Gun for the wife???
 

I'm looking for a gun for my wife. I'm between a 243 and 7mm-08. Which one do you guys suggest? Also, what gun have you guys found that fits a lady well? Thanks for the help. Any input is appreciated.

Both those cartridges can be easy on the shoulder, but fit of the gun to the shooter is most important.

Find a gun that fits your wife's frame very well (length of pull, etc.) and then have her try shooting examples of these well fitting guns in the cartridges you feel she can tolerate.

Fit of the gun to the shooter should be foremost.

BUT, I'll toss in that the .243 can be very forgiving in terms of recoil. I have one and can spend hours at the range with no appeciable effects except I'll gain a boatload of empty brass.
I've never shot a 7mm/08 but have heard many say it's quite forgiving also.

I'd go with a .243 simply because I've owned one since 1980 and killed over 300 deer with it...My brother has a 7mm-08, it kills them as well, little difference on how far they run after a lung shot...

Depending upon your wife's size, a Remington youth might fit the bill, a Model 7 or even a regular size 700....I've got a buddy that is only about 5'6" and a regular 700 fits him fine...

Another advantage to a .243 is 100gr Remington CoreLokts work as well as any bullet out there...You can catch them on sale for $15-18 a box whereas 7mm-08 bullets are as scarce as hen's teeth and CoreLokts in that caliber run almost $30 a box...Practically any place that sells ammo has .243 ammo...

Either cal is great, if this is just for deer I would opt for the 7mm-08....I like that Remington Model 7

i bought my wife a model 7 in rem.260 (great choice, imo) good fit and low recoil

Do you reload? 7mm-08 has less options and less availability of factory loads than the 243. Both are great guns for deer hunting. My wife uses a 25/06. Another choice to throw in the pot.

My daughter and my niece both started shooting when they were about 6...they both moved up to Weatherby Vanguards in .243 (youth stocked) when they were about 7 or 8...great caliber and very good rifle. I have several .243's in the safe and my wife has shot a couple of them (she's not a very big girl, less than 120 pounds...) and she really enjoyed them and wasn't bothered by the recoil...I also have a 7mm-08 (Savage Model 11) that is actually pretty scary light and I figured that would increase the recoil...it didn't and is very manageable. As someone else mentioned, 25-06 is also another good deer option that is light on recoil, although I think they are heavier than the 243 and 7mm-08. If you don't reload, ammo availability is a little less available for the 7mm-08, but not scarce by any means. Both cal's will kill plenty of deer...

I would suggest you have her fondle several rifles to find one that fit's her well...look at the Savages (especially ones with accu-triggers) in Model 10 and 11 (110 and 111's too), Browning A-bolts, Tikka's, Remington 700's, Weatherby Vanguards (which is a Howa 1500)...all good guns for the money and will last a lifetime taken care of properly.

Happy hunting!

My wife hunts with a 7mm08 remington model 7. Its short light and shoots great. she has taken a few deer with it. good luck

If she wants to hunt game larger than deer, the 7mm-08 would be better. My wife uses her .257 Roberts for most things, but uses her Model 700 Mountain Rifle chambered in .270 Winchester for game larger than deer.

If the largest game she'll hunt is deer, I think I'd have to recommend the .243 as well. I've been using it since 1978 in spite of now also having a number of other calibers to choose from. It's been very adaptable to range sessions, prairie dog shoots, coyotes, pronghorn, and deer. Although I've taken 3 elk with it, I would probably recommend the 7mm-08 if elk are going to be on her menu.

The BEST way to find a rifle that fits her is to take her along. She sounds like she may be smaller-statured, so a "youth" model might be a good place to start. However, that's not a guarantee. Take the time while you have it to do it right, let her be actively involved in the selection. I would even offer that caliber is going to be less a factor in her comfort than proper length-of-pull, manageable carry weight and overall length.