deer/elk combo cartridge for wife

[PJgunner]

Why not keep things simple and go with a decent fixed 4X scope? My choice would be a Leupold, but whatever floats your boat. I have mostly varibale power scopes on most of my rifles today, but as money becomes available, I'm switching to 3X and 4X scopes for most of them. My reasoning is 99 percent of the time the scope is set at 3X. I use binoculars to spot my game, stalk to a reasonable range and shoot with the scope at 3X. Result? One dead animal, and I haven't messed up by having the scope set at 9X because I was using it instead of the binocs. besides, the fixed power is usually a few ounces less in weight that the variable, and at 7K to 10K feet, every ounce saved means a lot. I've gotten too darned old to be packing Hopwitzers up a mountain side.
Paul B.

[Andy L]

Isnt it funny how everyone is different? I agree on fixed power, but the world looks good to me at 6x.

However, I still tend to buy 3x9 or 4x12. Sometimes going a little more or a little less can be an advantage. I dont see any big disadvantages in variable powers. My scopes tend to spend alot of time on 6 though....

Different strokes......

[Wahnie]

I didn't have a chance to read the entire thread, but I agree that a 7mm-08 or a .308 would be a good choice.

For optics I would reccomend a Bushnell Elite 3200/4200 1.5-6x - 2.5-10x. Excellent scopes and the Rainguard is a very useful feature.

[Hammerforged]

My wife uses a Kimber 84 Classic in .308 Win. She has taken a couple deer and an elk with that rifle. The reason the rifle works so well is because it is so light she can carry it easily. I put a 2.5-8 Vari III on it because that is the lightest scope available in that variable range. In the winter she wears a thick coat anyway so most of the recoil of the heavier elk handloads are absorbed. The 125 grain Ballistic Tip deer loads are the minimum loads in the Nosler number 5 manual, I believe the velocity is around 2600 fps, but far more important than the velocity is her ability to shoot very well with the load both at the range and in the field. She honestly can group 1" at 100 yards. She killed a big mulie buck with this load at 245 yards.

For elk loads in that rifle, I load 165 grain Hornady InnerBonds, with 44 grains of RL 15. About as hot as I can get. The load is accurate enough, about 1.5 inch @100 yards, on a bad day. A more accurate load is the same powder and charge, but with the 165 BTSP Innerlock. This is a .5" load.

[scalerman]

If you're going to recommend a 7MM round why not the 280 Remington? It does everything the 7MM Magnum will with about the same recoil as the 7MM/08. This would be a good choice in my mind. As most women (at least in my experience) are much cooler under the pressure of the shot why not look at a single shot rifle? The new Thompson Centre has a 28" barrel which really would milk all of the potential out of the 280 and it weighs only 7 lbs. Fairly light for carrying but still heavy enough to help absorb some of the recoil. Just a thought.

[Cossack]

I'll get her a 7mm-08. I don't reload or one of the other suggestions would be considered. What rifle do you think would be good for her? What scope?

Mine is a Kimber Monana in 7/08 with a 1.75 to 6 Leupold VX III. Weighs just 6.5 lbs laoded with 5. Works great for my busted up shoulder. It's a bit spendier than most off-the-racks tho.
Have a look at the Remington Model 7.
The cheaper Remington Model 722 ("mauser") looks good too but is not available in 7/08, is available in 308.