bullseyeshtr
Gold $$ Contributor
Cast bullets with unique would be my suggestion. You should be able to load down the 358 or 450 to make it a light recoiling rifle. Also cast bullets do work pretty well on critters in the range you are talking.
Light hunting loads
- Thread starter Mauser06
- Start date
I suggest getting a .223 and having her shoot it a lot and frequently. At those paper targets with a deer and its vitals printed on it. If you are hunting from a stand, teach her how to brace in the stand to make a good rest. If you are trying spot and stalk or man drive, you have your work cut out teaching off hand and improvised rest shooting. Talk to her about angles, patience, and passing on shots that are not ideal. I teach putting the gun on the deer while observing the deer and its pattern of movement, and when ready squeeze as if you're thinking about taking the shot, so it's a total surprise when the gun goes off. Finally I would be with her the first times she hunts.
I deal with quite a few hunters with varying experience and I have found it's not about the caliber, but about the skill and mindset of the hunter.
I deal with quite a few hunters with varying experience and I have found it's not about the caliber, but about the skill and mindset of the hunter.
Might I suggest a nice slip on recoil pad and a day of shooting.... With proper techniques and the lose of fear she will be alright.... It's getting a new shooter to actually go shoot a box of two and lose the fear associated with it.... Then it becomes fun.... Some people just can't overcome it....
rockhound78
Silver $$ Contributor
Hornady 180 xtp loaded to about 1800 fps should do all you want it to do. If the recoil is too much for her, you can lower it down to 1600 fps or so and still be good to go. If you cannot find any 180's, then the 158 xtp should work also.
This doesn’t apply to your situation, but I remembered something I wish I had known back when burning ball pistol Powder in a 7 mag. Rather than picking up a new bolt action practice/varmint rifle in something like 223 or 243, one summer the bright idea of using reduced 7 mag loads right out of a manual seemed like a perfect practice round. At the beginning of the summer the rifle probably had 500 rounds through it and was ridiculously accurate.
That summer it wasn’t shot a lot, probably 500-600 rounds, with time to cool if the barrel was ever uncomfortable to touch, and never anything rapid fire. I assumed reduced loads would be easier on the throat than full throttle hunting loads.
I had a bad habit of over cleaning it with chemicals and a bronze brush down to clean steel, but always with a bore guide and one piece stainless rod, just like any of my other guns.
By the end of that summer, those 600 rounds had eroded the throat so much group size with hunting ammo tripled and no amount of tuning powder weight or seating depth would bring it back. I’ve never experienced such rapid wear before or since, and to this day I’m still not sure why - the assumption has been pistol powder burns much hotter and the large amount of it passing the throat was a bad combination, but haven’t heard another story like mine with any useful explanation. If anyone has heard a similar story I’d love to hear about it.
I still like reduced loads, but not in big bottleneck cases.
That summer it wasn’t shot a lot, probably 500-600 rounds, with time to cool if the barrel was ever uncomfortable to touch, and never anything rapid fire. I assumed reduced loads would be easier on the throat than full throttle hunting loads.
I had a bad habit of over cleaning it with chemicals and a bronze brush down to clean steel, but always with a bore guide and one piece stainless rod, just like any of my other guns.
By the end of that summer, those 600 rounds had eroded the throat so much group size with hunting ammo tripled and no amount of tuning powder weight or seating depth would bring it back. I’ve never experienced such rapid wear before or since, and to this day I’m still not sure why - the assumption has been pistol powder burns much hotter and the large amount of it passing the throat was a bad combination, but haven’t heard another story like mine with any useful explanation. If anyone has heard a similar story I’d love to hear about it.
I still like reduced loads, but not in big bottleneck cases.
I'd start with Trailboss and .357 bullets in the .358.
If you haven't already. Take her hunting with you. Let her watch it die and help you skin it. If she still is interested then worry about it. In the meantime, im guessing you own a 22lr or 223. Go target shooting. I have taken many GFs shooting and scouting. Hard to find any that have the stomach to twist the head off a wounded rabbit or bird and have it do the death shake in their hands, let alone murder Bambi....
+1 on this, 300 blackout with 110 vmax literally no recoil uppers are cheap and uses the 223 BCG
Pig pistol. 6.5 lbs. with Red Dot. 7.5" barrel. Cheek weld or bipod, no stock. The 6.5 Grendel is not a bad tradeoff, IMO, with slightly more recoil but a much better projectile. I'm putting together a 12" to compare.
300 blackout on left, with Hornady 110 grain CX. I haven't got to the range yet however. 6.5 Grendel in the middle with a 120 grain TTSX and an 8.6 blackout with a 225 grain Hornady CX.
My vote is for the Grendel. To me it's a better ratio of powder to bullet in the mini-action. The 8.6 blackout takes a short action, but both 300 blackout and 6.5 Grendel are mini-action.
KW
Jonnyofalltrades
Silver $$ Contributor
If the .223 is legal for deer where you live, it is outstanding with 60 grain Partitions.
I started using them extensively 5 years ago for kids shooting their first deer. The performance was similar to what I have seen from the .243 Win with a conventional bullet.
Of the dozen or so big game shot with it since, the only animal lost was due to an incredibly stupid misjudgement on my part.
I started using them extensively 5 years ago for kids shooting their first deer. The performance was similar to what I have seen from the .243 Win with a conventional bullet.
Of the dozen or so big game shot with it since, the only animal lost was due to an incredibly stupid misjudgement on my part.
Short story long on the 300 BLK:
Looked at all of calibers one can use in the AR for weeks,read ballistics charts,blogs,forums you name it.
The 300 won because of 2 things.1) same BCG and Mags. 2)uses a small amount of H110 which I already use and have.
Got in a big fuss with the spousal unit cause she wanted to go somewhere on Saturday and I said no way.
I set aside a full Saturday for load development when my dies came in. I loaded 5 rounds under max, went out back to 50 yards,the first 3 where touching,next two same! cover with a half dollar. Confirmed with a crono. 2300 FPS. with the 110 vmax. Done in 30 minutes! Came in told her I was done and we could go now,that made her mad too,go figure.
True story, Never had a caliber that easy to tune, ever it just works. The ballistic difference is minimal with 30/30 6.8 and 7.62x39 IMO.
Oh and you can make your own brass as well!
What's not to love?
Looked at all of calibers one can use in the AR for weeks,read ballistics charts,blogs,forums you name it.
The 300 won because of 2 things.1) same BCG and Mags. 2)uses a small amount of H110 which I already use and have.
Got in a big fuss with the spousal unit cause she wanted to go somewhere on Saturday and I said no way.
I set aside a full Saturday for load development when my dies came in. I loaded 5 rounds under max, went out back to 50 yards,the first 3 where touching,next two same! cover with a half dollar. Confirmed with a crono. 2300 FPS. with the 110 vmax. Done in 30 minutes! Came in told her I was done and we could go now,that made her mad too,go figure.
True story, Never had a caliber that easy to tune, ever it just works. The ballistic difference is minimal with 30/30 6.8 and 7.62x39 IMO.
Oh and you can make your own brass as well!
What's not to love?
You mentioned later in the thread that you have an Encore. Why not get a .223 barrel for the Encore and let her use that? Ammunition is available, .223 with right bullet kills well and exposed hammer is a good starter rifle for those without a lot of experience with firearms. Less complicated to operate than an AR while still having benefits of a low recoiling cartridge that you don’t have to load for to get good hunting ammunition. The recoil will not be punishing and she can learn to shoot it without being bruised up.
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