Author Topic: Handi for the wife (Read 1220 times)

Freezer · « **on:** February 21, 2008, 09:25:23 AM »

For along time my wife said she'd like to hunt with me someday. I've been skeptical but I think she just might do this time. I'll be starting her on pig and blacktail deer as far as large game goes. I have a few rifles and considered an Arg Mauser project as her first rifle but the cost is alot more than I can tolerate considering she may not like it. I have a nice laminated 25-06 handi but it's way too heavy. And so I figure the best solution to what might be a temporary problem is to modify the handi. I don't expect her to shoot more than 200yrds though in the Navy she qualified at the 300 meter range with an M-16. She stands about 5'4" but has a strong frame. I want the gun to be lite so she can carry it buy have enough punch for a pig. That rules out the 243 superlite barrel. The 308 and 7-08 are viable choices and I hand load so I make it shoot for the game we're after. I'd rather have a 260 Rem but...The gun will be scoped with a leupold 2x7 so I believe a monte carlo cheek stock will be needed but I haven't seen one.

What caliber and stock would you choose and what kind of weight can I expect?
Could I have a 243 superlite reamed for 260 Rem?

AZHoosier · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2008, 09:35:51 AM »

Personally, I would get her one of the old standbys. .270, 30-06, .308, or as you said the 7-08. Since you reload you can tame them down or crank em up. If you need to you can buy ammo about anywhere for the .270, 30-06, and .308. Don't know about availability of the 7-08. You can, if she gets into it do some varmint/predator shooting. Load them down and they won't beat her up at the range for practice. IMHO anyway.

Since your scoping it, I would go with the Monte Carlo to raise her head up a bit to align with the scope. Haven't any idea what the weight would be, not to bad I would suspect though.
Bill

rex6666 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2008, 09:52:13 AM »

Since their is an outside chance that she may not like it or may not want to hunt, I would buy one that i would like. If my better half said she wanted to hunt with me, i would buy her one that only shot rubber bullets. I have killed several white tails with a 243 and havn't seen
a hog that i would be afaid to use it on. Still you can not go wrong with the 30-06 or 308
30-06 has lots of recoil for the difference in my opinion. With a standard barrel and scope
i think you are going to be around 7-71/2lbs seems the standard barrel on the handi is a little larger than most rifles.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2008, 09:52:46 AM »

You may be able to have a smith rebore a 243 Superlight barrel to 260 Rem, but it would cost $250-$300 on top of the barrel cost, but I dunno if the ½mm difference in bore size would completely clean up the old bore, I suppose that would depend on the bore specs. The 20" barrel certainly wouldn't be my first choice tho. I'd get her one of your other choices in a synthetic stock, or even a 30-30, since you handload, you can always load spitzer bullets.

Tim

PartsMan · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2008, 10:05:16 AM »

I have a 7mm-08 with synthetic stocks.
I put a slip on Limbsaver and loaded some 120g bullets.
They actually shot better than the 140g and really made a difference in recoil.
I could shoot it all day now.
With the factory pad and heavier bullets I could feel it after working up a load.

wvmountainman · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2008, 10:14:36 AM »

I don't know about pigs. whitetail however are no problem for my daughter's .243 superlight synthetic. we have used 95 grain partitions and 85 gr. sierra bthp with light loads.

dw06 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2008, 10:24:56 AM »

If the daughter's 243 shoots well, I'd just borrow it and see how the wife does with it. Nothing wrong with the 30-30,7-08,or the 308 either.I would like a 260 remington in the handi too,if they ever make them I'll be in line for one.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2008, 10:53:18 AM »

I'd take the 6.5x55 over the 260 Rem, there's no action length to deal with and it can be loaded considerably hotter than the 260 Rem in a modern rifle, been there done that thinking already!!

Tim

http://www.cpcartridge.com/6.5X55SM-P.htm

http://www.cpcartridge.com/260remP.htm

http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/aicompare.cgi?sn=BWeDaXecUj&loadset=30&xxglbl=1

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,117152.msg1098380030.html#msg1098380030

Freezer · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2008, 07:03:47 PM »

OOOOhhhhb Hadn't thought about it. canthe brass handle it?

I stopped the last sentance short,"I haven't seen the monte carlo youth stock yet.".

I wouldn't even think of ticking off a pig with a 243... unless her life insurance ws paid

I can alwats put a soft recoil pad on the gun but What is the weight? As best I could deduce from the NEF web site it would weigh 7.5 lbs in anything but the superlite 243

My Savage 308 weighs 5.75 Troubles a brew'n

Ten Ring · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2008, 07:43:29 PM »

My wife is on the small size and is 63 years young. She shoots a 270 using the managed recoil Remington bullets and has killed several wall hangers.
Ten Ring

quickdtoo · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2008, 09:28:02 PM »

Quote from: Freezer on February 21, 2008, 07:03:47 PM

OOOOhhhhb Hadn't thought about it. canthe brass handle it?

I'll let ya know!!

I would think a 95gr-100gr Nosler Partition or TSX would do a piggy in just fine with proper shot placement.

My 243 Superlight with 4x Weaver weighs 6lbs-8½oz w/scope covers.

