Gun for wife

[DuramaxDude]

Like Horitexan and Mike D said. I would agree with the guys that are for a magnum caliber rifle. Since a moose is a very large animal and the minimum caliber requirements that some fish and game agencies and outfitters require is a law or guideline that may limit you and her as to where you can hunt. A good fitted stock, a recoil pad, a mercury tube recoil reduction system in the stock, and especially a muzzle break can tame a magnum caliber way down.

[bphillips]

I have some magnums just because I think they're cool but none are really needed here in the US unless an outfitter requires it. Someone flinching while shooting a 300rum would be worse than someone extremely confident with their 243. Yes even on moose


I'd bet the large majority of bad stories from smaller calibers start with poor bullet selection

[ctburt0n]

Another ? what gun shops would you visit with to purchase a gun. I want to talk to someone that's no gonna feed us a line of bull. Preferably in DFW.


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[TacticalCowboy]

7-08 in a Remington 700.

[gatorgrizz27]

I'd tend towards the 7mm-08 or 6.5 Creedmoor myself. There is no sense in using a gun that will beat you to death and cause you to develop a flinch for one hunt that you might or might not take in the future.

If you want more than that for regular elk or moose hunts, I'd just step up to .30-06 and shoot Hornady's Custom Lite 125gr ammo in it for everything but the really big animals. Their reduced recoil loads for 7mm-08, .270, .308, and .30-06 are all the same weight bullet moving at the same speed, so recoil will be identical. This makes the .30-06 the best choice to me for its versatility, unless you want a short-action rifle.

The Custom-Lite ammunition works well and makes a noticeable difference in recoil, I used it last year hunting from my climber and shooting in some contorted positions. It took a 10 pt and a doe with no problem putting them down. With the muzzle brake installed, recoil is only slightly more than a .223, I shot both rifles (Weatherby Vanguards), back to back from a bench.

If she's a fan of pretty blued/walnut guns, Weatherby just came out with their "Camilla" rifle designed for female shooters. They also have a deal where you get a free Leupold VX-2 with them right now also.

[nimrodtracy]

7mm-08

This ^

[gatorgrizz27]

I guess a guy could always build their hunt around their rifle instead of around their game animal and the best outfitter. Not how I'd do it, though.

I wonder if anyone has shot an elephant or a cape buffalo with a .243 just to prove the point about shot placement? :-P


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Well Roy Weatherby killed a Cape buffalo with his .257

Most of the guys who hunt moose and elk year after year have no issue with using a .308 or .30-06. However, there is a big difference between a guy that lives up there and has the entire season to fill his tag rather than someone who has spent $10k plus for a week long hunt.

[Roosterpt1]

Put a muzzle break on anything you get. YES they are loud. You SHOULD always have hearing protection anyway. The 7-08 would be just fine on moose with proper shot placement. Use a good bullet and put one through the lungs. It's hard to live when you can't breath. Stay away from heaven muscle and bone shots. Keep it in the ribs and there will be no issue. .308 is another great choice! Still keep it in the ribs and put a break on it. For animals under elk sized both are great cartridges for shoulder or rib shots. If she isn't comfortable and confident in the rifle it doesn't matter if she shoots a Moose with a .50 BMG shot placement still is the king of Killing animals. Put a break on it! A break with large side port baffles not the stupid little holes drill all the way around.

[txfireguy2003]

Put a muzzle break on anything you get. YES they are loud. You SHOULD always have hearing protection anyway. The 7-08 would be just fine on moose with proper shot placement. Use a good bullet and put one through the lungs. It's hard to live when you can't breath. Stay away from heaven muscle and bone shots. Keep it in the ribs and there will be no issue. .308 is another great choice! Still keep it in the ribs and put a break on it. For animals under elk sized both are great cartridges for shoulder or rib shots. If she isn't comfortable and confident in the rifle it doesn't matter if she shoots a Moose with a .50 BMG shot placement still is the king of Killing animals. Put a break on it! A break with large side port baffles not the stupid little holes drill all the way around.

Better still, put a silencer on whatever you get. Covers the recoil reduction AND the muzzle blast issue. If you're hunting somewhere that the can isn't allowed for whatever stupid reason, just thread a break on in place of the can. Since buying my first can, I'm not interested in shooting anything above a 22lr without a silencer.

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[ctburt0n]

Better still, put a silencer on whatever you get. Covers the recoil reduction AND the muzzle blast issue. If you're hunting somewhere that the can isn't allowed for whatever stupid reason, just thread a break on in place of the can. Since buying my first can, I'm not interested in shooting anything above a 22lr without a silencer.

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Would the silencer affect range of bullet or speed. Would you have to sub-sonic bullets. Sorry just not familiar with silencers.


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[txfireguy2003]

Not at all. Full power rounds sound like a 22 mag, and I still shoot my 308 to 750 yards and 1000 yards I'm having a great day.

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[metalmangeorge]

Exactly, if it is last day of a 5 day moose hunt and only moose I have seen in that time frame offers me a quartering to shot I want to be carrying a gun that I know is going to punch all the way through that shoulder into the vital and still exit the other side. Why limit yourself to a perfect shot placement only rifle on something that for a lot of folks is going to be once in a lifetime?

^^^^^this^^^^^^

[rebel_bowhunter]

7mm-08 for sure

[ctburt0n]

Not at all. Full power rounds sound like a 22 mag, and I still shoot my 308 to 750 yards and 1000 yards I'm having a great day.

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That sounds like a plan.


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[gatorgrizz27]

Keep in mind that a lot of rifles with lightweight sporter barrels are too small in diameter to get the proper shoulder for referencing the silencer off of, and may be to thin if you go with a .308. The good news is a .308 wouldn't lose too much velocity if you cut it down to 16-18" to get a larger diameter and a shorter length with the can on.