when you top them a mixture of Nightforce, Swarovski, and the higher end Leupolds! I think that is how Cody does it anyway

Oh and @PHOENIX PHIL , I tried to find a picture of her, the zebra and the gun without me to save you the suffering but no luck she somehow managed to get most of her trophy picks taken without the gun in them

 

[enysse]

A 30-06 with reduced loads will work. The 7x57 and .308 will work fine too. A lot of people bad mouth 7 mm Rem Mag but I like it a lot and it doesn't kick much.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

A lot of folks have suggested the 6.5x55, and while I feel it is a great cartridge, doesn't Namibia restrict you to a 7mm or larger bore? Since I don't know for sure where the O.P. plans to hunt, I would suggest the 7x57, 7mm-08, or the .308 Winchester. Lots of surplus and cheap ball ammo out there for practicing with in the .308. Just MHO.................

 

[lcq]

Kevin, I'm sort of in the same mode you are. Sort of like a golfer, needing a new in-between club. I've been leaning towards a 308 or 7mm-08. I have a 270, 30-06 and 338, so I really don't have a gap I need to fill, but thinking a smaller rifle for my daughter would be good. Maybe a Remington model seven or a CZ550 FS.

I'm not a big fan of the cheaper line of rifles that most of the makers have come out with (Ruger American, Savage Axis, etc), but I was wowed by a video recently on the Browning el-cheapo version: http://randywakeman.com/BrowningAB3VideoReview.htm Still doesn't make me want to buy one, but amazing accuracy when you find the ammo it likes.

You would be shocked at how well the cheap $300 Canadian Remington 783 shoots. My 7mm mag has shot under 0.5" with 150gr cor-lokts and under an inch with a-frames. They have an accutrigger clone, an extremely strong round receiver, use a heavier profile barrel (extra weight) and are pillar bedded. Yea the stock is cheezy plastic but they are reliable and shoot better than my 700. Took mine to Limpopo and flattened huge zebra and wildebeest.

If you get a 308 or 3006 you could load lighter Barnes bullets and varget to keep the recoil down. If she still is uncomfortable use H4895 and reduced loads.

 

[lcq]

If you do not like the American then look hard at the Tikka T-3 Lite in 260Rem/6.5X55 or 7mm-08(even 308). My daughter and her husband and myself really love the. They also shoot 1" or better. All of ours will shoot cloverleaf groups. They are handy and easy to carry. They are light enough I can carry them with my handicaps. Put a direct replacement Limbsaver recoil pad on them and get an extra mag. Put a 3-9X40 or 3.5-10X40 Leupold on them with a claw sling, a elastic buttstock shellholder , and you are set for life and just about any game.

Tikkas always shoot and their bolts are 70 degree throw and slicker than cow snot. They are right up there in quality with the Weatherby Vanguard

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Good article from ChuckHawk.com on the economy rifles: http://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_bolt_action_economy_rifles.htm

However, a rifle that has me interested is a new semi-custom rifle: http://www.legendaryarmsworks.com/
The action on these rifles is the former Ed Brown 702/704 action. From the articles I've read, this looks like a pretty good rifle for the money.

 

[Kevin Davenport]

Thanks guys. We'll be looking at several rifles in Houston tomorow

 

[ZG47]

Kevin

With all due respect to Divernhunter, I would steer well clear of any centrefire rifle with a single column magazine. They are tolerable on the Range but always cause trouble when things heat up. I found it a nuisance when hunting goats and it could be a lot more than that if an animal comes at you . If you go for a DBM rifle, I recommend that you make it double stack.

Bear in mind that the 7x57, .30-06 and 6.5x55 all feed more reliably than the .308 Winchester and anything else with .012 case taper, BECAUSE they were designed to function reliably in anything and everything, whereas the T65 (7.62x51/ .308 Win) was designed principally to replicate .30 M2 ballistics ( and falls behind with heavier loads).

NB I ran a small club range complex for 14 years and centrefire failures to extract principally occurred with:

.243 Winchester, .223 Remington, 7mm-08 and .308 Winchester.

The .260 Remington lost popularity shortly after introduction in this country as it was impossible to safely reproduce factory velocities. It is now experiencing somewhat of a revival, but, mostly, it seems, in suppressor equipped rifles. I am guessing that either the newer users are not trying quite so hard to equal the 6.5x55 SE, which does achieve factory velocities in the proper CIP (and original military) barrels OR the brainwashing re. boat-tail bullets is actually a benefit via pressure reduction. NB One of our country's better shooters used a 6.5-08, which is basically the same thing, out to 1,000 yards, approximately 15 years ago. He blew primers! Given that Bob Forker once reported achieving piezo pressures of 70,000 PSI without visible pressure signs, I do not care to guess what pressures that rifle was experiencing.

Have fun looking, and please encourage THE BOSS to try my favourite trick of closing eyes and then mounting the rifle. It is hard enough trying to pick a rifle away from the range, without straining to fit it.

 

[CAustin]

270 or a 308 and she would be fine!