Tim

http://www.texasboars.com/anatomy.html

http://www.texasboars.com/hunting/huntingtips.html

Swampman · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2008, 01:09:42 AM »

I'd get the .30-30.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2008, 01:38:51 AM »

I would think unless you want to be able to brag that you have a "Custom" Handi in 65.x55 or .260 I would get either the 30-30 and load your own, as has been suggested with your own load and Spitzer bullets in a Handi you can really make it into a great long range gun, OR just get a 7mm-08. You could of course look for one of the elusive but great 7x57 Handi barrels. Both the 30-30 and 7mm-08 have the advantage of many different bullet styles to choose from for the reloader. As a reloader you can also tailor the recoil to suit you or your wife. Good Luck....<><....

rex6666 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2008, 04:30:15 AM »

I wouldn't think of ticking off a pig with a243 either, i would however kill a pig graveyard dead
with a 243, friend of mine killed a scale weighed boar 287lbs with his 223 (black rifle)
it all in where you put it.
the 30-30 would be good for 200 yrds, i just think the 243 has more going for it, for other uses.

Freezer · « **Reply #14 on:** February 22, 2008, 07:22:46 AM »

YAAA Greybeard! Now That's what I'm talking about. It's going to be bad enough hunting with a rookie the first two years but when the rookie is your wife with a gun she thinks is too heavy

And we all know the wife is always well...not completely wrong

Pray for me folks.

The problem with the standard barrel is the total package is too heavy for a newbe to be packing through the woods all day, especially the terrain I have to hunt. Starting at 7lbs without a scope... I may as well cut the stock on my beloved savage 99f and give it to her

navylawdog · « **Reply #15 on:** February 24, 2008, 08:27:18 AM »

Freezer,

I was just on Kittery Trading Post's website and they have a handi in 7mm-08 for $175.

http://www.ktpguns.com/interior.php/pid/28

Navylawdog

Couger · « **Reply #16 on:** February 25, 2008, 12:09:43 PM »

Heck, get the .308W or .30/06 and reload it to .30-30 levels.

Gun writer Ken Waters ("Pet Loads" fame), used to praise a ".30-30/06 load" for a reduced-recipe. One can use .308 spitzer pills, or .30-30 pills, at around 2200-2400 feet per second. And then if needed later - crank it up to higher or even maximum velocities and energies.

No reason this concept couldn't also work with a .270Winnie loaded down. Or a .280Remy as well.

hunterwinco · « **Reply #17 on:** February 25, 2008, 01:41:33 PM »

Shhhhhhhhhhh! I had seen that 7mm-08 too and was thinking of making a trip down to Kittery to look at it! -lol

knight0334 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 26, 2008, 02:58:47 PM »

I saw the title to the thread, "Handi for the wife", and I thought - hell, you made a good trade then. lol

kenbev · « **Reply #19 on:** February 26, 2008, 04:30:58 PM »

I have a 45LC Carbine barrel set up with a 410 Tamer stock. It is real light and with a little honing, you can carry the shells in the stock. It shoots real good and there is no recoil....The wife loves it. She has hunted with me for several years. My eight year old grandson likes this set up also.....

Sourdough · « **Reply #20 on:** February 26, 2008, 07:27:51 PM »

When my son started shooting big guns I got him his first Handi, then ordered a youth stock. The youth stock worked well with sights but when he went to a scope I had to cut down the original Monte Carlo stock to youth length. Was easy to do. When he got his 45-70, he put the youth stock on it. Then when he went to a scope he put a lace on leather riser to get his head up to the scope.

I would recommend a 30-06, 308, 7mm08, or the venerable old 45-70, if you go with a Handi. You reload so you can make them suitable for the quarry, and the old 45-70 with factory loads is not bad on recoil either, it just does not have the range the others do.

Just remember it is her gun, that seems to mean something to women. It's hers, not yours, and she will put forth more effort to do well. If it is your gun she will lose interest fast. For my wife's first rifle I got her a Marlin lever action carbine in .44 mag. To this day she shoots better with it, and it seems to be her favorite, over all the guns she owns now. The first thing I did when I bought her a gun was take it to a gunsmith and have the stock shortened. She actually goes a little shorter than a youth stock with her length of pull. She is only 4'11". Once a gun has been cut down for her there is no way I can shoot it comfortably, I'm 6'3". So get over getting something you can shoot if she loses interest, that will encourage her to lose interest. Get her something that is specifically hers. Do it right and you will have a hunting partner for life. My wife is the best hunting partner I have ever had. We work as a team when out hunting. I am colorblind, I look for movement, and shape. She looks for color, and shape. We spot more game than all of our other hunting friends combined.

BTW- she now owns her .44 Mag carbine, a Rem 7400 in 30-06, two 20ga over and under skeet guns, a Moss berg 12ga pump, An old Carcano Carbine she confiscated from a nephew, a Browning A-bolt in .243, a Savage 30-06, a Ruger Mini-30, and a Custom Mauser in .35 Whelen she confiscated from me. All have shortened stocks except the Carcano and ruger they were already short.

krod47nw · « **Reply #21 on:** February 26, 2008, 08:15:02 PM »

Just buy all of them, and let her choose. It's the perfect excuse to buy more handis

quickdtoo · « **Reply #22 on:** February 26, 2008, 08:28:32 PM »

I like the way Kevin thinks!!

Chilachuck · « **Reply #23 on:** February 26, 2008, 08:39:30 PM »

Freezer (reply 14), Why _chop_ the stock? You cannot find a replacement for less than a new rifle?

I'll second the "get her her own rifle" as the best choice. It's not like the things are going to lose value, and then there's the idiots and idiocy in Washington...