girl needs help finding a gun
 

hey im new to this site. my boyfriend took me hunting for the first time this year and i shot a big doe with his 270! i love hunting now! but i want to find a gun of my own and i dont know if i should get another 270 or something else. i liked the 270 alot but i want something that i can get more distance and that wont make me knock a tooth out or something. i would love some help on this. thanks kendo

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

I would go withthe .270, but if you want more distance, go with a 7mm mag.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

7mm Rem Mag, .280, .270, 30-06, 25-06 (unless you want to shoot elk at longer ranges). Take your pick. But if you just started shooting, chances are the .270 will still shoot farther and more accurately than you are currently capable of shooting. Just something to keep in mind. Not saying you're a bad shooter- just saying you may want to practice before worrying about getting a long range rifle. Also, getting as close as you can is a lot more fun than shooting at a speck for most people.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

If you had success with the .270 I would stick with it. If you felt the recoil was uncomfortable you could go with a 25-06, 7mm-08 or even a 30-30. Weatherby makes a Vanguard Compact riflewhich isgreat for women and young shooters. In any case welcome to the world of hunting.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

I would look at the .308.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

You said you enjoyed the 270 win but how would you feel if the recoil was increased by 40%? Thats what you can expect from a 7mm rem mag in a comparable rifle! While the 7mm rem mag will shoot alittle flatter, it's real gain is in bullet selection for other then deer sized game.If deer or similar size gameare your primary concern I say stick with the 270, plenty flat enough to take deer at distances beyond mostshooters abilities.

Good Luck and Welcome:)

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

You're not going to get "more distance" from anything without paying a pretty hefty recoil penalty. If you want a little less recoil, take a look at the .243, .260, or 7mm-08. They're all good to at least 300 yards on deer (a little farther for the .260 and 7mm), and that probably covers about 95% of the deer hunting situations you'll face in the U.S.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

Kendo...Congrats on your first deer..!!...

Some good advice has been offered here...A .270 is capable of making clean kills on deer sized gamefurther than many hunters should responsibly be shooting..

If you like your boyfriend's .270, I'd say go ahead and get your own ...You could share ammo and trust me, it will kill a deer as far as you'll ever need to shoot at one...

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

I have taken White Tail's and Mulies with .270 130gr/NP and 150gr/NP. I have also taken Moose with Ruger 6.5mmSwede 156gr Norma "Alaska" ammo.

I would not hesitate taking all of the above with 6.5mmSwede/Norma ammo.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

It sounds like you've already found the sweet spot on the curve. To get any flatter shooting, you're going to paymuch more in recoil than you'll gain in trajectory, or even whitetail killing power.

On the other hand, if you step down into the 7mm-08, .260, 6.5x55, or 25-06, you'll lessen recoil while maintaining a reasonably flat shooting gun to most sane distances. However, those aren't necessarily calibers that can gracefully bridge you intomoose/elk sized game, should you ever choose to hunt those. The .270, however, has been used quite successfully for decadesto harvestboth classes of critters.

Of course, staying with the .270 will also allow you share ammo with your boyfriend, to find ammo anywhere in the country,to keep ammo costs to reasonable levels, and to have one of the widest choices of rifles imaginable. There's a reason thatJack O'Connor, oneof the most respectedgun writers of all time, was a huge fanof the .270.

So, now that you've found a cartridge, go out and handle dozens of rifles & see which one fits you best. Chances are, they'll have a .270 in stock!

Good Luck,

FC

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

In my opinion the 270 is one of the flatter shooting centerfire cartridges. If you can handle it I would stick with it. Like said, you won't get any flatter or more energy farther out with LESS recoil. It just isn't going to happen.

The .243 or 25-06 are nice calibers for small shooters, but you will give up some power.

Keep in mind every gun is different as far as recoil is concerned and gun fit means a LOT. If you were to get a .270 that fit you better it might feel better. A heavier gun will handle recoil better as well. I would also suggest a good quality reciol pad, like a simms or simalar.

I pretty much agree with everything else that was said by the others.

And congrats on the deer.

Paul

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

When it comes to deer...the 270 is never the wrong answer...

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

If your shooting the 270 well stick with it, a 270 has killed almost every thing on this earth.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

thanks yall i gess i will be sticking to the .270. i didnt even notice the recoil on it. i may try my boyfriends 7mm. and see if i like it or not.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

Excellent plan. My I add sounds like you have a level head aboutyour new found love, that will surely bode well for your future and long term success(growing obsession of this sport). Cudos and congrats on your first of many big game animals I'm sure:)

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

stick with the .270 i bought one for my girlfriend and she loves it. and so do i

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

3 things Kendo:

1. Congrats on your first deer!!!!!!
2. How much where you looking at spending?
3. Whatever you do....get something nicer and more bad ass than your b/f's hahahahahah!!!!

~Cam

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

Gun envy....I like that!

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

Kendo,
Pay more attention on how the rifle fits you than the round its chambered in. If you aren't very tall a short action rifle like a remington model 7 in 7mm08 or a Browning Micro medallion might fit and balance better in your hands. As for wanting something more powerful than a .270 unless you hunt larger animals like elk or moose then there is absolutely no need. In fact you can step down to a 25-06 and get the same range with less recoil, which is always easier to shoot.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

Girl needs help finding a gun, hmmm? Go for the .300 Win Mag!

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

thanks! yea that would be a great way of starting off our 3ed year together LOL! :D

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

Congratulations! It's a pretty exciting feeling to shoot your first deer... then you second.. and third... etc. etc.

It sounds like you've got plenty of folks happy to share advice you asked for. I'd say for the type of hunting you're talking about .270 or .30-06 would be good choices.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

why dont you try a .243

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

first off, Congrats! I would suggest 260, 7mm-08, 6.5x55, the main reason is that they are usually offered in the shorter rifles that fit women and younger hunters better. The 270, 25-06, 280 class of rifles will also do fine(maybe the perfect class of calibers for deer), but make sure the rifle fits you. Also be aware that a heavy 270 will kick much less that a light one.

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

my wife is 5-2
and she loves her .243 youth model
savage with accutriger

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

I will second this what wyotimberghost said. Everyone wants a gun that will kill deer from a mile away (so to speak), but in reality, most of us (me included) have no business shooting at any game past 150-200 yards at the most. I have been shooting all my life and hunting deer for 25 years, but my "confort zone" is 100 yards+/-. I have killed well over 100 deer in my years of hunting and even a few out to 300 yards, but for me to take a shot at a deer past 150 yards, the conditions have to be near perfect.

For you as a new shooter/hunter, find a gun that fits you in a mild recoiling caliber such as 308 or 270 and practice, practice, practice. When you get some experience, if you are still hung up on "long range" shooting, you can look into a larger caliber such as 7mm magnum or 300 magnum.

Congrats on your first deer!

RE: girl needs help finding a gun
 

The 25-06 111 savage with an accu trigger is an awesome shooting gun, easy on recoil and will get em way out there, i dropped a deer with mine at 132 yards this year using winchester 120 gr positive expanding point bullets