LOW RECOIL DEER RIFLE
My wife is a dink. She weighs 106 pounds dripping wet, and is quite recoil shy. Even so, she has a great spirit for adventure and wants to accompany me sometime on a hunting trip. Most of the time that means deer; either whitetail ore mule, depending on the location. The problem is, she is a little uncomfortable even with the modest recoil of a 243. She tried a friend's 7mm-08, but that was clearly too much. I want to avoid the use of a muzzle brake, so am wondering which direction to go. Do we go with a 243 and just load it down somewhat, or should I look into having a mercury recoil reducer installed in the stock? Also, what do you think of the Savage 11 Lady Hunter?
Doug, Montana
Mercury recoil reducers add quite a bit of tail weight to a rifle. Their effectiveness has been a subject of ongoing debate. I have a full 16-ounce reducer installed in the stock of a Ruger No. 1 in 375 H&H that I use as a loaner and trainer rifle, and it's fairly comfortable to shoot. Other than that, I don't have much experience with them.
The thought of milder handloads for a 243 Winchester could result in some trajectory, accuracy, and other concerns. If I was in the same position as you, I'd consider an entirely different route. First, determine her comfortable length of pull. With your question about the Savage 11 Lady Hunter, you must already be aware that many smaller women are more comfortable with a pull length of 12 to 13 inches than they are the usual 13 1/2-to 13 3/4-inch-pull stocks made for a man. If she can readily handle 13 inches with hunting clothes on, then I'd be looking at a Winchester Model 70 Compact. Take a look at the Winchester website. If, however, a 13-inch pull is too long, which it probably will be, then take a look at the Model 70 Featherweight. This is the direction I'd go. Order it in a 22-250, have the stock professionally shortened and re-install either the original Pachmayr Decelerator pad re-shaped to fit precisely, or buy a new one. Now you have a very pretty rifle with a pull of 12 1/2 inches, or whatever she requires. I'd jump all over the Savage Lady Hunter idea, but they don't make it in 22-250.
Now it's time for a load that will do the job. Look to Nosler for a choice of two excellent bullets. First there is their 60-grain Partition, which I've seen kill deer first hand. And then there's the relatively new 64-grain Bonded Solid Base, which in our first testing at the shop appears to be fantastic. We haven't seen it tried on big game yet, but Nosler likely has some very positive feedback by now. Of course, this bullet would be limited in use to locations that allow 22 caliber for the game you are after, but after seeing what they will do, and how they expand yet hold together, we think there is a big future for the 64-grain, 0.224-inch-diameter Nosler Bonded Solid Base. As for your wife, she'll be very pleased with you. Expect to be surprised with your favorite meals for quite awhile.
When the old 55-grain, 22-caliber Trophy Bonded Bear Claw supply dried up, I was wondering if we would ever have a 22 bullet that effective again. With this 64-grain Nosler, we may have icing on the cake. If you hear of performance that seems almost unbelievable, it likely could be true.
JDC