wifes first rifle

Trap99

Trap99

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Hello my wife is thinking about getting into shooting targets and maybe one day big game hunting deer size game. Can anyone please recomend a caliber and action or brand and type of optics that I would buy. She is also a small framed woman who likes to shoot gophers so something varmint capabile would be nice I have a buddy who reloads so this is not a problem for ammo cost thanks.
 
.243 would be my choice for caliber. Little recoil, does everything from gophers to deer very well.

As for rifle and optics, do some research. Any of the big brands will do her just fine. Don't cheap out on optics!!!! Spend at least $250
 
My daughter likes her (new) Marlin XS7 in .243 with the Redfield 3-9x33 scope. Excellent for both varmints and deer. Recoil is not an issue. Hard to beat this combination in cost or quality. Take a look on-line at the Marlin XS series and you will see they have taken every good feature from every gun out there and combined them into one dandy inexpensive firearm. If you don't like the synthetic stock then Boyd's has very nice laminated stocks that are 'drop in' fit. I have the Boyd's on my Marlin in 7mm-08. Nice. Do let us know what you decide.
 
stubblejumper said:
The 260rem,and 7mm-08 come to mind for this situation.
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:agree:

These caliber's can be used for anything, moose and elk are within the capabilities of these with the recoil of a .243, and better barrel life if she wants to make use of it as a target/range rifle.

7mm-08 has a few more factory ammunition's available, however if you load then the world is your oyster. 120-130 in .260 , 140's in the 7mm-08 are the sweet spots for those choices.

The Remington Mountain LSS is a very nice choice and with a 3-9 scope of mid price it will be a combination that can be used for a lifetime.Easy to handle, weight is very manageable, and even nice to look at.

Those calibers aren't just a "girls" gun, many experienced male hunters swear by their accuracy and effectiveness.
 
Browning X-Bolt Micro Hunter in 7mm-08.
Not sure of other calibers in Micro X-Bolt.
The 308win may be a bit much on recoil in a lighter rifle.
 
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My Girlfriend is five foot nothing and 105 pounds. I picked her up a CZ527 bolt action in 7.62x39. I would consider this gun to be a juniors rifle, although it shoots extremely accurate. She can shoot til the cows come home. Surplus ammo is cheap like dirt right now, and the caliber comes in many commercial soft points. Last fall she took her first deer, that scored to be B&C 174 5/8 whitetail.
 
my wife shoots a ruger compact in 7/08.
i love the caliber because it good for anything from gophers to moose..
took us two years to find a rifle that fit her!'
that the main thing!!find one she likes and is comfortable with.
 
If you reload then I would suggest a .250 Savage or a .257 Roberts. Both are great chamberings and are excellent for deer. Savage chambers a couple of their rifles in the former, and Ruger chambers the latter.
 
I have a 250 Savage as well and my wife likes it too. Keeps her away from my 223. She can be possessive. She now "owns" my 9422 but she lets me shoot it at least. Othrwise I would load down my 308.
 
Crazytrout said:
Just a suggestion. Please consider the fit of the rifle before the caliber. My girlfriend is petite and approx 110 lbs. The rifle she chose fits her extremely well, which I have found to be the largest factor in reduced recoil and added comfort.
She can shoot her bolt .308 all day with some good loads....no need for anything less than what everyone else is using.
We have friends in Germany who are also hunters, the husband shoots a 30-06 and his wife shoots a Sauer in 9.3 x 62......

CT
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I agree with this. Take her shopping and get her to try on as many rifles for fit as possible!!
 
I thought I'd mention that a semi auto eats up felt recoil. My wife likes her Browning bar safari in 243 and she doesn't flinch when she pulls the trigger. I put a VXll 3-9X40 Leopold scope on it in and sighted it in using 100grain nosler ballistic tip bullets, my reloads. She's good to go!
My 2 cents.
 
A Marlin XS7 in 7/08 would be a very good choice. Many owners (myself incl.) have very good accuracy with these Marlin rifles. It offers much value at a price most would concider to be an entry level price point.

There have been many reviews on line about these rifles. Seems anyone who buys one, likes it!

.
 
kimberman said:
My wife uses a nice little sporterized m96 in 6.5x55 swedish. She shoots it quite well so well that I can't have it back.
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x2 My wife loves her 6.5x55 Swede (actually just realized that the computer automatically signed into her CGN account, so this might as well be her advice!). The suggestion of the Ruger compact in 7mm/08 would really fit the bill, though, without having to deal with the various quirks that can come up with a bubbed military rifle.

Among the rifles out there that probably have the right weight and fit, this Ruger is probably the best looking. Otherwise the Remington 700 SPS youth in the same cartridge is certainly worth looking at as well.

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